Aaron Brooks and Hannah Brooks, presumably husband and wife, were founding members of the Congregational church organized at Dummerston (not Dummer), VT, 18 Aug 1779. [Windham County Gazeteer, history of Dummerston, 169-183] The 1790 census reported an Aaron "Jr." at Dummerston with a household of two males over 16, four males under 16, and three females. I don't know who this Aaron is. I haven't got an Aaron, son of Aaron, who fits. You also have to remember that "Jr." in that era was not strictly limited to a son-of-father relationship. If there are two men in town named John Brooks, quite unrelated, the younger may be called "Jr." to differentiate him from the elder. Also at Dummerston was a "Dan" (as he's named) Brooks, who with (brother?) Ebenezer Brooks of Dummerston was a Revolutionary soldier under Capt. Duncan, 1782. [VT Soldiers & Sailors of the Revolution, 73] In the 1790 census, Dan is not to be found in Vermont. Ebenezer, meanwhile, was at Johnson's Gore. Ebenezer seems to have stuck around the area, as he is buried in Dummerston. So Aaron, Dan and Ebenezer, the three Brooks males at Dummerston in this period, are therefore probably related. Regarding the children's names, I've seen the name Jehiel in three other instances, and all of them belonged to the Woburn line of Henry/1 Brooks. I think your Bartemus may turn out to be the more usual Artemas or Artemus. Polly is of course the nickname for Mary. You don't say *how* you know that Daniel was born in Massachusetts. That context might be useful in pinpointing a region of the state as Daniel's point of origin. Massachusetts has the best records in New England, although they were much less carefully kept in the western part of the state which was the migration corridor for Connecticut families heading to Vermont. The 1810 census shows 16 Daniels, 15 of them in New England. Only one was in CT, and that was Daniel Jr. at Haddam. Why do you think he's your guy? If you know, from a family bible or some similar bulletproof evidence, that your guy was in both Dummerston and Haddam, fine. Tell us so, and I will put my foot back in my mouth. :-) But in my mind, Haddam, which is on the Connecticut River and was a hub for coaster shipping, doesn't connect migration--wise with Windham County in VT, which is farm and woodland. The census prior to 1850 is dicey to rely on for identification purposes because no one in the household is named. Long story short, with 15 Daniels to choose from in 1810, I would think the odds that the Dummerston and Haddam men are the same to be about 1 in 15. There were always migrants who left and came back, but they're a small minority. The migration path most commonly would be CT to VT, and not vice-versa, the motivation most often being cheap undeveloped land in a newly formed township. Chris |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Christopher Brooks BROOKS Families of New England http://www.tributaries.us |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Patricia Brooks-Folkvord wrote: > My ancestors are Brooks also, Daniel we know was born in > Mass., and eventually settled in Dummer Vermont (or > Guilford). Aaron deeded him 12 acres after he married > his second wife, Polly Presson, daughter of Samuel > Presson. She was from New Hampshire. We know there were > a number of sons by Daniel's first wife, name is under > contention, but some believe it was either Roxanne or > Rosanne. Daniel Jr. George, James maybe more, with Polly > there was Bartemus, Jehiel, and Polly or Mary. Daniel > Sr. fought in the F and I war, was with Ethan Allen (we > had a set of pistols however a former husband absconded > with them when his wife passed away), and also fought in > the Revolution. Daniel Jr. also fought with the Green > Mtn boys, but was captured and taken to Canada (the > prison was a cave). > > At this point we don't know what the relationship to > Aaron is. I believe they migrated to Connecticut, Daniel > and the older boys are listed in the 1810 census for > Haddem Ct. That would be about the end of Dan Sr. life > time.