Henry Cockroft Middlebrook

1861-1876

 

Henry Middlebrook, the youngest child was born 17 September 1861, just a year before the family boarded the Shalimar, in Liverpool,  for Auckland NZ.  He was baptised at Liversedge Birstall, Yorkshire on November 3 1861.

It appears Henry's middle name of Cockroft comes from the husband of his aunt Elizabeth . John Middlebrooks sister had married a "Cockroft" who it seems had died some time before, because Elizabeth Cockroft, nee Middlebrook, had married Thomas Sturdy in 1843. Nothing is known of Henry's childhood, and the first record we have of him, sadly is his death on September 25th aged just 15 years.we