Copyright Brooking Society 2021
01 October 2024
Copyright Brooking Society 2024
01 October 2024
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The modern map image shown here gives the approximate location
of Brooking families of Devon and Cornwall in about 1750.
Click to enlarge image
The Branches:
It may come as quite a surprise to find in about 1750 there was only a single family from this important Branch. About 100 years before, members of this Branch had been Mayors of both Totnes and Exeter, but there had been very few sons and by 1750 the only family to remain was that of Admiral Nicholas Brooking and his wife Mary Holdsworth (BFP 13 & 14) who lived in Ipplepen. All present day descendants in Branch B come from this couple.
It is thought that members of the Branch had been in Totnes from the mid 1500s, after moving there from the Ermington/Ugborough area.
These three Branches deal with the people who lived in Ugborough, Plympton St Mary and Yealmpton.
Peter Brooking and his wife Hannah Langmead (CG 5 & 6) lived with their family in Ugborough. Peter is possibly the brother of John Brooking (L 1). Peter and Hannah had several sons, but there are no further 'Brooking' descendants. However, this year a line of descendants from a daughter has been added to our charts. This family marks the end of a continuous period of over 200 years when 'Brooking' families were living in Ugborough.
There were several families in the Plympton St Mary area, but the details are vague. The most certain is the family of Simon Brooking and his wife Joan Cowling (DN 1 & 2). However, all their sons died young. This family once again ends a link with a particular area that had lasted 200 years.
In the Yealmpton area there was the family of a John Brooking, his wife Agnes (EF 1 & 2) and their children. Again, there are no descendants.
William Brooking married Grace Rogers (FC 1 & 2) in Modbury on 30 December 1767. William possibly came from the Ugborough area. The present day descendants are on the FE series of charts.
The family of John Brooking and his wife Frances Revell (G 1 & G 2) was in Newton Ferrers. John probably came from Ugborough. They had five sons and we now have about 300 descendants. The present day descendants from John & Frances form our 'GM' families.
There was also the family of a second John Brooking (GA 11/GP 1) who lived in Holbeton. He married Joan Deacon (GA 12/GP 2); and from their son John (GP 5) there are over 500 descendants who are on the GS, GT & GU charts.
Caleb Brooking and his wife, Mary Foster, (HC 1 & 2) lived in Newton Ferrers with their family. Their famous grandson, Rear Admiral Samuel Brooking (HC 23) was born in 1753.
Caleb's nephew, Joseph Brooking (HX 1) and his wife, Helen Tambyn Savery (HX 2), lived in Plymouth. Joseph is described as a Malster.
There are no 'Brooking' descendants from either family.
John Brewkins (IM 3) was baptised in Bodmin on 7 May 1729. He later married Thomasine Hancock (IM 4) at St Cleer. There are descendants from this couple in England and the USA.
However, forming the larger part of Branch I, is the family of Thomas Brooking (IE 1), baptised in Landrake on 16 March 1704. The Brooking family had been in Landrake for about 200 years -
About 1750 Robert & Elizabeth Brooking (J 7 & 8) were living in the St Stephens by Saltash area with their 6 sons. It is possible Robert was descended from the Brooking families that had been living in the Landrake area for the previous 100 years. All of Branch J descends from this couple.
Families using the name 'Brooking', or similar, first appear in the Stoke Climsland area in the middle of the 17th. Century, but it is not known how this Branch links to the other Branches in Cornwall. In 1750 there were three families from the sons of Sampson Brooking (KD 1) living in the area. There are now only a few 'Brooking' descendants in this Branch.
In about 1750 there was only a single family for Branch L living in the Woodleigh area. John Brooking and Orange Hellier (L 3 & 4) had been married in Ugborough on 2 February 1733. They had eleven children to give Branch L a very good start -
In about 1750 John and Elizabeth Brooking (MD 1 & 2) were living in the South Brent area. John was probably from Ugborough. However, despite John having three sons the Branch never flourished, and the last 'Brooking' man in this Branch died about 40 years ago.
It was in 1753 that John Brooking (N 1) married Mary Norrish (N 2) at Sherford, near Stokenham. It is always presumed that John Brooking was not a local man and our genetic testing suggests that he may have come from as far away as the Saltash area. There is quite a number of members from Branch N who continue to live in the Stokenham area.
William Brooking was baptised in Winkleigh on 20 September 1716 and later married Thomasin (O 3 & 4). William was the son of Elizabeth Brooking (O 1) who possibly went to the Okehampton area from Stoke Climsland. The 'Brooking' men from this Branch now live overseas.
On 11 March 1760 a Robert Brooking (PG 1) was baptised at Widecombe-
There was also a Richard Brooking (PF) baptised at St Sidwell's Church in Exeter on 29 May 1747. It is possible that he remained in Exeter as he married there in 1782. But once again there are no known descendants.
Thomas Brooking (QH 19) was baptised in Paignton on 6 March 1711 and was buried on 9 February 1772. He was unmarried. Unfortunately, it appears he was the last male survivor of the Brooking families of Paignton that had been living in the area for about 200 years.
There were several families living in the Plymouth and Stoke Damerel areas, but the only definite family was that of James Brookin (Brooking), his wife Honor (UDC 1 & 2) and their 3 children. The use of the names 'James' and 'Andrew' (his son, UDC 5) suggest an origin in the Ugborough area. The descendants of this small branch moved to the London area in the 1800s. In my opinion it is likely that Charles Brooking, the painter, was related to one of the families living in this area.