Show ContentsBrockhouse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Brockhouse family

The surname Brockhouse was first found in Dunbarton county. The family trace their ancestry to southwestern France where "families of the name De Brocas are found in Guinne and Gascony in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Two places, one probably the oldest in the arrondissement of Mont de Marsan and canton de Labrit (D'AIbret) and the other in the arrondissement of St. Sever. John Brocaz had payment in 1338 for "the safe custody of the marches of Scotland" 1

Sir Bernard Brocas (1330?-1395), was the third son of Sir John de Brocas, knight, of Clewer and Windsor, Master of the Horse to King Edward III. "The family came from Gascony, where they had fought and suffered for the English cause against the French for several generations before John de Brocas became an officer of the household of Edward II, and settled in England. Brocas was one of the favourite knights of the Black Prince, with whom he was certainly present at the battle of Poitiers." 2

Early History of the Brockhouse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brockhouse research. Another 273 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1298, 1314, 1326, 1330, 1338, 1365, 1382, 1395, 1400, 1489, 1493, 1532, 1536, 1562, 1588, 1602, 1625, 1649, 1660, 1762, 1792, 1794, 1798, 1837, 1847, 1868 and 1873 are included under the topic Early Brockhouse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brockhouse Spelling Variations

Surnames that evolved in Scotland in the Middle Ages often appear under many spelling variations. These are due to the practice of spelling according to sound in the era before dictionaries had standardized the English language. Brockhouse has appeared as Brocas, Brockas, Brockhurst, Brockhouse, Brockus, Brocass and many more.

Early Notables of the Brockhouse family

Notable among the family at this time was William Brokkas who forswore allegiance to the Queen for his clan; and Sir Bernard Brocas or Barnard Brocas Sr., (1330-1395), an English prominent commander in the English army during King Edward III's French campaigns of the Hundred Years...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brockhouse Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Brockhouse family to Ireland

Some of the Brockhouse family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 171 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Brockhouse family

The North American colonies beckoned, with their ample land and opportunity as their freedom from the persecution suffered by so many Clan families back home. Many Scots even fought against England in the American War of Independence to gain this freedom. Recently, clan societies have allowed the ancestors of these brave Scottish settlers to rediscover their familial roots. Among them: George Brocas who settled in Virginia 1642; John Brocas settled in Virginia in 1651; Tabithe Brocas settled in Virginia in 1653; William Brocas settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1766.


Contemporary Notables of the name Brockhouse (post 1700) +

  • Bertram Brockhouse (1918-2003), Nobel prize-winning Canadian physicist


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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