Henry Brookfield brick wall

[kansted]

Henry Brookfield - I am intrigued by the story about the cane with the gem in the top - this is a story that we also have heard (but never heard about the gem).  Also the story of him having been to South Africa, or gone there.

These family stories are so helpful, especially when they are separately verified.

[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

Link updated:-

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27L-1C7Y


Blue

[Blue70]

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

Is there evidence of him being a bricklayer in Australia? If so then look at the Henry Brookfield I have suggested as a possible candidate for him. He was a bricklayer in England in 1881 and later disappears from the family with no sign of a death record.


Blue

[kansted]

Hi, Blue,

Yes, there is evidence of Henry having been a bricklayer, on birth registrations here in Australia for 2nd and 3rd children Jean and Henry, and also in an 1889 Rate Book in Melbourne.

DNA evidence also points to Henry Brookfield b 1859 in Churchtown to John Brookfield and Catherine Rimmer as being correct.

There was similar speculation in our own family of him having been related to Percy Brookfield, the politician from Broken Hill who was murdered in South Australia.  When I researched Henry 1859's immediate family, I had come to a similar conclusion, that Percy and Henry were not related. 

Percy was however the great nephew of John Orlando Brookfield, who was a miner on the Bendigo goldfields.

Cheers

[Blue70]

Hi, Blue,

Yes, there is evidence of Henry having been a bricklayer, on birth registrations here in Australia for 2nd and 3rd children Jean and Henry, and also in an 1889 Rate Book in Melbourne.

DNA evidence also points to Henry Brookfield b 1859 in Churchtown to John Brookfield and Catherine Rimmer as being correct.

There was similar speculation in our own family of him having been related to Percy Brookfield, the politician from Broken Hill who was murdered in South Australia.  When I researched Henry 1859's immediate family, I had come to a similar conclusion, that Percy and Henry were not related. 

Percy was however the great nephew of John Orlando Brookfield, who was a miner on the Bendigo goldfields.

Cheers

That's great that you have confirmed Henry Brookfield, bricklayer, born 1859 (Ormskirk registration district), son of John Brookfield & Catherine Rimmer as your Henry Brookfield. I was in e-mail contact with Rob in 2015 about this enquiry. He thought initially his Henry was the one born in Toxteth, Liverpool (West Derby registration district) in 1856. Your branch of Brookfields are not part of my tree any link would probably be in the very distant past. You might now be in message contact with Rob as I see he is still active on here.


Blue

[kansted]

Hello, Rob,
I have now been able to confirm Henry Brookfield back in Lancashire through DNA, and also know what happened to him in Australia after he disappeared off the scene.  If you are still interested, please message back.
Kansted

[Old-Bonez]

This has been a very interesting post lasting over 3 years.
Kansted has emailed me to inform that she has DNA evidence that prove who is who.

I thank all those who have participated in breaking down this brick wall and either I or Kansted will post the final findings here for future reference.

Kindest regards to all, Rob