Brockman - Kent, England

Kent, England

The surname has been in use in the county of Kent in England for at least five centuries, and probably longer. The English surname has been well characterized over the last five to six decades in several privately published family scrapbooks and subsequently into various history volumes and biographical dictionaries. Several notable Brockmans have contributed to the biographical and genealogical interest in the family. It is a common misconception in the anglosphere amongst those carrying the surname that they are related to Sir William or that his armigerous descendants were knights. This is of great consternation, particularly to anglophile Australians and distant descendants of Sir William living today as it is factually inaccurate, or at least cannot be proven.

The surname has a long history in the county of Kent, England, and probably elsewhere in the UK. From a perspective of ancient origins, Kent and other eastern areas in England are thought to have been convenient landing points where Germanic groups from the North Sea Bight settled during the various Germanic migrations to the island during the first millennium AD.1 Since the surname is Germanic in its linguistic origins, and the use of surnames appeared at various points in history, there are probably unrelated families of Brockmans in the UK today. The gentry of such manors as Broadgate, Newington and Beachborough were notable. More information is available regarding the squires of Beachborough and the manor house here . A web page dedicated to the genealogy and history of the English Brockmans can be found here.

Notable English Brockmans:

• Sir William Brockman, English Cavalier
• Brig. General David H. Drake-Brockman C.M.G., UK
• Sir Ronald Brockman, Vice Admiral, UK
• Henry Stafford Brockman, Engineer Rear Admiral, UK
• Sir Edward Lewis Brockman, UK chief secretary to the Federated Malay States 1911–1920
• Tallulah Brockman Bankhead, U.S. and UK, actress and "bonne vivante"