Early Canada Historical Narratives -- SIBLINGS OF SIR ISAAC BROCK

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SIBLINGS OF SIR ISAAC BROCK

History gives us antecedents and a place in time.

John Brock, was born on the 24th of January, 1729. He married Elizabeth de Lisle, daughter of the bailiff of Guernsey and the couple had fourteen children, four girls and ten boys. John, a mid-shipman died at Dinan, France at the age of forty-eight. In chronological order their children were:

1. Elizabeth born in 1756 died in youth.

2. Rebecca born in 1758 died in youth.

3. John was born in 1759. He joined the 8th Regiment of Foot (King's) as an ensign. Later he became a brevet lieutenant-colonel in the 81st Regiment. He was killed in a duel at Capetown, South Africa in 1801.

4. Ferdinand was born in 1760. He served in the 60th Regiment of Foot, the famous Royal American Regiment, which was raised in the colonies at the time of the conflict with France and served with distinction during the American Revolution. Ferdinand was killed by a Spaniard at age nineteen at the defence of Baton Rouge on the Mississippi River.

5. Peter Henry was born in 1761 and died an infant.

6. Daniel De Lisle was born on December 10th, 1762. In 1795 he was elected a jurat [* See Below] of the royal court. He went to London in connection with trade and other ancient privileges of the island. Afterwards he assumed the very influential position of lieutenant-bailiff or chief magistrate of Guernsey. He was responsible for building Elizabeth College which today is a very popular boys' school.

7. William was born in 1764. He was a merchant banker in London and with his brother, Irving, was engaged in trade with Russia, Sweden and Prussia on the Baltic Sea. William took a keen interest in Isaac's career and gave him money to purchase his various commissions. William intended the money as gifts, but unknown to William the cost of each purchase was entered on the company's financial records as loans. Some eight hundred ships insured for 40% of their value suffered various misadventures in the Baltic Sea including being lost at sea, taken by privateers and seized when they arrived in port. Napoleon said "England is a nation of shopkeepers," and he set up a blockade of Europe to prevent Britain from trading with European countries. Some of the above-mentioned shipping disasters resulted from Napoleon's blockade. In 1811 because of its various shipping misfortunes, William's company suffered a financial collapse and went into receivership which resulted in all outstanding loans being called in including the amounts William used to purchase Isaac's commissions. This demand for repayment of money they did not have plunged the Brock family into serious financial straits.

8. Peter was born in 1765 and died young with no issue.

9. Elizabeth was born in 1767. She married John Elisha Tupper of Guernsey, and they had three sons and one daughter: (a) one of the sons, Ferdinand Brock Tupper, wrote The Life and Career of Major-General Isaac Brock in 1847. Ferdinand had no children.

(b) Henry Bingham Tupper inherited the portrait of Isaac Brock from his Uncle Irving. Henry married and had a son who also married and had a son who died while young.

10. Frederick born in 1768 married a Miss Levat. They had no children.

11. Isaac born October 6th, 1769; died October 13th, 1812.

Henrietta Tupper corresponded with Lady Pellat, wife of Sir Henry Pellat, owner of Casa Loma in Toronto. Lady Pellat's maiden name was Merritt. She was descended from Thomas Merritt an officer who fought at Queenston with Brock and Sheaffe and was a pallbearer at Brock's funeral. Lady Pellat took a great interest in Canadian history and at her request Henrietta Tupper sent Lady Pellat the official copy of the baptism certificate of Isaac Brock. Lady Pellat sent it to the Canadian Archives in Ottawa, to which she earlier donated the hair-downed trunk bearing the initials HIB, which Brock had left at the Merritt house in Niagara just before his death.

COPY OF BAPTISM CERTIFICATE

"Extrait du Registre des Batemes de la Paroisse de St. Pierre Port en l'isle de Guernsey
Isaac, Fils de Monsieur Jean Brock and de Dame Elizabeth de Lisle, sa femme.
Ne le 6 d' Octobre, 1769, baptize le 13 de dit mois e eu Pour Parraens, Daniel De Lisle e son grand-pere (qui etait indispose e ete represents Par Monsieur Pierre de Lisle, son fils) et Ferdinand Brock, Frere de l'enfant e pour Marraine Dame Rebecca de Lisle, sa grandmere.
Donne pour copie veritable par moi
Feb. 11, 1928 Signed Douglas F. Carey
Recteur St. Pierre Port"

"Copy from the Registry of Births for the Parish of St. Peter's Port, Isle of Guernsey
Isaac, son of Mr. John Brock and Elizabeth de Lisle, his wife.
Born the 6th of October, 1769, and baptized on the 13th of the same month. Daniel De Lisle, his grandfather (who was indisposed and represented by Mr. Pierre de Lisle, his son )and by Ferdinand Brock, brother of the infant for Marraine Dame Rebecca de Lisle, his grandmother.
Given by me as a true copy
Feb.11, 1928 Signed Douglas F. Carey
Rector St. Pierre Port"

Lady Pellat died shortly after receiving this birth certificate, and it is not known what became of the original. Miss Henrietta Tupper also corresponded with Upper Canada's Lieutenant-Governor Robinson and the following is a copy of one of her letters to him.

In Her Own Words
"Les Cotils January 18, 1882
Dear Colonel Robinson,
"My mother, Mrs. Henry Tupper, is far from well. We are glad to hear that a good painting has been made of the likeness of Brock, and that Canada and Chelsea will now possess portraits of him. I have inquired from Mrs. De Lisle (a niece of Sir Isaac Brock and the only survivor of the family who was alive at the time of his death) if she had any knowledge of the circumstances under which the likeness was obtained. From my cradle I was taught every interesting particular concerning my great uncle, and Detroit and Queenston have always been household words in our home."

In another letter, Miss Tupper enclosed Isaac Brock's genealogical pedigree and wrote:

In Her Own Words "It will show how completely the Brock family has died out, and that the only male descendant of Sir Isaac Brock's eldest sister, my grandmother, is the grandson of my uncle, Henry Bingham Tupper, a very intelligent and exceedingly delicate boy. The two pictures belonged respectively to my great uncles, Savery and Irving. That belonging to Savery is now in the possession of his daughter, Mrs. Huyshe. Irving's, who left no issue, was bequeathed to my Uncle Henry Tupper, whose widow lent it to you. You will see the Sir Isaac was a KB, an older title than KCB, is it not?"

12. Mary Brock was born in 1771. She married Thomas Potenger of Compton, Berkshire, England, a first cousin of Lady Bridgewater and had two daughters: Mary and Zelia.

13. Savery was born in 1772. He married Elizabeth De Jersey and had one son and three daughters: (a) Frederick died young; (b)Elizabeth (Betsey)[**] (c)Mary who had no children; (d)Rosa Brock married General Huyshe but had no children.

Savery was a midshipman but was compelled to retire because of a breach of discipline. He had the audacity - and the courage - to oppose the cruel punishment of mast-heading which was then prevalent in the British navy. He signed a petition asking that it be discontinued and for this was he was required to resign from this post. Savery then joined the army and served with Isaac at the Battle of Egmont op Zee. He held the prestigious position of aide-de-camp to Sir John Moore and served with great gallantry, one one occasion having had a horse shot out from under him. Savery resembled Brock in both character and appearance and was Isaac's favourite brother.

14. Irving was born in 1775. He was a merchant banker with his brother William in London. He had literary tastes and wrote pamphlets of some importance. Isaac praised his "purity of language," commenting "I am all anxiety for your literary fame." Irving died without children.

Isaac Brock's closest relatives were to be found in the descendants of his four uncles and one aunt, one of whom, Captain James Brock, was in Canada. James became one of the executors of Isaac's will.

[*] Someone who inquires into a matter and gives a verdict according to the evidence.

[**] Betsey's offspring Betsey De Jersey Brock (1815-1855) married John Carey of the Manor of Saint Helene.
Among their children was Minna (1838-1932) who was born in Guernsey. She died in Hamilton, New Zealand.
Minna Carey married James Pirie (?-1912), a Colonel on the staff of New Zealand military.
Their four children were born in Guernsey: Daisy, Carey, Irene and Cecil. They immigrated to New Zealand in 1879.
Irene married Edward Phillips-Turner (?-1937) who became Director of Forestry for New Zealand.
Their only child was Rolland (1902-1988) an ENT surgeon.
Rolland married Jean and they had three children: Carey, Sally, Heugh. Carey lives in North Queensland.
Huegh and Sally live in Tauranga, New Zealand.
Sally is married to Alan Greenaway.

Savery Brock is Sally's 3rd Great-grandfather.
Sir Isaac Brock is Sally's 4th Great Uncle.

In July 2006 Sally and Alan visited the sites associated with her illustrious ancestor. This included a visit to Brock University where she was met by the president and conducted on a tour of the institution. Sally had brought with her a photo of a painting of Sir Isaac done from a miniature which she was astounded to discover was in the archives of the university. Sally said of all the honours dedicated to Brock, the one of which he would most likely have been proudest was the association of his name with a university.

Sally Greenaway,
4th Great Niece of Sir Isaac Brock

Painting of Isaac Brock & Miniature from which it was taken.

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