In search of James Brougham's parents
- David Brougham
- Sep 18, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 2
James Brougham (1838 - 1912) is my third great grandfather and I’ve hit the proverbial brick wall with his parents. There are a few theories but nothing I can substantiate, all of them have their flaws.
According to various census returns James (1838-1912) was born in Collingham, a small village just outside Wetherby in Yorkshire. His marriage certificate to Jane MIDWOOD (1843-1910), records his father as James BROUGHAM. I’m struggling to locate a potential James BROUGHAMs who could be his father of the right age and in this area.
James at some point moved to Huddersfield and there he met his future wife. James is a labourer/agricultural worker. When in Huddersfield, we know from census records, James initially lived with George BROUGHAM (1828 - 1881).
In Kirkheaton, my home village, and not far from where James has lived in Huddersfield, there is James Brougham, baptised at Kirkheaton Parish Church on 2 September 1821. The parents to this James are Joseph and Hannah BROUGHAM. This Kirkheaton James has a sister, Jane BROUGHAM who was baptised on the same day. This James would have been around 17 when my James was born in 1838. The problem with this family however is that I can’t find any more trace of them, no marriage for Joseph and Hannah, no census records for them or no record of them in Collingham. They remain a possibility.
In Collingham there is a George BROUGHAM (1784-1845) married to Mary COURTNEY (1783-1870) – they have a large family including a James BROUGHAM who was 7 at the 1841 census making his birth date 1834. They also had the George BROUGHAM (1828 - 1881) who moved to Huddersfield and lived with my grandfather. The majority of their children were baptised in the local church, but James wasn’t. After this census we can find no further evidence of a James BROUGHAM in Collingham. Could this James be my James and George (1784-1845) is his father. We know that census records were often incorrect and the four year difference could be explained away with this fact alone.
George and Mary had 10 children, the eldest is 21 years older than James. It is quite possible that James was born to one of Georges eldest children. The second daughter, Jane BROUGHAM (b 1809) had 3 children out of wedlock, Alice BROUGHAM (1829-1900) and Charlotte BROUGHAM (b1834). She then married William APPLETON (b1813) in 1835. George had 3 other daughters who could have been James’ mother. This is all speculation, and why would James say his father was James on his marriage certificate and not say George for example. The detail behind George and Mary's family are covered in The Collingham Broughams on this website and on my Ancestry Brougham Family Tree.
For George Snr (1784-1845) we have not yet been able to find any substantive evidence of a father or a mother. There are no more traces of older Broughams in Collingam parish records. There is a possible father option for George - from Durham parish records, a George Brougham who marries Mary SIMPSON in Durham on 30 Sept 1752, this is a possibility but there is no evidence to support it - other than the dates present a possibility and Durham is a potential location. It is likely that George Snr did have brothers and maybe James’ father is his brother – possibly even Joseph from Kirkheaton?
There is then the question of where did George (1828-1881) comes from? How did he end up in Collingam? Why only his family mentioned in Collingham? Could George have travelled from elsewhere and it is from there that James’ father might be found.
There are so many questions and so many possibilities. Several fellow researchers have concluded that George (1828-1881) is the father of James and the census has an incorrect date of birth, and the father James on the marriage registration of my James is an error. There is logic to this but for me there are too many buts for my liking. I can understand the census being wrong but the father’s name on the marriage certificate wrong as well? Possible but ….
On the birth certificate of James’ grandson, George Willie Brougham (1888-1946), the father isn’t identified, only his mother. On his marriage registration, his father is named as James. Could this have been history repeating itself?
Hopefully, one day, more information will shed more light on this, and we may eventually know the answer. If you know more then please do get in touch, info@allthingsbrougham.co.uk
