Henry and Ann of Lanchester and Durham

The following is an exception to the rule that the surname Brockett did not derive from Brock. It also proves that not all Brockett clans are related.

1. Durham St Oswalds

Other Brockets had been baptised, married and buried in Durham St Oswalds 1644-1823, so it was thought likely that Henry was part of that clan, or of another Durham City one. But Henry's baptism does not appear in any Durham registers. Nor indeed did any of his children's.

In fact he came from Lanchester, 8 miles to the west, where he and Ann married in 1742 and stayed for at least another 22 years—their youngest son was baptised there 1764.

2. Lanchester

There are 2 indexes to the Lanchester Parish Registers:

• Book 93 which records marriages 1561-1837 and has one Brocket entry: Henry and Ann Aynsley 1742, as transcribed into the IGI.
• An older index, Book 131, which records baptisms, marriages and burials 1560-1781 and provides folio references to the actual Register Books (now on microfilm M42/687).

Book 131 has 3 Brocket entries with folio references as follows:

Who might Anthony Brocket have been? The actual folios record:

showing:

1. 'Anthony' was a transcription error by the compiler of the index and Deborah was in fact the daughter of Henry and Ann, as reflected later in Henry's will.
2. William was baptised in Lanchester. This had been missed by the IGI transcribers.
3. Henry and Ann lived on in Lanchester after their marriage in 1742, through 1745 to 1748.
4. Henry and Ann were both natives of Lanchester.

Why though weren't there any other Brockets in the Lanchester registers, and why only the baptisms of two of Henry and Anne's five children? His will mentioned Hugh, John and Mary as well.

A glance at preceding pages of Book 131 provides the solution. While there was only one Brocket recorded in Lanchester of Henry's generation and before—himself— there were more than 30 Brocks. Moreover, they had names which tallied with Henry's family, like Hugh, Deborah and Henry. More particularly, there was a marriage record of a Deborah Brock to a Samuel Wild. Henry's will shows that his daughter Deborah married a Wild.

• Henry Brocket started life as Henry Brock.
• Although he had been using Brockett at least since his marriage in 1742, he continued to use Brock as well at least into his 40s.
• Three of his five children were baptised as Brocks in Lanchester, including the last one, John, as late as 1764.
• His eldest daughter Deborah, although baptised as a Brocket, married as a Brock 24 years later in 1772.

A few Brocks from Register Books C and D:

It appears that Henry grew up in Broomhouse and was joined there by Ann during the time of the birth of their first two children (Hugh and William). Then they lived in Langley Lane, where their next two were born (Mary and Deborah). For their last (John) they were at Stobbilee Farm.

 
                      William BROOKE of Broomhouse bur 1737
 
     ____________________________| 
     |              |            |
    ?|             ?|            |
 
William BROCK   Hugh BROCK   Henry BROCK/ET Yeoman m  Ann AYNSLEY
 
m Elizabeth     bur 1722     bap 1721 bur 1792    1742  bur 1794
 
    ...                                             |
                                                    |
     |         _____________________________________|_________________ 
     |         |           |           |            |                |
     |         |           |           |            |                |
 
John BROCK   Hugh       William      Mary        Deborah      John Gent 1764-1827
 
bur 1753     1743-       Gent        1746     1748-bef 1821   m 1787 Frances Sophia
 
           bef 1821    1745-1821       m      m 1772 Samuel   TROTTER d 1833
 
               |       no issue      NEASOM   WILD   issue           |
               |                                                     |
     __________|          ___________________________________________|_____________ 
     |         |          |            |          |        |         |            |
     |         |          |            |          |        |         |            |
 
   Henry     Mary    John Trotter   Margaret   George    Mary   William Henry   Henry
 
   alive      m       1788-1842    1791-1841  1794-1818  1799     1804-1867    MP Jamaica
 
   1821     Joseph     2 sons         unm      Havana           6 daus 5 sons   1807-87
 
            FURNACE

Henry described himself in his will as 'Yeoman'. He himself could not write, but his sons could. John for one was well educated. The 19th century saw the family spread out around the world from Havana to China and from Jamaica to New Zealand.

1. Hugh. Did his son Henry move to Newcastle: will of Henry Brockett of Newcastle 1774 (DUASC T 26)?
2. William of Redhouse, Broom, Elvet, Gent, will proved 1821 (DUASC T)
3. Mary
4. Deborah
5. John.