Show ContentsBrockwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Brockwell family

The surname Brockwell was first found in Wiltshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1255 when Walter de Brockweye held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Brockwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brockwell research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Brockwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brockwell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Brockway, Brockwell, Brokway, Brokewell and others.

Early Notables of the Brockwell family

More information is included under the topic Early Brockwell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Brockwell migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Brockwell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Brockwell, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 [1]
Brockwell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Anne Brockwell, who arrived in Virginia in 1717 [1]
  • Charles Brockwell, who landed in New England in 1737 [1]
  • James Brockwell, who landed in Maryland in 1740 [1]
  • Thomas Brockwell, who landed in America in 1760-1763 [1]

Australia Brockwell migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Brockwell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Charles Brockwell who was convicted in London, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "David Malcolm" on 13th May 1845, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) and Norfolk Island [2]
  • William Brockwell, aged 20, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Shackamaxon" [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Brockwell (post 1700) +

  • Naomi Brockwell, American actress and producer, CEO and founder of Rainsworth Productions, known for her work on Subconscious (2015), Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It (2015) and Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt? (201
  • Billie Brockwell (1875-1949), American actress, known for her roles in His Luckless Love (1915), Hogan's Wild Oats (1915) and Hogan Out West (1915)
  • Gladys Brockwell (1893-1929), born Gladys Lindeman, an American silent film actress, known for her roles in Long Pants (1927), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Drake Case (1929), daughter of Billie Brockwell
  • Cindy Brockwell, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1988 [4]
  • William "Bill" Brockwell (1865-1935), English cricketer who played seven Test matches for England
  • Sam Brockwell (1871-1945), Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong (1897-1898)
  • Stephen Brockwell, Canadian poet from Ottawa, Ontario awarded the 2005 Archibald Lampman Award for Fruitfly Geographic


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-malcolm
  3. South Australian Register Thursday 20 January 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SHACKAMAXON 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/shackamaxon1853.shtml
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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