Isaac Brokaw (9 March 1746 – 16 September 1826) was a

clockmaker A clockmaker is an artisan who makes and/or repairs clocks. Since almost all clocks are now factory-made, most modern clockmakers only repair clocks. Modern clockmakers may be employed by jewellers, antique shops, and places devoted strictly t ...

from

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Biography

Brokaw was born in Raritan in Somerset County, but would leave for Elizabethtown where he would work as an apprentice under Aaron Miller, a renowned clockmaker. He would later marry Miller's daughter, Elizabeth Miller. In 1770, Brokaw was living in Bridgewater when a local judge ordered that his property be sold off in order to pay off his outstanding debts. However, he was allowed to keep 30 lb of

lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

in order to continue his trade. Shortly thereafter he would again leave for Elizabeth, where he would produce some of his first significant works. Aaron Miller died in 1778, and left part of his clockmaking tools to him as his son-in-law. In 1790 Isaac and Elizabeth relocated to Bridge Town (today known as Rahway). The style practiced by Miller and Brokaw is of a decidedly

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tradition, as

Central Jersey Central Jersey, or Central New Jersey, is the middle region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation Central Jersey is a distinct administrative toponym. While New Jersey is often divided into North Jersey and South Jersey, many resi ...

, particularly around Somerset County, was known as an early Dutch settlement. They had three sons, Aaron, Cornelius, and John. Aaron, the eldest of them, took up the trade of clockmaking, having been taught by his father.

References

External links

Drake House/Historical Society of Plainfield
1746 births 1826 deaths People from Rahway, New Jersey People from Raritan, New Jersey People from colonial New Jersey American clockmakers {{US-bio-stub