Show ContentsBrookshaw History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The present generation of the Brookshaw family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived by a small grove of trees near a stream. The surname Brookshaw is probably derived from a place named Brookshaw which was in the eastern part of Cheshire county. However, its exact location remains unknown in modern times.

Early Origins of the Brookshaw family

The surname Brookshaw was first found in Cheshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Brookshaw family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brookshaw research. Another 209 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1574, 1611, 1618, 1670, 1700 and 1775 are included under the topic Early Brookshaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brookshaw Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Brookshaw include Brookshaw, Brookeshawe, Bruckshaw, Brookshawe, Brokeshaw, Brukshaw, Brookshire and many more.

Early Notables of the Brookshaw family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • Richard Brookshaw, a famous engraver of the late 1700s


Brookshaw migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Brookshaw were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Brookshaw Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Isaac Brookshaw who arrived in Philadelphia in 1683
  • Isaac Brookshaw, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1683 1
Brookshaw Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joseph Brookshaw, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1823 1

Brookshaw migration to Australia +

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

Brookshaw Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. David Brookshaw, British Convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Lancaster, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 25th April 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Brookshaw (post 1700) +

  • George Brookshaw (1751-1823), English painter, known for his collection of the cultivated fruits of England
  • Dorothy Elizabeth Brookshaw (b. 1912), Canadian Olympic medalist
  • Tracy Brookshaw (b. 1975), Canadian professional wrestler


  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 17th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1840


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