I am searching the family of Hanna Brooks born about 1799 in NY. She married Berry Lively in Louisiana about 1819 or 1820. Some researchers have her birth state as NJ, but an 1850 Census of East Baton Rouge Parish in Louisiana has her state of birth as New York. An East Baton Rouge Parish 1820 census has a Uri Brooks, Jr. and a Dolphus Brooks living near Berry Lively. The household of Uri Brooks, Jr. contains a male over 45 years, 2 males between 25 and 44, 1 male between 18-25, 1 male under 10, and only 1 female between 10-15...poor girl! In the household of Dolphus there is 1 male between 25 and 44, a female between 16-18, and another female under 10. I assume the name of Dolphus is a nickname? But, for what? Living next to the Brooks men is a Sophia Kline, who I assume was between the ages of 18 and 25. She had in her household a male between 10-15, 3 males under 10, and 1 female between the ages of 10-15, and 2 females under the age of 10. Then, the Cline family is represented by a Widow L. Cline in the 1830 Census. The oldest person in this household is between 50-60 years old..a female...either this is Sophia, and the 1820 census made a mistake, or Sophia died and perhaps her mother in law came to live with her 7 children. I include this because there may be a family connection...Sophiacould have been a Brooks. In the 1830 East Baton Rouge Parish census there is a Photian Brooks, then Berry Lively, then Franklin Brooks. Photian and Franklin are about between the ages of 30-40...they could have been the 2 males in Uri Jr.'s household in 1820. Back to Hannah....Berry died in the 1840's, so Hannah is listed as the head of household in the 1850 Census. The Brooks families are not listed. Could they have gone back to the NJ/NY area? There is an Eri Brooks who is 26 years old and born in LA. But, he is family # 719, and, Hannah and her son, Edwin Meredith Lively (my ggg-grandfather), are families 1014 and 1015. Any help in discovering who is Hannah's parents is greatly appreciated. One researcher has her father as Uriah Brooks, but there isn't a lot of information. Sincerely, Nancy Federico

Elaine Sunde wrote: > I'm looking at the Deerfield VR, posted on Ancestry > (image of Thomas W. Baldwin's compilation, published 1920). > I'm interested in the Franklin County branch of the Brooks > family and expected to recognize these folks but I don't. I > also don't find Deerfield on the Tributaries location index. > These VR appear to range from about 1690 to mid-19th > century. Is anyone working with this group? From http://www.tributaries.org/secondsite/founders-p/index.htm: "Exception: The line of William/1s Brooks of Springfield and Deerfield, MA is the subject of an extended research project, one fruit of which will be a pair of extended articles on this line. This "Springfield line" will not be uploaded until after publication." There are probably a dozen descendants of William/1 Brooks subscribed to this list. Chris |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Christopher Brooks BROOKS Families of New England http://www.tributaries.org ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

I'm looking at the Deerfield VR, posted on Ancestry (image of Thomas W. Baldwin's compilation, published 1920). I'm interested in the Franklin County branch of the Brooks family and expected to recognize these folks but I don't. I also don't find Deerfield on the Tributaries location index. These VR appear to range from about 1690 to mid-19th century. Is anyone working with this group?

Finally, a little clue to my mystery Salmon Brooks b. 1795 (prob. Shutesbury), NEHGS just published a death record for his wife Hannah Jones (dau. of Josiah & Elizabeth Jones) d. 6/25/1860, widow of Salmon Brooks, she was b. Shutesbury (have her birth info), her father was b. Middleboro, parents are Josiah Jones and Elizabeth Nye (or maybe Vaughan, Josiah maybe married 2 Elizabeths, or another Josiah married Eliz. Vaughan...or maybe Eliz Vaughan or Nye was married before to one or the other....have found 2 marriage records around same time in Shutesbury). If anyone has North River Cem transcriptions, I am very interested in any of these names: Brooks, Jones, Nye, Vaughan-esp. Salmon Brooks whose grave we are yet to find and am hoping is in North River. Also, if anyone has any info on Brooks or Jones in Middleboro to help me find a connection, I'd be very interested. This is the first clue I have to Salmon since getting his name a few years ago. Am already planning a family "foliage" trip to Colrain, but hoping to find anymore info first. Thank you in advance. Maura Amrich, Tyngsborough, MA genam1620@comcast.net

Does anyone know anything about John and Edward Brookes who are listed as original settlers of Jamestown??? The occupation for both is listed as 'Gentlemen". Legend has it our family came to Jamestown - I question that - but then one never knows. Thank you for any help - Mary Ann <cematapey@aol.com>

Good morning, The message which follows appeared on NORTHEAST-ROOTS-L this morning. I note that four of the case studies are for locales which had either a significant or a challenging-to-research Brooks population: Worcester, MA Carroll County, NH Rockingham County, NH Portland/Lewiston, ME I'm sure Googling would pull up more information on this book, presumably a new or very recent release, including "the review.". Chris ==================== A new book for those interested in social history......I have yet to read it but the review is excellent. The Poorhouse: America's Forgotten Institution by David Wagner Six case studies Worcester, Haverill, Carroll County, Rockingham County, Portland and Lewiston. Abby

Found under "Deaths" in the NEHGS Register, 37:336 (July, 1883): UPHAM, Sylvanus Kidder, died at Dixon, Ill., February 13, 1883, of abscess in the bowels. He was born at Castine, Me., March 11, 1811. Mr. Upham was early in business on Long Wharf, Boston; in California from 1849 to 1852; later, and for many years, in lumber business at Dixon, retiring from business in 1876. His wife, Maryanne Brooks (descendant in seventh generation from William Brooks, who came to Scituate probably in the ship "Blessing," 1635), d. at Dixon, Dec. 30, 1870; b. at Castine, Jan. 11, 1819. He (as well as his wife) was of purely New England descent, his ancestors being among the earliest, some of them as follows: Deacon John Upham, who came from England in 1635 (see REG. xxv. 15), and was one of the founders of Weymouth and Malden (tombstone still standing in Malden); John Cutler, of Sprowston, co. Norfolk, England, who came to Hingham in 1637; Samuel Richardson, living at Woburn in 1670; Davis family, of same place and time; James Kidder, who came from East Grinsted, co. Sussex, England, and settled at Cambridge before 1650; Deacon Francis Moore, living at Cambridge, 1649; Dr. William Avery, living at Dedham 1650 (tombstone in King's Chapel ground, Boston); Ephraim Little, living at Marshfield 1686; and Nathaniel Atkins, of Truro, 1739, his family of earlier date. Sylvanus Kidder Upham left children: Margaret Barker, widow of Charles H. Wright, of Chicago; Frank Kidder, captain 1st United States Cavalry; and Charles Clifton, civil engineer in employ of Mexican Central Railway. Chris

Can anyone help me come up with a list of BROOKS wills filed in Norfolk Co MA between 1935-1945? Thanks, Brooks Snyder

A note in haste … I will be uploading revised genealogies to the Tributaries web site soon. Most revisions are of a relatively minor nature, but I wanted to highlight the following before I lose track of it. In working through back issues of the NEHGS Register, looking for mentions of William/1 Brooks of Springfield, I found mention of William/1 of Scituate as a juror in the trial of the accused murderers of John Sassamon. The full story will be in the upload, but this was a seminal event leading up to what's called King Philip's War (1675-76), which came close to extinguishing English settlement in New England. If you are in this Scituate line of descent, you won't want to overlook this. William was truly, at this time, a participant in history. Chris

Doing CT research, I have seen both the Birdseye and Birdsey families every once and a while. Cheshire had a Birdsey/e Norton when I was growing up. For whatever help or interest it might be..... Jacobus in "Families of Ancient New Haven" has some on each, but the Birdseye references are under the Beach and Merriman families BEACH family in Jacobus the following families are listed without parentage Page 148: This is family 1: Richard/1 Azariah/2 Benjamin/3 Benjamin b. 1682. 9 Dec 1694 NHC1, d 1710; of Durham: m. Diana BIRDSEYE; she married (2) 13 May 1713 DurhamV --Samuel Norton. Two children Page 149 This is family 3: John 1/ John 2/ their 4th child John, b. Apr 1654, d 1711; of St; m (1)18 Dec 1679 StV--Hannah Staples; m (2) Phebe, wid. John BIRDSEYE. Children in St. Page 149 This is family 3: John/1 Thomas/2 their 4th child. There is a note by John /1 that "The births of the children are entered in Fairfield Probate records, vol 3, p.22. Thomas, b. May 1659. d 13 May 1741 ae. 82 WV, WC2; m (1) 12 May 1680 WV --Ruth da. Paul & Martha Peck, b c.1660 Phebe da, Timothy & Joanna (BIRDSEYE) Wilcoxen, b. 9 Aug. 1669 StV, d 30 Apr 1758 Phebe is second wife to Thomas Beach Page 150 This is family 3: John /1 Isaac /2 the 8th child. Isaac, b 27 June 1669, d. 30 Apr 1741 ae. 71-10 StT; m 3 May 1693 StV--Hannah da John BIRDSEYE, b. 5 Feb 1671 StV, d 1750. They had William, Elnathan, John, Mary, Hannah and Dinah Merriman Family This is family 3: John /1 Isaac /2 the 8th child. Page 1172 This is family 3: John /1 Isaac /2 the 8th child. 7th child: (probably) Abigail; m 12 May 1776 MidC -- Benjamin BIRDSEYE Note: Mid is Middletown; C is Congregational Church; StV is Vital Statistics, Stratford; StT is probably Stratford Graveyard; WV Wallingford Vital statistics; WC2 is First Congregational Society, Meriden Cheshire Jean

Lynn Brooks sent me the following offlist, which I am forwarding with his permission for reply to the list. Chris ============================== In 1999 you wrote: > CNIDR Isearch-cgi 1.20.06 (File: 13) > Here's the third of the Massachusetts Bay Colony > founders... WILLIAM (1) BROOKS of Springfield and > Deerfield - ---------------------------------------------- > --- Born abt 1610 in England, and oft said to be the same > man who sailed to Virginia 1635, subsequently recorded > land ownership there, then disappears from VA records. > I have not seen this before and wonder what the source is, if > you remember for the statement "subsequently recorded land > ownership there"? I looked in the State Library of Virginia and > didn't find anything.Perhaps I missed something. I would > consider that quite important in answering a series of > questions like "What was his status when he came to Virginia?", > "What did he do until he showed up in Massachusetts Bay > Colony?", and perhaps, > "Why did he move from Virginia to > Massachussets Bay Colony?" I quite agree that the question of proving or disproving Virginia roots is important — inability to answer this question is one of the things that's stymied me in succeeding years. Unfortunately, when you hit a brick wall over and over again, there's a tendency at some point to "give it a rest," or "come back to it later," which has been counter-productive in getting my study of William complete enough to publish. The good news is that I'm wrapping up the William Brooks study for publication this fall. Waiting longer isn't going to produce any new evidence, alas. I believe (without looking it up) that you were the first person to send me photocopied pages from the Mrs. Beverly Brooks (nee Vurell Irma Harris — Beverly was her husband's given name) m.s. held by the Pocumtuck Library in Deerfield and NEHGS in Boston. Her m.s. was the basis for my reply as quoted above. Her typescript includes the following: "It is presumed that he got to Virginia where he remained for a while and there is an early record of one WILLIAM BROOKES living at Elizabeth Cittie, Virginia, Feb. 16, 1643, 100 acres planted—by patent granted…He did not appear in Springfield, Mass. until 1649." "Presumed" being the key word here … I've subsequently found this land record confirmed in several online databases of Virginia records. And if you Google for the phrase ("william brooks" + "Elizabeth cittie"), minus the parentheses, you'll find William Brooks in a muster roll dated 16 Feb 1623/4 at Elizabeth City. (Which creates even more research contradictions for a man allegedly born in 1610. He was eligible for military service at age 13?) Our problem is that William (along with John) is the most common given name of Brooks males in this and subsequent periods. There's no evidence that the Virginia William Brooks is the Springfield William Brooks — merely a coincidence of names. Furthermore, there's a six-year gap before a William B. appears in Springfield records. The authoress, imo, wanted so desperately to fill in the blanks on the Springfield man that she was grabbing at insupportable straws. And she seems to confirm this assessment at the end of her m.s. when she starts throwing in material on totally unrelated Brooks lines from the Hampshire Visitation (census) and other sources. (Example: See the list archive for Steve Hoffman's research into the Whitchurch, Hampshire Brooke/Brooks line, which Mrs. Beverly adduced as William's.) It's as if she said to herself, "Well, I've tried to stick to facts so far, and I've run out of them, so rather than call it a day, now I ought to be entitled to run wild with unsupported conjecture to answer the question of origins, in the absence of facts." For examples of two similar situations, and evidential refutation by the "Great Migration" team of Robert C. Anderson, George and Melinde Sanborn, see my writeup on Richard/1e Brooks at http://www.tributaries.org/secondsite/founders-p/index.htm and my writeup of Thomas/1h Brooks of Haddam at http://www.tributaries.org/secondsite/founders-p/index.htm. My own take on Lynn's question, based solely on available evidence, is that there's no reason beyond wishful thinking to suppose the Virginia and Springfield men were the same person. Virginia was Royalist, Massachusetts Bay was Puritan. (And 1643 represents the height of the English Civil War between these factions.) Virginia was founded on wholesale importation of indentured servants who were to do the actual labor of creating plantations for wealthy, titled estate owners. Massachusetts, on the other hand, openly resisted proposals to establish hereditary titles or institutionalized deference beyond the contemporary mainstream English customs of knowing one's place in the world and society, and of extending deference to those who were better-born. I could go on at length, but additional arguments re connection turn out in the negative as well … When I was new to the internet, I signed up for one of those vanity services which forwards daily mentions of "your name, Christopher!" as it appears across the net. At the time there was a hockey player with the name Christopher Brooks who was a star player on a minor league professional team in, of all places, Texas. He was black (I'm white) and 25 years younger than I am, and I can barely stand up on skates, let alone move on them. But since we shared the same name, I was bombarded with newspaper game stories until I cancelled. :-) A very good question, Lynn. Chris

Yrs truly wrote: > The Stratford man married Dorothy Birdseye (there's that > name again!) at Stratford in Nov 1796, so is unlikely to have > fathered a child born in Vermont the same year. And Jeanne Jain replied to me privately: > I'm confused. I have that Dorothy Birdseye was David's > mother... Jean's correct, and I'm in error (yet again). Dorothy/5 Birdseye married John/4 Brooks, and among their children was David/5 Brooks, b. 1772 at Stratford, who married Abigail Hawley. Sorry for the confusion. Infallibility is a terrible burden. :-) Chris

That doesn't appear to be the same Lanson. Dave's target was the son of Ebenezer Bunnell Brooks of the Cheshire line and Mehitabel Smith. The source was Jacobus, who cites in turn Wallingford vital records ("WV"). I've got two Davids born in 1772, both in Connecticut, one at Ashford (6th generation, Woburn line) and one at Stafford (5th generation, Fairfield County line). The Stratford man married Dorothy Birdseye (there's that name again!) at Stratford in Nov 1796, so is unlikely to have fathered a child born in Vermont the same year. I have nothing on the Ashford man, son of John/5 Brooks (b. 1719, Pomfret, CT) and Abial Wright (m. 15 Feb 1748/49, Ashford), beyond his birth. Please send me a copy of your file as well, as I'm the one to whom many of these queries are addressed. :-) When I checked my database for events with you as a source, Mary Alice, I find a David, b. 1796 at Jamaica, VT, son of David/Rebecca. There's a marriage recorded at Putney, VT, 20 Mar 1823, between Sylvia Metcalf and a David Brooks, whom I had tentatively pegged as the man born in Jamaica. My database has three men named Alanson Brooks, none born before 1800. Sorry, I should have spotted "Lanson" as a diminutive of Alanson. Chalk that one up to a brain cramp, I guess. Chris > Have information on Lanson Brooks Vt. 1796-OH -Geauga > Co,(Lake Co after 1840) Madison township. He is also listed in > census at times as Alanson. > His father was David Brooks b. Vt. about 1772 d. Madison > Lake Co OH 1854. I have a copy of his will/ probate with > children listed. David Brooks was my third great grandfather > through his dau. Laura Brooks Isham, B. VT about 1802. The > area was Bennington Co--Manchester. > Will e-mail Dave with more info , when I get my file out.[snip]

Does any one know anything about Edward and Thankful *Harding* Brooks? - parents, birth, death, marriage, children, etc? I believe they are the parents of my Lyman Brooks born between 1778-1789 in Massachusetts. Lyman married Alice Amidon. He and his family are in the 1850 federal census in Tioga Co., PA. In 1860 his wife and some of the grown children are in Freeborn Co., MN - but no Lyman. He must have died before they left PA. Appreciate any help and/or suggestions. Mary Ann _cematapey@aol.com_ (mailto:cematapey@aol.com)

Have information on Lanson Brooks Vt. 1796-OH -Geauga Co,(Lake Co after 1840) Madison township. He is also listed in census at times as Alanson. His father was David Brooks b. Vt. about 1772 d. Madison Lake Co OH 1854. I have a copy of his will/ probate with children listed. David Brooks was my third great grandfather through his dau. Laura Brooks Isham, B. VT about 1802. The area was Bennington Co--Manchester. Will e-mail Dave with more info , when I get my file out. I've been looking for a long time to put David's family together. He was probably married three times--first wife unknown--who probably died in Bennington Co. Vt.--but have never found a cemetery record for her. Try Lake Co OH genweb. They have all cemetery records for Fairview Cemetery, Madison, Lake Co. David Brooks and seconwie Rhoda buried there as well as Lanson and his family. Dave, will send you more later today. Mary --Stillwater, OK.

Hi, A few weeks ago I was able to break down my Brooks wall. One of my new ancestors was Ammi Brooks. Chris commented at that time that this was the only occurrence of that name in the Brooks line. Because Ammi Brooks B. 1765, his Grandfather John Brooks married Hannah Cutter who had a brother AMMI. Her father John also had a brother AMMI who had a son AMMI. Source, World Connect, John Cutter b. 1690 AMMI from Loammi in the old Testament. Cole -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.338 / Virus Database: 267.10.9/72 - Release Date: 8/14/2005

Jeanne Jain wrote: >> From handwritten in pencil record found in Discovery >> Museum's Capt. John Brooks' Collection: > A record of the Birdseye family Thanks, Jeanne. The information in the record follows exactly a biography of Rufus Pomery Birdseye in "The Empire State in Three Centuries," v.3 (Century History Company), so that's probably the author's basic source, but adds additional details (several marriages of the descendant daughters) which clearly come from sources other than the published biography. Speedy work! Chris

Dave Felzke wrote: > Below is what little I have on a Lanson "Lonson" BROOKS > b. 1796 in VT. He may have somehow been an acquaintance of, > cousin, or even a brother to my Reuben BROOKS, or none of the > above. the fact shown below that he was a resident of Berlin > Twp., Erie County, OH in 1850 along with two sons of my Reuben, > Absalom and William, and the fact that he was born six years > after Reuben, and in VT, with prior CT roots gives me some > small element of hope... [snip] Ebenezer Bunnell Brooks doesn't appear on the Tributaries site because I've only uploaded the first four gens of the Cheshire line to date. His parents, David/4 Brooks and Sarah Bunnell, are there. Looking at the data you included, there are two point sources. The first, which establishes the parentage and multiple baptisms at Cheshire on 24 Jul 1796, is Jacobus, "Ancient Families of New Haven," 2:338, who provides exactly the same information you did. Neither Jacobus nor I have anything further, but at least Jacobus is a far more reliable source than the Ancestral File. Your second source is the 1850 census. That you can follow up on by looking at the Tributaries site's census index for earlier decennial years, looking for pairings of Lanson with any of the sibling names, or for a widowed Mehitabel Brooks as a head of household in proximity to Lanson. That census index is notorious for misread/mistyped names, so you'll want to look for any given name even resembling Lanson. (i.e., two syllables, ending in n.) Where there's an Absalom, an unusual Brooks given name, there's always hope. :-) Perhaps he's the uncle of the sons named (Reuben's brother). Chris |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Christopher Brooks BROOKS Families of New England http://www.tributaries.org ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

From handwritten in pencil record found in Discovery Museum's Capt. John Brooks' Collection: A record of the Birdseye family Deacon John Birdseye died 1694. aged 74 yrs. His son John Birdseye died 1697. aged 55 yrs. Joseph, son of John Birdseye died June 25th 1757 aged 75 years Rev Nathan son of Joseph Birdseye was born Aug 8th 1714. he died Jan 28th 1818, aged 103 yrs, 5 months, 9 days. His wife Dorothy Hawley, daughter of Rev Thomas Hawley of Ridgefield, was born Feb 27th 1719 or 20, she died Sept. 21st 1807, aged 88 yrs. They were the parents of twelve children, six sons, and six daughters, first a son, and then a daughter, through the entire number. He lived to be able to say, "Arive daughter, and go to thy daughter, for thy daughters daughter, hath got a daughter". The first child, a son named Joseph Birdseye was born Feb 4, 1739. The second child a daughter named, Dorothy Birdseye, was born Aug 10th 1742. The third child a son named, Nathan Birdseye was born May 29th 1744. The fourth child a daughter named Hannah Birdseye was born Dec 15th 1746 The fifth child a son named Ezra Birdseye was born Jan 28th 1749. The sixth child a daughter Helen Birdseye was born July 17th 1751 married William Curtis of Oronoque The seventh child a son Thadeus Birdseye was born April 18th 1753 "New Stile". The eighth child a daughter Abigail Birdseye was born April 28th 1755 The ninth child a son Ebenezer Birdseye was born May 13th 1757 The tenth child a daughter Lucy Birdseye was born March 1st 1759 The eleventh child a son John Birdseye was born Feb 16th 1761 The twelfth child a daughter Sarah Birdseye was born Aug. 26th 1763. Dorothy Birdseye, wife of Nathan Birdseye, and Mother of this numerous family died Sept 21 1807 aged 88 yrs. eleven yrs previous to his death. Deacon John Birdseye married Phillippa Smith daughter of Henry Smith of Wethersfield John, son of Deacon John, married Phoebe Wilcoxson daughter of Deacon Timothy Wilcoxson. Joseph, son of John, married Sarah Thomson daughter of Ambrose Thomson Rev Nathan Birdseye, son of Joseph, married Dorothy Hawley, daughter of Rev Thomas Hawley of Ridgefield on April 17 1739. She was born Feb 27th, 1719 or 1720, and died Sept 21st 1807 aged 88. Her Mother, Mrs. Thomas Hawley was Abigail Gold, daughter of Lieut Governor Nathan Gold and Hannah, daughter of Lieut Col John Talcott. Rev Nathan Birdseye's Children 1st Joseph, born Feb 4th 1739 married (no name written here) 2nd Dorothy, born Aug 10 1742, married Oct 20th 1762 to John Brooks III of Stratford, she outlived him 46 yrs., and married for her second husband Thomas Ivers? she died in Stratford, Sept. 1834, aged 93. 3rd Nathan, May 29th 1744 4th Hannah, Dec 15th 1746 married Silas Curtis son of Stiles Curtis 1st, Feb 17th 1765, they had 12 children 5th Ezra, Jan 28th 1749. 6th Helen, July 17, 1751, married William Curtis of Oronoque. died. July 10th 1845 aged 94 7th Thadeus. April 18th 1753 "New Style". 8th Abigail. April 28th 1755. 9th Ebenezer. May 13th 1757. 10th Lucy. March 1st 1759. 11th John. Feb 16th, 1761. he was the youngest son, died in New York state, aged 78 yrs 12th Sarah Aug 26th 1763. married, Rev Payson Williston of Northampton, died there Aug 19th 1845 aged 82 yrs, the last of Rev Nathan Birdseye's family.

Dale 59 wrote: > Joseph Brooks (29 Mar 1831 - 12 Sep 1899 ) > Born in England, died in Providence, RI > His death record confirms his parents names, George > Brooks and Alice UNKNOWN. > > Joseph married another BROOKS (yes rather incentuous > sounding huh ?) by the name of Eurana/Urana/Urania and possibly > (based on census records Lurena). > > Eurana Brooks (abt 1837 - pre1899) > Born in Maine, assumedly died in RI > Parents names based on Census records were Benjamin Brooks (b. > abt 1804) and Mary UNKNOWN (b. abt 1810). Try this on for size: MARRIAGES. … In Fairfield, Mr. Benjamin Brooks, to Miss Mary Huff. [Eastern Argus, issue of 30 Sep 1828, Marriages.] Sorry, I have nothing further, like ancestry or children. If you want to do the legwork at the Tributaries web site, you can consult the census index there for a Benjamin in the appropriate year(s) and county, then send me a list of the Brooks heads of household, from which I can try to identify siblings or other clues to parentage. Because Joseph was born in England, he's outside my own research purview, so I can't help with his line. Brooks/Brooks marriages aren't at all uncommon, and I have dozens of first cousin marriages in my database. > There is an IGI record (which I know is horrifically > unverified) of Eurana and Joseph getting married in Lewiston > Maine on 23 Feb 1855. The IGI contains both good and bad data. Many of the items have been *extracted* by LDS teams from original sources like English parish registers and New England town record books, and the LDS extraction system (teams of at least two workers, who independently read and extract each item, then swap their work for cross-checking) makes these quite reliable. Unfortunately, the IGI also includes lots of *submitted* items, which are about as reliable as a three-dollar bill. The key is to follow up the index codes to ascertain whether the index item represents an extracted or submitted item. You could try a keyword search of the list archive for "IGI," as I think some years back I posted technical details on how to make these source type distinctions when dealing with the IGI. http://archiver.rootsweb.com/BROOKS-NE-L/ Chris |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Christopher Brooks BROOKS Families of New England http://www.tributaries.org ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||