Early BROCK records in the Isle of Axholme.

The earliest records I have found are in an IGI batch for Amcotts M026993 (as at Nov. 11th 2009).

This batch number is not listed under Amcotts in Hugh Wallis's generally excellent IGI Batch numbers listing. It is a list of marriages. There does not appear to be a corresponding batch for christenings. Interestingly the nearest corresponding number, C026992, is a batch number for Belton in Axholme - and it almost seems as if this batch is really an early Belton one, despite the Amcotts listing.

Having said there is no corresponding batch for christenings, in fact there is another batch, again not listed by Hugh Wallis - this is IGI batch C018497 for Belton Near Epworth which lists seventeen BROCK births between 1562 and 1662. Strangely, everyone of them is a female baptism. In fact, the whole batch of 1518 entries, dating from 1542 (Margaret EVERS) up to about 1663 includes not a single male baptism.

The 'official' IGI batch for Belton C026992 also coincidentally has seventeen BROCK entries, but there are only two matches between the two lists, which are listed in full below.

It seems that Amcotts was a chapelry of nearby Althorpe parish until 1836, but in practice I have found a number of cases where Belton parishioners married at Amcotts - assuming that M026993 really is an Amcotts batch.

There are no early BROCK christenings at Althorpe; but the two IGI lists contain thirty three at Belton between 1562 and 1679.
At Haxey the first IGI entry for BROCK is 1688; but Axholme Ancestry gives one earlier entry: Francis BROCK chr. Sep. 3rd 1636 to father Francis. The parishes of Wroot, Owston and Crowle have no BROCK entries at all, so it would certainly seem the family were concentrated entirely in the Belton area, with marriages out at Amcotts?

Axholme Ancestry also gives Francis's mother's name as Margaret; but the source of this information is not indicated. The IGI lists 6 of Francis's children, and in none of these is the mother named. (A.A. additionally have Robert, chr. June 29th 1686 - perhaps this entry has the mother's name.)
One other thing to note re Francis's children: George was chr. July 20th 1690 and is not easy to track, his surname in the IGI being given as BROSK.

Here are the 'Amcotts' marriages between 1547 and 1658 - with no further BROCK entries till 1794.

Here are the Belton births from C018497 [A] and C026992 [B], covering the years 1562 to 1679. 

Some of these Belton entries almost certainly tie in with the Amcotts marriage records, eg:

Isabella BROCKE chr. Apr. 24th 1565 - is this the Isabella BOOCKE who married Williami CHESMAN on Oct. 26th 1591?
Ellina BROCKE chr. July 22nd 1593 - is this the Hellin BROCK who married Wm. BERNARD on July 3rd 1615?
Alexander BROCK chr. Dec. 18th 1614 to father Francis - the Francis BROCK who married Elizabeth TAYLOR on Jan. 30th 1611?
Robert chr. April 12th 1618 to father Richard - presumably the Richard BROCK who married Isabell TURNER on June 26th 1617
George chr. Oct. 17th 1619 presumably married Hellinor SEALAND * on Dec. 6th 1643
Elizabeth chr. October 29th 1645 to George and Helene BROCK (SEALAND)
Jane chr. Oct. 28th 1662 to John and Jane BROCK - presumably the John BROCK who married Jane BURTON on Oct. 30th 1658

* This is almost certainly the Hellina SEALAND who was baptised at Belton on Sep. 1st 1620 (C018497) to parents Lancelot and Margaret.

On the other hand, the lists indicate how many records must be missing - but hopefully this will be addressed when we have visited Lincolnshire Archives, where there is a recommended transcription covering the Isle of Axholme parishes called the Brace Transcripts.

For now, note especially:

Georgius chr. Oct. 17th 1619 to father Francis
Willm chr. May 10th 1621 to father Richard

Presumably the John BROCK who married Jane BURTON in 1658 was a boy in 1641 and so not listed in the 1641/2 Protestation Returns.

The 1641/2 Protestation Returns for Lincolnshire do not cover the whole county, but do seem comprehensive for the Isle of Axholme, and register males aged 18 and over. It is interesting to look at the names listed in the Amcotts marriage register, and compare the two. For example there are four male MEGGOTT, thirteen BARNARD, two METCALFE and one TURNER listed for Belton alone. (The MEGGOTT and BARNARD families were well-known local benefactors it seems.)
On the other hand there are only four BROCK entries for the whole county, a George BROCKE at Gainsburgh (sic) and the rest at Belton: Willm BROCK, George BROCK and Richard, spelt BROCKE.

So Richard is presumably the father, and the son William, b. 1621.
George must be Francis's son, b. 1619.
Francis b. 1603, Alexander b. 1608, Alexander b. 1614, Robert b. 1622 and the Francis who married in 1611 had all presumably died, since the Belton returns specifically report that "not any one hath refused" - including the seventy two Frenchmen noted as living in the area.

The Francis BROCK b. 1636 to father Francis at Haxey is not in the IGI, but given by Axholme Ancestry.
Elizabeth BROCK, chr. Jan.11th 1630 to father Francis, is presumably a sibling.

It is interesting to look at all the Francis listings, starting with the earliest: Francis BROCK, chr. May 22nd 1603 to father William.
Clearly a different Francis BROOK married Elizabeth TAYLOR Jan. 30th 1611 and their early family seems clear:

But are Elizabeth b. 1630 and Francis b. 1636 also siblings or are they the children of the Francis born in 1603?

Here, according to Axholme Ancestry, are Francis BROCK (b. 1636) 's children, all at Haxey - though it seems possible there is a missing generation here.