The house at 36 Summer Street was owned by George H. Brocklebank by 1884. The Town of Ipswich street directory for 1896 shows George H. Brocklebank, a mason, living on Summer Street. He received payments for masonry and other repairs from the Town of Ipswich for two decades.
From the Findagrave site: “John F. Brocklebank was born in Rowley, Mass. on Oct. 11, 1810. He married on April 4, 1833, to Hannah Kimball. His parents were John and Nancy (Harriman) Brocklebank Jr. He was born in Rowley, Mass. on Sept 5, 1784, and died in Georgetown, Mass on June 7, 1868. He married Nancy P. Harriman on Oct. 25, 1807. Nancy died in Georgetown, Mass on April 1, 1872.”
He was preceded by John Brocklebank, who owned the house by 1872. From the Ipswich Vital Records: John Brockelbank was born in 1846 to John (a mariner) and Hannah.
The 1865 Salem Deeds shows that John and Nancy Brocklebank released a mortgage to John F. Brocklebank in 1865. The Ipswich Town Report for 1856 shows J. F. Brocklebank as a taxpayer. In the 1873 Ipswich Town Report, John F. and George H. Brocklebank are both paid for “clearing stone.”
The 1877 Salem Deeds show that John Brocklebank in Ipswich released the mortgage of a house to George H. Brocklebank.
Jenny Ellsworth came into possession of this house and 38 Summer St. In 1930, Jennie Ellsworth transferred the house at 38 Summer Street to Marion McGilvary. That house stayed in the McGilvary family for two or three generations. Barbara and Robert Brockelbank Sr. came into possession of the home. Barbara’s brother-in-law was Chester Brockelbank Jr., who owned the house next door at #38 Summer St. *Note that house numbers have changed, and this may need to be edited.
The Brocklebank family in Essex County traces its roots to John Brocklebank Sr. who was born about 1630 in Yorkshire, England and moved with his wife Sarah to Rowley, MA in 1657. The family name is spelled alternatively as Brocklebank or Brockelbank. Other alternative spellings are Brocklbbank, Brockelbanke, Brocklbank, and Brocklbanke.
- The 1832 map does not show a house at this location.
- 1856 map shows two houses unidentified houses at this location
- The 1872 Ipswich map shows this house, owned by J. Brockelbank.
- The 1884 Ipswich map shows this house, owned by “G. H. Brattlebank.”
- The 1910 Ipswich map shows this house, owned by “G. Brattlebank.” The house number was #34 at that time but street numbers were changed when the town adopted Enhanced 911.
Historic Ipswich 
