Talk:Le Brocq

Possible early emigration of the Le Brocq families in St Ouen and St Peter to America

Comprehensive trees posted on theislandwiki by Guy Dixon include many, but not all, individuals named in the Jerripedia BMDs between 1570 and 1700. Unfortunately, some relationships in that period are difficult to resolve, consistent with names missing or where baptisms were not recorded. Examples which have not (yet) been fitted into the trees include Marguerite Le Brocq (1697- ) father Philippe; Caterine Le Brocq (1672- ) parents Jean & Caterine Le Vesconte; and Katerine Le Brocq (1650- ) father Jean.

A book entitled ‘The Quiet Adventurers In North America’ by Marion Turk, mentions evidence for Jersey folk from the Le Brocq family living in the region of New England. The name ‘White’ is also mentioned as likely being anglicised from ‘Le Blancq’. Members of both these two families lived close together in St Ouen and St Peter around 1700, and some intermarried.

In Turk’s book, a Philip White (Le Blancq) b 1697 St Ouen, son of Jean Le Blancq and Catherine Le Brocq, is mentioned as being connected with Salem, Massachusets before 1720. His family is that at Descendants of Jacques Le Blancq below, and the name Catherine Le Blancq/Le Blanc continues in both later generations. Likely baptism dates are: 1668 in St Ouen for Jacques Le Blanc, and 1672 in St Mary for Catherine Le Brocq. In the Le Brocq family there were earlier baptisms in 1629 (Katherine in St Peter), and 1659 (Catherine in St Mary).

• 1 Jacques Le Blanc m (1696, St O) Catherine Le Brocq
  • 2 Philippe Le Blanc (1697- )
  • 2 Jean Le Blanc (1700- ) m (1731, St O) Douce du Heaume
    • 3 Philippe Le Blanc (1732- ) m (1762, St P) Esther Carrel
      • 4 Esther Le Blanc (1763- )
      • 4 Catherine Le Blanc (1765- )
      • 4 Philippe Le Blanc (1766- )
      • 4 Elie Le Blanc (1769- )
      • 4 Jean Le Blanc (1771- )
      • 4 Esther Le Blanc (1773- )
    • 3 Elie Le Blanc (1735- )
    • 3 Catherine Le Blanc (1739- )
    • 3 Esther Le Blanc (1742- )

I am interested to locate any records of early emigration of these families from Jersey to the British Colonies of America, but particularly for a Katherine/Catherine Le Blancq/Le Blanc/White leaving Jersey around 1740, possibly to join her forebears in America where she married in 1743 in Boston. Wild speculation, supported by DNA analysis, is consistent with her having been a daughter of Philippe Le Blanc (1697- ). Information in Turk's book suggests that this Philippe Le Blanc (1697- ) emigrated to America in 1715 where he married Elizabeth Romeril in 1720, and they might have returned to Jersey. There seems no record of a 'Catherine Le Blanc' birth or baptism unfortunately, either in Jersey or America but there is circumstantial evidence that she existed and emigrated to the Boston area and anglicised her name not long before she married there.

The website Ancestry.co.uk identifies an immigration record for arrival of a Catherine Le Blanc in Oxford, Maryland in 1763, but not necessarily representing Catherine Le Blanc (1739- ) above, and a 1727 record for George Le Blanc emigrating to Boston, Massachusetts. His identity on Jersey is not yet clear however.

Earlier emigration records are scarce, and some transits might simply have been facilitated during voyages by occupational mariners or seamen. Hopefully there is more scope for researching the early emigration to America of Jersey families. They are likely to include some of the earliest known Le Brocq family on Jersey, as named in the records on jerripediabmd.net, or may be identifiable on the Le Brocq family trees already researched.

Courtiergm 13:17, 1 September 2021 (BST)