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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Caithness => Topic started by: ED2005 on Tuesday 04 October 05 14:08 BST (UK)
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Researching Brock family in Caithness. Anyone recognise the name William Manson Brock (stone polisher) b June 4 1836, m'd Janet Thomson on April 13 1860? Generally trying to find out more about the Brocks in Caithness.
I now know that Janet Thomson emigrated to Buffalo, USA after she was widowed in 1906, to be followed years later in 1923 by one of her sons, Robert Thomson Brock and his wife Mary Ann Shirreffs and three children, whom I have found on the Ellis Island website. I am puzzled though, why I cannot find the emigration of the mother on there. Perhaps she emigrated to Canada and moved across the border to Buffalo?
A lot of the descendants I know about worked in the granite industry in Aberdeen.
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Hi
Not knowing what information you have already, found the following births to William Manson Brock/ Janet Thomson @ Thurso on IGI :
30/01/1861 - William
20/08/1862 - Simon Thomson
02/09/1864 - Margaret Bremner
02/02/1867 - James
20/05/1871 - Andrew Thomson
20/08/1873 - Thomas Mowat
Found the family in 1871 census @ Wilson Street, Thurso :
William M Brock - Head - Married - 33 years - Pensioner (followed by what looks like East India Co, but not certain) - born Thurso
Janet Brock - Wife - Married - 28 years - born Reay
William Brock - Son - Unmarried - 10 years - born Thurso
Simon Brock - Son - Unmarried - 8 years - born Thurso
Margaret Brock - Daughter - Unmarried - 6 years - born Thurso
James Brock - Son - Unmarried - 4 years - born Thurso
Donald Brock - Son - Unmarried - 2 years - born Thurso
Ysabeau
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I have an ancestor John Brock who was born somewhere in Caithness around 1790. He was a shoemaker and moved to Great Yarmouth. I would be interested in any information.
James Brannan
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Hi,
One of the earliest Brocks I have in the tree I am researching with a date is William Manson Brock (b 4 June 1836). He had brothers and sisters: James, Anne, Christian, Donald and John (b 1834). So although there may be a link to your earlier John, I haven't yet got that far!
William Manson Brock's parents were William Brock (b 17 Aug 1803) and Janet Campbell. I think her parents were John Campbell and Margaret Gunn (b 1736 in Thurso).
If you think there may be an earlier link, please keep in touch! Thanks for your interest...
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Hi Brock researchers. I have Brock in my line from Wick. I have made up an excel spread of all Brocks in Caithness I could find. Youre welcome to it to add any other names you have.
Runner
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Just thought I'd update anyone who has been following this thread. I made an enquiry to an email address on the Net where I thought I might have a clue as to what happened to this family. It was long shot... a cemetery list with one of the same names. The e-mail address turned out to be someone who is not only connected, but was also brought up in the house the Brock family originally stayed in when they first emigrated to the USA! How's that for a piece of luck! It just goes to show you have to try any clue, however small. You just never know.
I had to smile when I read on the 1930 Census (USA) that Robert Thomson Brock, who went over to the States as a Stonemason, was now a 'retailer of cigars.'
Thanks to all who have replied and shown an interest...
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Hi
William Manson Brock was the brother of my great great grandfather John Brock (23.04.1834) Thurso. One of John's sons Edward (Ted) (1868) moved to New Zealand and his brother Dan did also. Ted had two children and the son Edward (Eddie) had two children. The son George was my father. He died last year. I have a brother and sister. I have no children and they both have three each. Am very interested in family info. Will be in LA briefly in Feb 2006 if any descendants are there I would like to make contact.
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An update if anyone is following this:
William Manson Brock's parents are William Brock and Janet Campbell, buried at St Peter's, Thurso. She died 9.8.1850 aged 52. Buried with her are son James d 16.1.1851 aged 23 and his wife Mary Graham d 12.1.1851 aged 25. The IGI has William Brock senior as William Broake or Miller, his parents being Donald Broake and Catharine Miller. He was born at Ormley. Janet Campbell's parents we are fairly sure are James Campbell and Christian Gray married April 28, 1797 in Thurso and not as first thought.
Still looking for Thurso Brock's or any further information!
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I am new to on line research so you can imagine my surprise to find this title while browsing through the site. Janet Thomson Brock was my great grandmother and Robert Thomson Brock was my grandfather. She died in 1935 at 99, I believe, when she was living with her daughter Jesse Thomson and her family on the next street over from my grandparents. I was only three at time so I have only vague family stories to refer to but I believe she had had 12 children. There were other family members living in Buffalo involved in the stone monument business, I've heard, and the widow of one of Robert's brothers lived next door to my grandparents.
In reference to the East India company, I have a note written years ago from my aunt that said her grandfather William Brock had been in the Army in India but have no further information on that.
As I understand it my grandfather's change of occupation was due to ill health. This may have been due to the fact he was unable to work in the stone yards any more, possibly due to silicosis and/or his service in WW I. So the family bought a small newspaper/ cigar store in order that he could have a business in Buffalo. He died in 1931 before I was born so again all I know is family stories.
I was born in Buffalo but no longer live there so I have no access to local records but am beginning to research the Census data that is on line here and will be looking for more material. But I do want to thank you so much for adding all this information to my family history.
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This is very exciting! I have been researching this branch of my wife's family for some months now and to hear from a descendant of Robert Thomson Brock is great. Her grandmother is a Brock and is the daughter of Robert's brother John.
I am based in Aberdeen, Scotland where there are many descendants of William Manson Brock still living. I have also, through the internet, made contact with a descendant living in Florida. Between us we have pieced together much of the history of the Brocks originally from Thurso.
I was interested to read about Janet who died in 1935 at age 99. My wife's grandmother told us she thought that she lived until about 100. She was right!
I have much information I would wish to share with you including the fascinating obituary of William Manson Brock which I came across in the local library here.
Perhaps you will be able to help me clear up a mystery! One of the Brock descendants we have been researching is Dorothy Marion Brock, who was the daughter of your grandfathers brother George Thomson Brock. She starred in several silent movies in the 1920s as a child actress known as Baby Dorothy Brock. We have much information of her including some pictures, but the mystery remains... what became of her. We know that at the age of 11 she was living with her parents in Norwich Drive, Beverly Hills, but after that we have no trace. If you know anything of her story, I would love to hear it. Please feel free to contact me again – I would love to hear from you.
I have (hopefully) managed to attach pic of William Manson Brock from the local newspaper here in 1906.
Thanks for getting in touch!
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James, I think I might have some info for you. I am researching on my ancestors, the Brocks, who come from Norfolk. Many ended up in Yarmouth, before dispersing elsewhere. But there is one stray (forgive the term, please) who comes from Scotland, according to the census records, who then lived in Yarmouth. He has always intrigued me. I'd be happy to share my research with you.
meles
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Thanks to this list I have established that my ancestor John Brock, born about 1788 in Caithness and migrated to Great Yarmouth, gave the middle name "Dunnett" to a number of his children. His wife's name was Nichols (married 1808 in Yarmouth), so the Dunnett name could have come from the father's side. The couple are also thought to have lived in Dalkeith in 1811.
If anyone knows of a Brock-Dunnett connection in Caithness, that might be helpful.
James
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Sorry, I know nothing about Dorothy Brock. Did note on the census from 1930 where she was listed, her father said he was born in Vermont and both he and his wife were listed as actors. I think some of the family lived in Barre, Vt. but the only one I found in 1910 in Vermont was 7 years old. However I did notice a very interesting listing in Buffalo in the 1910 census. There was a Janet Brock, widow, listed as having 12 children, 9 living, and her two sons--Malcolm 22 and George 20, the latter a stone cutter. The year of immigration was 1901 for all of them but this might just be a mistake if as you wrote she came in 1906. Wondered if this could have been him and like my other grandmother never became naturalized.
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Hi Brock researchers. I have Brock in my line from Wick. I have made up an excel spread of all Brocks in Caithness I could find. Youre welcome to it to add any other names you have.
Runner
Hello Runner,William Brock - a cooper in Wick - probably the one born 29-7-1785 - was my GG Grandfather. He married Isobel Polson from Loth Sutherland in 1822. From this union came Jean 1822 ; Ann 1826 ; Hugh 1828 ;Isabella 1830 ; Angus ; William 1833 - my G GF ;John 1835 ; Alexander 1837 ; Donald 1839 and Margaret 1844. What made finding these folk challenging was that their name changed to Brooks from around the time of the birth of the youngest two children - perhaps courtesy of the official recording events in the town - who knows? Would love to see your list of Brocks from Wick, Regards Jean Email ; (*)
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This is GREAT! I am the greatgrandson of Robert Thomson, I have no memory of Da, as he was called by everyone, but do remember his wife, Mary Ann. She died when I was about 5 or 6, so that would have been around 1957. Recently, some of my cousins had decided to look into our background some and came up with some information that I questioned, so I got on the web and started searching. I was able to track Robert Thomson and family through Ellis Island, backtracked them to Aberdeen and Thurso. According to the info I gleaned out of the 1871, 1881 and 1891 census' William and Janet did indeed have 12 children, Robert T. falling about in the middle. The names and approximate birth years I found were:
William - 1861
Simon - 1863
Margaret - 1865
James - 1867
Donald - 1869
Andrew - 1871
Robert - 1873
John - 1877
Janet - 1879
Malcolm - 1882
George - 1890
Robert T had 3 children:
Cecilia - 1904
Robert Alexander and George Henry (twins) - 1906
Robert A had 4 sons:
Robert Everett - 1929
Alan Ernest - 1931
George Alexander - 1937
Bruce Cameron - 1939
George H had 1 daughter - Jean Ann
Cecilia had 2 children -
David
Kathleen
There's much more, but I'll add more later
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Hi from Florida,
I grew up in the house at 114 Erb St in Buffalo. If you have additional information please send me an email at (*).
Thanks,
Doug
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Little did I know when I started this post the interest it would arouse! I now have much information about the family which isn't on this thread. For example, I now know much of what happened to all of the 12 children of Wm Manson Brock listed above. If anyone wishes to contact me direct, I can perhaps fill in a few blanks!
Thanks again to everyone for the interest!
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You looking for Brock's living there now? There was a couple in my school who were from Halkirk. Le t me know if you want to trace them
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Meg -
I would be very interested in any info you might have about any family connections you might know of.
Thanks,
Bob
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Hello...........I'm working on a family tree for a friend and if Jean Brock born in 1905 is Edna Jean Brock born in 1905 in Buffalo, NY......then she is related to Thomas Mowat Brock. Can anyone confirm this? I found this site by googling Thomas Mowat Brock ;D
I have Jean Brock death in 1941 in Buffalo. She was married to Joseph Giambelluca born 1909 in Buffalo
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Hi from Florida,
I grew up in the house at 114 Erb St in Buffalo. If you have additional information please send me an email at (*).
Thanks,
Doug
Hi Doug....I saw this address on the census :)
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Hi all,
This is an old post now but hopefully someone is still watching it. I want to find more about the ancestry of this family to ascertain if they are related to my Brocks.
William Brock m Janet Campbell 8/12/1826 Thurso, Caithness.
Two of their children, John (b1834) and Donald (b1832) emigrated to NZ. Both were masons.
John m Margaret Corrigal
Donald m Sarah Pollock
They both had family in NZ.
I am very interested in William Brock's ancestry, hopefully back a couple of generations.
Can anyone help? I am happy to help in any way I can.
Cheers
Helen
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Helen -
Greetings!
Yes, at least I still monitor this thread. I will send you what I have on file. We have located several family members, in Scotland, the States and down your way. What I send you will be a compilation of what all we, collectively, have discovered.
It will take a few days to sort it all out, so please be patient!
Bob
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Hi Bob,
Do you have 2 RootsChat profiles ??? I am trying to fix a members broken email address on this thread and wondered if this was also you.
Regards
Sarah
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Sarah -
I don't think so... but, I suppose, anything is possible :)
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Reply#21 Helen
Not sure when you posted - no year I can see. However in relation to John and Donald or went to NZ.
John was my Great, Great Grandfather. He is Buried in Rangiora NZ with his wife and others. My Great grandfather and his brother are Buried in Christchurch. John built a house at Loburn and it is still there. My wife and I managed to look through it a few years ago. It has been extensively added to. But the original part still there and original roof. If you search The Chancery at Loburn some info will come up. Wonder your relationship and location. Wayne
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Helen posted in 2016, there is a date stamp at the top of the post :)
Regards
Sarah