Family history

Very little is known regarding this family line other than it originated in England. Probably in that area which borders on the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Our 8^th great-grandmother Hannah Booker born in 1677, was only 15 years old when she married William Bracken in Slaidburn a small hill village in the Bowland region now in Lancashire (formerly of Yorkshire). Around the year 1699 Hannah and William along with their sons Thomas Bracken, (our 7^th great-grandfather), and John Bracken left Yorkshire. Whereupon they immigrated to America landing in Philadelphia aboard the ship "Brittannia". All told Hannah had seven children most of them born in New Castle County, Delaware.

Hannah’s family were most likely connected to the Anglican Church. Although when she and William came to America and settled in New Castle Co., Delaware it was dominated by the early Swedish colonists and it is most probable that they joined the Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes), in Wilmington, which was Swedish Lutheran. The fact that her oldest son Thomas was a member and vestryman of the Episcopal Church would seem to indicate that the Bookers’ and Brackens’ were English and as such members of the Anglican Church prior to coming to the New World.

Hannah lived the reminder of her life in and around the Red Clay Creek area of New Castle county. She passed away in 1749 a mere six months prior to the death of her husband.

Origins of the surname

Research into the history of this Booker family line indicates that the meaning and history of this surname is most likely linked to that area of Europe where the English* language is commonly spoken.

Meaning of the Name

The Booker surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and has two possible sources, the first being an occupational name for someone concerned with books, generally as a scribe or binder, derived from the Middle English (1200 - 1500) "boker", from the Old English pre 7th Century "bocere", a derivative of "boc", book. The second source is also occupational, in this case, for a bleacher of cloth, derived from the Middle English "bouken", to bleach, steep in lye, from the Middle Low German and Middle Dutch "buken".

History of the Name

The Booker surname was first found in Lancashire where they were seated from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert le Bukere, dated 1229, on the Assize Rolls of Lancashire, during the reign of King Henry III. Other persons with this surname as noted in historical records include: a 1246 entry for William le Buker of Lancashire; William le Bocer of Shropshire in 1255; John Boker of Norfolk in 1275; and Elias le Boukere of Sussex in 1296. Among the recordings in London are the christening of John, son of Rowland Booker, on July 27th 1572 at St. Giles, Cripplegate, and the marriage of Bartholomew Booker and Elisabeth Painter on May 1st 1622 at St. Benet Fink. The marriage was also recorded in London of Daniell Booker and Mary Fern on December 11th 1655 at St. Margaret's, Westminster.

Early Immigrants to North America

During the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries hundreds of thousands of Europeans made the perilous ocean voyage to America. For many it was an escape from economic hardship and religious persecution. For most it was an opportunity for to start over, own their own land, and make a better future for their descendents. Immigration records show a number of people bearing the name of Booker, or one of its variants, as arriving in North America between the 17^th and 20^th centuries. Some of these immigrants were: Anne Booker, who settled in Maryland in 1775; Margaret Booker settled in Virginia in 1654 with her daughter, Mary. Richard Booker settled in New England in 1758.

*English Surname Meanings & Origins

Although the Domesday Book compiled by William the Conqueror required surnames, the use of them in the British Isles did not become fixed until the time period between 1250 and 1450. The broad range of ethnic and linguistic roots for British surnames reflects the history of Britain as an oft-invaded land. These roots include, but are not limited to, Old English, Middle English, Old French, Old Norse, Irish, Gaelic, Celtic, Pictish, Welsh, Gaulish, Germanic, Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Throughout the British Isles, there are basically five types of native surnames. Some surnames were derived from a man's occupation (Carpenter, Taylor, Brewer, Mason), a practice that was commonplace by the end of the 14th century. Place names reflected a location of residence and were also commonly used (Hill, Brook, Forrest, Dale) as a basis for the surname, for reasons that can be easily understood. Nicknames that stuck also became surnames. About one-third of all US surnames in the United States are Patronymic in origin, and identified the first bearer of the name by his father (or grandfather in the case of some Irish names). Acquired ornamental names were simply made up, and had no specific reflection on the first who bore the name. They simply sounded nice, or were made up as a means of identification, generally much later than most surnames were adopted. Source: http://www.obcgs.com/LASTNAMES.htm

Variations of the surname

Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to unfold and expand often leading to an overwhelming number of variants. As such one can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames because in early times, spelling in general and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized.Later on spellings would change with the branching and movement of families. Spelling variations of this family name include: Booker, Boocker, Bouker, and many others.

Source: Surname Resources at ROOTSWEB

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Direct ancestors

Descendant Register

Generation 1

1. Hannah Booker-1 was born on 1677 in England. She died on 04 Apr 1749 in New Castle County, Delaware. She married William Bracken on 26 Jan 1692 in Slaidburn, Yorkshire, England, son of Thomas Bracken and Margaret Bleasdale. He was born on 1671 in Salterforth, Lancashire, England. He died on 28 Dec 1749 in Mill Creek Hundred, New Castle Co., Delaware.

Children of Hannah Booker and William Bracken are:

2. i. Susannah Bracken.

ii. Henry Bracken.

3. iii. Hannah Bracken, B: Abt. 1701 in New Castle County, Delaware, D: 02 Feb 1722 in New Castle County, Delaware ?, M: 02 Feb 1722 in (Old Swedes Church)New Castle, Delaware.

iv. Margaret Bracken.

4. v. Thomas Bracken, B: 1695 in Clapham, Yorkshire, England, D: 1780 in Monaghan Township, York County, Pennsylvania, M: 21 Dec 1721 in New Castle County, Delaware.

5. vi. John Bracken, B: 1697 in Clapham, Yorkshire, England, D: 24 Apr 1777 in Orange County, North Carolina.

vii. Martha Bracken.

Additional information about our DIRECT ANCESTORS as well as a complete listing of individuals with this surname may be reviewed by clicking on the following LINK.

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Ancestral locations

Researching the locations where our ancestors lived has provided us with valuable evidence needed to fill-in the gaps in our family trees. It has also led us to many interesting facts that enhance the overall picture of each family group. The names of states and counties on the following list were derived from the known places where the persons in the “Direct Ancestors” list (see above) were born, married, and/or died.

COUNTRY

STATE

COUNTY / SUBDIVISION

UNITED KINGDOM

ENGLAND

Lancashire or Yorkshire

UNITED STATES

DELAWARE

New Castle Co.

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ANCESTRAL LOCATIONS

Source documents

The documents contained herein have been located during our research of this family, and used as evidence to prove many of the facts contained within the database of this family’s record.

Most of these documents can be considered as primary or secondary. Primary evidence is usually defined as the best available to prove the fact in question, usually in an original document or record. Secondary evidence is in essence all that evidence which is inferior in its origin to primary evidence. That does not mean secondary evidence is always in error, but there is a greater chance of error. Examples of this type of evidence would be a copy of an original record, or oral testimony of a record’s contents. Published genealogies and family histories are also secondary evidence.

Classifying evidence as either primary or secondary does not tell anything about its accuracy or ultimate value. This is especially true of secondary evidence. Thus it is always a good idea to ask the following questions: (1) How far removed from the original is it, (when it is a copy)?; (2) What was the reason for the creation of the source which contains this evidence?; and (3) Who was responsible for creating this secondary evidence and what interest did they have in its accuracy?

SOURCE: Greenwood, Val D., The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, 2^nd edition, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD 21202, 1990, pgs. 62-63

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SOURCE DOCUMENTS

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