Hi Folks! This morning, I discovered that my gt-gt-grandfather, THOMAS BROOKS, came from the Forest of Dean. So we all had a wee bout of good cheer at finally getting to know something of the paternal line beyond my grandfather. Then I rushed off to find some old maps and this mailing list, finding from the maps that we know the area fairly well from visiting an unrelated family friend up through the forest from Drybrook. So here I am, freshly subscribed, and already about to beg for information! Here follow the 1881 and 1891 census records for Thomas and his family. Although the first few records are not in the Forest of Dean, I'm including those details, in case anyone reading this has lost Thomas Brooks! 1881 Census Place: BEDWELLTY, Monmouth, Wales; Dwelling: 21st Row 273 [known as Careg Pica, a farmhouse that overlooked the towns of Tredegar & Ebbw Vale] Name, Relation, Marital Status, Sex, Age, Occupation, Birthplace ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BROOKS, THO., Head, M, 42, M, Coal Miner, FOREST OF DEAN, Glos, Eng BROOKS, SARAH, Wife, M, 35, F, Coal Miner Wife, Pembroke, Wls BROOKS, WILLIAM, Son, U, 11, M, Scholar, EBBW VALE, Monmouth, Eng BROOKS, MATHEW, Son, U, 09, M, Scholar, SIRHOWY, Monmouth, Eng BROOKS, THOS. H., Son, U, 06, M, Scholar, SIRHOWY, Monmouth, Eng BROOKS, SARAH A., Daur, U, 04, F, Scholar, SIRHOWY, Monmouth, Eng ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1891 Census Place: Bedwellty, Monmouth, Wales; Dwelling: 21st Row 273 Name, Relation, Status, Sex, Age, Occupation, Birthplace ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BROOKS, THOMAS, Head, Married, M, 53, Coal Miner, GLOS BROOKS, SARAH, Wife, Married, F, 45, PEM BROOKS, WILLIAM, Son, Unwed, M, 21, Coal Miner, MON BROOKS, MATTHEW, Son, Unwed, M, 19, Coal Miner, MON BROOKS, THOMAS H, Son, Unwed, M, 16, Coal Miner, MON BROOKS, SARAH A, Daur, Unwed, F, 14, MON BROOKS, EDWIN, Boarder, Unwed, M, 25, Coal Miner, GLOS * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * Here is that Edwin, still in his father's house, in 1881: 1881 Census Place: (Westbury On Severn) East Dean, Gloucester, Eng Dwelling: Ruardean Hill Name, Relation, Status, Sex, Age, Occupation, Birthplace ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BROOKS, WILLIAM, Head, Married, 44, M, Coal Miner, EAST DEAN, Glos, Eng BROOKS, SOPHIA, Wife, Married, 41, F, RUARDEAN PARISH, Glos, Eng BROOKS, ELI, Son, Unwed, 16, M, Coal Miner, EAST DEAN, Glos, Eng BROOKS, EDWIN, Son, Unwed, 15, M, Coal Miner, EAST DEAN, Glos, Eng BROOKS, JOSIAH, Son, Unwed, 13, M, Scholar, EAST DEAN, Glos, Eng BROOKS, JOHN, Son, Unwed, 09, M, Scholar, EAST DEAN, Glos, Eng BROOKS, MOSES, Son, Unwed, 04, M, Scholar, EAST DEAN, Glos, Eng ---------------------------------------------------------------------- It seems that THOMAS could be the younger brother of WILLIAM, and uncle to the boarder EDWIN, but to be sure of that, would take further information. So, does anyone have any information on this Brooks family? Or perhaps access to a pre-1881 Census for East Dean? An 1861 Census would be brilliant (or '51 or '41), as Thomas would still have been at home, then, whilst in 1871, he'll probably be found on the other side of the Dyke. Could someone point me towards a map of the parish boundaries, or any other useful, preferably on-line, resources? This game is new to me, having started a couple of weeks ago, and then just as I was getting into it, the computer finally upped & died, after a prolonged struggle against the inevitable! If anyone does want any information, I can provide bare details from Matthew down to his gt-gt-gt-grandchildren. Only one of his grandchildren is still alive. Yours in much hope, and gleeful anticipation, (its still early days, I'm told, when lost relatives and ancestors drop out of the woodwork at every turn!) xx Kate.

Well, folks, I must say that you definitely the most helpful and informative bunch I've come across yet on these genealogy mailing lists. Whilst there's been no specific response yet to the Brooks query, the tips, suggestions, and general information that came in response to my query, was almost over-whelming! Thank you all very much. One point that was raised by Pam Thornbury (isn't she lovely and helpful?), was that the address listed in the Census, looked more like that of a house in the Works' Housing, so the note that I added about the name of the farm should be ignored. Perhaps Matthew Brooks, when telling his grandson that he and his siblings were all born in the farmhouse, was polishing up his life story a little, and they had previously lived in one of the terraces, and we were wrong to assume that the address given on the Census was merely a code to assist in processing the information, such as the codes we are given now for our houses which aren't in standard streets. Kate.