At 12:00 PM 11/17/01 -0700, you wrote: >BROOKS-NE-D Digest Volume 01 : Issue 112 > >Today's Topics: > #1 [B-NE] JOSIAH T. BROOKS [Polly Houser > <[email protected]] > >Administrivia: >To unsubscribe, send a message to > > [email protected] >or > [email protected] > >with *only the command UNSUBSCRIBE in >the body of the message. No subject line >is necessary, but if your software wants >one, just use UNSUBSCRIBE there as well. > >To contact the list administrator: > [email protected] > > > >______________________________X-Message: #1 >Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2001 13:41:00 -0500 >From: Polly Houser <[email protected]> >To: [email protected] >Message-ID: <B81AC7EB.BB9%[email protected]> >Subject: [B-NE] JOSIAH T. BROOKS >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > >I am hoping that someone out there can help me locate the parents and >siblings of Josiah T. Brooks. He was born around 1832 possibly in Ohio >or maybe PA. He married a Melissa Jane Chevalier from Reedsville, >Meigs Co., Ohio in 1853 and they had 5 children that I know of: Laura >Alice (died at an earlier age and cannot find here grave or death date), >Elizabeth Florence, John Ellison, Charles Hopkins, and James Finley. >Josiah T. joined the 4th West Virginia Infantry on July 30. 1861 and his >military papers list his age as 28 on that day. He came down with >pneumonia while serving and was sent to the Gallipolis Hospital in Ohio >and he died there in July of 1864. > >I do have an obituary for Charles Hopkins Brooks ( Josiah's son) and it >says that he was born in Reedsville, Ohio in 1857. So that puts Josiah >in Reedsville before going to Pickaway County where I found him on the >1860 census. I hope some of these names connect with one of you. I >am avidly reading each days e-mail hoping to connect. This is my >brick wall and any help would be greatly apprecaited. > Polly in Ohio

It's official. One of the RootsWeb list servers failed Sunday, taking all its mail with it. This apparently ate all 25 of the "other" responses to our interest poll which I had redirected to the list. So, if your particular focus hasn't yet appeared, it's not going to -- and you'll have to send in a regular query to the list if you want everyone else to know what you're working on. We've picked up about 30 new readers in the last six weeks, so there are new researchers who may be able to help with your previously unsuccessful query. There were 25 "votes" in all in this second batch, but less than that many submitters. I remember Carol Pullen-Reynolds Deb Inman Michael Shaw Steve Hoffman Richard Brooks Carol Brooks John Gamerdinger and then my feeble brain fails me. You know who you are! Thanks, Chris

Brooks vitals from Saybrook and Durham, in Middlesex Co CT -- Information from Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records Courtesy of David V. Hoffman Durham [numbers in brackets are for pages of Durham vitals] ----------------------------------------- Asa, son of Charles & Mehethabel, b. 19 Nov 1756; bapt. 5 Dec 1756 [305 and 373] Charles m. Mehethabel NORTON, 13 Oct 1753 [367] Joseph, son of Charles & Mehethabel, b. 8 Jan 1754; bapt. 13 Jan 1754 [295 and 368] Lucretia m. Samuel CURTISS, 2 Oct 1810 [414] Martha J. m. Henry E. BAILEY, 27 Mar 1842 [440] Phebe dau of Charles & Mehethabel, b. 19 Jul 1755; bapt. 27 Jul 1755 [297 and 372] Phebe, dau of Charles bapt. 29 Oct 1758 [308] Saybrook [numbers in brackets are for volume and page of Saybrook vitals]] ------------------------------------------------------ Betsey m. John BULL, Jr., 20 Nov 1817 [1:58] Elizabeth m. Julian BULLIAR 15 Jan 1665 [1:69] Harriet m. Luther WEBB, both of Saybrook, 9 Jun 1822, by Simon Shailer JP [1:30] Laura Ann m. Gilbert SELDEN, of Chatham, 29 Nov 1832, by William Case [1:100] Lucy D. of Saybrook m. Wilson BAILEY of Wethersfield, 21 Jun 1835 by Rev. Wm. Palmer at her father's house [2:13] Mary, of Middle Haddam, m. John E. WATROUS, of Saybrook, 1 Jan 1834 by Rev. Wm Denison [2:40] Mary A., of Westbrook, m. Benjamin D. BUSHNELL, of Fair Haven, 11 Apr 1852, by Rev. R. H. Main [2:137] Nancy m. Enos WATROUS, both of Saybrook, 16 Oct 1834, by Wm. Case [2:71] Phebe, of Saybrook, m. Samuel WARNER, of Bridgewater, PA, 4 Nov 1821, by Samuel West [1:27] Simeon m. Lydia WATROUS, 15 Jun 1823, by Simon Shailer JP [1:35] David Hoffman _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

Brooks vitals from Norwalk and Ridgefield, both in Fairfield Co CT - information taken from the Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records. Courtesy of David V. Hoffman. See the list archive for similar transcriptions of the BROOKS records of many more CT towns. NORWALK [Numbers in brackets refer to volume and page of Norwalk vital records]] ---------------------- Anna, Mrs. m. Dr. Phinehas MILLER, both of Norwalk, 29 Dec 1796, by Abner Benedict [LR16:2] Anne, dau of Lemuel & Hannah, b 6 Sep 1775 [LR18:4] Benjamin, son of Lemuel & Hannah, b 22 Sep 1772 [LR18:4] Charles, son of Lemuel & Hannah, b 14 Sep 1785 [LR18:4] Charles, son of Lemll. & Lydia, b 18 Jan 1805 [LR17:217] Eli, son of Lemuel & Hannah, b 23 Jul 1783, died 13 Feb 1786 [LR18:4] Eli, son of Lemll. & Lydia, b 23 Aug 1792 [LR17:217] Eliza, dau of Lemll. & Lydia, b 11 Aug 1794 {LR17:217] Eliza, of Norwalk, m. Bradley DOWNS, of Weston, 22 Oct 1821, by Sylvester Eaton [1:2] Esther, dau of Lemuel & Hannah, b 14 Jun 1778 [LR18:4] George, son of Lemuel & Hannah, b 18 Mar 1781 [LR18:4] Hannah, dau of Lemuel & Hannah, b 13 Feb 1765 [LR18:4] Henry, son of Lemuel & Hannah, b 5 Mar 1769 [LR18:4] Henry m. Phebe YOUNG, 8 Dec 1791 [LR18:43] Henry died 27 Mar 1796 [LR18:43] Henry, son of Lemll. & Lydia, b 20 Aug 1797, died 15 May 1817 [LR17:217] Jeremiah T., m. Mary Ann KNAPP, both of Norwalk, 8 Mar 1846, by W. C. Hoyt [1:31] Julia, dau of Henry & Phebe, b 6 Apr 1794 [LR18:43] Lemuel m. Hannah RAYMOND, 19 Sep 1764 [LR18:4] Lemuel, son of Lemuel & Hannah, b 22 Jan 1767 [LR18:4] Lemuel, Jr., m. Lydia BENEDICT, 16 Mar 1788 [LR17:217] Lydia, wife of Lemuel, died 18 Feb 1828 [LR17:217] Mary Bowden, dau of Lemuel & Hannah, b 16 May 1790 [LR18:4] Sally, dau of Henry & Phebe, b 17 Oct 1792 [LR18:43] Samuel m. Hannah RAYMOND, 29 Mar 1829, by Henry Benedict [1:12] RIDGEFIELD [Numbers in brackets refer to volume and page of Ridgefield vital records] ------------------ Danll., son of Ebenr. & Jane, b 26 Mar 1741 [LR1:223] Ebenezer, m. Jane SAINT JOHN, dau of Capt. ___, 27 Aug 1730 [LR1:228] Ebenezr, son of Ebenr. & Jane, b 6 Jul 1731 [LR1:218-219] Elizabeth, m. Thomas WILLSON, 30 Jan 1729 [LR1:228] Elizabeth, dau of Ebenr. & Jane, b 18 Jul 1737 [LR1:221] Elizabeth, wife of of Ebenr., died 17 Nov 1745 [LR1:215] Elizabeth, m. Daniel JACKSON, 5 Apr ___ [LR1:252] Jane, dau of Ebenr. & Jane, b 8 Apr 1733 [LR1:218-219] Jeremiah, son of Jonathan & Sarah, b 22 Apr 1750 [LR1:249] John, son of Jonathan & Sarah, b 4 Dec 1755 [LR1:249] Jonathan, m. Sarah ___, 9 Apr 1744 [LR1:232] Jonathan, son of Jonathan & Sarah, b 30 Sep 1745 [LR1:239] Joseph, son of Ebenezer & Jane, 21 May 1745 [LR1:238] Martha, dau of Jonathan & Sarah, b 20 Feb 1752 [LR1:249] Mary, dau of Ebenr. & Jane, b 14 Sep 1735 [LR1:218-219] Phebe, dau of Jonathan & Sarah, 12 Nov 1746 [LR1:239] Rebeckah, dau of Ebenezer & Jane, b 18 Dec 1742 [LR1:237] Ruth, dau of Jonathan & Sarah, b 9 Nov 1753 [LR1:249] Samuel, son of Ebenr. & Jane, b 10 May 1739 [LR1:224] Sarah, dau of Jonathan & Sarah, 16 Feb 1749 [LR1:249] David Hoffman

Have not received Freeman's Oath Information. Wylie Brooks

I sent all the results of the list census out today -- one copy of each file to the list, and then copies of each message to each person whose address is included in it. One part of the transmission process doesn't seem to have worked. 25 readers sent in a focus which didn't fit a predetermined category. So I redirected each one individually to the list as an email, with a copy to the original sender, a copy to myself, and an appropriate subject line. I have no idea what happened, but none of these messages have returned to me -- either as a list post, or in the form of the cc I sent myself. This entire second batch seems to have fallen into a black hole. I no longer have the original messages -- most were just a blank email with a subject line, and I deleted them as I redirected them to the list. RootsWeb has been known to have delivery problems from time to time, and certainly all of us are familiar with the slowdown that occurs when a major part of the internet crashes somewhere. So we'll wait 36 hours. If your particular research focus doesn't appear by Tuesday morning, I'm afraid the only thing to do is to re-post it -- not as a "vote," of course, but in the form of a regular query. I didn't screw this up, honest ... I watched each of the messages go out. QUESTIONS/COMMENTS I've received about this "census" -- Ask the Perfesser: Q1: "What do you want from us?" A1: Nothing, really, and I'm not offering much either. :-) I agreed to collate and circulate lists of the major common research interests among our 197 subscribers. I've done that. What follows, if anything, is up to you folks. My previous attempt to set up active focus or working groups was a failure. I don't have the time to lead these things, and several of the groups had no pulse whatsoever except when I *was* leading them, or playing cheerleader, or both. So we're not reprising that experiment this time. I'm simply telling you, "These are the other folks who say they're also working in your area," and whatever followup communication does or does not occur is up to you. The fact that less than half of our subscribers took the 30 seconds to respond to the poll tells me I'm right to conserve my time for more productive tasks. Q2: "I hate to kvetch, but my email address is actually [email protected], although the header reads [email protected], on the X-sender line. " A2: It's not kvetching when I screw up and you're nice about it -- it's a "gentle correction." Thanks, and please note the corrected address for Eve Grogan above, should she appear on one of your own interest lists. Q3: "I made a trip to [Burptown] a couple weeks ago and talked with the town historian and discovered other generations of the Brooks family. As a result, please add the following locations to my areas of interest." A3: I have no "master list" or to which to add your new interests. Each and every one of you is more than welcome to announce any new interests in the usual manner -- send a post to the list. My only request, as always, is that you write a useful subject line -- NOT "Brooks" or "Help" or "My Brick Wall." Q4: "I really appreciate …the way you keep on top of things in the Brooks NE list. It is quite a contrast with our [surname deleted] list, which runs on autopilot most of the time with an apparently absentee list owner. It is a much better feeling when there is a firm hand like yours on the helm." Thank you. I have called a fascist, wannabe genealogist, "list police," and other things elsewhere on the 'Net. Here "at home," it's good to see that you know your place. <vbg> Seriously ... any list is only as effective as the contributions its readers make. In that regard, we've been blessed. We'd be even further blessed if we could entice more lurkers onto the dance floor with us. :-) Chris

I am hoping that someone out there can help me locate the parents and siblings of Josiah T. Brooks. He was born around 1832 possibly in Ohio or maybe PA. He married a Melissa Jane Chevalier from Reedsville, Meigs Co., Ohio in 1853 and they had 5 children that I know of: Laura Alice (died at an earlier age and cannot find here grave or death date), Elizabeth Florence, John Ellison, Charles Hopkins, and James Finley. Josiah T. joined the 4th West Virginia Infantry on July 30. 1861 and his military papers list his age as 28 on that day. He came down with pneumonia while serving and was sent to the Gallipolis Hospital in Ohio and he died there in July of 1864. I do have an obituary for Charles Hopkins Brooks ( Josiah's son) and it says that he was born in Reedsville, Ohio in 1857. So that puts Josiah in Reedsville before going to Pickaway County where I found him on the 1860 census. I hope some of these names connect with one of you. I am avidly reading each days e-mail hoping to connect. This is my brick wall and any help would be greatly apprecaited. Polly in Ohio

This is a FYI. Hope it helps someone's research. ~~~Pam ==== Obit BROOKS -- Frederick W. J. BROOKS, (printer) on Thursday evening, April 20 (1871), in the 46th year of his age. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the funeral, from his late residence, 20 Elm Place, Brooklyn (NY), Sunday, at 2 o'clock. =======

The book Cheshire, CT, Town History 1694-1840 is now located at Ancestry.com by clicking on SEARCH, then scroll down to click on Search by Locality, click on CT on the map and then next screen scroll to Biography and History. 10th entry is Cheshire, CT., Town History 1694-1840. You need to be a member to access the text and data now.

...and one more snippit while we are on the subject... Mr. Edward Wanton, father of Michael Wanton was the executioner who ordered Mary Dyer, one of the Salem witches, executed. Son Michael, in 1723 sold property to and on which still sits the original homestead of Nathaniel Brooks. The homestead which served as the Brooks Homestead for several generations has just undergone a two year total restoration. It is said that Edward Wanton was so repulsed by what he had done that he promptly relinquished his role as an executioner shortly thereafter. > > From: Christopher Brooks <[email protected]> > Date: Fri, 09 Nov 2001 07:33:03 -0500 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [B-NE] Salem Witch Trials -- Ergot Poisoning Theory > > Here's a change of pace from Connecticut and New York genealogy -- a > fascinating and quite plausible theory that ergot poisoning may have been > involved in the famous events at Salem, Massachusetts in 1691-92. While the > Brooks name isn't found in the records of this period, there are > connections -- from George Corwin/Curwen, one of the magistrates, to > listreader Lori Thomas, who descends from Samuel Wardwell > > This page references a 1951 book describing an outbreak of this fungal > poisoning in a village in France. I read the book in the 60s and have never > forgotten this horrifying tale. I wish I could remember its title -- I'd > like to reread it. Anyway ... > > http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets2/case1_clues.html > > Chris > > > ==== BROOKS-NE Mailing List ==== > Is the SUBJECT LINE still relevant? (Nag, nag.) > >

me! Thanks! donna -----Original Message----- From: Christopher Brooks [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2001 9:07 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [B-NE] Who HASN'T received the Freeman's Oath information? Morning, Someone posted me yesterday (Tuesday) for this, and I lost the message headers in moving my mail around. If you have emailed me for Freeman's Oath information, but haven't yet received it, please resend. Thanks, Chris ==== BROOKS-NE Mailing List ==== Archives of previous posts are located at: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/BROOKS-NE-L/ The address is case-sensitive.

Morning, Someone posted me yesterday (Tuesday) for this, and I lost the message headers in moving my mail around. If you have emailed me for Freeman's Oath information, but haven't yet received it, please resend. Thanks, Chris

For anyone interested, Ancestry.com has the book by Beach on Cheshire Town History 1694-1840 as a current selection. It appears in the column of items on the right hand side of the first screen. You can enter a particular name for a search, and also read the voluminous text. At the end of the volume are lengthy lists of people by birth, marriage, etc., from the various records of the clergy. I could be printing copies all night, but Cheshire Library has the book, so will probably use that as lists are more closely printed for copying.

This morning, for what seemed like the umpteenth time, I copied nearly three pages of text for a correspondent who asked what "being a freeman" meant in early Massachusetts Bay. I guess I'm slowly getting smarter, because this time I saved the text in a boilerplate message so that I can avoid retyping it in future. The explanatory text was copied from an article by Lucius Paige which ran in the New England Historic Genealogical Society's Register in 1849. If you'd like a copy, please email me offlist with an ALL-CAPS subject line of SEND FREEMEN'S OATH. Thanks, Chris

Congratulations, Chris!! Grandchildren are great, I have 8, so I know.... Madelon [email protected] wrote: > Subject: > > BROOKS-NE-D Digest Volume 01 : Issue 102 > > Today's Topics: > #1 [B-NE] We interrupt this broadcast [Christopher Brooks <[email protected]] > > Administrivia: > To unsubscribe, send a message to > > [email protected] > or > [email protected] > > with *only the command UNSUBSCRIBE in > the body of the message. No subject line > is necessary, but if your software wants > one, just use UNSUBSCRIBE there as well. > > To contact the list administrator: > [email protected] > > ______________________________ > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Subject: [B-NE] We interrupt this broadcast ... > Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 18:09:26 -0500 > From: Christopher Brooks <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > > ... to inform you that Isaiah Ian DiChristopher Brooks, son of Jeremiah > Copeland Brooks and Rebecca DiChristopher, entered the world Monday evening > about 6 pm, weighing 8 lbs. 4 oz. My first grandchild, he descends lineally > from Capt. Thomas/1 Brooks of Concord, MA, and collaterally, through the > NORCROSS and MERRIAM families, from Henry/1 Brooks of Woburn. > > To those whom I've promised lookups, searches or responses, you'll just > have to wait a little longer as I tend to family business, in the immediate > and literal sense. :-) Jacobus copies are enveloped and addressed and will > go out tomorrow. I'll see what else I can squeeze out this evening, > sandwiched around another maternity ward visit, but after that I'm liable > to be scarce for several days. > > I am breaking my own list rule -- no "personal business" here on the list > -- but I have run clean out of local folks to tell. :-) > > Chris

I enjoyed the PBS show indicating the possibility of ergot poisoning. I also have an interest genealogically. William Averill was the immigrant in 1637 to Ipswich. His daughter Sarah Averill Wildes was one of those hung. I descend from her brother, also William. Averill

Here's a change of pace from Connecticut and New York genealogy -- a fascinating and quite plausible theory that ergot poisoning may have been involved in the famous events at Salem, Massachusetts in 1691-92. While the Brooks name isn't found in the records of this period, there are connections -- from George Corwin/Curwen, one of the magistrates, to listreader Lori Thomas, who descends from Samuel Wardwell This page references a 1951 book describing an outbreak of this fungal poisoning in a village in France. I read the book in the 60s and have never forgotten this horrifying tale. I wish I could remember its title -- I'd like to reread it. Anyway ... http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets2/case1_clues.html Chris

This second installment consists of the BROOKS entries under Additions and Corrections, p. 511. Please email me offlist with an ALL-CAPS subject line of SEND JACOBUS #2 if you'd like this information. Chris

The Jacobus abbreviations are ready, thanks to Jean McKee. If you'd like a copy, please email me offlist with an ALL-CAPS subject line of SEND JACOBUS #1. Be sure to include the "#1," as there will be a second Jacobus addendum announced shortly -- #2. Since I'll email this information to those who request it, no postal address is necessary. Chris

Ancestry.com has a web site for Mason, NH see Nov 8,2001 History of Mason, NH from 1749-1858 http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/inddbs/6002/htm once there enter Brooks in the search box. Note the article is full of Historic material regarding early settlement of border lands with Ipswich,MA and formation of NH as a state. Brooks mentioned are: Isaac, Sally, Daniel, Rebecca, Lucy, Stephen and Calvin plus other use of Brooks names...and related surnames such as Asa Wilder who finds his way along through marriage. Worth a look for those related to Brooks above. And for historic content. Bryce