Brocket of Hertford Outline

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Hertfordshire, England

Started 31 May 2016; to be used to guide our cleanup of the mess of Brocket(t) profiles. Hyperlinked names go to the area of the SOURCE from which the information is extracted. (WT) links go to the Wikitree profile of the person.

Brockett cleanup Source: http://www.brockett.info (seems to be the best source for documented accounts of the various Brocketts)

Hertfordshire:

1. Thomas Broket (“remembrance”) (WT) was born no earlier than 1363 and no later than 1373; his parents are not known (but he could have been the son of Thomas of Yorkshire, himself a possible son of Thomas of Steeton); he m. by 1395 Dionisia Sampson, daughter and heiress of William Sampson, Lord of the Manor of Southwood in Appleton (where Thomas became Lord by right of his wife); by 1400 Thomas was Exchequer at Westminster; in 1410 he was appointed Treasurer's Remembrancer; he died in 1435.
   1. Lucy m. Dalisone
   2. Elizabeth m. Haselring
   3.  ? Parnelle who was working for the Exchequer in 1419
   4.  ? William (b 1400-1410), working for the Exchequer up to 1433.
   5.  ? John Brocket of Hatfield in 1428; b by 1407; held former Hugh FitzSimon lands suggesting relationship to Thomas (who m. an Asshe and also held Hugh FitzSimon lands); presumably John's share of this land passed to Thomas.
   6. Thomas Brocket of Wheathamstead (WT); b bef 1396; d 1477; m. by 1432 Elizabeth Asshe ([Ashe-36|WT]) (daughter of William; heiress to the Hugh FitzSimon estates); by 1435 Thomas came to Parliament as Knight of the Shire. May have been brother to John Brocket of Hatfield. No issue.
   7. Edward Brocket of Wheathamstead (WT), b bef 1417; d 1488; m. 1450 Elizabeth Thwaites (WG); (she was buried 1507); he inherited the FitzSimon estates from his brother Thomas in 1477. Children:
      1. Thomas (1) died unmarried; was not married to Joan Neville, dau of Sir William Neville.
      2. John Brocket of Wheathamstead (WT) “second son and heir” b bef 1460; d 1532; m 1484 Lucy Pulter only dau of John Pulter Sheriff of Bedfordshire; probably built Brocket Hall; at least he was first to be called “of Brocket Hall”. Sheriff Herts and Essex 1507-8; 1531. Left will. Children:
         1. John Brocket of Swaffham Bulbeck; b by Jun 1485; d 1526 (before his father); first sheriff of Hertfordshire; admitted to Middle Temple 1509; in 1511, purchased land from his father; m. Dorothy Hughson, wealthy heiress, dau of Nicolas Hughson, Gentleman of Swaffham Bulbeck, a hamlet near Cambridge. Died in his early 40s; will dated 16 Feb 1524 proved 21 Jul 1526 without title “Esq” .
            1. Sir John Brocket I, b abt 1511-1514; knight 1547, MP Herts 1553, 1555; d 23 March 1558; m. Margaret Bensted, dau of William Bensted of Bennington, Herts. "Brocket was among those knighted shortly after Edward VI's coronation and he served on most county commissions for Hertfordshire during that reign." Wife Margaret died in 1560 without a will. Children -- first seven from his will:
               1. Sir John Brocket III m1 (late 1550s) Helen d/o Robert Lytton; m2 Elizabeth d/o Roger Moore. Six daughters; no sons.
               2. Edward; m. Ethelred, widow of Sir Thomas Chaloner
               3. Thomas the Elder; no issue?
               4. Bensted; prob died young or no issue?
               5. Thomas the Younger; no issue
               6. Susan; m Edward Boughton Esq of Causton, Co Warwick
               7. Elizabeth; m John Pope of Co Oxon
               8. Radolphs / Randoll (1546-1621)
               9. William (bap 1544; bur 1545)
            2. Nicholas Brockett of Mackery End, Esq; will pr 1585; m. Margaret Hoo, heiress (adopted not natural daughter) of John and Joan Heyworth of Mackery End. Widow Margaret (Hoo) Brocket m2 Edmund Bardolph of Rothamsted. Nicholas' will makes his only (apparently) son John executor.
               1. Sir John Brockett III, Mackery End; 1562-1613; knighted 1599 in Ireland... no will. He married Mary Snagg, daughter of Thomas Snagg; Children:
                  1. John Brocket of Caswell, bpt Jul 24, 1583 Wheathamstead. "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." Per the visitation of Herts 1634, he m1 Joan/Jane Lacon, dau and coheir of Edward/Edmund Lacon of Lilly; children John and Lacon (dau); he m2 8 Jul 1624 Elizabeth Mordaunt, dau of Edward of Oakley, Bedfordshire; children Edward and Elizabeth. His father granted him land in Virginia which he assigned to Francis Roulston aka Wilcox in 1639. Spent last years at his Caswell property.
                     1. John Brocket, bpt 29 Jul 1612 Wheathamstead; the only known Gentleman John Brockett who could have married Mary Blackwell in Sandridge 1635 (dau of Richard Blackwell). Will dated 1646; proved26 Feb 1663 in Norwich . He was NOT (as many have claimed) the emigrant to New England because he was Clerk in Sion College in London and Rector at Grimston, Norfolk and died in 1663 without issue.
                     2. Lacon (dau)
                     3. Edward (Edmond in father's will and another later record), bpt 23 Jun 1625
                     4. Elizabeth bpt 28 Jun 1626.
                  2. Thomas Brockett, bp 8 Oct 1584; probably Thomas who was recorded as adventurer in 1623-4 of the Virginia Company; he sold Mackery End in 1628(?). May have been he who married Elizabeth Pilkyngton, widow 7 Apr 1608 St. Albans; or he could have been Thomas of Willingdale.
                  3. Ann, born 1585; bur 1586
            3. Edward Gent will pr 1584
            4. Robert of Bramfield, gent, will pr 1582
            5. Thomas, died without issue
            6. Jane m William Copwood of Totteridge
            7. Lucy m Thomas Hoo of the Hoo in Kimpton, or of Paul’s Walden; 2 sons, 4 dau
            8. Filise or Alice; m ___ Ashby
         2. Elizabeth; m1. By 1506 Sir Nicholas Barrington; one child John b 1507; m2 William Boughton, Esq of Caton who d soon after 1536 (Elizabeth was a widow by 1542). She was still living in 1558
         3. Edward Brocket of Letchworth, b 1490/1; d abt 1557? admitted to Lincoln's Inn (school) London, 1511. Sheriff Herts and Essex 1547-8; 1554-5; m. abt 1518 Margaret Micklefield (not Mickleford). Eight surviving children
            1. Edward Brocket, Esq/Gent; outlaw; died before 1584.
            2. William Brocket, gentleman, b abt 1519-1527; d 7 Apr 1609 at Esynden near Hatfield; of Wildhill/Esyndon. Styled armiger (esquire) in 1597. Recorded at Lincoln’s Inn 1567-75. Married Ann, dau of Edmund Bardolphe of Harpenden/Rothamstead; 7 surviving children; left will written 17 Feb 1609; proved 1610 by which time he was a widower
               1. William Brocket b abt 1563; executor of father’s will
               2. Ann; left will 1616
               3. John Brocket of Codicote; probably second son.
               4. Edmund b abt 1565; Vicar of Luton, Rector of Graveley.
               5. Thomas Brocket, gentleman; adventurer of the Virginia company? Unlikely to have been the Thomas discharged 10 Mar 1587 from Hertford gaol; m. Elizabeth; prob no children.
               6. Margaret; m. ____ Cage; widowed btw 1609-1615/6; executrix of sister Ann’s will.
               7. Elizabeth; d bet 1570 and 1609
            3. Lucie unmarried in 1558.
            4. Thomas alive 1558; probably alive in 1570; further family uncertain
            5. John Brocket of Stowe & Ympington, gent; b bef 1537; d 1607; left will written 24 Dec 1607; proved 23 Apr 1608; m. Katherine ____; no surviving issue
            6. Ann unm 1558
            7. Millicent Brocket m. George Leach by 1558
            8. Daughter m Hamillden by 1558
         4. Alice m. ____ Hill
         5. Lucy; no issue
      3. Thomas (2); recorded as marrying Elizabeth Calthrop [or Calthorpe, more likely]; daughter Margaret had no issue.
      4. Elizabeth; married ____ Docray or Thomas Fischer of Hertfordshire; or Hazelrigg (or there was another daughter Elizabeth).
      5. Robert (younger than John); bequeathed manor of Jewlas, near Appleton; sons and descendants were local lords until 1565.
      6. Alice (not Mary) Brocket m. Thomas Perient
      7. William Brocket (probably youngest son of Edward) bequeathed Herons. In 1488 William was bequeathed the Manor of Herons, after the life interest of his mother who died in 1507. But he likely died because there are no Williams in the surviving Herts subsidies and his brother John possessed Herons by 1532. May have been father of William I of Hitchin who left a substantial will in 1556:
         1.  ? William Brocket of Hitchin. Hitchin was the next marketing town north of Wheathamstead; lived most of his life during reign of Henry VIII. Wealthy. Loaned money to Edward Brocket of Letchworth. Married first an unknown woman by whom he had two children (Wm & Alice); m2 Elizabeth _____ by whom he had at least four children (Elizabeth, Edward, Daughters;)
            1. William Brocket; bequeathed lands outside of Hitchin; Bridge Street house would have already been entailed to him
            2. Alice; unm in 1556
            3. Elizabeth; m by 1567 James Chamber[s];
            4. Edward; bequeathed copyhold lands in Hitchin; under 20 in 1556; therefore born no earlier than 1537; m. Barbara; neither his marriage nor burial recorded
            5. Daughters (perhaps including Joane Brocket wife of Laurence Manfelde?)
         2.  ? John Brocket of Offley, yeoman; will proved 1558, of which Edward Brocket of Letchworth was overseer.
            1. Grace Brocket; b abt 1550; m 1573 Richard Prior of Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire; 9 children; still living in 1616 when her husband’s will was proved.