Early Life
Henry Brockman was born c. 1500, the son
1 of
William Brockman and
Margaret Chapman.
FaG gives his dob as 1502, with no sources.
Career and Family Life
Henry married the daughter and heiress of
Thomas Chilton, of Kent.
https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/114154/I19067/henry-brockman/individual says her name was Rebecca Ann Chilton though I've yet to find other evidence.
From
Burke:
Became, by purchase from George Fogge of Braborne, "of Beachborough, in Kent", where having rebuilt his mansion, he fixed his abode.
From
The Dover Express2, in a piece on the history of Newington:
The history of Newington parish and its Manors is on record from the opening of the Norman period...in the reign of James I. the manor was sold to Henry Brockman of Newington, whose descendants have continued to hold it until the present time.
Long prior to the acquirement by Henry Brockman of the whole of the Manor, the Brockmans were at Newington, for according to the rolls of the augmentation office. “King Henry VIII. in his 37th year demised to Henry Brockman and John Harvye, yeomen, the scite and capital messuage called the manor place of the manor of Newington Belhouse, with its appurts and barns and edifices, &c., and certain crofts of land therein mentioned, containing 82 acres of land and upwards, and the water mill called Bavemill, all lying in Newington and Hythe, and parcel of the demesne lands of Newington Belhouse, and Newington Bartram in this parish, and lately purchased bv the King from Thomas, Earl of Essex, to hold for 21 years, at the yearly rent of £9 7s. 3d.”
There were other subordinate manors in Newington parish, namely, Bertarms, Beechborough (anciently written Pilcheborough), Sene, Blackwose, alias Canon's Court, and Coombe. On the separate historv of these it is not necessary to dwell. From having separate owners for many centuries they all eventually came into the Brockman family except Canon’s Court, which having been a cell of a Priory in Buckinghamshire, was taken possession of by the Abbot of St. Radigunds, who removed the monks to St. Radigunds. retaining the property until it was seized by the King. Henrv VIII. at the Reformation, after which it was granted to the Honywoods. of Elmsted.
Beachborough House
This ancient mansion, formerly called Pilcheborough, is in the north-west of the parish, close to the foot of the hill, which has the conspicuous summer house on the top. This, in the early Norman times, belonged to the family of Valoigns, but, by lack of male issue, in the reign of Edward III., it became, by inheritance, the property of Sir Francis Fogg, who was buried in the chancel of Cheriton Church. The family of Fogg continued in possession until the reign of Queen Elizabeth, when George Fogg, of Brabourne, sold it to Mr. Henry Brockman, who rebuilt the seat.
The first record of this family in Kent is in the rolls in the Tower, in the reign of Richard II. In the year 1390 John Brockman had a grant of the manor of Pirrie, extending into Old Romney and other lands in Stowting and Crundal. The Brockmans afterwards resided at Witham in Essex. John Brockman, who died there in the year 1500, had two sons. Thomas and Henry. Henry settled at Newington in the reign of Henry VIII.. and either he, or more probably his son of the same name, purchased Beechborough as above mentioned. He made it his residence, and dying there in the year 1573, was buried in Newington Church.
The next heir of Beachborough was William Brockman, who died in 1605. and the next Henry, who died in 1630, both buried in Newington Church. Of those nothing special is recorded, but the next of the line, Sir William Brockman, of Beachborough, was Sheriff of Kent in 1638 and ten years later he was in command of the Royalist forces defending Maidstone when it was stormed by the Parliamentary forces under Fairfax. Overwhelmed by superior forces, the defence had to yield, but it was one of the sharpest conflicts during the war. This notable man had two sons, but the eldest died before him. and his only surrviving son, James, was of Beachborough. died 1741. at the age of 83. He had three sons, but they all lived bachelors, the last, James Brockman of Beachborough, died in 1767, aged 71. and was buried at Newington. He left his mansion at Beachborough and all his estates to the Rev. Ralph Drake who married Caroline Brockman of Cheriton, and by Act of Parliament assumed the name of Brockman. He made great improvements at Beachborough, almost entirely rebuilding the mansion, bringing some of the materials from Brockhull at Saltwood. and laying out extensive park-like grounds, making it one of the pleasantest country seats on the coast. It commands a fine view of the sea, and from the octagon summer house on the top of the hill there is an extensive prospect of the surrounding country and the coast of France. It is still the residence of the Brockman family. F D Brockman. Esq., being the present Lord of the Manor.
Footnotes
[1] Burke's Commoners has his father as John Brockman of Witham who married Florence St. Leger, however an intermediate generation with a William Brockman who married Margaret Chapman being the father of Henry of this page is shown in the 1952 17th Edition.
[2]
The Dover Express and East Kent News, 7th November 1902, page 3; "Our Villages"
Abt 1500 - 1573 (~ 73 years)
[1] 
