Show ContentsBrokhouse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Brokhouse family

The surname Brokhouse 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 Brokhouse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brokhouse 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 Brokhouse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brokhouse Spelling Variations

The origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. Brokhouse has been spelled Brocas, Brockas, Brockhurst, Brockhouse, Brockus, Brocass and many more.

Early Notables of the Brokhouse 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 Brokhouse Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Brokhouse family to Ireland

Some of the Brokhouse 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 Brokhouse family

The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. 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.



  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


Houseofnames.com on Facebook