Henry Brookfield brick wall

[Dundee]

I would be getting one of these earlier birth certs as it is more likely that Henry was actually still around.

Either of these two birth certs would give you Henry's age, occupation and place of birth and their place of marriage.  However just because it's stated they married and where and when, doesn't mean it's always accurate.  It would be interesting to see who registered the births and if the dates of marriage were exactly the same.

http://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/home/family+history/family+history+certificates/purchase+an+uncertified+image

BROOKFIELD Jeanett Maud
Father Henry  Mother Sophia DRUMMOND
At Fitzroy North  1889  Reg#30947

BROOKFIELD Henry
Father Henry   Mother Sophia DRUMMOND
At Carlton North  1891  Reg#1705

Cando

Besides confirming his place of birth it will give his occupation and if it something more unusual than just 'labourer' it could greatly help your search. 

I might be able to obtain a copy of this 1891 birth cert but I feel it will not reveal any details about his father that we don't already know or it's owner would have told me. (but I will check)

Rob

Perhaps do this first and also ask who registered the birth.

Sophia's daughter Jeannette had an illegitimate son in 1908 named Joseph O'Rourke BROOKFIELD.  I see from family trees on Ancestry that he apparently later went by the name of Reginald ROBERTS (the surname of the man she later married).

From the Police Gazette 3 June 1908

Wyalong - A warrant has been issued by the Wyalong Bench for the arrest of Joseph O'ROURKE charged with failing to make adequate provisions for the payment of preliminary expenses of and incidental to and immediately suceeding the birth of an infant.  He is 27 years of age, 5 feet 8 inches high, medium build, dark hair, fair moustache; dressed in a grey suit and a grey felt hat with a white band; a travelling tea agent for Edwards & Co., Sydney.  Complainant Jeannie BROOKFIELD, Barmedman.  (Since arrested)

Debra 

[Blue70]

Hi

I'm distantly related to the Henry Brookfield born in the West Derby Registration District in 1856. I can confirm that he remained in England and that those Brookfields related to him lived mainly in the West Derby and Toxteth Park areas (now in Liverpool). We are not related to Percival Stanley Brookfield (1875-1921) whose family lived in the Aigburth area (now in Liverpool) these Brookfields came originally from Shropshire not Lancashire. Our Brookfields have deep Lancashire roots.

It's possible that the Henry Brookfield being researched here was already married. This would explain the couple in Australia not getting married. I'm struggling to find a death index for the Henry Brookfield born in 1859 in the Ormskirk district he was married with children on the 1881 Census (transcribed as Burkfield) then his wife is a widow in 1891 so he should have died between 1881 and 1891 but the absence of a death index is intriguing. Can anyone find it? Here is this family in 1881:-

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQX7-DWL


Blue 

[Old-Bonez]

Thank you Blue70 for your knowledge into the West Derby Brookfields. Does your researched area also include Liverpool back around the mid 1800's?

The reason I ask is because Percival Brookfield (not of your line) was apparently recorded as a birth at West Derby even though his parents line was from Shropshire. I can't help but wonder if other sides of his Brookfield line were there also and for how long. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Brookfield

Your thought that my Henry Brookfield may have already been married is interesting. Since we cannot find his death information I wonder if he returned to England and Sophia told his children that he had died? If family information is correct he travelled to Africa and returned a few years later with that gem in the handle of his walking stick. So did he have a little money saved or since Percival travelled out here as Crew on a ship so it is also possible that Henry used the same mode of transport.

... So what do I have left to research .... I still have to obtain a copy of one of his childrens birth records and I will have to get my head deeply into researching our shipping records .... Despite my quick search he has to be there!!

I could also research the family of Percival to find the siblings of his father Cuthbert Brookfield and try to come back down to see if there is a Henry.

This leaves the question that Blue posted ... Is my Henry Brookfield his missing Henry Burkfield??? What a great question as it is rather possible because we do not know the age of my Henry Brookfield. The answer rests with me finding a copy of his childrens birth record to see what is actually entered.


Thank you all for your input and thoughts, it is so appreciated.

Rob

[Blue70]

I've researched my group of Brookfields back to the 1700s. They are a distinct group as they were Catholics and appear in the vicinity of the village of West Derby on the RC census of 1767 known as the 'Returns of Papists'. There is a record of a Margaret Brookfield in nearby Knowsley in 1643 having land taken off her for being a Catholic so I suspect she will be related to my Brookfields. My Brookfields moved to Toxteth c1770s.

I've noticed a lot of Brookfields who lived in the North Meols/Churchtown area near to Southport. Some of these people moved to Liverpool/Toxteth. For example Felix Brookfield baptised at North Meols C of E on 15 Sep 1805. He married at Halsall in 1829. Eventually moved from Aughton to Toxteth c1840s. Baptisms show them to be C of E.

A third grouping centre on the Aigburth/Garston area. This is Percy Brookfield's family Ancestry has trees that have a lot of information about this family. They baptised their children as C of E and came to Lancashire from Shropshire. Percy's birth was registered in the West Derby district but his birth was recorded as being at Mossley Vale and he was baptised at St Anne's C of E Aigburth. Here is a map showing Mossley Vale with Aigburth to the south:-

http://maps.nls.uk/view/102344123#zoom=5&lat=7266&lon=10441&layers=BT   

Collect any Australian records that may help you with your Henry's place of birth. I don't think he will be related to Percy. It might turn out that it was a joke comment claiming Percy as a cousin because of the same surname.


Blue     

[Blue70]

The Henry Brookfield whose birth was registered in 1859 in Ormskirk district and who was born in Churchtown married Alice Howard in 1877. He was the son of John Brookfield born North Meols bc1825 and Catherine Rimmer born North Meols bc1827. These children were born to Alice it's possible the children with the name Comstive (a surname that appears in the local parish records) were born to a different father. If we were to assume that Henry left the family and Alice pretended to be a widow for the census records then Henry may have left between the birth of Catherine in 1881 and the birth of William Comstive Brookfield in 1884:-

John J Brookfield born 1877
Alice Brookfield born 1878 or 1879
Catherine Brookfield born 1881
William Comstive Brookfield born 1884
Mary Comstive Brookfield born 1886
 


Blue

[Old-Bonez]

Thanks Blue

At this point all we have established is that there is no likely trace of a Henry Brookfield birth centered around the Liverpool region.

Since his Australian wife was born 1867 I imagine that Henrys birth would have been anywhere back to 15yrs earlier (Depending on how well off he was it seems) so I should be looking for a birth of around 1860 with an allowance of 7 years either side.

Still no reply to my request for birth record for my grandfather so I'll make a phone call today.

I have planned to spend Monday at our NSW State Records where I can lean on their experts whilst I delve into our shipping records. Since everybody came here by ships of one kind or another so there will be a record somewhere. It is just a little confusing.

My previous quick search found 3 convict Brookfields but none of them it appears fathered our Henry so I'll put convicts on the last place to search again list. That leaves me with Assisted Immigrants and Free Settlers. Other settlers were the Troopers and the odd Shipping Crew member.

So with this said I'll be back mid next week hopefully with some new information.

Have a good weekend

Rob

[Blue70]

One last comment. Churchtown and North Meols are not far from Liverpool quite convenient for anyone wanting to emigrate in the 19th century:-

 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Churchtown,+Southport,+Merseyside/@53.559883,-2.7033099,11z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x487b3f03d5ff0a57:0x261062bd5f9fada2

Good luck with your research,


Blue

[kansted]

Hi, Rob,
It has been a long time since you posted about Henry Brookfield, so can't be sure you are still in contact this way, and will even receive this.  I gather from your post that you are descended from Henry's son Henry Brookfield b 1891.  I am descended from Henry's older sister Alice b 1887.
If you are still interested perhaps you could get in contact and we can compare notes and source documents on our errant bricklaying ancestor....yes we had separately come to the same conclusions about Henry, and I never did find out either what became of him. 
Cheers
Karen

[kansted]

As a new member, I need to make 3 posts to be able to send a personal message.

I also have information on Charles Drummond and the Drummond family, Sophia's parents.