Henry Brookfield brick wall

[Old-Bonez]

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_Brookfield
As 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

[cando]

Henry Brookfield married Sophia Drummond 1887 Fitzroy, Melbourne"

Nothing registered in Victoria on my resource.  Where did you find this information?

Cando

[cando]

The did not marry 1887 as in 1888 there is this birth.

DRUMMOND Alice Mary
Father unknown  Mother Sophia DRUMMOND
At Carlton  1888  Reg#9682

Looks like her marriage in NSW

4038/1909     
LODGE    John L
BROOKFIELD    Alice M
District Barmedman

and death

18042/1961     
LODGE Alice Mary
Father Henry  Mother Sophia
District Sydney
 
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

[cando]

Or these

10998/1894     
BROOKFIELD  Clarace    Henry/Sophia   Cootamundra

20967/1896     
BROOKFIELD Alexander C  Henry/Sophia  Cootamundra

30041/1898     
BROOKFIELD    Joseph   Henry/Sophia  Cootamundra

Cando

[cando]

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).

But did she actually marry Henry BROOKFIELD ?   If not then nothing preventing her marrying Norman SOLAH.

Cando

[c more]

From the NSW records
1903 Cootamundra
Sophia DRUMMOND married Norman K SOLAH
She married using the surname DRUMMOND which would suggest that she never married Henry BROOKFIELD.
As Cando has said the best option is to get the children's birth certificates.
Cheers Leonie

[c more]

Per a tree on Ancestry Henry BROOKFIELD was ba 1857 Lancashire.

The marriage date to Sophia DRUMMOND is given as 25 AUG 1887 at Fitzroy Melbourne.

Given that the researcher has listed the exact date and place of birth for the first 3 children, I would guess that the info re Henry's birth place, date of birth and marriage date has come from his children's birth certificates.
Cheers Leonie

[cando]

I haven't looked at any trees as so many don't cite sources and simply copy from other poorly researched trees.

However if 'someone' has cited a birth certificate then perhaps one of these are Henry's birth.

Births Sep 1856   
BROOKFIELD Henry         West Derby    8b/239    
BROOKFIELD Henry         West Derby    8b/259

Cando

[wivenhoe]

SMH 28 Mar 1944   
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/17888590?

SOLAH -March 22 1944 at Little Sisters  Hospital Randwick Kallil Solah father of   Norman (deceased),  George,  Frank and Jack   and stepfather of Alice (Mrs J Lodge),   Harry of Brookfield, Jean (Mrs Roberts), Alex of Brookfield, Clarice (Mrs F Lodge)   and Joseph of Brookfield aged 80 years.