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Collingham Broughams

How the Brougham family ended up in Collingham we do not know yet.  Collingham is a rural village, 12 miles north of Leeds, 2 miles south west of Wetherby in West Yorkshire, England.  It sits in the Vale of York in the middle of prime agricultural land.

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The family is headed up by George Brougham (1784-1845) who married Mary COURTNEY (1783-1870).  Mary was born in Collingham and so one possible scenario is possible that George BROUGHAM moved here following his marriage.

 

The Collingham Brougham’s tend to pursue occupations that are prevalent in the local area  – in this case, mainly as agriculture labourers, and later on, many are associated with the woollen mills of West Yorkshire which dominated the area in the late 19th and early to mid-20th centuries.  Other professions such as that of a Blacksmith, Stone dresser and Maltster are followed.

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There was a move by some Brougham’s from Collingham to Huddersfield – probably seeking work but we cannot be certain.  There are gaps in the relationships and parentage cannot always be certified which includes numerous illegitimate births. As with most families, records are incomplete.

Collingham Church September 2022 (c) David Brougham 2022

George BROUGHAM was born abt. 1784 – the exact location is not known.  He married Mary COURTNEY 1783-1870 on the 28 July 1807.  Together they had 10 children. George died in 1845 and was buried on 17 April 1845 in Collingham. We do not know of George’s parents or how he came to be in Collingham or the surrounding area. Nor have we identified any siblings.  From the 1841 census we know that George was a Maltster, from his wife’s death certificate we know he was also a farm labourer. The brewing industry was growing in this agricultural area due to the local supply of grain and changes in the law in 1830 which opened up the market.  Leeds, Wetherby and Tadcaster all had their own large brewing companies.  Local brewing continued to serve the needs of local public houses, many of whom continued to make their own beer. We do not know exactly where George was employed, other than what he did.

 

Mary COURTNEY 1783-1870, George’s wife, we know was born in Collingham and baptised on 26 February 1786.  She is the daughter of Henry COURTNEY from Spofforth, northwest of Wetherby, and Mary BROWN from Collingham; they were married on 11 January 1779 in Collingham.  Mary COURTNEY, we know had at least 2 siblings, John COURTNEY (b1789) and William COURTNEY (1793-1796). Following the death of her husband, the widowed Mary COURTNEY became a charwoman according to the 1851 census, living in Collingham with her son George BROUGHAM. According to the 1861 census, now an elderly lady in her 70’s, she is apparently an agricultural labourer, and living with her granddaughter Mary Ann Baldwin. It was her son, George, who registered her death, she was 87 and died on 30th April 1870, the cause of her death simply being senile decay.

Row of cottages at Collingham

George and Mary’s 10 children:

  • Elizabeth BROUGHAM (b1807).  The only information we have is that Elizabeth was baptised in Collingham on 29th November 1807.
     

  • Jane BROUGHAM (b1809 in Aberford) is an assumed daughter of George and Mary.  Jane has two children out of wedlock.
     

    • Alice BROUGHAM (1829 – Jan 1900). Alice is baptised on 5 April 1829 in Collingham, goes on to marry Richard CHAMBERS (b1827) and have the following children:

Thomas CHAMBERS (b1855 Bilton)

Ann CHAMBERS (b1860 Kirk Hammerton)

Richard CHAMBERS (b1862 Rillington)

Alice CHAMBERS (b1869 Rillington)

Rhoda CHAMBERS (b1872 Ayton)
 

  • Charlotte BROUGHAM (b1834) No further Information

 

Jane goes on to marry William APPLETON (b1813 in Knaresborough) on 4 November 1835, at St Oswald’s Church in Collingham.  William is a Rail Labourer according to the 1851 census.  The two have three children together.

  • William APPLETON (b1846 in Knaresborough)

  • Ann APPLETON (b. Abt. 1849 in Knaresborough)

  • John APPLETON (b1852 Knaresborough)

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  • Sarah BROUGHAM (b1812 in Aberford, d. March 1882 in Knaresborough). She married WILLIAM BALDWIN in Jun 1840. He was born about 1821 in Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England.
     

  • Isabella BROUGHAM (b1814).  She was living at the same address as George and Mary Brougham at the time of the 1841 Census. 
     

    • Isabella has a daughter, Elizabeth BROUGHAM, who was baptised 26th Feb 1841 at St Oswald’s Church, Collingham. We believe Isabella was not married at the time as there is no mention of a father on the baptism certificate and the child takes her mother’s name.

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  • Ann BROUGHAM (b. Abt. 1815) (At the time of her marriage she was 25 which suggests her DoB). She married Thomas DAWSON, son of John DAWSON, on 07 Jun 1840 in St Oswald, Collingham, Yorkshire, England. He was born in 1819. We have identified one child so far, Mary DAWSON born in 1840.
     

  • Mary BROUGHAM (b1820 in Collingham)
     

  • Ellen BROUGHAM (b1823 in Collingham, d Dec 1882 in Kirk Deighton). She married Matthew AIRAY on 25 Sep 1847 in Collingham, Yorkshire, England. He was born about 1814 in Fewston, Yorkshire, England. He died in Sep 1891 in Wortley (1838-1974), Yorkshire - West Riding, United Kingdom. Matthew AIRAY and Ellen BROUGHAM had 4 children.

 

  • MARY3 AIRAY was born about 1842 in East Keswick, Yorkshire, England. She died          in 1896 in Cawthorne, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

  • JOHN AIRAY was born about 1850 in Kirk Deighton, Yorkshire, England.

  • ELIZA ANN AIRAY was born in 1858 in Kirk Deighton, Yorkshire, England. She died in 1907 in Bradford. She married Henry HARRISON on 02 Feb 1884 in Wetherby, Yorkshire, England

  • CHARLES HENRY AIRAY was born in Mar 1869 in Kirk Deighton, Yorkshire, England

 

  • Eliza BROUGHAM (b1825 in Collingham d. Abt. 1925). She married Joseph KENDALL in 1845 in Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England. He was born about 1821 in Hunsingore, Yorkshire.  They had 2 children
     

    • SARAH3 KENDALL was born about 1846 in Hunsingore, Yorkshire.

    • MARY KENDALL was born about 1848 in Great Ouseburn, Knaresborough, Yorkshire. She married William DODD on 30 Dec 1872. He was born about 1845.

 

  • George BROUGHAM Jnr. (b1828 in Collingham, d. Bef. 1881).  George is a key link with the Huddersfield Broughams as we know George moved to Honley in Huddersfield around 1856/7 where he worked as a blacksmith and tennant farmer.  We know that James also either came with him, or during this time, working as a carter and farm labourer. The 1861 census has them living at the same house.  George married, on 30 Aug 1853 in Leeds Parish Church, Isabella BURNAN (B Abt. 1832), daughter of Richard and Sarah BURNAN.  Isabella died on 10th Jan 1882 in Wetherby.

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Together they had 8 children:

  • SARAH H  BROUGHAM was born about 1854 in Kirk Deighton, Yorkshire, England

  • MARY ANNETTE BROUGHAM was born on 12 Nov 1855 in Kirk Deighton, Yorkshire, England.

  • GEORGE RICHARD BURNAN BROUGHAM was born on 16 Nov 1857 in Seventy Acres, Honley, Huddersfield. He met ANNIE ELSWORTH. She was born in 1861 in Burton Leonard, Yorkshire, England. She died in 1937.

  • ANN ELIZABETH BROUGHAM was born on 12 Jun 1860 in Seventy Acres, Honley, Huddersfield.

  • JOHN ALEXANDER BROUGHAM was born in 1863 in Collingham, Yorkshire, England. He died the same year, 1863, in Collingham.

  • GEORGIANA BROUGHAM was born about 1865 in Kirk Deighton, Yorkshire. She married Unnamed in 1900 in Wharfedale.

  • JOHN ALFRED BROUGHAM was born about 1869 in Kirk Deighton, Yorkshire. He died in 1914 in Leeds, Yorkshire. He married Unnamed in 1901 in Leeds, Yorkshire.

  • STRENAH BROUGHAM. The only information we have about Strenah is that she is the named informant on the registration of her mother’s death in Wetherby in January 1882.  As this is the only mention of her, we can find, it is possible that Strenah has been transcribed incorrectly and that it should have said Sarah, the eldest daughter.
     

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Initially George as a blacksmith worked for his father-in-Law, Richard Burnan, who held the tenancy from a Mr Hargreaves.  However, Richard got into arrears and was unable to make his payments.  He subsequently handed over the tenancy to George including all stock.  This worked well until around March 1862 when George too started to fall into arrears.  He continued till January 1863 when Mr Hargreaves decided enough was enough and wanted his money.  The greater part of the farm stock was sold by auction to pay the debts.


According to the Huddersfield Chronicle of 14th February 1863 there was a dispute over some manure and Richard Burnan and one of his sons were being charged with theft.  It turns out that along with the manure in the farmyard there was lots along the surrounding lanes and in fields.  They were accused of selling this outlying manure to a Mr Dyson.  The defendant’s solicitor argued that the ownership of this manure was in dispute and not part of the original auction sale. As there was not sufficient evidence to prove otherwise, the court dropped all charges.


George and his family moved back to Collingham, penniless before moving on to Kirk Deighton where he returned to his old profession as a blacksmith. James however stayed and made Huddersfield his home.

 

  • James BROUGHAM (b1834).  The last of the children mentioned is James.  So far we have failed miserably to find James anywhere other than on the once census.  The question is was this James the same James we now know to be born 1838 in Collingham?  It’s a strong theory, but if so why did James (1838-1912) sate on his marriage certificate that his father was James Brougham, and why on the 1861 census did he not describe him as brother rather than servant to George Jnr.?

Collingham Remembers WW1

See our blog describing how the village of Collingham remembered those who left the village to fight in the great war, and details those who lived in the village during this time.

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