The following information comes from a a book compiled by Henry William Clark, the great-great grandfather of Mary L. Cruce (Mrs. James W.).  The book is titled, "Genealogies of the Clark, Parks, Brockman and Dean, Davis and Goss Families -- Five Parts," and was published in 1905, printed in Montgomery, Alabama.

"So far as can be ascertained from a careful examination of works relating to English and other families, the name 'Brockman,' in early times, is found nowhere except in the county of Kent, England...  The name was originally 'Brookman.'"  Our ancestor, John Brockman, married Amelia Martaine, which became Martin in common parlance.  The family was evidently of French origin.  The name of Amelia's mother was Ann Easom (or Eastham).  Over the years the family moved from Orange County, Virginia to North Carolina, finally settling in the area of Laurens, South Carolina on land granted to Colonel Brockman.  There were five children listed the the book:  Mary, Annie, Major, Henry, and Lucy.

Opal Bullington of the Wizard of Tamassee Chapter, also Mary and Judi Cruce, are descendants of Annie, or Nancy Ann Brockman, who married Thomas Parks.  He and John Brockman were both Revolutionary patriots.

From Mr. Clark's book concerning the Parks family:  "The emigrated first from Scotland to Ireland and thence ot America prior to 1750, landed at Charleston, South Carolina, and settled in Virginia."  Samuel Parks died there, in Amelia County, leaving his wife Mary and eight sons and daughters.  Then the family moved to South Carolina.  "It is said in Scotland [that] the Parks were agriculturists, owners and tillers of the soil...  They were pioneer settlers in upper South CArolina, in what is known as the Piedmont section."

Samuel's son Thomas, born in 1750 in Amelia County, Virginia, was married three times.  His first wife, Miss White, bore one son, William, and died.  His second wife, MIss Hornbuckle, died six months after the marriage.  His last wife was Annie Brockman.  "Thomas and Annie Parks reared a large and interesting family."  They had eleven surviving children and three who died in infancy.  Opal Bullington is descended from their daughter Amelia; Mary and Judi, from their daughter Susan. 

There is an interesting story about the courtship of Susan Parks and John Clark, who had volunteered in the War of 1812.  "Returning from the war he stopped with a comrade, one Parks, at the home of his parents, and there met his fate in the person of Susan, a sister of his comrade and daughter of Thomas and Annie Parks, of Laurens district, South Carolina.  February 25, 1816, he and Susan Parks were united in marriage at the home of her parents."