BOURGEON BROUCARD

Bourgeon Broucard, from an honored and noted French family and a French Huguenot, fled from France around the year 1663, at about age 20, to Germany, to avoid religious  persecution. There he was affiliated with the Protestant branch of the Walloon Church. The Walloons were remnants of the Belgae, or rather descendants of the ancient Gauls, who remained in Southeast Belgium and near parts of Holland and Germany. They were essentially Dutch in religion, customs and culture, and it appears that Bourgeon readily accepted the Dutch way of life. While in Manheim Bourgeon Broucard married, 1st, to Marie DuMay and had one child. Then he married, 2nd, to Catherine LeFebre (LeFevre) and three more children were born at Manheim.

 About 1672 the family removed to Amsterdam, Holland, and there one more child was born. During the year of 1675 he and his family emigrated to what is now Brooklyn, New York on the ship, "The Gilded Otter".  The Broucard family remained for more than twenty-five years in the New York area...moved in 1684 to Cripplebush in Bushwick, Long Island, where he bought a farm. Four years later, he sold-out, then in 1692 purchased another farm in Dutch Kills (now a part of Long Island City). 

The Brokaws were constantly under the influence of the Dutch culture and maintained their habits for many years until the whole swept under the leavening influence of the "American Melting Pot," and people dropped their racial characteristics. In about 1702, all of the family, except one son, Isaac, moved to Somerset County, New Jersey. . The parents and the rest of the family found homes on the Raritan and Millstone Rivers, in New Jersey. The New Jersey branch spelled the name as "Brokaw," and since then others have converted to other ways of spelling, as Bercaw; Brocaw; Berkaw. More than twenty different ways of spelling were found in old records of New Jersey. 

It is certain that Bourgeon Broucard never was a soldier. We can assume that Bourgeon was a militant man, from his connection with the French Huguenots, the Walloons in Manheim, Amsterdam, and America, and, later, with the Dutch Church. And, from further fact that most of the immediate descendants in and around New York, Somerset County, New Jersey and on into Pennsylvania, adhered to the Dutch Church for several generations. And, for these same facts, we can assume that he was a man of character and influence. Bourgeon Broucard, with a few others, established the first French Protestant Church in New York, for instance.

The second generation of Brokaws was composed of eleven children, of whom four were born in Manheim, Germany, one in Amsterdam, Holland, and six in America. When the move was made to New Jersey, most of the family went with him: Jacob, Jan (John), Peter, Abraham and Catherine. A large tract of land was purchased, by him and his son-in-law, John Coverson, and the second large colony of the family was started. Many of their descendants still live in and around Somerville, New Jersey, but some of them have gone to other localities. The descendants of Bourgeon Broucard are legion and from the original places of settlement, here in America, they have spread to all over the country. Ever Westward they moved and carried the frontier with them, or followed closely behind. They carried the banners of Faith, Truth and Industry wherever they went. In every war, from the first, in 1776, to the latest wars, there have been many soldiers defending their country and it's honor. Few have attained wealth or fame, as the world defines it, but the vast majority were men who farmed, "The backbone of the Nation," were tradesmen, business men, teachers, and numerous ministers of the gospel. Our heritage indeed is great and for this we are truly thankful. 

BOURGEON BROUCARD

BORN: 4 Mar 1645 in Bungary, La Rochelle, Normandy, France

MARRIED: 1)1 Dec 1663 in Mannheim, Baden, Germany to Marie Dumay

        2) 2 Dec 1666 in Mannheim, Baden, Germany to Catherine LeFevre

DIED:                       1720 in Raritan, Somerset, New Jersey

SOURCES:The Brokaw Family Committee and the introduction to the book 'Our Brokaw - Bragaw Heritage" organized and compiled by Mrs. Elsie Foster, published in the 1960s; 

[tikka.FBC.FBK.FTW] 1663-1664 Emigrated to Germany from France 1672-1675 Emigrated to Holland 1675 Emigrated to the U. S. in the ship "Gilded Otter." 3429.FTW