Katherine Ayers wrote: > I'm trying to help someone solve a puzzle. According to > published Williamstown vital records, Elisha and his > wife, Annah, had a daughter, Elmina Elizabeth, born Sept. > 29, 1826. I'm told that Elmina married into the Ayres > family, but I have not been able to substantiate this. > On the 1850 census, Elisha Brooks and family were in New > Ashford, MA, but Elmina was not listed with them. Nor > can I find her anywhere else. Neither a marriage record > nor death record appears for her in the published vital > records of either Williamstown or New Ashford. (These > records go only to 1850.) I did find elsewhere that a > younger daughter of Elisha/Annah, Sarah, born about 1842, > married a James Gilbert Ayres of CT. Although a couple > of decendants' entries show up for Elmina's birth, there > seems to be nothing beyond that. Does anyone have any > ideas on how I can track her? Annah Brooks appears to > have died sometime between the 1850 and 1860 census > records. Where might family members have ! > been buried? I do not see that there were any cemeteries > in Williamstown. Thanks for any suggestions you can > offer. Western Massachusetts was settled much later, and more sparsely, than the eastern half of the state, and records are correspondingly less complete and/or available. These towns also saw many transients pass through on their way north or west, who might stay a winter or a few years but then moved on. A substantial percentage of western towns have never published their VR. You're in luck that Williamstown did, but Elmina and her husband could have gone to any of a number of towns in Massachusetts, or north up the Connecticut River into Vermont or over into New York. Since you don't know where Elmina went, your friend will need to find her somewhere else. Has he/she looked for a male AYRES head of household in the 1850 or 1860 census with a wife Elmina? The Williamstown VR establishes that Elisha Brooks, son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Wright, married Anna Goodrich. Sorry but I don't know any more than that about these families, or who Benjamin was. Chris |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Christopher Brooks BROOKS Families of New England www.tributaries.us ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Courtesy of Katherine Ayers. In the name of God Amen. I Elisha Brooks of Williamstown in the county of Berkshire state of Massachusetts, farmer - being mindful of my mortality and in feeble health but of sound mind do this 26th day of January in the year of our Lord 1871. Make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner as follows. Item 1 I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Olive Maria Brooks the sum of Eight Hundred dollars, also my personal estate that she brought to me. Item 2 I give and bequeath to each of the following maned children vis: Mrs Phebe E. Brocket of Davenport Iowa, Mrs Hannah Julia Hitchcock of Onega Ill, Mrs Sarah Maria Ayres of Springfield Ill and Mrs Aledilda A. Blair of Williamstown aforesaid and Olive Adell Brooks the sum of Two Hundred dollars. Item 3 I give and bequeath to my daughter Mrs Harriet E. Wilson of Waterbury Conn. one Hundred dollars. Item 4 I give and bequeath to my daughter Lucy R. Brooks Five Hundred dollars. Item 5 The residue of my estate to be divided as follows vis: one third parts to my beloved wife Olive Maria Brooks and each daughter mentioned above in items 2, 3, and 4 to share the two thirds of the residue equally. Item 6 I appoint Benj F. Mills as the executor of this my last will and testament. Signed sealed published & proclaimed by the said Elisha Brooks to be his last will and testament in the presence of us who in the presence of each other and at his request have signed these presents as witnesses the day and year above mentioned. Elisha Brooks [seal] Benj F. Mills Wm A. Blair Carlton P. Mills I accept the provisions of the above as the will of my late husband Elisha Brooks Dec. 4th 1875 Olive M. Brooks