Hi Debbie
About six years too late, but have just discovered your post. We have a connection through the Willingham side of the family. My g g g g grandfather is John Willingham, the parish clerk of Barton on Humber, who is shown living with the Brocklesbys in the 1861 census. John Willingham was married twice. By his first wife Elizabeth he had two sons, John Willingham, my g g g grandfather, who was a cabinet maker with a shop in Barton on Humber and George, a blacksmith in the village of Keelby. After the death of his first wife, John Willingham senior married Mary Roberts and had 4 children, but two died young leaving just two daughters, Sarah Willingham, who married John Fussey; and Margaret Willingham, your g g grandmother, who married John Brockelsby.
I didn't know anything about what happened to the Brocklesby family after 1861 so was very interested to read your post. I have loads more information on the Willinghams if you're interested. John Willingham and his wife Mary are buried in the churchyard of St. Mary's Church, Barton on Humber, where John was parish clerk for 57 years. This is the incscription: "Mary Willingham, died 10 June 1857, age 86. Also John Willingham, husband, late Parish Clerk of this town for 57 years, died 11 Sept 1862, age 93. Also John Brocklesby, grandson, died at Longon 1847, age 21."
Although the 1861 census records John Willingham's place of birth as Ottringham, he was actually born in Rimswell in the Parish of Owthorne, Yorkshire, in 1769, son of John Willingham and Sarah Chadwick. Both Ottringham and Owthorne are in the same part of Yorkshire, an area called Holderness in the southe east corner of Yorkshire, right on the coast, near the city of Hull and just over the Humber river from Barton on Humber. I think that John Willingham, though born in Owthorne, may have moved to Ottringham as a child and grew up there, but have yet to confirm this. There were a lot of Willinghams in the town of Ottringham and the surrounding villages in Holderness during the period and earlier, and indeed it is still a well known local name in the area today.
Hope this post gets to you, and would love to hear more about the Brocklesby family.
Regards
Ellen
