Buzz Brooks (BuzzBro@aol.com) wrote: >I have David Brooks wife as Elizabeth Davis (#2) and his first wife >as Betty Buss. See the 2 attached reports. This is David/4 (Daniel/3, Joshua/2, Thomas/1) in the Concord line of Capt. Thomas Brooks. His father, Ensign Daniel, who happens to be my direct ancestor as well, built what is today the oldest house standing in Lincoln, MA. (He lived in that part of Concord which was later set off to the new town of Lincoln.) A few years back (say 1999) Daniel's house was advertised in the real estate classifieds in the back of a slick Smithsonian Institution publication for something like $650,000. Daniel's wife was Ann(e)(a) Merriam. Acton was also set off from Concord. Most of the early Brooks residents of Acton were born in Concord, becoming Actonites through the new town's incorporation in 173(5?) rather than through a move there. My data for David/4 is the same as Buzz's, except that the date of 2 Dec 1758 actually represents "publishment" of an intention, rather than the actual marriage ceremony, which likely occurred days to weeks later. Source is the published Acton VR. Chris

Elaine Sunde <elaine1sunde@cox.net> wrote: >1662 2.26 Writ. John Glasier & Wife vs. Timothy Brooks for >suspecion &c. Witnesses summoned [the last names included Farrar, >Carter, Knight...have NO idea what "suspecion &c" involved!] This references the sexual assault charge already mentioned. >1666 1 m 28. Test: John Hamelton ae abt thirty (30) years taken >befor Commissioners of concord, signed Timothy Wheeler, Thos >Brooks, mark & Robert Meriam. [This is one of several in which >Thomas Brooks appears to sign with Mark] Thomas was clearly literate, as he was one of the committee appointed by the townsmen of Concord to prepare a new book of deeds. As constable he would also have been required to read the various writs the office required him to carry through. Since the court date is less than 18 months before his death, perhaps he had suffered a stroke or was physically incpacitated from signing in some other fashion. Timothy Wheeler, Thomas's son-in-law and real estate partner in the Medford estate, and Robert Meriam, Thomas's neighbor, are both profiled on the website. >1668 1 m 16. Summons to Henry Sumers Witnesses Isaac Brooks >William Whitburne Samuel fox Israel Read, y wife of Ralph Read the >Maid Servant of Henry Brooks senr Samuel and Joseph Richardson. >1667/8 1 m 21. Wit agst Henry Sumers suit of Timothy Brooks >Slander Was never a maid in Woburn except Elizabeth Ted. [I have >NO idea what that means.] >1668 2.8. Bill of Costs Sumers case. Find for Plff Brooks vs. >Sumers. Sumers guilty 6. Sounds like more of the Glazier business. Timothy apparently sued Henry Summers for slander, and won. Timothy was also prosecuted by the court as a Baptist, which I have begun to document with small pices of evidence added to the website as I dig them out. Some of the court references may involve witness fees or other legalities in the ongoing prosecution of the Woburn and Billerica Baptists. Timothy remained a target of these efforts until his removal to Swansea. >1668 4 m 17. Timothy Broockes Ae Therti Three (33). Test: Thom >Broockes Ae 46 (forty six) yrs & Isaack Broockes Ae 26 (twenty six) >years. Bill of Charges Isaack, Jno & Tim Brooks & Israel Read Saml >walker James Fowle Jno Glazer. Test: Michael Bacon Ae abt sixty >60) yrs concerning a former Case... All Woburn names. Isaac was Timothy's younger brother. I don't know who a Thomas born in 1622 (i.e., a. 46 in 1668) would be. Capt. Thomas of Concord had children by the early 1630s, so it's not him. I have hypothesized that Thomas of Haddam might be a son of Henry/1 of Woburn. Without my database at hand I'm pretty fuzzy on the facts, but there are some connections between Henry of Woburn's children and Connecticut. Timothy had property interests in the Saybrook/New London area, for one thing, and his sister Hannah lived at New London. Such hints may account for the fact that Shattuck (the historian of Concord) and other early writers regularly tried to connect Thomas the Haddam founder with the Woburn or Concord lines. Tantalizing, yes, but entirely unproven and undocumented. Chris

David Hoffman <dvh592341@fastmail.fm> wrote: >Thanks, Elaine. Now, if only Chris were here to direct or comment. Ah, but he is — without, however, the simultaneous access to my database that I've been accustomed to. Some of the Middlesex court references to Timothy Brooks pertain to his having "importuned" Elizabeth Glazier, a married woman. Details of this episode, dug up by Priscilla Royal, are in Timothy's biography on the Tributaries website. The name Michael Bacon also rings a bell. I believe these court cases have all been summarized in the respective website biographies, but if not let me know. Chris >On Sun, 10 Jul 2005 22:21:03 -0500, "Elaine Sunde" >elaine1sunde@cox.net> said: > I have only the summary of Middlesex Co. Court Files (1649-1675, via NEHGS).

Hi All, I'm using a webmail account for the time being to catch anything sent to my regular address. For now my email access is limited to Sunday through Thursday overnights (new work schedule). I'm also limited in that I can't access my database at home as I used to do for lookups. It looks like I will just lurk for the next few weeks without contributing much of anything, but I enjoy the company. Please don't send me any attachments or files until I get back to full online status. Anything of that sort needs to go by snail mail to 384 South St., Littleton NH 03561-3932. Thanks, Chris

Well, now I knew there had to be some stupidity on my part--and I've figured it out. When I see Middlesex, I automatically think of Middlesex Counties in CT or NJ. I don't think Massachusetts. That doesn't throw out speculation, but it does diminish the probabilites of connecting Thomas of Haddam with Henry. Thank you again for sharing what you've found.. David On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 14:38:46 -0500, "Elaine Sunde" <elaine1sunde@cox.net> said: > The Middlesex County record is one of the databases on the NEHGS website. > Look under Massachusetts databases. You can then search that one data > set > for "Brooks." If you make sense of any of it, do let me know. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "David Hoffman" <dvh592341@fastmail.fm> > To: <BROOKS-NE-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Monday, July 11, 2005 9:28 AM > Subject: Re: [BNE] Thomas Brooks, age 46 in 1668 > > > > > > Thanks, Elaine. Now, if only Chris were here to direct or comment. I > > still find this most interesting. Was this in the NEHGR? If so, do you > > have the reference (I belong to NEHGS)? > > > > David > > > > > > On Sun, 10 Jul 2005 22:21:03 -0500, "Elaine Sunde" > > <elaine1sunde@cox.net> said: > > I have only the summary > >> of > >> Middlesex Co. Court Files (1649-1675, via NEHGS). With that, I can't > >> make a > >> great deal of sense out of the entries. Here's an exact transcription of > >> some of the Brooks entries which I've found: > > > > > >> 1668 4 m 17. Timothy Broockes Ae Therti Three (33). Test: Thom Broockes > >> Ae > >> 46 (forty six) yrs & Isaack Broockes Ae 26 (twenty six) years. Bill of > >> Charges Isaack, Jno & Tim Brooks & Israel Read Saml walker James Fowle > >> Jno > >> Glazer. Test: Michael Bacon Ae abt sixty (60) yrs concerning a former > >> Case... > >> > >> > >> The earliest ref I found in this manuscript was 1642, 4th day, 10th > >> month: > >> reference is to Henry Brooks as a juror from Woburn. Also of possible > >> interest is a reference 1668. 8.2. to testimony by John Brooks age about > >> 45 > >> and Isaac Brooks age about 25. > >> > > > > -- > > http://www.fastmail.fm - Faster than the air-speed velocity of an > > unladen european swallow > > > > > > ==== BROOKS-NE Mailing List ==== > > To send a message to all subscribers, use > > the address BROOKS-NE-L@rootsweb.com > > > -- http://www.fastmail.fm - A no graphics, no pop-ups email service

Thanks, Elaine. Now, if only Chris were here to direct or comment. I still find this most interesting. Was this in the NEHGR? If so, do you have the reference (I belong to NEHGS)? David On Sun, 10 Jul 2005 22:21:03 -0500, "Elaine Sunde" <elaine1sunde@cox.net> said: I have only the summary > of > Middlesex Co. Court Files (1649-1675, via NEHGS). With that, I can't > make a > great deal of sense out of the entries. Here's an exact transcription of > some of the Brooks entries which I've found: > 1668 4 m 17. Timothy Broockes Ae Therti Three (33). Test: Thom Broockes > Ae > 46 (forty six) yrs & Isaack Broockes Ae 26 (twenty six) years. Bill of > Charges Isaack, Jno & Tim Brooks & Israel Read Saml walker James Fowle > Jno > Glazer. Test: Michael Bacon Ae abt sixty (60) yrs concerning a former > Case... > > > The earliest ref I found in this manuscript was 1642, 4th day, 10th > month: > reference is to Henry Brooks as a juror from Woburn. Also of possible > interest is a reference 1668. 8.2. to testimony by John Brooks age about > 45 > and Isaac Brooks age about 25. > -- http://www.fastmail.fm - Faster than the air-speed velocity of an unladen european swallow

Elaine, I have David Brooks wife as Elizabeth Davis (#2) and his first wife as Betty Buss. See the 2 attached reports. Buzz Brooks email from Elaine - Probably irrelevant but thought I'd add that I have a Reuben Brooks, son of David and Elizabeth (Unknown) Brooks, born in Acton, Mass on 28 June 1752. Source is the Acton VR, published 1928 by NEHGS. Much earlier than your Reuben and in none of the places you're looking but could be a link. Elaine Ancestors of Elizabeth Davis Brown Generation No. 1 1. Elizabeth Davis Brown, born 1720 in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States; died Sep 09, 1818 in Acton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States (Source: Vital Records of Acton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States..). She married (1) David Brooks (Source: James Savage, Genealogical Dictionary of The First Settlers of New England, (Boston, 1860 - 1862).) Dec 02, 1758 in Acton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. He was born May 06, 1709 in Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States (Source: Vital Records of Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States..), and died Abt. 1777 in Acton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States (Source: Vital Records of Acton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States..). He was the son of Daniel Brooks and Abigail ?. Notes for Elizabeth Davis Brown: Brooks, Elizabeth Death Date: Sept. 9, 1818 Burial Place: Acton Source: Vital Records of Acton Brooks, Elizabeth, widow, Sept. 9, 1818, age 98 year 5 m., in Acton [Elisabeth, age 98 year 6 m., C.R.1. Elizabeth, w. David, Sept. 8, age 98 year S m., C.R.1.] Notes for David Brooks: Birth Source: Vital Records of Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States Brooks David Acton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States 55 - Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots: Volume 1 More About David Brooks: Fact 12: Buried at Acton MA 55 - Marriage Notes for Elizabeth Brown and David Brooks: Brooks, David Spouse: Elisabeth Brown Marriage Date: Dec. 2, 1758 Marriage Place: Acton Source: Vital Records of Acton Brooks, David and Elisabeth Brown, both of Acton, publishment of intention of marriage Dec. 2, 1758. More About David Brooks and Elizabeth Brown: Marriage: Dec 02, 1758, Acton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States Family Report: Husband: David Brooks Born: May 06, 1709 in: Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States Married: Dec 02, 1758 in: Acton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States Died: Abt. 1777 in: Acton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States Burial: Father: Daniel Brooks Mother: Abigail ? Other Spouses: Betty Buss Wife: Elizabeth Davis Brown Born: 1720 in: Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States Died: Sep 09, 1818 in: Acton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States Burial: Father: Mother: Other Spouses: CHILDREN 1 Name: Reuben Brooks Born: Jun 28, 1752 in: Acton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States Married: in: Died: in: Burial: Spouse: M

Elaine Thomas Brooks may well be Thomas of Haddam, which is just a few miles down the road from Middletown. I have a tentative birth date around 1617. He died 13 Oct 1668, the same year as the entry you mention. One major question--do all three of these Brooks appear in the same document? If they do, do you know if they're grouped together? No one knows the origins of Thomas Brooks of Haddam. And this information is very provocative. It would interesting to see how Thomas, Timothy and Isaac are joined in conjunction, if they are all in the same document. Of course, if Timothy and Issac are Henry's sons, what on earth were they doing in Middletown? Sorry for such a late response. David On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 21:06:13 -0500, "Elaine Sunde" <elaine1sunde@cox.net> said: > I'm looking at several of the summaries in Middlesex Co. Court files. An > entry on 17 June 1668 mentions three Brooks and gives their ages: > Timothy > Brooks age 33, Thomas Brooks age 46, and Isaac Brooks age 26. There are > several other cases in which Thomas is listed as 'signed with mark.' > Does anyone have a > Thomas, son of Henry??? Or any Thomas born c 1622? > > ==== BROOKS-NE Mailing List ==== > To Search previous posts by keyword(s): > http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?list=BROOKS-NE > The address is case-sensitive. > -- http://www.fastmail.fm - One of many happy users: http://www.fastmail.fm/docs/quotes.html

I guess the short answer is "yes," they appear together in the record but I just can't determine which men we're looking at. I have only the summary of Middlesex Co. Court Files (1649-1675, via NEHGS). With that, I can't make a great deal of sense out of the entries. Here's an exact transcription of some of the Brooks entries which I've found: 1662 2.26 Writ. John Glasier & Wife vs. Timothy Brooks for suspecion &c. Witnesses summoned [the last names included Farrar, Carter, Knight...have NO idea what "suspecion &c" involved!] 1666 1 m 28. Test: John Hamelton ae abt thirty (30) years taken befor Commissioners of concord, signed Timothy Wheeler, Thos Brooks, mark & Robert Meriam. [This is one of several in which Thomas Brooks appears to sign with Mark] 1668 1 m 16. Summons to Henry Sumers Witnesses Isaac Brooks William Whitburne Samuel fox Israel Read, y wife of Ralph Read the Maid Servant of Henry Brooks senr Samuel and Joseph Richardson. 1667/8 1 m 21. Wit agst Henry Sumers suit of Timothy Brooks Slander Was never a maid in Woburn except Elizabeth Ted. [I have NO idea what that means.] 1668 2.8. Bill of Costs Sumers case. Find for Plff Brooks vs. Sumers. Sumers guilty 6. 1668 4 m 17. Timothy Broockes Ae Therti Three (33). Test: Thom Broockes Ae 46 (forty six) yrs & Isaack Broockes Ae 26 (twenty six) years. Bill of Charges Isaack, Jno & Tim Brooks & Israel Read Saml walker James Fowle Jno Glazer. Test: Michael Bacon Ae abt sixty (60) yrs concerning a former Case... 1668 Aug 29. Test: Ephraim Bucke cone'g Edmund Augier's horse his bro Samuel Bucke & Wm Bull named. Isaac Brooks Surety. The earliest ref I found in this manuscript was 1642, 4th day, 10th month: reference is to Henry Brooks as a juror from Woburn. Also of possible interest is a reference 1668. 8.2. to testimony by John Brooks age about 45 and Isaac Brooks age about 25. ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Hoffman" <dvh592341@fastmail.fm> To: <BROOKS-NE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2005 9:25 PM Subject: Re: [BNE] Thomas Brooks, age 46 in 1668 > > Elaine > > Thomas Brooks may well be Thomas of Haddam, which is just a few miles > down the road from Middletown. I have a tentative birth date around > 1617. He died 13 Oct 1668, the same year as the entry you mention. > > One major question--do all three of these Brooks appear in the same > document? If they do, do you know if they're grouped together? No one > knows the origins of Thomas Brooks of Haddam. And this information is > very provocative. It would interesting to see how Thomas, Timothy and > Isaac are joined in conjunction, if they are all in the same document. > > Of course, if Timothy and Issac are Henry's sons, what on earth were > they doing in Middletown? > > Sorry for such a late response. > > David > > > On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 21:06:13 -0500, "Elaine Sunde" > <elaine1sunde@cox.net> said: >> I'm looking at several of the summaries in Middlesex Co. Court files. An >> entry on 17 June 1668 mentions three Brooks and gives their ages: >> Timothy >> Brooks age 33, Thomas Brooks age 46, and Isaac Brooks age 26. There are >> several other cases in which Thomas is listed as 'signed with mark.' > > > Does anyone have a >> Thomas, son of Henry??? Or any Thomas born c 1622? >> > >> ==== BROOKS-NE Mailing List ==== >> To Search previous posts by keyword(s): >> http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?list=BROOKS-NE >> The address is case-sensitive. >> > > -- > http://www.fastmail.fm - One of many happy users: > http://www.fastmail.fm/docs/quotes.html > > > ==== BROOKS-NE Mailing List ==== > To Search previous posts by keyword(s): > http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?list=BROOKS-NE > The address is case-sensitive. >

I've been reading the postings regarding Reuben Brooks and someone mentioned the possibility of a Dutch connection. My greatGF was born abt.1824 in Sullivan County (I think). His name was William Rennselaer Brooks---definitely a Dutch connection here somewhere. His father's name was possibly James Brooks. I would appreciate a jingle If any of this rings a bell with anyone. rondh@cox.net Thanks. Ron Hughes

Probably irrelevant but thought I'd add that I have a Reuben Brooks, son of David and Elizabeth (Unknown) Brooks, born in Acton, Mass on 28 June 1752. Source is the Acton VR, published 1928 by NEHGS. Much earlier than your Reuben and in none of the places you're looking but could be a link. Elaine ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kathy Chiappetta" <kathygc@ntplx.net> To: <BROOKS-NE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2005 7:00 PM Subject: Re: [BNE] Reuben BROOKS b.1790 NY, VT, or CT: Revisited > Hi, Dave! > > Why do you think CT might be a possibility? > > Many CT folks (from the coast of CT,especially, since so much of it was > burned during the war) went westward after the Revolutionary War. I think > mostly to Western NY and Ohio. Your ancestors had a much tougher ride as > the Erie Canal was just beginning (Rome, NY) to be built. Sorry to get > off track!! > > Kathy (CT) > > At 11:20 AM 7/10/2005 -0400, Dave wrote: >>Hello All, >> >>Sent this about a week ago to Chris for a preview but with Email mail >>problems there until sometime in August, i thought it might as well go on >>the board unedited??? So the following is what we have on the still very >>elusive Reuben BROOKS... >> >>Recently, Postings have been made by MJMCKEE1@aol.com and >>marigdon@sbcglobal.net on BROOKS NE mentioning the Indian raid in 1778 in >>Sullivan County, NY, and the "Missing" Family of a John BROOKS there. >>This missing family of BROOKS has intrigued me for a few years now, and >>possibly ( maybe wishful thinking ) is somehow connected to my Reuben >>BROOKS? >> >>I have also been working on Reuben with my 2nd cousin in Iowa, Deanna, and >>she found a journal which states that Reuben's father was a Noel BROOKS? >>Could Reuben somehow be connected to a John BROOKS who had a son named >>Noel??? below, copied from Deanna's web page is what we have accumulated >>on our Reuben BROOKS: >> >> >>Deanna Thomas Family 01-22-2005 >>Entries: 24319 Updated: 2005-01-23 02:48:36 UTC (Sun) Contact: >>Deanna Brott >> >># ID: I00299 >># Name: Reuben BROOKS 1 >># Sex: M >># Birth: JAN 1790 in Buffalo, New York >># Birth: 1790 in Connecticut 2 >># Birth: JAN 1790 in Sullivan, New York 3 >># Death: 24 MAR 1859 in Berlin Twp., Erie County, Ohio >># Occupation: 1850 Farmer >># Residence: 1817 Moved from Sullivan Co., NY and settled in Erie Co., >>Ohio in 1817. >># Burial: UNKNOWN Berlin, , Erie, Ohio, Peake Cemetery >># Reference Number: 299 >># Note: >> >> Moved from Sullivan County, New York in 1817 and settled in Erie >> County, Ohio as a pioneer family. >> Ruben Brooks was living with William and Mary Hobbs Brooks in the >> 1850 Federal Census, Berlin, Erie, Ohio. Occupation: Farmer >> >> BROOKS-NE-L Archives >> >> From: Dave >> Subject: [BNE] Reuben BROOKS b. 1790 NY? >> Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2003 23:19:04 -0400 >> >> >> Hello all, >> The name here is Dave, and I'm looking for the origins of a Reuben >> BROOKS b. 1790, possibly in Sullivan County, NY, or vicinity. >> Reuben Married a Nelly Van BENSCHOTEN in Sullivan County, NY, then >> in 1814 Nelly gave birth to their first son, Absalom BROOKS, in Cayuga >> County, NY. During the winter of 1816-7 the small family was >> temporarily in Buffalo, NY where on 8 Jan 1817 Nelly gave birth to son >> William BROOKS; it is William's line that I'm descended from. Being >> hardly people back then, or in a hurry to get out of Dodge, Reuben, >> Nelly, and the now two small children boarded a horse drawn sleigh, and >> made their way to Erie County, OH, shortly after the birth. >> >> Below is copied the original story: >> >> Email from Vic Hillard dated 5-24-2003 >> >> Dave, >> >> Nellie Van Benschoten was a sibling of my ancestor. Following >> information is in the Van Bunschoten (Van Benschoten) Family in >> America, by William Henry Van Benschoten; published 1989 in Baltimore, MD >> by Gateway Press, Inc. >> >> The book goes down one more generation with the grandchildren of >> Reuben and Nellie (Van Benschoten) Brooks. Sorry no ancestry of Reuben. >> >> FIRST GENERATION >> >> 1. Reuben Brooks was born in JAN 1790. He died on 24 MAR 1859 in >> Berlinville, Erie Co., OH. >> >> Just when they left Sullivan Co. for Holland Patent, N.Y., is not >> known, but it was in the winter of 1816-1817 that they started for Ohio >> from the latter point, making the entire journey by sleigh. Their >> progress was retarded by the birth of their second child, William, at >> Buffalo. >> They settled among her people in Berlin Township, Erie Co., O., at >> first on a part of Oliver Peake's purchase but later acquiring lot No. >> 17, adjoining. Here they spent their lives. >> It was with Nelly Brooks that her mother, Margaret, passed her last >> days and died having pathetically outlived al her generation and being >> "ready, yes, anxious to go." "Reuben Brooks," said his nephew, George >> Peake, "was a powerful, straight man, and when he was in earnest you did >> not want to get in his way." He died Mar. 24, 1859, and lies in the Peake >> buring ground. Nelly preceded him, dying in Aug, 1846. Children: >> Absalom, b. 11 JUN 1814, probably at Holland Patent, NY; >> William,b.8 JAN 1817, Buffalo, NY; Harlow, b. 20 AUG 1819 Erie Co., >> O.; >> Rebecca, b.8 APR 1822, Erie Co.; >> Eliza J., b. 18 SEP 1825, Erie Co.; >> Julia, b. 4 OCT 1828, Erie Co.; >> Alvin, b. 25 JUL 1833, Erie Co., d. 1844. >> >> He was married to Nelly Van Benschoten (daughter of Aaron Van >> Benschoten and Margaret Hoffman) on 21 JAN 1811 in Sullivan Co., NY. >> Nelly Van Benschoten was born about 1793/94 in Shawangunk, Dutchess Co., >> NY. She was baptized on 1 FEB 1794 in Shawangunk, Dutchess Co., NY. She >> died in AUG 1846 in Berlinville, Erie Co., OH. >> >> Prepared by: >> Victor Grant Hillard, Jr. >> >> I do have one small clue to the parents of Reuben from my 2nd cousin >> in Iowa. It is copied below: >> >> Brooks Family Genealogy Forum >> >> Re: noah brooks from New York? >> Posted by: Deanna Brott Date: April 22, 2000 at 13:11:25 >> In Reply to: noah brooks from New York? by barb of 8186 >> >> I have a Noel Brooks who had a son Reuben who was born in Buffalo, >> New York. Reuben had several children:Rebecca, Eliza, Julia, Absalom, >> Harlow, William, Alvin. I am related through William's son, Albert >> William Brooks. Let me know if this helps. >> Deanna >> >> I haven't found any Noah or Noel BROOKS who fits the bill. >> I have also checked many of the New York Counties for info on Reuben >> and found nothing, but did find all sorts of information on Nelly Van >> BENSCHOTEN who was very "DUTCH". It could then be posible that Reuben >> also may have either been DUTCH or had ties to the DUTCH community in New >> York somwhow. I have checked the name TEN BROEK(s) and found nothing >> either... >> >> From some sources I have: >> >> History of BERLIN TOWNSHIP [Erie County, Ohio] >> by Hudson Tuttle >> from HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO >> 1879 by W.W.Williams >> pages 475-489 >> >> Oliver Peak was born in Starksburg, Vermont, in >> 1797, and came to Berlin in 1817. He had previously >> married Mary Benschoter, daughter of Aaron Ben- >> schoter. He purchased lot eighteen, section four, >> which he always retained. They had five children: >> Daniel, George, Mary J. (Mrs. George Douglas, now >> of Toledo), and Amy. George is the only one now >> residing in the township, being one of the most in- >> fluential and enterprising farmers. >> Oliver Peak came into the wilderness with little >> means, but by industry and economy amassed con- >> siderable wealth, and had the satisfaction of seeing >> all his familv more than usually prosperous. His first >> wife died, and he married the widow of the late >> Samuel Lewis with whom he lived till his death. He, >> for many years, was justice of the peace, and was an >> upright, honorable and patriotic citizen. >> Reuben Brooks came with Mr. Peak from New >> York, and for a time both held the same lot of land. >> He afterwards purchased lot seventeen where he re- >> sided until his death, about 1860. Only one son, >> Absalom, is now a resident of the town. >> >> Next, We have a family of BROOKS who were attacked in 1778 and are >> possible candidates for a relationship to my Reuben BROOKS: >> >> With the exception of the vague traditions of early settlement by the >> Dutch along the Delaware, the first location of a permanent white >> inhabitant is said to have been made about the year 1700, by Don >> Manuel Gonzales, a Spaniard, who, having married into a Dutch family in >> Rochester, (Ulster co.,) removed to Mamakating Hollow, where he >> erected a house and raised grain. He opened a trade with the neighboring >> Indians, who were then friendly; and other settlers were induced to >> follow. Mamakating Precinct was formed in 1743, and until after the >> Revolution it embraced nearly all of the present co. of Sullivan. >> About 1750 a number of German families settled upon the W. frontiers >> of Ulster co. They suffered greatly from Indian hostilities. The first >> Indian incursion took place in 1777, when the family of Mr. Sprague, >> in Mamakating, was attacked. The next year the family of Mr. Brooks was >> attacked, some members were killed, and others taken prisoners. >> >> So where did this family go? >> >> Somewhere, in my disorganized files, I believe they appear in Cayuga >> County, but now known as TEN BROEKS... This is my guess, but whoever >> they were, we should have some record of them, somewhere, and they're >> as good as candidates for Reuben's family as any other, at this point... >> >> Well, this is it, and hopefully, this will connect with someone, and >> we can all find out more of our Ancestry. >> Dave, in warm PA >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> This thread: >> >> [BNE] Reuben BROOKS b. 1790 NY? by Dave >> >> Re: [BNE] Reuben BROOKS b. 1790 NY? by Christopher Brooks >> >> >> BROOKS-NE-L Archives >> >> >> From: Christopher Brooks >> Subject: Re: [BNE] Reuben BROOKS b. 1790 NY? >> Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 02:20:51 -0400 >> In-Reply-To: <3EFFAC28.5030500@zoominternet.net> >> >> >> Dave wrote: >> >> :The name here is Dave, and I'm looking for the origins of a >> :Reuben BROOKS b. 1790, possibly in Sullivan County, NY, or vicinity. >> >> While I don't recognize your Reuben, perhaps some one else will. It >> doesn't strike me as a particularly Dutch name, but I admit to not >> having checked my database to see if that's evidentially the case. >> >> You might try some focused keyword searches of the list archive at >> http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?list=BROOKS-NE >> >> for given names, county names (Sullivan), or any other applicable >> noun which is likely to be reasonably unique. >> >> The fact that you haven't found Reuben in an Anglo Brooks family does >> not strike me as unusual. New York is a zillion times larger than any New >> England state, and didn't initiate statewide records until God >> knows when.We have dozens of listreaders whose elusive ancestor >> vanishes into or emerges from a black hole in New York. >> >> Is he a Dutch crossover? Anything's possible, but I tend to go with >> the philosophical proposition called Occam's Razor. It says (more or >> less) that when there are multiple explanations of something, the >> simplest will most often be correct :-) I think I'd keep looking at >> Brooks families in New York state in 1790. >> >> Chris >> >> Christopher Brooks >> Researching BROOKS Families of New England >> http://www.tributaries.org >> >>Lastly, Nellie Van Benschoten's father was Aaron Van Benschoten, a >>Revolutionary War Hero. Much info exists on his lineage which means that >>somewhere there should be some info on the Reuben BROOKS who married his >>daughter. Another of Aaron's daughter's, Mary or Mollie Van Benschoten, b. >>13 Jul 1792, married Oliver Peake who came with Reuben and Nellie to Erie >>County, OH. The Van Benschoten were from Dutchess and Ulster Counties >>before Sullivan County. >> >>Dave Felzke, now back in Michigan, again >> >> >>==== BROOKS-NE Mailing List ==== >>To unsub, send ONLY the word UNSUBSCRIBE to >> BROOKS-NE-L-request@rootsweb.com >>or BROOKS-NE-D-request@rootsweb.com > > > ==== BROOKS-NE Mailing List ==== > To Search previous posts by keyword(s): > http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?list=BROOKS-NE > The address is case-sensitive. >

Hi, Dave! Why do you think CT might be a possibility? Many CT folks (from the coast of CT,especially, since so much of it was burned during the war) went westward after the Revolutionary War. I think mostly to Western NY and Ohio. Your ancestors had a much tougher ride as the Erie Canal was just beginning (Rome, NY) to be built. Sorry to get off track!! Kathy (CT) At 11:20 AM 7/10/2005 -0400, Dave wrote: >Hello All, > >Sent this about a week ago to Chris for a preview but with Email mail >problems there until sometime in August, i thought it might as well go on >the board unedited??? So the following is what we have on the still very >elusive Reuben BROOKS... > >Recently, Postings have been made by MJMCKEE1@aol.com and >marigdon@sbcglobal.net on BROOKS NE mentioning the Indian raid in 1778 in >Sullivan County, NY, and the "Missing" Family of a John BROOKS there. >This missing family of BROOKS has intrigued me for a few years now, and >possibly ( maybe wishful thinking ) is somehow connected to my Reuben BROOKS? > >I have also been working on Reuben with my 2nd cousin in Iowa, Deanna, and >she found a journal which states that Reuben's father was a Noel BROOKS? >Could Reuben somehow be connected to a John BROOKS who had a son named >Noel??? below, copied from Deanna's web page is what we have accumulated >on our Reuben BROOKS: > > >Deanna Thomas Family 01-22-2005 >Entries: 24319 Updated: 2005-01-23 02:48:36 UTC (Sun) Contact: >Deanna Brott > ># ID: I00299 ># Name: Reuben BROOKS 1 ># Sex: M ># Birth: JAN 1790 in Buffalo, New York ># Birth: 1790 in Connecticut 2 ># Birth: JAN 1790 in Sullivan, New York 3 ># Death: 24 MAR 1859 in Berlin Twp., Erie County, Ohio ># Occupation: 1850 Farmer ># Residence: 1817 Moved from Sullivan Co., NY and settled in Erie Co., >Ohio in 1817. ># Burial: UNKNOWN Berlin, , Erie, Ohio, Peake Cemetery ># Reference Number: 299 ># Note: > > Moved from Sullivan County, New York in 1817 and settled in Erie > County, Ohio as a pioneer family. > Ruben Brooks was living with William and Mary Hobbs Brooks in the > 1850 Federal Census, Berlin, Erie, Ohio. Occupation: Farmer > > BROOKS-NE-L Archives > > From: Dave > Subject: [BNE] Reuben BROOKS b. 1790 NY? > Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2003 23:19:04 -0400 > > > Hello all, > The name here is Dave, and I'm looking for the origins of a Reuben > BROOKS b. 1790, possibly in Sullivan County, NY, or vicinity. > Reuben Married a Nelly Van BENSCHOTEN in Sullivan County, NY, > then in 1814 Nelly gave birth to their first son, Absalom BROOKS, in > Cayuga > County, NY. During the winter of 1816-7 the small family was > temporarily in Buffalo, NY where on 8 Jan 1817 Nelly gave birth to son > William BROOKS; it is William's line that I'm descended from. Being > hardly people back then, or in a hurry to get out of Dodge, Reuben, > Nelly, and the now two small children boarded a horse drawn sleigh, and > made their way to Erie County, OH, shortly after the birth. > > Below is copied the original story: > > Email from Vic Hillard dated 5-24-2003 > > Dave, > > Nellie Van Benschoten was a sibling of my ancestor. Following > information is in the Van Bunschoten (Van Benschoten) Family in > America, by William Henry Van Benschoten; published 1989 in Baltimore, MD > by Gateway Press, Inc. > > The book goes down one more generation with the grandchildren of > Reuben and Nellie (Van Benschoten) Brooks. Sorry no ancestry of Reuben. > > FIRST GENERATION > > 1. Reuben Brooks was born in JAN 1790. He died on 24 MAR 1859 in > Berlinville, Erie Co., OH. > > Just when they left Sullivan Co. for Holland Patent, N.Y., is not > known, but it was in the winter of 1816-1817 that they started for Ohio > from the latter point, making the entire journey by sleigh. Their > progress was retarded by the birth of their second child, William, at Buffalo. > They settled among her people in Berlin Township, Erie Co., O., at > first on a part of Oliver Peake's purchase but later acquiring lot No. > 17, adjoining. Here they spent their lives. > It was with Nelly Brooks that her mother, Margaret, passed her last > days and died having pathetically outlived al her generation and being > "ready, yes, anxious to go." "Reuben Brooks," said his nephew, George > Peake, "was a powerful, straight man, and when he was in earnest you did > not want to get in his way." He died Mar. 24, 1859, and lies in the Peake > buring ground. Nelly preceded him, dying in Aug, 1846. Children: > Absalom, b. 11 JUN 1814, probably at Holland Patent, NY; > William,b.8 JAN 1817, Buffalo, NY; Harlow, b. 20 AUG 1819 Erie Co., O.; > Rebecca, b.8 APR 1822, Erie Co.; > Eliza J., b. 18 SEP 1825, Erie Co.; > Julia, b. 4 OCT 1828, Erie Co.; > Alvin, b. 25 JUL 1833, Erie Co., d. 1844. > > He was married to Nelly Van Benschoten (daughter of Aaron Van > Benschoten and Margaret Hoffman) on 21 JAN 1811 in Sullivan Co., NY. > Nelly Van Benschoten was born about 1793/94 in Shawangunk, Dutchess Co., > NY. She was baptized on 1 FEB 1794 in Shawangunk, Dutchess Co., NY. She > died in AUG 1846 in Berlinville, Erie Co., OH. > > Prepared by: > Victor Grant Hillard, Jr. > > I do have one small clue to the parents of Reuben from my 2nd cousin > in Iowa. It is copied below: > > Brooks Family Genealogy Forum > > Re: noah brooks from New York? > Posted by: Deanna Brott Date: April 22, 2000 at 13:11:25 > In Reply to: noah brooks from New York? by barb of 8186 > > I have a Noel Brooks who had a son Reuben who was born in Buffalo, > New York. Reuben had several children:Rebecca, Eliza, Julia, Absalom, > Harlow, William, Alvin. I am related through William's son, Albert > William Brooks. Let me know if this helps. > Deanna > > I haven't found any Noah or Noel BROOKS who fits the bill. > I have also checked many of the New York Counties for info on Reuben > and found nothing, but did find all sorts of information on Nelly Van > BENSCHOTEN who was very "DUTCH". It could then be posible that Reuben > also may have either been DUTCH or had ties to the DUTCH community in New > York somwhow. I have checked the name TEN BROEK(s) and found nothing either... > > From some sources I have: > > History of BERLIN TOWNSHIP [Erie County, Ohio] > by Hudson Tuttle > from HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO > 1879 by W.W.Williams > pages 475-489 > > Oliver Peak was born in Starksburg, Vermont, in > 1797, and came to Berlin in 1817. He had previously > married Mary Benschoter, daughter of Aaron Ben- > schoter. He purchased lot eighteen, section four, > which he always retained. They had five children: > Daniel, George, Mary J. (Mrs. George Douglas, now > of Toledo), and Amy. George is the only one now > residing in the township, being one of the most in- > fluential and enterprising farmers. > Oliver Peak came into the wilderness with little > means, but by industry and economy amassed con- > siderable wealth, and had the satisfaction of seeing > all his familv more than usually prosperous. His first > wife died, and he married the widow of the late > Samuel Lewis with whom he lived till his death. He, > for many years, was justice of the peace, and was an > upright, honorable and patriotic citizen. > Reuben Brooks came with Mr. Peak from New > York, and for a time both held the same lot of land. > He afterwards purchased lot seventeen where he re- > sided until his death, about 1860. Only one son, > Absalom, is now a resident of the town. > > Next, We have a family of BROOKS who were attacked in 1778 and are > possible candidates for a relationship to my Reuben BROOKS: > > With the exception of the vague traditions of early settlement by the > Dutch along the Delaware, the first location of a permanent white > inhabitant is said to have been made about the year 1700, by Don > Manuel Gonzales, a Spaniard, who, having married into a Dutch family in > Rochester, (Ulster co.,) removed to Mamakating Hollow, where he > erected a house and raised grain. He opened a trade with the neighboring > Indians, who were then friendly; and other settlers were induced to > follow. Mamakating Precinct was formed in 1743, and until after the > Revolution it embraced nearly all of the present co. of Sullivan. > About 1750 a number of German families settled upon the W. frontiers > of Ulster co. They suffered greatly from Indian hostilities. The first > Indian incursion took place in 1777, when the family of Mr. Sprague, > in Mamakating, was attacked. The next year the family of Mr. Brooks was > attacked, some members were killed, and others taken prisoners. > > So where did this family go? > > Somewhere, in my disorganized files, I believe they appear in Cayuga > County, but now known as TEN BROEKS... This is my guess, but whoever > they were, we should have some record of them, somewhere, and they're > as good as candidates for Reuben's family as any other, at this point... > > Well, this is it, and hopefully, this will connect with someone, and > we can all find out more of our Ancestry. > Dave, in warm PA >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > This thread: > > [BNE] Reuben BROOKS b. 1790 NY? by Dave > > Re: [BNE] Reuben BROOKS b. 1790 NY? by Christopher Brooks > > > BROOKS-NE-L Archives > > > From: Christopher Brooks > Subject: Re: [BNE] Reuben BROOKS b. 1790 NY? > Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 02:20:51 -0400 > In-Reply-To: <3EFFAC28.5030500@zoominternet.net> > > > Dave wrote: > > :The name here is Dave, and I'm looking for the origins of a > :Reuben BROOKS b. 1790, possibly in Sullivan County, NY, or vicinity. > > While I don't recognize your Reuben, perhaps some one else will. It > doesn't strike me as a particularly Dutch name, but I admit to not > having checked my database to see if that's evidentially the case. > > You might try some focused keyword searches of the list archive at > http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?list=BROOKS-NE > > for given names, county names (Sullivan), or any other applicable > noun which is likely to be reasonably unique. > > The fact that you haven't found Reuben in an Anglo Brooks family does > not strike me as unusual. New York is a zillion times larger than any New > England state, and didn't initiate statewide records until God > knows when.We have dozens of listreaders whose elusive ancestor > vanishes into or emerges from a black hole in New York. > > Is he a Dutch crossover? Anything's possible, but I tend to go with > the philosophical proposition called Occam's Razor. It says (more or > less) that when there are multiple explanations of something, the > simplest will most often be correct :-) I think I'd keep looking at > Brooks families in New York state in 1790. > > Chris > > Christopher Brooks > Researching BROOKS Families of New England > http://www.tributaries.org > >Lastly, Nellie Van Benschoten's father was Aaron Van Benschoten, a >Revolutionary War Hero. Much info exists on his lineage which means that >somewhere there should be some info on the Reuben BROOKS who married his >daughter. Another of Aaron's daughter's, Mary or Mollie Van Benschoten, b. >13 Jul 1792, married Oliver Peake who came with Reuben and Nellie to Erie >County, OH. The Van Benschoten were from Dutchess and Ulster Counties >before Sullivan County. > >Dave Felzke, now back in Michigan, again > > >==== BROOKS-NE Mailing List ==== >To unsub, send ONLY the word UNSUBSCRIBE to > BROOKS-NE-L-request@rootsweb.com >or BROOKS-NE-D-request@rootsweb.com

Great to hear from you Chris and great that we've been able to make contact with you. An awesome task, but I'm sure folks will try their best to "hold the fort". Kathy (CT). At 01:44 PM 7/10/2005 -0400, trib@tributaries.org wrote: >Hello all, > >I have been offline for a few weeks and will be yet for a few more, >perhaps until early August. I apologize to anyone whose email to me may >have bounced. > >I can (again) receive email at this address, but will be only be picking >up mail once or twice a week. > > >Thanks, > >Chris > > > >==== BROOKS-NE Mailing List ==== >To unsub, send ONLY the word UNSUBSCRIBE to > BROOKS-NE-L-request@rootsweb.com >or BROOKS-NE-D-request@rootsweb.com

Hello all, I have been offline for a few weeks and will be yet for a few more, perhaps until early August. I apologize to anyone whose email to me may have bounced. I can (again) receive email at this address, but will be only be picking up mail once or twice a week. Thanks, Chris

Hello All, Sent this about a week ago to Chris for a preview but with Email mail problems there until sometime in August, i thought it might as well go on the board unedited??? So the following is what we have on the still very elusive Reuben BROOKS... Recently, Postings have been made by MJMCKEE1@aol.com and marigdon@sbcglobal.net on BROOKS NE mentioning the Indian raid in 1778 in Sullivan County, NY, and the "Missing" Family of a John BROOKS there. This missing family of BROOKS has intrigued me for a few years now, and possibly ( maybe wishful thinking ) is somehow connected to my Reuben BROOKS? I have also been working on Reuben with my 2nd cousin in Iowa, Deanna, and she found a journal which states that Reuben's father was a Noel BROOKS? Could Reuben somehow be connected to a John BROOKS who had a son named Noel??? below, copied from Deanna's web page is what we have accumulated on our Reuben BROOKS: Deanna Thomas Family 01-22-2005 Entries: 24319 Updated: 2005-01-23 02:48:36 UTC (Sun) Contact: Deanna Brott # ID: I00299 # Name: Reuben BROOKS 1 # Sex: M # Birth: JAN 1790 in Buffalo, New York # Birth: 1790 in Connecticut 2 # Birth: JAN 1790 in Sullivan, New York 3 # Death: 24 MAR 1859 in Berlin Twp., Erie County, Ohio # Occupation: 1850 Farmer # Residence: 1817 Moved from Sullivan Co., NY and settled in Erie Co., Ohio in 1817. # Burial: UNKNOWN Berlin, , Erie, Ohio, Peake Cemetery # Reference Number: 299 # Note: Moved from Sullivan County, New York in 1817 and settled in Erie County, Ohio as a pioneer family. Ruben Brooks was living with William and Mary Hobbs Brooks in the 1850 Federal Census, Berlin, Erie, Ohio. Occupation: Farmer BROOKS-NE-L Archives From: Dave Subject: [BNE] Reuben BROOKS b. 1790 NY? Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2003 23:19:04 -0400 Hello all, The name here is Dave, and I'm looking for the origins of a Reuben BROOKS b. 1790, possibly in Sullivan County, NY, or vicinity. Reuben Married a Nelly Van BENSCHOTEN in Sullivan County, NY, then in 1814 Nelly gave birth to their first son, Absalom BROOKS, in Cayuga County, NY. During the winter of 1816-7 the small family was temporarily in Buffalo, NY where on 8 Jan 1817 Nelly gave birth to son William BROOKS; it is William's line that I'm descended from. Being hardly people back then, or in a hurry to get out of Dodge, Reuben, Nelly, and the now two small children boarded a horse drawn sleigh, and made their way to Erie County, OH, shortly after the birth. Below is copied the original story: Email from Vic Hillard dated 5-24-2003 Dave, Nellie Van Benschoten was a sibling of my ancestor. Following information is in the Van Bunschoten (Van Benschoten) Family in America, by William Henry Van Benschoten; published 1989 in Baltimore, MD by Gateway Press, Inc. The book goes down one more generation with the grandchildren of Reuben and Nellie (Van Benschoten) Brooks. Sorry no ancestry of Reuben. FIRST GENERATION 1. Reuben Brooks was born in JAN 1790. He died on 24 MAR 1859 in Berlinville, Erie Co., OH. Just when they left Sullivan Co. for Holland Patent, N.Y., is not known, but it was in the winter of 1816-1817 that they started for Ohio from the latter point, making the entire journey by sleigh. Their progress was retarded by the birth of their second child, William, at Buffalo. They settled among her people in Berlin Township, Erie Co., O., at first on a part of Oliver Peake's purchase but later acquiring lot No. 17, adjoining. Here they spent their lives. It was with Nelly Brooks that her mother, Margaret, passed her last days and died having pathetically outlived al her generation and being "ready, yes, anxious to go." "Reuben Brooks," said his nephew, George Peake, "was a powerful, straight man, and when he was in earnest you did not want to get in his way." He died Mar. 24, 1859, and lies in the Peake buring ground. Nelly preceded him, dying in Aug, 1846. Children: Absalom, b. 11 JUN 1814, probably at Holland Patent, NY; William,b.8 JAN 1817, Buffalo, NY; Harlow, b. 20 AUG 1819 Erie Co., O.; Rebecca, b.8 APR 1822, Erie Co.; Eliza J., b. 18 SEP 1825, Erie Co.; Julia, b. 4 OCT 1828, Erie Co.; Alvin, b. 25 JUL 1833, Erie Co., d. 1844. He was married to Nelly Van Benschoten (daughter of Aaron Van Benschoten and Margaret Hoffman) on 21 JAN 1811 in Sullivan Co., NY. Nelly Van Benschoten was born about 1793/94 in Shawangunk, Dutchess Co., NY. She was baptized on 1 FEB 1794 in Shawangunk, Dutchess Co., NY. She died in AUG 1846 in Berlinville, Erie Co., OH. Prepared by: Victor Grant Hillard, Jr. I do have one small clue to the parents of Reuben from my 2nd cousin in Iowa. It is copied below: Brooks Family Genealogy Forum Re: noah brooks from New York? Posted by: Deanna Brott Date: April 22, 2000 at 13:11:25 In Reply to: noah brooks from New York? by barb of 8186 I have a Noel Brooks who had a son Reuben who was born in Buffalo, New York. Reuben had several children:Rebecca, Eliza, Julia, Absalom, Harlow, William, Alvin. I am related through William's son, Albert William Brooks. Let me know if this helps. Deanna I haven't found any Noah or Noel BROOKS who fits the bill. I have also checked many of the New York Counties for info on Reuben and found nothing, but did find all sorts of information on Nelly Van BENSCHOTEN who was very "DUTCH". It could then be posible that Reuben also may have either been DUTCH or had ties to the DUTCH community in New York somwhow. I have checked the name TEN BROEK(s) and found nothing either... From some sources I have: History of BERLIN TOWNSHIP [Erie County, Ohio] by Hudson Tuttle from HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO 1879 by W.W.Williams pages 475-489 Oliver Peak was born in Starksburg, Vermont, in 1797, and came to Berlin in 1817. He had previously married Mary Benschoter, daughter of Aaron Ben- schoter. He purchased lot eighteen, section four, which he always retained. They had five children: Daniel, George, Mary J. (Mrs. George Douglas, now of Toledo), and Amy. George is the only one now residing in the township, being one of the most in- fluential and enterprising farmers. Oliver Peak came into the wilderness with little means, but by industry and economy amassed con- siderable wealth, and had the satisfaction of seeing all his familv more than usually prosperous. His first wife died, and he married the widow of the late Samuel Lewis with whom he lived till his death. He, for many years, was justice of the peace, and was an upright, honorable and patriotic citizen. Reuben Brooks came with Mr. Peak from New York, and for a time both held the same lot of land. He afterwards purchased lot seventeen where he re- sided until his death, about 1860. Only one son, Absalom, is now a resident of the town. Next, We have a family of BROOKS who were attacked in 1778 and are possible candidates for a relationship to my Reuben BROOKS: With the exception of the vague traditions of early settlement by the Dutch along the Delaware, the first location of a permanent white inhabitant is said to have been made about the year 1700, by Don Manuel Gonzales, a Spaniard, who, having married into a Dutch family in Rochester, (Ulster co.,) removed to Mamakating Hollow, where he erected a house and raised grain. He opened a trade with the neighboring Indians, who were then friendly; and other settlers were induced to follow. Mamakating Precinct was formed in 1743, and until after the Revolution it embraced nearly all of the present co. of Sullivan. About 1750 a number of German families settled upon the W. frontiers of Ulster co. They suffered greatly from Indian hostilities. The first Indian incursion took place in 1777, when the family of Mr. Sprague, in Mamakating, was attacked. The next year the family of Mr. Brooks was attacked, some members were killed, and others taken prisoners. So where did this family go? Somewhere, in my disorganized files, I believe they appear in Cayuga County, but now known as TEN BROEKS... This is my guess, but whoever they were, we should have some record of them, somewhere, and they're as good as candidates for Reuben's family as any other, at this point... Well, this is it, and hopefully, this will connect with someone, and we can all find out more of our Ancestry. Dave, in warm PA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This thread: [BNE] Reuben BROOKS b. 1790 NY? by Dave Re: [BNE] Reuben BROOKS b. 1790 NY? by Christopher Brooks BROOKS-NE-L Archives From: Christopher Brooks Subject: Re: [BNE] Reuben BROOKS b. 1790 NY? Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 02:20:51 -0400 In-Reply-To: <3EFFAC28.5030500@zoominternet.net> Dave wrote: :The name here is Dave, and I'm looking for the origins of a :Reuben BROOKS b. 1790, possibly in Sullivan County, NY, or vicinity. While I don't recognize your Reuben, perhaps some one else will. It doesn't strike me as a particularly Dutch name, but I admit to not having checked my database to see if that's evidentially the case. You might try some focused keyword searches of the list archive at http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?list=BROOKS-NE for given names, county names (Sullivan), or any other applicable noun which is likely to be reasonably unique. The fact that you haven't found Reuben in an Anglo Brooks family does not strike me as unusual. New York is a zillion times larger than any New England state, and didn't initiate statewide records until God knows when.We have dozens of listreaders whose elusive ancestor vanishes into or emerges from a black hole in New York. Is he a Dutch crossover? Anything's possible, but I tend to go with the philosophical proposition called Occam's Razor. It says (more or less) that when there are multiple explanations of something, the simplest will most often be correct :-) I think I'd keep looking at Brooks families in New York state in 1790. Chris Christopher Brooks Researching BROOKS Families of New England http://www.tributaries.org Lastly, Nellie Van Benschoten's father was Aaron Van Benschoten, a Revolutionary War Hero. Much info exists on his lineage which means that somewhere there should be some info on the Reuben BROOKS who married his daughter. Another of Aaron's daughter's, Mary or Mollie Van Benschoten, b. 13 Jul 1792, married Oliver Peake who came with Reuben and Nellie to Erie County, OH. The Van Benschoten were from Dutchess and Ulster Counties before Sullivan County. Dave Felzke, now back in Michigan, again

Dear Friends, Well, folks, I've had a major breakthrough in finding my Brooks ancestors! Although I knew a record existed of my ggg grandmother's marriage in Norwalk, I didn't have proof. After exhausting all Norwalk birth, marriage and death records, I contacted the town clerk of Norwalk and spoke to a very helpful lady there named Jill. She told me they don't do genealogical research but she would do a limited search for me being I had a lot of specific details of my ggg grandmother's death plus I lived out of state. Well, lo and behold, within a week, Jill sent me the death certificate I've been searching for. (In the process of microfilming-1904). Anyway, my ggg grandmother is the daughter of Eli (John (4f), Lemuel, Lemuel Jr.) Brooks and Nancy Taylor. Chris had found and posted Eli and Nancy's marriage announcement ( May 6, 1817) in his newspaper search but at that time I wasn't sure that Eli was her father. The death certificate had a wealth of information, my ggg grandmother's exact date of birth, her parents names AND places of birth. Not only th! at, the information was given by her brother, so I found out her brother's name and residence. (Jerry or Terry of NYC-anyone have anything on him?)So now I can finally rest in peace and hopefully won't be so genealogically obsessed! Hee. In the near future I will send any info I have that does not appear on the trib website. If anyone out there has any more details on this line, please let me know. Thanks to all out there who have helped me in my frantic search, especially Chris Brooks, a Godsend. I would have never found my Brooks ancestors without the information on his website to guide me. Lemuel Brooks, Jr. m. Lydia Benedict-3/16/1788 Children: Eli...born 8/23/1792 Eliza...born 8/11/1794, married Bradley Downs of Weston 10/22/1827 Henry...born 8/20/1797, died 5/15/1817 Charles...born 1/18/1805 Could be more children, but that's all I found on Barbour list. Thanks again to everyone! Fondly, Jeanne Jain

I wish to thank Debbie Allen, Grace Baker, Debbye Lansing, and others who responded to my query re: Rose Bancroft Brooks. As odd as it may seem, I was chasing her details for a genealogy of my wife's family, only to find that she is my 4th cousin twice removed (something like that). Most amazing was connecting with Jean McKee of Brooksvale, Cheshire, CT, my sixth cousin, who is fast friends with my in-laws. Small world! Again, thanks to all, and, of course, the host! John Twist Ada, Michigan

It would be very helpful if postings could list the county and the state for reference. Sometimes the state can be understood from the context, but it is most helpful if the town, county state can be listed. Thank you,' Carol Brooks

For those who saw this query, I have answered it directly and we have been emailing as this is a successive generation of part of the family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who were cousins of my mother, but friends of my father who came from Grand Rapids. Thank you Chris for all you do for this website and connecting families. As an added piece of information, some may be interested to know that my great great grandmother's (Linda Hull Brooks) sister was the mother of Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape designer of NYC's Central Park and hundreds of other sites. He lived here in the 1840's for the better part of a year doing farming with our family, among other times that he visited and planted trees. As there was only one son who had two heirs, the successor generations are limited and Jane Gill was here to visit over luncheon this week. We had a great time. Thanks to a passionate legislator, this year April 26th was declared forever as Frederick Law Olmsted Day in CT. Anyway, relatives abound at this moment. Cheshire Jean

Who can help me out with some lineage re: Rose Bancroft Brooks, of Brooksvale, Cheshire, New Haven County, CT, who married Joseph Higgins Martin of Grand Rapids, Michigan.