The BRISCOE Name

The name Briscoe is generally associated with one who came from a place named Briscoe (Briscoe, or Birksceug, is a township 3 miles south of Carlisle in Cumberland). There are assumed to be two sources of the name. One is from the Old Norse "birkiskogr," meaning "birchwood, wood of the birches." This surname originates in Cumberland and Yorkshire in North England. The other origin is from the Old Norse Bretaskógr ‘wood of the Britons’.

According to family historian E.J.M. Briscoe of Screggan Manor the first English Briscoe (or Brisgau) is said to have come over from Normandy with William the Conqueror in 1066 AD.  For services rendered he was granted lands in Cumberland County.

Briscoes have long been associated with Crofton Hall in Cumberland from the 1300s when Isold Briscoe married Margaret Crofton. One John Brisco of the Briscos of Crofton Hall is recorded to have "passed over" to Ireland about 1580. 

Edward Briscoe, who died in 1709, was also one of the early Cumberland Briscoes to move over to Ireland. Over the generations the Briscoe family grew established a number of prominant residences, mainly throughout Kilkenny, on quite large estates. The Descendant Chart and the following tables attempt to identify how Edward's descendants established their own families, associated with the various residences.

Despite quite obvious family connections (by virtue of the Fiddown Ponsonby/Briscoe Mausoleum) between Edward Briscoe and our Briscoe family branch, the direct ancestral line is still unclear.

Our family history in Ireland continued through to Henry Harrison Briscoe (jnr) who finally left those shores and travelled to Australia and established his own family there.

 

Brisco(e) Lineage


In 1615 an Heraldic Visitation of the County of Cumberland was undertaken by Richard St George, Norroy King of Arms. Such visitations were tours of inspection by Kings of Arms throughout England, Wales and Ireland to register and regulate the coats of arms of nobility, gentry and boroughs, and to record pedigrees.

The Cumberland Visitation records the ancient Brisco(e) ancestry, but which is reputed to stretch back even further to William the Conqueror and Europe.

Crofton Hall

Crofton Hall, Cumberland

The remains of Crofton Hall estate can still be seen today about a mile west of Thursby, and eight miles west of Carlisle. In its heyday the estate covered 3,000 acres and Crofton Hall was described as:

“…a very spacious and magnificent mansion … situated in the midst of a park, having a large fish-pond in the front, covering twelve acres, whose banks are adorned with a quantity of verdure. The house … is a noble structure, in the Grecian style of architecture, and affords a good example of the abodes of the English gentleman of by-gone years.”

Although the estate is no longer intact, a lake, a walled garden, a wood land, a Georgian style stable block, and agricultural land remain as well as the estate entrance.

The Brisco family resided at Crofton Hall until at least the 1930s and the main house was demolished in 1958. The Ministry of Agriculture acquired the estate and Cumbria County Council bought it in 1974. The County Council ordered its sale in 2008 declaring the estate ‘surplus to requirement’ offering six lots comprising some of the original estate buildings.

Our Briscoe Line

From our Australian Elizabeth Caroline Marion Thomasina Briscoe we believe we can trace the Brisco(e) line back through Ireland to ancient Robert Brisko in Cumberland

  1. Elizabeth Caroline Marion Thomasina BRISCOE was born on 31 Aug 1883 at VIC, Australia. She died on 29 Dec 1973 at NSW.
  1. Henry Harrison BRISCOE was born on 25 Aug 1837 at Waterford, Ireland. He died on 13 Apr 1912 at NSW, Australia.
  1. Henry Harrison BRISCOE was born on 2 Jun 1798 at Leinster Province, Ireland. He died on 14 Nov 1864 at Scotland.
  1. Edward BRISCOE (Cloncunny) was born circa 1755 at Kilkenny, Ireland. He died on 27 Oct 1851 at Onchan, Isle of Man.
  1. Edward BRISCOE (Garrynarea) was born circa 1718 at Kilkenny, Ireland. He died on 13 Aug 1793 at Tipperary, Ireland.
  1. John BRISCOE (Garrynarea) was born circa 1682. He died on 14 Sep 1750 at Kilkenny, Ireland.
  1. Edward BRISCOE (Tinnakilly) was born in 1651 at Cumberland, England. He died on 20 Jul 1709 at Kilkenny, Ireland.
  1. John BRISCO of Wampool was born circa 1611 at Cumberland, England. He died in Dec 1676.
  1. John BRISCO Esq. of Crofton was born circa May 1587 at Cumberland, England. He died on 26 Aug 1632.
  1. William BRISCO Lord of Crofton was born before 1564. He died on 17 Feb 1587/88.
  1. John BRISCO Esq. of Crofton was born before 1541. He died on 28 Nov 1584.
  1. Robert BRISCO of Crofton died on 24 Nov 1542 at Cumberland, England.
  1. Richard BRISCO of Crofton was born circa 1471 at Cumberland, England.
  1. John BRISCO of Crofton was born circa 1450.
  1. Robert BRISCO of Crofton
  1. Robert BRISCO of Crofton
  1. Christopher BRISCO of Crofton was born circa 1383 at Cumberland, England.
  1. Isold BRISCO was born circa 1348 at Cumberland, England.
  1. Robert BRISCO was born circa 1313.
  1. Jordan BRISCO
  1. Allan BRISCO
  1. Robert BRISCO

 

 


DISCLAIMER
Care has been taken to include only accurate information on this site however it cannot be guaranteed. Data from many sources and contributions from fellow researchers make up this site and errors may be present. Any corrections and additional information would be most welcome.