John of Caswell Esq bap 1583 d 1658/9

John was 16 or 17 when his father—Sir John III—was knighted. The family lived at the grand house of Mackery End, Wheathampstead. Most of his life he was called John Brockett of Wheathampstead Esquire, but here we identify him by his last home Caswell, to distinguish him from his older second cousin namesake. Aged 20/21 John was implicated with his father in allegations of counterfeiting silver in Ireland. The dynasty had already begun to decline in influence since Sir John II's death 1598, and John III's line further suffered from the events in Ireland. Nonetheless Mackery End was not sold till 1628 and in 1634 John of Caswell was the subject of a Heralds' Visitation. But towards the end of his life, John became less and less well off. He sold his interest in various Wheathampstead lands and spent his latter years at Caswell, a small farm, which he said he had difficulty retaining.

______________________________________________________   | | | | Sir John I d 1558 Nicholas of Mackery End Esq d 1585 m Margaret Bensted m Margaret Reynolds, nee Hoo  ___|____________________  | | | | | | | Sir John II Edward of Wheat- Sir John III m Mary Snagg d 1598 hampstead Esq d 1599 c 1561-1613 | | no surviving |  ________|__________________  | | | sons | | | John of Wheathampstead Esq Joan m John of m Elizabeth Thomas c 1571-1649/50 Lacon | Caswell Esq | Mordaunt bap 1584 | |  _______________|____   ________|   |___________  | | | | | | | | | | | | George Thomas John Lacon Edmond Elizabeth bap 1624 bap 1628 bap 1612

	Contents of this page:	1. Ireland	5. Brocket v Cutts 1650
		2. Wives and children	6. Brocket v Baker 1652
		3. Virginia	7. Will
		4. Wheathampstead

1. Ireland

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In March 1603 20 year-old Lieutenant John Brockett was called as a witness at the inquiry into the alledged counterfeiting of coins in Duncannon Fort, Ireland. He was implicated, but his younger brother Thomas was not (Calendar of State Papers for Ireland p 578-81).

The Visitation of Herts 1634 named John's wives and children as:

1. Jane dau and coheir of Edward LACON of Willy, Co Hereford. Children: John and Lacon—a daughter.
2. Elizabeth dau of Edmond MORDAUNT of Oakley, Bedfordshire. John and Elizabeth married there 8 Jul 1624 (IGI). Children: Edward and Elizabeth.

The 1860 Gateshead Pedigree gave his first wife's name as Joan, daughter and heir of Edmond Lacon of Wilwyn. The Wheathampstead Parish Registers gave baptism dates:

1. John 29 Jul 1612
2. Edward—actually Edmond—23 Jun 1625
3. Elizabeth 28 Jun 1626.

There was a 13 year gap between John and his brother. John is the only known Gentleman John Brockett who could have married Mary Blackwell in Sandridge 1635.

Although the Wheathampstead Parish Registers and the Visitation of Herts 1634, and then the 1860 Gateshead Pedigree all named John's 2nd son Edward, John's will clearly gives his name as Edmond, as does the 1650 Chancery suit, Edmond's brother John's will and indeed Edmond's own will. Mother Elizabeth's father was an Edmond.

The Merchant Taylor's Company's Presentment Books (Guildhall Library microfilm 352:57) and Index to Freeman (Guildhall Library microfilm 324) recorded Edmond being presented 4 Apr 1646 and freed 4 May 1653, by master Thomas Pendleton. Freedom usually coincided with the age of 21, but Edmond was 28. The only other known contemporary was Edmund the son of Edmund, Vicar of Luton, bap 1605—too early to have been an apprentice 1646-53. Edmond the Merchant Taylor died of the plague in 1665 in London in difficult financial circumstances and a dispute arose over the execution of his will (pr PCC PROB 11/318) between his widow Judith (d 1688) and the executor, kinsman Thomas Brockett (PRO C10/107/25 Brockitt v Brochitt, Hare, Banton). John and Richard Hare were among the defendants.

1609-1613 John's father invested in the Virginia Company during Sir Thomas Smyth's treasurership.

Before 1639 John's father granted him 200 acres in New Norfolk, Virginia when he assigned it to Francis Roulston, alias Willcox (Nugent 1934- vol 1 p 110):

John's brother Thomas was probably the Thomas Brockett, gentleman, recorded in 1623-4 as an Adventurer of the Virginia Company (Kinsbury 1906- vol 4 p 366).

During his life John had interest in various lands in and around Wheathampstead:

• Mackary End House Wheathampstead, or Mackerells End, was the home of his childhood (VCH Herts 1908 vol 2 p 300 n 64 citing Westminster Abbey Muniment 14050) and John is said to have conveyed it to Thomas Levett the day after Ascension Day 4 Charles I—May 1628 (n 65). But in fact it was his younger brother who did so (PRO CP25/2/248):

  Latin

  English translation

  1. hec est finalis concordia ... 5. ...Inter Thomam Levett Armigerum quer' et Thomam Brockett Armigerum deforc' 6. de Manerio de Mackeryend cum pertinencijs ac de sex mesuagijs decem Cotagijs duobus 7. molendinis aquaticis decem Gardinis decem pomarijs octingentis acris terre 8. quinquaginta acris prati Centum & Viginti acris pasture sexaginta acris bosci 9. ducentis acris Iampnorum & bruere & quinque solidat' reddit' cum pertinencijs in Whethampsted 10. Harpenden & Kimpton … 17. ... nouingentas libras sterlingorum

  1. This is the final agreement ... 5. between Thomas Levett Esq purchasor and Thomas Brockett Esq vendor 6. of the Manor of Mackeryend with 6 messuages, 10 cottages, 2 7. watermills, 10 gardens, 10 apple orchards, 800 acres of land, 8. 50 acres of meadow, 120 acres of pasture, 60 acres of wood, 9. 200 acres of gorse and heathland and 5s rent, with appurtenances in Wheathampstead 10. Harpenden & Kimpton ... 17. ... for £900 sterling

• John and his son John conveyed Saunceys to James Ellis in 1638 (PRO CP25/2/430; VCH Herts 1908 vol 2 p 302 n 75).
• John spent the last part of his life at Caswell House (VCH Herts 1908 vol 2 p 296a—with a picture—citing Westminster Abbey Muniment 14117). In the dispute with Samuel Baker it is referred to as: 'one Messuage called Casswell house with thappertenances and seuerall pieces or parcells of land conteining by estimation two hundred acres of land arable meadow and pasture set lyeing and being in the parishes of Harpeden Kympton and Whethamstead in the said Countye of Hertford'.

This was a dispute over some money John had borrowed against some of his property in Wheathampstead. Because of it he was twice briefly imprisoned. His son Edmond was involved. Two documents have been found: John's Bill of Complaint and William Cutts' Answer (PRO C9/5/18).

The main details:

This was an involved dispute over John's property in 'Casswell' in the 1650s. Three documents have been found but no judgment as yet:    (abbreviations—JB: John Brockett, SB: Samuel Baker)

1. JB snr's Bill of Complaint of 9 Feb 1652—PRO C10/465/40
2. SB jnr's Bill of Complaint of 2 Dec 1652, a new suit—PRO C10/24/23
3. JB snr's Plea & Demurrer of 13 Feb 1653 to 2—PRO C10/24/23.

Summary and analysis

Chronology of the alledged events in the dispute

Too much can be read into wills, but compared to other Esquires' wills from this century, indeed Gentlemen's and even many Yeomen's, this one is short and meagre. A token bequest for the eldest son was not so unusual, if property had already been passed on, but is less usual for both sons, and to allow 1 year for such small amounts to be raised from the estate is odd. It could imply that John had little to pass on and had fallen on hard times, and/or that there was some breach between father and sons. Neither daughter was mentioned.

The witness George Brokett was a son of the other John Brockett of Wheathampstead Esq. George was baptised in Wheathampstead 1624 and was still living 1675. George's brother Thomas was executor to Edmond Brockett, most probably John of Caswell's second son.