Mary (Blackwell) Brockett (abt. 1609 - 1662)

Born about 1609 in England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of John Broket — married 1635 in Sandridge, Hertfordshire, England

Died 1662 at about age 53 in England

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Adrian Brockett [send private message], Herbert Wolfe [send private message], and Jeanine Schirmer [send private message]

Biography

"Aug 14 Mr John Brocket and Mary Blackell were married - 1635" in Sandridge, Hertfordshire.^[1]

The Parish record didn't mention that they were married by licence, but the bond for a licence to be married in Sandridge dated the same day exists,^[2] obligating "John Brockett of the parish of St Michaels in the County of Hertford, Gentleman, and John Mott of the town of St Albans in the same county, Glover," to pay the Archdeacon of St Albans £100 should "John Brockett of St. Michaells Batchelor And one Mary Blackwell of the same maiden daughter of Elizabeth Blackewell the late Relicte & widdowe of Richard Blackwell late of Bushey deceased" not get married there. Marriage licences enabled people to get married elsewhere than their own parish and at the time John and Mary were attached to St Michaels, the main parish church in St Albans. St Albans is a couple of miles south of Sandridge Parish—which adjoins Wheathampstead, where John's family was from—and about 9 m N of Bushey, a rural parish where Mary's family was from. Why they chose to marry in Sandridge who knows, but as the condition of the licence said, parental consent ought to have been given.

Bushey manor had been purchased by Robert Blackwell in 1573 on whose death in 1580 it was divided between his sons—George and Robert.^[3] These two and a third son were parties to a deed dated 12 Oct 1596 between 1. Robert Blackwell of Bushey, gent, and Richard Blackwell of Bushey, yeoman, 2. George Blackwell of Bushey, elder brother of Robert & Richard Blackwell, and 3. John Parsons of Aldenham, yeoman.^[4] It's likely that one of the two probate documents of Richard Blackwell proved at the Archdeaconry of St Albans in 1602 ^[5] and 1634 ^[6] was of the Richard in the 1596 deed and the other of the father of Mary, deceased by 1635. Sight of the 1634 document should confirm.

It wasn't usual for the daughter of a Yeoman to marry the eldest son of an Esquire, but there were Yeomen wealthier than some Esquires, and Mary's father appears to have been a son of the lord of the manor.

Mary had passed away before 1646 without surviving children when John married again as a Widower. A search through available records has so far found no relevant burial for Mary, whether under the name Broket or Blackwell.

Disputed Origin

The wife of John Brockett of New Haven, Connecticut, was not this Mary Blackwell. While a Mary Blackwell did marry a John Brockett, they remained in England and died there, without issue. See the Broket Archive

This profile has been detached as the spouse of John Brockett of New Haven, and his children have been moved from this profile to the new profile created for his wife, Unknown Unknown.

Sources

1. ↑ Sandridge Parish Register, image accessed 22 Jul 2022 at FindMyPast.co.uk image requires subscription. FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 24 July 2022)
2. ↑ In Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies (HALS), ref ASA22/1, Marriage Bond and Allegations, 1635-1636. For bonds like these see here and for a full transcription of the original and translation of the Latin, contact the profile manager.
3. ↑ See British History Online.
4. ↑ HALS ref DE/Cm/37557.
5. ↑ HALS refs A25/17, inventory 87, HRT ref 13941.
6. ↑ HALS registered will # 8AR260, HRT ref 13944; filed will # 76AW3, HRT ref 13945; and A25/32 inventory 1635 12, HRT ref 13946.

Acknowledgments

• Blackwell-1691 was created by Jeanine Schirmer through the import of Schirmer Family Tree.ged on Jul 10, 2015.