100 Members of Brough Family at Reunion in Meerbrook, Staffordshire, England

by Danielle Harrison, August 13, 2008, Leek Post & Times newspaper article

GENERATIONS of Leek's Brough family have been reunited for the first time with relatives from around the world joining the celebration.

More than 100 Brough descendants spanning four continents came together during a special gathering at the weekend, from as far afield as Canada, the United States, Denmark, France and Malaysia.

The relatives were treated to a tour of their Moorlands heritage starting from St Edward's Church, in Church Street, taking in the sights of the Potteries and ancient Brough households at Windygates and Middlehulme.

Speaking at the reunion, Clayton Brough, who lives in America where he works as a television weather broadcaster, told Your Leek Paper: "This is one of the largest international family gatherings of related individuals from across the world.

"The Brough family network has its own database with more than 22,000 linked individuals.

"This event is so incredible and we plan to hold yet another big reunion back home in the USA in 2010 and then we hope to host something in Australia."

Catherine Ann Hind, who has been tracing the Brough family history through Your Leek Paper's Times Gone By magazine, said: "The atmosphere has been fantastic and it's so rewarding to see so many people have found their way to our reunion with relatives they were unaware they had.

"Many have been found via the Brough family website and others via Your Leek Paper's history page and then through Times Gone By."

The relatives were given the chance to talk and share stories during the gathering at Meerbrook Village Hall on Saturday evening.

Andrea Dean, a Brough descendant now living in Holland, attended the reunion with her children Dominic, 13, and 15-year-old Elisabeth.

She said: "We've had a great time. We've had the opportunity to study our family tree and meet our relatives here in England face to face.

"It's been lovely to retrace our heritage in Leek and well worth the trip over here. We have toured the Potteries, the Pottery Museum, Stafford Record Office, Brough Hall at Ronton, Gnossall and other places of family interest."