I have a "Brookfield" brick wall that I have been playing around the edges of for a few months now with no luck at all. FamilySearch and Ancestory have his marriage & children but that is as far as it goes.
The only information I can give that apparently is researchable is "Henry Brookfield married Sophia Drummond 1887 Fitzroy, Melbourne". From this his birth year would be before 1870. (He may have been known as Harry like his son). I still have to purchase his marriage cert to see if it reveals anything new however you good folk at Roots Chat have managed a breakthrough before so I'm hoping for the same again (if I'm lucky that is).
I have plenty of information on his wife and children but it is his birth, siblings and parents info that I'm after. From his youngest son Josephs Army Enrolment papers in 1918 it is stated that his father was dead. Joseph was born 1898 Cootamundra NSW. So Henry died between 1898 & 1918
His wife Sophia Drummond remarried in 1903 but that doesn't mean that he died and in fact she had a child in 1901 named Norman Brookfield (NSW BDM 21529/1901) her new husband to be was Norman Solah. The child grew up as Norman Solah. (obviously his real father).
Family knowledge is vague however it does tell of a trip to Sth Africa where upon his return he had a walking cane with a jewel of some kind in the head of it. Someone said it was a large emerald. He may have returned to SA.
There are no deaths at NSW BDM that fit.
There are no Convict arrivals that fit (Convict Thomas Brookfield had no descendants)
Assisted immigrants so far have drawn a blank (Searchs incomplete)
Passengers are also drawing blanks (even to and from Sth Africa) (Searchs incomplete)
Brookfields emigrated to Qld ... Apparently stayed there.
Brookfields in Vic;
Frederick Morris Preston Brookfield (solicitor) is the earliest Brookfield in Victoria Electorial Rolls. "1856 South Bourke, Victoria". emigrated to New Zealand in 1851, died 1906.
My best possability was a John Henry Brookfield b.1855 Eaglehawk, Vic but apparently this wasn't his family either (father John Olando Brookfield d. 1976 Sandhurst Vic.
I just can't link my Henry in with any Brookfield family in Vic & nor can I find shipping records that fit.
The last piece of information I got from family info/stories was that the Percival Brookfield that was shot at Riverton Railway Station was his cousin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_BrookfieldAs the story goes there was no love lost between the son Henry Brookfield who referred to him as that Communist ***ard. Searching for this Percys family met with conflicting information so this search ground to a halt.
Any assistance would be gratefully received ... even if it's simply encouragement to proceed into a thorough search as my quick look into things have revealed nothing.
Where should I go next?
Rob