FAMILY RECORD OF THE BROOKS FAMILY

Virginia to Kentucky to Missouri
This Brooks Family information was found in the Western Manuscripts Division, Historical Society of Missouri
It is copied exactly as  the original  typewritten  copy except for numbering the children.

[Generation of James R. Brooks and wife, Elizabeth]

Joel and Martha Brooks were of English descent.

JAMES R BROOKS was the son of Joel and Martha Brooks. Born in Virginia June 11, 1786; died March 21,  1836.   He married Elizabeth Chandler, daughter of Thomas and Rachel Chandler, in Virginia  January 6, 1810  and died in Calloway County, Kentucky, March 21, 1836.

His widow, Elizabeth Brooks was born in Virginia, June 9, 1790, and died in Ripley County, Missouri, May 20, 1863. Of them were born nine children- five sons and four daughters-whose names are as follows:

[1] Zedekiah Brooks, born in Virginia, april 29, 1811. Married Emalie Maddox in Kentucky, December 13, 1832. died in Kentucky, april 19, 1890.

[2] Frances B. R. Brooks, born in Virginia, February 23, 1813. Married William McMahan in Kentucky, November 27, 1832. died  Illinois 1842.

[3] Thomas C. Brooks, born in Virginia, March 20, 1815, married Martha Kirk in Kentucky, August 21, 1836. died in Missouri in 1866.

[4] Elizabeth M. Brooks, born in Kentucky, February 20 1817. married James Kirk in Kentucky, April 13, 1833. died in Missouri 1858.

[5] James H. Brooks born in Kentucky, June 9, 1819. Married Nancy Broadridge in Kentucky in 1837; Jane McDaniel in 1842. Died in Missouri November 23, 1898.

[6] Polly W. Brooks, born in Kentucky, November 25, 1821. Died in Kentucky , February 8, 1839.

[7] Laura A. Brooks, born in Kentucky,  February 7, 1825.  Married Thomas Prichett in 1839 and Wilson on June 19, 1850, both n Kentucky. died in Kentucky on May 12, 1886.

[8] William A. Brooks, born in Kentucky, December 26, 1826.  Married Jane Vance in Kentucky, March 28, 1850. Died in Missouri on May 23, 1909. [Filled in by Solomon W. Brooks].

[9] George W. Brooks, born in Kentucky, August 4, 1828. Married Mary Mardis May 11, 1849 in Kentucky and another widow about 1871. Died in Tennessee, August 23, 1886.

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{GRANDCHILDREN OF JAMES AND ELIZABETH BROOKS}
 [ numbers and married names in red, added by bb]

From Zedekiah [1]  there were two; one son and one daughter.  Elizabeth Catherine, born September 13, 1834  in Kentucky. William Thomas, born March 23, 1838 and died July 13, 1855.

From Frances [2] there were born one daughter and son in Kentucky. Elvira Jane, born February 7, 1834 in Kentucky. John Alexander, born February 27, 1826 in Kentucky.    [McMahan  bb]

From Thomas [3]  there were two daughters, Julia Ann, born June 2, 1837 in Kentucky.  Martha, born abut 1839 nd died 1841 in Kentucky.

From Elizabeth [4]  were born one daughter and two sons in Kentucky. Melvina, born April 20, 1836. Joseph Martin  and James Daniel born in Kentucky.  Born in Missouri were William, Sarah, Eliza, Mandy and Martha. [eight in all].  [Kirk  bb]

From James, [5]  there were twelve [seven sons and five daughters].  names are Thomas, Elizabeth, Ellen, John, Washington, Jane and Armen, [born in Ky], Jackson, George, Catherine, Martha and William [born in MO].

From Polly, [6]  there was only one, Martin VanBuren was his name, born January 6, 1839 in Kentucky.
 [no married name given bb]

From Laura [7]  were one  son and one daughter. Names were Thomas and Eliza, both born in Illinois.
 [Prichett or Wilson  bb]

From William [8]  there were four [two sons and two daughters]. Napolean Thomas, born  March 20, 1852 in Kentucky. Solomon William, born March 26, 1857 in Kentucky. Sarah Frances, born December 8, 1861 in Missouri. Eliza Jane born November 1861 in Missouri.
 [note: original had 1861 date on the birth of both daughters, typo on original  bb]

From George [9]  there were two [one son and one daughter. Names were George and Elizabeth, both born i Kentucky.

Thus we find James R. and Elizabeth had from their nine children; thirty five grandchildren. [end of first typewritten page]

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CHAPTER I [ page two of typewritten copy]

Occupation and Emigration of James R. Brooks.

Joel and Martha Brooks were native Virginians of English descent,  and raised up a family in Virginia.
    Among their children was James Robison Brooks, born in Lunenburg County, Virginia, June 11, 1788. he was educated well by his father and in 1804 at the age of sixteen, he was employed to teach a school, and from that time on he made school teaching his only occupation. He taught school in the counties of Charlotte and Lunenburg, Virginia for several years.

In 1809, when he was 21 years old, he courted and won the love of Elizabeth Chandler, daughter of Thomas and Rachel Chandler, of Lunenburg County, Virginia, who was then in her 20th year, having been born in that county on June 9, 1790. And on January 6, 1810, they were united in the holy bonds of matrimony. Then James R. Brooks and his wife, Elizabeth went to housekeeping in Lunenburg  County where he continuing school teaching until they had one child born April 29, 1811, and they named him Zedekiah McLelland Brooks.

Then they moved to Charlotte County, Virginia, and there he opened school and continued teaching until they had two more children born- Frances Rachel Brooks born February 23, 1813 and Thomas Chandler Brooks born March 20, 1815.

About that time, the people of his settlement were beginning to move to Kentucky, and the excitement about the new country ran so high that James R. Brooks, among others, made up his mind to emigrate to it. And therefore began to make preparations to move to Kentucky. In the spring of 1816 he loaded his wagon, took his wife and three children, bid his friends and neighbors  a friendly good bye  and started for Kentucky.

They traveled from Charlotte County, Virginia and crossed the Allegheny Mountains and traveled on until they came to Henry County, Kentucky, and there stopped, and he again opened and continued teaching in the counties f Henry, Gallatin and Oldham until they had six more children born:
    Elizabeth Martha, born Henry County, February 20, 1817
    James Hubbard, born Henry County, June 9, 1819.
    Polly William, born Gallatin County, November 251, 1821.
    Laura Ann, born Gallatin County,. February 7, 1825.
    William Atherton, born Oldham County, December 26, 1826.
    George Washington, born Oldham County, August 4, 1828.
Nine children in all were their number.

In the winter of  1832, James R. Brooks made up his mind to emigrate to Jackson's Purchase, that part of Kentucky west of the Tennessee River, and accordingly prepared a family moving boat to make the journey in, and on the 22 of March, 1832, left Oldham County, Kentucky with his wife and nine children in his boat and floated down the Ohio River to the mouth of the Tennessee River, thence propelled the boat up that river with spike poles 50 miles to Aurora, Calloway County, Kentucky.

There he disposed of his boat and moved out into Calloway County abut eight miles and rented a place and that year opened a six month school in that part of the country.

In the spring of 1833, he moved five miles back toward the Tennessee River and settled on Ledbetter Creek, where he remained until he died on March 21, 1836, aged 48 years.

His widow, Elizabeth Brooks, remained in Calloway County, Kentucky for 22 years after his death. In 1840 she married a man named Austin, who left her  a few months afterwards and ran away from the country. She returned to her former name of Elizabeth  Brooks and never married any more.  In March 1858, she moved with her son William and his family to Missouri, and lived on the south prong of the Little Black River, Ripley County, Missouri, where she died May 20, 1863 at the age of 73 years.

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    Chapter III--Family Record of William A. and  Jane Brooks and their generation.

William A Brooks, fourth son of  James R. and Elizabeth Brooks was born in Kentucky, December 26, 1826, married Jane Vance, March 28, 1850. She was a daughter of David and Margaret Vance and was born in Tennessee January 26, 1830. Of them was born four children- two sons and two daughters.

 1. Napoleon T., the eldest son and first child,  born in Calloway County,, Kentucky March 20, 1852. He married  Sarah Barton August 11, 1878 in Ripley County, Missouri, died May 1, 1901 in Ripley County, MO., age 49 years.

2. Solomon W., the youngest son, born in Calloway County, Kentucky, March 26, 1857. Married Susan Thompson on December  18, 1882 in Ripley County. died July 14th, 1939, aged 82 years, 3 months and 19 days.

3. Sarah F., the oldest daughter, born in Ripley County, Missouri December 8, 1861. Married Houston Smelser November 9th 1882 in Ripley County. Died August 11, 1907, aged  46 years.

4. Eliza J., the youngest daughter, born in Ripley County on November 9, 1863. She married John J. Simon, September 15, 1897 in Ripley County. Died at Pleasant Grove, Ripley County, August 28, 1898 [in childbed]
undelivered with first child.

William A. Brooks died May 23, 1909, aged 82 years, 4 months and 28 days.

Bertie Earl Brooks, son of Jamnes and Mollie Brooks, was born July 8, 1889. [Filled in by Emma Brooks Estes].

William A. Brooks followed the occupation of farming in Kentucky as his general business, but performed other kinds of business. Raising stock, breakng and training horses and oxen, carpenter work on buildings, shoe making, ferrying, boating, etc.

He married in  Kentucky and remained there until 1858, his two sons being born there; then William Brooks, his wife Jane and two sons emigrated to Missouri in March of 1858. He bought land on the Little Black River in Ripley County, Missouri and settled down there and began the joint occupation of farming, school teaching and practicing medicine. This business he followed jointly a few yars and then dropped school teachng  and continued the practice of medicine and farmng. His two daughters were born on his farm. there he remained and continued farming and his children grew to men and women on that farm.

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