Things are too quiet! I've therefore changed the Reply-To settings for the list. To quote: Should replies be directed back to the list automatically? This option adds a Reply-To header to any message that doesn't already have one. If someone on the list replies to one of these messages, their response will be sent back to the whole list by default. Previously, replies have been automatically addressed to the individual who posted the original message. While this cuts down on chatter and misdirects, it also has the effect of sending many replies to me alone rather than to the list -- since I post more often than anyone else. Henceforward, when you bang the Autoreply keys, your reply will go to the list. We'll try this and see if it isn't a beneficial change. Thanks, Chris |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Christopher Hapgood Brooks Researching BROOKS Families of New England ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

On Sat, 09 Feb 2002 13:01:17 -0500, Carol Mero wrote: +Haven't tried posting in a while, so here's my brickwall. +Literally the only thing I know about James M. Brooks is that he +married Jane Richardson in 1849 in Irasburg, VT and fathered at +least two children. Any leads or clues would be most +apprecisted. [snip] +He was married to Jane Richardson (daughter of Elias Richardson +and Sally Emerson?) on October 30, 1849 in Irasburg, VT.[1] Jane +Richardson was born about 1828 in ? Canada.[2] She died on April +2, 1860 in Irasburg, VT.[3] James M. Brooks and Jane Richardson +had the following children: Sorry, couldn't match him by date or by Orleans County, VT association. There was one Brooks family there for at least a period of time in the first third of the 19th century. Unfortunately, the source -- an unfinished typescript genealogy of the families of Lisbon, NH by Guy Scoby Rix -- contains many errors and even more in the way of maddening blanks. According to Rix, Harvey Brooks was a wanderer. Born ca. 1805 at Lancaster, NH, he's said to have married Finette DOYEN (a French name, often rendered Doyne in the States), probably in Canada. A daughter Sarah was born say 1831, probably at Charleston, Orleans, VT. Harvey subsequently removed to Shipley, PQ, Kinsley, PQ, and Haverhill, NH, where he died ca 1867. Buried in Grove Hill Cemetery, Lisbon. Children: Sarah, John Doyne of Lisbon, Juronia, Leander David, Ellen, Nelson Cleveland, probably Albert Herman, and Anna. If you recognize any family names or otherwise see any promise, I can send you a file -- but Rix is suspect, this family is unusually shadowy, and there isn't really any obvious link to try to connect this family to yours -- other than the commonality of a trail that's hard to follow. My 1820 census index shows only one Brooks head of household in Orleans County, and that was a John of Derby. He's still there in 1830, joined by a Simeon, possibly his brother or son. I can't identify either John or Simeon, but these are probably better leads than chasing Harvey around. Thanks for reposting, Carol, and please keep trying. Chris

Haven't tried posting in a while, so here's my brickwall. Literally the only thing I know about James M. Brooks is that he married Jane Richardson in 1849 in Irasburg, VT and fathered at least two children. Any leads or clues would be most apprecisted. Descendants of James M. Brooks - 9 Feb 2002 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST GENERATION 1. James M. Brooks. He was married to Jane Richardson (daughter of Elias Richardson and Sally Emerson?) on October 30, 1849 in Irasburg, VT.[1] Jane Richardson was born about 1828 in ? Canada.[2] She died on April 2, 1860 in Irasburg, VT.[3] James M. Brooks and Jane Richardson had the following children: +2 i. Edwin D. Brooks (born on June 16, 1851). +3 ii. Charles Washington Brooks (born on February 14, 1854). 4 iii. Martha? Brooks was born about 1855. 5 iv. Ellen? Brooks was born about 1858. SECOND GENERATION 2. Edwin D. Brooks (James M.-1) was born on June 16, 1851 in Irasburg, VT.[4] Some old handwritten notes say his birthdate was June 17th, and his marriage record says his birthplace was West Albany, VT. He died on December 26, 1918 in Brattleboro, VT.4 His obituary reads in part: "Edwin D. Brooks, 67, died in the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital this morning about 1:30 o'clock of internal cancer. Mr. Brooks, who had been an invalid six years, had been in the hospital two weeks. Mrs. Brooks died Oct. 6 of influenza. He was born in Irasburg June 16, 1851, a son of James and Jane Brooks. He lived all his life in Vermont and New Hampshire and nine years ago moved here from Bellows Falls. He was a stationary engineer and worked at one time for Felch & Pier at their chair factory on Williams Street. He was obliged to give up this position on account of ill health........." He was buried in Morningside Cemetery, Brattleboro. He was a Stationary Engineer. Edwin Brooks was been born in Irasburg or Albany, VT in June of 1851 to James and Jane (Richardson) Brooks. Little is known of his family, and by the 1860 census he was living in the household of Erastus and Lucia Fletcher of Lowelll, VT.. A known brother, Charles, was living in the Albany household of Proctor and Fanny Smith as was a Martha Brooks, age 5 . An Ellen Brooks, age 2, was living with Hiram and Mary Burrows of Lowell. It is not known if the little girls were his sisters. Charles married in Putney, lived there for some years, then moved to Brattleboro as well. Charles and his family are buried in the same lot at Morningside Cemetary as Edwin, Mary and their sons. When Edwin married the eighteen year old Mary Adams in Charlestown in 1884, he gave his age as twenty eight although he was actually thirty three. He was married to Mary Elvira Adams (daughter of John Loren Adams and Ellen Wilson Prouty) on October 4, 1884 in Charlestown, NH. Mary Elvira Adams was born on December 15, 1866 in Langdon, NH. She died on October 6, 1918 in Brattleboro, VT. She was buried in Brattleboro, VT. She was a Housewife. Edwin D. Brooks and Mary Elvira Adams had the following children: +6 i. George Kneeland Brooks (born on December 16, 1888). +7 ii. Fannie May Brooks (born on July 19, 1891). +8 iii. Clarence Edwin Brooks (born on May 6, 1893). 9 iv. Willie Eugene Brooks was born on May 26, 1894 in Charlestown, NH. He died on July 1, 1968 in Erving, MA. He was buried in Morningside Cemetery, Brattleboro. Bill lived for most of his adult life with Leonard and Fannie, and after their deaths, with niece Mildred. He worked for the state DPW for several years. He never married. One family story says he was jilted in his youth by the only girl he ever cared for. Although many records show him as William, his Charlestown birth record says Willie, as does his gravestone. 3. Charles Washington Brooks (James M.-1) was born on February 14, 1854 in Irasburg, VT.[5] He died on June 21, 1923 in Brattleboro, VT.[6] He was buried in Morningside Cemetery, Brattleboro. He was married to Idell May Smith (daughter of Ira Smith and Orissa Daggett) on November 6, 1880 in Putney, VT. Idell May Smith was born on July 6, 1858 in Westminster, Vt. She died on December 12, 1922 in Brattleboro, VT.[4] Charles Washington Brooks and Idell May Smith had the following children: +10 i. May Idell Brooks (born on August 12, 1881). SOURCES 1. Irasburg, VT - Miscellaneous Records in Town Clerk's Office. Vermont Bureau of Vital Records, Middlesex, VT. Book 2, page 134. 2. The 1850 census of Orleans County, VT - Irasburgh. 3. E-mail from Janice Boyko <[email protected]> to Carol Mero 02/18/2001. 4. Obituary - The Brattleboro Reformer. 5. Town Clerk's Records, Brattleboro, VT. 6. Ibid. died of diabetes. Carol A. Mero [email protected] ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Mero-Smart Ancestors and Related Families in New York, Canada, and New England http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~casmero/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Gloria Studdard asked: +Anyone know who the parents are for this Charlotte Brooks? + +1. *CHARLOTTE1 BROOKS She married *BENJAMIN YEAGER. + +Child of *CHARLOTTE BROOKS and *BENJAMIN YEAGER is: + + i. *CHARLOTTE B.2 YEAGER, b. July 26, 1835, Northampton, +Hampshire County, Massachusetts; d. Abt. 1913, Cohoctah Township, +Livingston County, Michigan; m. *RUFUS HOLBROOKE ABBEY, March 31, +1856, Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts; b. October 19, +1831, Enfield, Hartford County, Connecticut. Gloria, I don't find a Charlotte Brooks associated with Hampshire County, MA -- but this weekend I'm trying to finish entry of the published Brooks vitals of this county. (The key word is "published," since most of the MA towns which have never published their VR are found in the state's western counties.) If there's a sighting, I'll let you know. Chris

Thanks Chris Victoria Strauch new e-mail [email protected]

I'm experiencing a hellish state of affairs in which much of my email, which I've always been able to forward from one address to another without a hitch, is simply disappearing. I found perhaps nine requests for the FHC military record data on the server at work this morning, and forwarded them all home before noon. None has arrived yet (it's now 7:17 pm). :-( I'm afraid those of you interested in this information will have to request it again. Please use an ALL-CAPS subject line of SEND FHC MILITARY RECORDS. If I get your request in time this evening, I'll respond immediately. If not, it's likely to be tomorrow evening. Thanks, Chris NO ARCHIVE __________________________________________________ D O T E A S Y - "Join the web hosting revolution!" http://www.doteasy.com

Anyone know who the parents are for this Charlotte Brooks? 1. *CHARLOTTE1 BROOKS She married *BENJAMIN YEAGER. Child of *CHARLOTTE BROOKS and *BENJAMIN YEAGER is: i. *CHARLOTTE B.2 YEAGER, b. July 26, 1835, Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts; d. Abt. 1913, Cohoctah Township, Livingston County, Michigan; m. *RUFUS HOLBROOKE ABBEY, March 31, 1856, Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts; b. October 19, 1831, Enfield, Hartford County, Connecticut. More About *CHARLOTTE B. YEAGER: Residence: 1912, Fenton, Michigan Gloria Studdard ([email protected])

Dear Listreaders, I arrived at work this morning to find 143 messages in my email Inbox. While I was taking a vacation day on Friday, it seems that somebody used my machine to send an email, and then forgot to close the email program. Since the office is connected to a T1 line -- that is, connected 24/7 at high speed -- all my mail since Friday a.m. has been delivered to the office and not to home. My apologies. I will chip away at this today as I have a chance, and try to get caught up this evening at home. Chris

I've been working through the published vital records of western Massachusetts for the years up to 1850. Most of the death records are bare-bones, although occasionally one is amusing, as in the case of the 92-year-old who died "of general decrepetued." Some just make your jaw drop. Vital records of Montague, Franklin County, MA, page 129, Deaths: Brooks, Eliakim, at Valley Forge, July 1, 1778. 4. Eliakim, b. 1736 probably at Winchester, NH (also recorded at Deerfield, MA) m. Elizabeth ____, of Montague, MA, where they lived. Soldier twice in the French/Indian Wars, 1757, 1763 Soldier again in the Revolution. 3. Nathaniel BROOKS (1710) + Abigail/4 ALLEN 2. Nathaniel BROOKS (1664) + (2) Mary ALLIS 1. William BROOKS (1610?) + Mary BURT Nathaniel/2, his 1st wife Mary WILLIAMS, and their children were victims of the famous Deerfield attack by French and Indians in 1704/5. Nathaniel survived to be ransomed from Canada, but his wife was killed and their children lost in Canada. That's an amazing amount of direct involvement in history for just three generations.. Any descendants out there? Chris

ATTENTION: Bennington County, Vermont -- Brooks researchers: I feel that there is a good chance that my Asa/Asahel Brooks (b circa 1800 Mass -- d circa 1870's Iowa) is in Bennington County, Vermont in 1820. Why? Because by early to mid 1820's he married Betsy Mears (b circa 1804 Mass), daughter of Isaac Mears; and Isaac Mears and his family are in the 1820 census of Vermont, Bennington County, Sandgate Twp. By the early to mid 1820's, at the latest, Asahel Brooks and the Isaac Mears family have left Vermont and are headed West -- never to return to New England. One of you may have an empty unknown spot in your Brooks line for an Asa/Asahel Brooks that left home when he was 20 or so years old and never returned. The following are the Brook(s) families that are in Bennington County, Vermont in the 1820 census. There are at least three of the following families that my Asa/Asahel Brooks could, on first viewing, fit into. My Asahel Brooks would be about 20 years old in 1820. Would you kindly review your records to see if you have already filled the slot for a male in the 20 year old category. Even if that space is already taken by another family member, I would sure appreciate knowing so that I can eliminate them from my list of possibilities. It is interesting that Widow Azuba Brook is one census page away from my Isaac Mears family. Does anyone know anything about this particular "Azuba"? I have checked for an "Azuba Brook(s)" in the 1810 census index for Vermont, Mass and Conn and found no such name. 1. WIDOW AZUBA BROOK -- Manchester Twp 1M 16-26, 1F 45 up 2. REUBEN BROOKS -- Winhall Twp 1M 0-10, 1M 16-18, 1M 16-26, 1M 26-45, 1F 16-26, 1F 26-45, 1F 45 up 3. JOHN BROOKS -- Winhall Twp 2M 0-10, 1M 26-45, 1F 0-10, 1F 16-26 4. JACOB BROOKS -- Bennington Twp 1M 0-10, 1M 16-26, 1M 26-45, 1F 0-10, 1F 16-26, 1F 26-45 Thank you very much for your time and interest and for any help. Martha Heinrichs [email protected]

On Thu, 31 Jan 2002 17:25:51 -0700, Martha Heinrichs wrote: | Does anyone recognize the name "FLONIEDES" as being a Brooks |first name that could have been passed down? I don't, and I've never seen this name before. I don't mean to be a naysayer, but given the difficulties of reading handwritten records, particularly the census, and the fact that many of the constituent letters in Floniedes are those which are often hardest to read, like the lower-case vowels, "r" and "n" -- could this be a misreading of Florinda? Sorry for the unhelpful response. Chris

Martha Heinrichs wrote: | Since we have new members, I am submitting an update on my |Asa/Asahel Brooks in hopes that someone will recognize who his |parents could have been. Asa left New England by the mid 1820's |and he did not stay in one place very long. Perhaps someone has |an Asa/Asahel/Asel Brooks in their family that they know little |about that would fit my Asa. Since he left New England early, it |is possible that he wasn't heard from again. By 1820, Asa Brooks |would be about 20 years old and I have not been able to place him |with any Brooks family in the 1820 census in New England. [snip] I still can't place him, but I definitely feel the noose is tightening around him. (Perhaps not the best turn of phrase.) He had a son Harvey. That's an unusual given name for a Brooks of this period -- I only know of four examples to date. Three of the four Harveys were born in Worcester County, MA, the fourth in New Ipswich, NH, just over the state line from Townsend and Groton, MA. All of these men were in the line of Capt. Thomas Brooks or Henry Brooks. In fact, three of them share dual descent from both progenitors. Both lines had descendants in and around Bennington, VT, which you mention. The naming of another son Henry hints that this could be the Woburn line of Henry/1 Brooks, but without a birth record that's just guesswork. I'm going to be working this weekend on trying to finish extraction of all the Brooks vitals from the westernmost 4 counties of Massachusetts. I'll also take a look at my data by community -- that is, I'll look at the Brooks groupings by town for the New England locations you mention. If I don't find the "smoking gun" -- Asa's birth record -- perhaps I can come up with a connection with a given locality. I'll let you know. There *is* one Asa right now up for grabs -- born at Westminster, MA, in the "right" family line, and said to have "Went West and disappeared." Unfortunately, the only documentation for him consists of a third-hand family mention in a town history which says that his father did not marry Sally Bulow until 1814. No birth dates are given for the children, nor have I found their birth records in Massachusetts vitals. If Sally Bulow were to be Asa's mother, he would be born too late to meet your requirements. And if the father's birthdate of 1784 is accurate, that would also be quite late to be fathering a son c. 1800 by a first, unknown wife. Don't give up! I heard from Debbye Lansing, another listreader, last night that after half a dozen queries to this list, she has identified "her" William Brooks -- given how common that name is, not an easy task. :-) Chris

On Thu, 31 Jan 2002 17:25:51 -0700, Martha Heinrichs wrote: | Does anyone recognize the name "FLONIEDES" as being a Brooks |first name that could have been passed down? I don't, and I've never seen this name before. I don't mean to be a naysayer, but given the difficulties of reading handwritten records, particularly the census, and the fact that many of the constituent letters in Floniedes are those which are often hardest to read, like the lower-case vowels, "r" and "n" -- could this be a misreading of Florinda? Sorry for the unhelpful response. Chris

On Thu, 31 Jan 2002 17:25:51 -0700, Martha Heinrichs wrote: | Does anyone recognize the name "FLONIEDES" as being a Brooks |first name that could have been passed down? I don't, and I've never seen this name before. I don't mean to be a naysayer, but given the difficulties of reading handwritten records, particularly the census, and the fact that many of the constituent letters in Floniedes are those which are often hardest to read, like the lower-case vowels, "r" and "n" -- could this be a misreading of Florinda? Sorry for the unhelpful response. Chris

Good evening, I ran across a series of five posts from 1998 by Katie Lankford, a former FHC librarian, which explain in great detail how to search the LDS for records of specific wars, including the necessary batch numbers. This doesn't appear to be a complete catalog of American military records -- if it is, there must be large gaps in most types of records -- but what is here, and there's a lot, is awfully interesting. Any Brookses in the Seminole War? Who was it that was court-martialed in the Revolution -- Azariah Brooks? There are Revolutionary court-martial records here too. While a previous thread of mine about Barbour birth records in the IGI also involved batch numbers, that's where the similarity ends, to the best of my knowledge. I haven't tried any of these numbers via the website (http://www.familysearch.org) for reasons of time. But my hunch is that you'd use them to order film at the nearest Family History Center. I've edited the five posts into one long email which is really a bit long to send to the list. If you'd like an individual copy, please email me offlist with an ALL-CAPS subject line of SEND FHC MILITARY RECORDS. Thanks to Carol Pullen-Reynolds for a major assist on this one. I can't credit the original list this appeared on, having lost the original headers. Chris

List Members: Since we have new members, I am submitting an update on my Asa/Asahel Brooks in hopes that someone will recognize who his parents could have been. Asa left New England by the mid 1820's and he did not stay in one place very long. Perhaps someone has an Asa/Asahel/Asel Brooks in their family that they know little about that would fit my Asa. Since he left New England early, it is possible that he wasn't heard from again. By 1820, Asa Brooks would be about 20 years old and I have not been able to place him with any Brooks family in the 1820 census in New England. Asa/Asahel Brooks b circa 1800 Mass (his age and birthplace are consistent in the census reports) d sometime in the 1870's probably in Iowa; m circa mid 1820's probably in Vermont to Betsy Mears. Betsy b circa 1804 Mass, daughter of Isaac and Polly (Longgon) Mears of Mass. Isaac Mears moved his family to Vermont, Bennington Co. Sandgate Twp circa 1810. Known children of Asa/Asahel and Betsy (Mears) Brooks: (1) Harvey Brooks b circa 1827 NY (2) Polly Brooks b 1828 NY *** My ancestor (3) Floniedes "Florinda" Brooks b 1830 NY (4) Henry Brooks b 1833 PA Asa/Asahel Brooks is in the following census reports: 1830 New York, Saratoga Co. Concord Twp 1840 Illinois, Rock Island Co. 1850 Wisconsin, Iowa Co. Pulaski Twp 1860 Iowa, Mitchell Co. Richfield Twp 1870 Iowa, Mitchell Co. Linclon Twp 1880 Illinois, Widow Betsy Brooks back in Rock Island Co. Hampton Twp Any clues or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Martha Heinrichs [email protected]

List Members: I have recently discovered an additional daughter of my Asa/Asahel Brooks (b 1800 Mass, d 1870's Iowa; m circa 1820's to Betsy Mears of Mass and later of Bennington Co. Vermont). I am hoping this new information will lead me closer to the parents of my Asa/Asahel Brooks. The new found daughter is: Floniedes "Florinda" Brooks b 1830 probably in Saratoga Co. NY; d circa 1909 Emmet Co. Armstrong, Iowa; m 1845 to Daniel Craft Felkey, Jr. Floniedes and Daniel Felkey lived most of their married life in Emmet Co. Iowa. Does anyone recognize the name "FLONIEDES" as being a Brooks first name that could have been passed down? Thank you for any input. Martha Heinrichs [email protected]

Good evening, Several weeks back I advised that I would soon be changing ISPs (Internet service providers) again. After being locked out of the Adelphia.net server for 7 of the last 36 days, this move is overdue! I have signed on with New Hampshire's oldest and most reliable ISP, and have complete confidence that recent mail problems, both to and from me, will be a thing of the past. No matter who my ISP du jour, my address is now [email protected] And as long as I'm breathing, you'll be able to reach me at [email protected] Thanks, Chris Christopher Brooks, List Administrator: ==================================== BROOKS-NE (Brooks Families of New England), HAPGOOD, and MERRIAM lists at RootsWeb. ==================================== [email protected]

Forwarding this from Michael Shaw, [email protected] Please direct any replies to him directly or to the list, and *not* to me as the forwarding agent. The family he's researching was also found in Williamsburg (now Brooklyn?), NY. Chris ==================================== Hi Have Henry Brooks in Redbanks NJ 1910, Dad was Rueben Brooks

Forwarding this from Michael Shaw, [email protected] Please direct any replies to him directly or to the list, and *not* to me as the forwarding agent. The family he's researching was also found in Williamsburg (now Brooklyn?), NY. Chris ==================================== Hi Have Henry Brooks in Redbanks NJ 1910, Dad was Rueben Brooks