The Two Nicholas Brokenshires

Research Note by Wesley Johnston (last updated 18 May 2012)

There were clearly two different men, both named Nicholas Brokenshire and both born about the same time in Cornwall. It is not clear which one of these was the Nicholas born to Nicholas and Catharine at Bedelva in St. Blazey parish and baptized at St. Blazey 20 Aug 1815.

One Nicholas went to Canada. The other stayed in Cornwall and died in Falmouth.

The one who stayed in Cornwall appears in the 1841 census of Liskeard at age 25, born Cornwall. Following him in the census listing are three Brokenshires, all of whom were NOT born in Cornwall: Elizabeth (20), Elizabeth (41), and Nicholas (7 months). Presumably, the younger Elizabeth was Nicholas' wife and the mother of their son Nicholas. The older Elizabeth may have been Nicholas' mother or his much-older sister or some other relative.

It must be kept in mind that the 1841 census rounded ages to the nearest 5 years.The only other Ni*l* Br*k*sh*r* in the Cornwall Family History Society Research Database born during the period 1789-1822 (inclusive) was the base child of Mary Brokenshire, baptized 29 Sep 1811 at St. Austell. This could be within the range of the 1841 census rounding, but the Mary conflicts with the 41-year-old non-Cornwall-born Elizabeth in the 1841 census as a mother, although the 1841 Elizabeth is not known to have been the mother of Nicholas.

The one who came to Canada was in Canada by 1847. This is known from the 1851 Canada census (which was actually taken in 1852), which shows him married to Ann Dabb (widow Adams) and in their household are John A. Brokenshire (age 16, born Upper Canada) and the Adams children. However the listing for his son John is apparently a duplicate listing, since the boy (age 5) is also shown in the Whitby Township home of his maternal grandparents, the Ray family. I believe the entry of John with Nicholas in 1852 is in error, both in the boy's age and in using a middle initial "A." instead of his middle name "Ray". I can find no other records of a John Brokenshire born 1836 in Canada, but there are a good number for an 1846/7 birth. The boy John Ray Brokenshire's 1868 Canada marriage shows his mother as Jane Ray and that he was born in Whitby Township and is age 21 (thus 1847 birth). The same 1851 Census listing that shows the boy John in the Ray home also shows Nicholas' brother Benjamin Brokenshire (bapt 3 Oct 1824 at St. Blazey) living with the Ray family.

So the Nicholas Brokenshire in the 1841 Liskeard census is most likely NOT the same as the one in the 1851 Canada census.

Where in Cornwall was the second Nicholas Brokenshire born, and who were his parents? Until the correct records in Cornwall can be found, the records now in hand are insufficient to resolve this dilemma.

I tend to think that the St. Blazey Nicholas was also the Canada Nicholas, since a great many people from the St. Blazey area went to the same area of Canada (Whitby Township) where he was living in 1851/2. The evidence for the Canada Nicholas being the St. Blazey Nicholas and not the Liskeard/Falmouth Nicholas is further bolstered by the fact that the St. Blazey Nicholas' brother Benjamin appears in the 1851 Canada census line right after Nicholas' son John.

But I cannot be certain yet that the Canada Nicholas is the St. Blazey Nicholas. And so I am carrying this as an unanswered question, which I should be able to answer if I can find the records.