This site does not necessarily endorse the above banner.

   THE BROOKS FAMILY

(Author's Note - This page is under construction while collaboration with other BROOKS researchers is now taking place.  The author has not seen proof that the middle name of Richard is SIMS...family informants maintain that Richard's  middle name is SINCLAIR and that his mother was a SIMS and his grandmother was a SINCLAIR.)    Brooks Photo

Though Richard S. Brooks is our earliest documented ancestor with absolute proof of
descendancy, other researchersbelieve that Richard's father is  Arthur Brooks.

*RICHARD S. BROOKS was born in 1799 in North Carolina.

 Richard married *VASHTI VALLIANT 20 April.l 1824  in Madison County, Alabama.
Vashti is the daughter of Robert Spencer Valliant and Mary Hurlock. She was born in 1803 in NC.
In 1833 the family moved from Huntsville, Alabama to Denmark, Tennessee where children
received a common school education. By 1835 the family was in Haywood County,
Tennessee.  Richard S. Brooks brought his family to Texas in 1851 or 1852.  Some of the
older children remained in Tennessee.
 
Children of Vashti Valliant and Richard S. Brooks
William Arthur Brooks (1823-1859) b, in AL m. Almedia R. Cartwright
Serena Brooks b. 1824 GA (?) m. John Goode
  Calvin Hurlock Brooks served 45 years as a minister, first
preaching to slaves, then during the Civil War in Elmore's Regiment and as a circuit
preacher in Texas.  He was elected in 1875 to the 15th Texas Legislature.  In 1857 he
married Letitia Worsham.  4 children survived him and he had 23 grandchildren.  He died
after 1902 in Elgin, Texas.
Martha Brooks (b.1828)
John Benton Brooks b. 1830  m. Elizabeth Simons
Minerva Anna Brooks married 1) Taylor and 2) Scallorn
Robert Logan Brooks (1834-1925) b. Nashville  m. Mary J McCan (my line)
James J. Brooks served as a Private in the 47th Tennessee Infantry.
Richard's son Thomas Jefferson Brooks served during the Civil War in the Confederacy.
He was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Tennessee 2nd Cavalry Battalion.
Richard Preston Brooks (1839 - 1921) b.TN  m. Sallie Hubbard
Louisa Vashti Brooks  b. 1843 in TN m. Gray
Thomas Jefferson Brooks (1844-1923) m. Sallie B. Harrison and served during the Civil War in the Confederacy.He was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Tennessee 2nd Cavalry Battalion.
Temperance Brooks b. 1844

1830 Census, Davidson County, Tennessee, page 200
 There is a Richard Brooks  listed with a large family of 14 people.  Our Richard
            Brooks was in Davidson County at that time but his family consisted of a wife and
            three children under the age of 5.

1840 Census, Madison County, Tennessee, page 78:
Richard Brooks 2 males under 5 (James J. and Richard Preston)
   2 males 5 to 10            (Robert Logan and John)
   2 males 10 to 15          (Calvin and ?)
   1 male 40 to 50 (Richard)
   1 female 5 to 10 (Minerva)
   1 female 10 to 15 (Martha)
   1 female 30 to 40 (Vashti)
                                     1 female slave , 4 persons employed in agriculture
 

1850 Census, Haywood County, Tennessee page 1009-151
 Brooks, Richard S. 51   M TN99
 Vashti   47   F NC
 Calvin H.  23   M
 Martha   22   F
 John   20   M
 Minerva  19   F
 Robert   16   M
 James J.  14   M
 Richard  11   M
 Louisa    9   F
 Thomas J.   6   M
 Temperance   4   F

1860 Census, Grimes/Walker County, Prarie Plain
 Richard S. Brooks 61   M farmer 1635-1500 NC
 Vashti   57   F    KY
 Minerva A.  27   F    AL
 Richard  (Preston) 20   M teamster  TN
 Louisa V.  17   F personal est $850 TN
 Thomas Jefferson 16   M laborer   TN
 Josephine E.  Taylor  8   F    TN
 Jane A.    4   F    TN
 James Jackson  23   M clerk personal est 300 TN
 H. G. Carlisle          29   M school teacher  KY

1870 Census     Vashti, age 67, born Kent.
 
 

* ROBERT LOGAN BROOKS was born 06 October 1834 in Madison Co, TN.
He came to Texas at the age of  17 with his parents, settling in the Walker County area of
Prarie Plains.  He received a pre-emption certificate for 160 acres of  land in Walker and
Grimes Counties dated 01 Jan 1858.  In the 1860 census he owned 1200 acres and listed
his personal worth as $360.  In the 1870 census he owned 1500 acres and was worth
$1000.   The location of his property can be seen on the GRIMES County Map though his property was right on the county line. Throughout his life his occupation was blacksmith, farmer and minister.


Robert Logan Brooks and Mary Ann McCann ca1894

Robert married * MARY ANN McCAN on 27 Dec 1854 in Walker County.    Mary was
born 25 August 1834 in Newberry, South Carolina. She came to Texas to visit her sister,
Harriet McCann  who married Samuel Bookman.  In 1862 Mary Ann bought about 78 acres of land from her brother-in-law for $685.  Mary died 11 July 1905 at the age of 70.  She is buried at Prarie Plains, Red Top Cemetery in Grimes County, Texas.  Nine years after
Mary's death, her  eight surviving children filed to receive her original property and each
received a share of it.
 

The nine children of  Robert Logan Brooks and Mary Ann McCann Brooks were:

1.  Harriet Cornelia Brooks, born 07 Nov 1855 at Huntsville.  She died at the age of 16
and is buried beside her mother at red Top Cemetery at Prarie Plains.

2.  James Henry Brooks was born 20 Jan 1857 at Loma Community.  He married first,
Ollie Driscoll and second,  Mary Jane Cotton in 1885.  He died at the age of 79 in 1936
and is buried at Johnson Chapel Cemetery, Martha's Chapel.

3.  Angelina F. Brooks was born 10 Feb 1859 at Loma and married Marion Smith.  She
died at age 60 in Madison County, Texas and is buried at Foster Cemetery.

4.  * SIRENA BROOKS was born 28 Jan 1862 at Loma.  She married *JOHN LUTHER SANDEL on 06 Nov 1883.  John and "Rena" had seven children.  Sirena died at the age of 80 and is buried at Foster Cemetery.  Their family story appears in the SANDEL Chapter of this book.

5.  Georgia Ann Brooks was born 27 Jan 1866 at Loma.  She married Sterling Owens of
Bedias, Grimes County.  She died 26 Dec 1939.

6.  Robert Mann Brooks (twin of Willey McCann) was born 28 Jun 1868 at Loma.  He
married Lillah Spencer Guerrant in 1890.  Robert died at the age of 81 and is buried at Red
Top Cemetery.  Lillah lived to more than 100 years of age.

7.  Willey McCann Brooks (twin of Robert Mann Brooks) was born 28 June 1868 at Loma.
He married Alma Hinkle.  Willey died at the age of 64 and is buried at Forest Park
Cemetery in Houston.

8.  John Logan Brooks was born 16 August 1870.  He married Lucy Driscoll.  John died 25
July 1932 at the age of  62 and is buried at Driscoll Cemetery.

9.  Ella Wallis Brooks was born 24 June 1873 at Loma.  On 16 Nov 1893 she married
Charles David McCulloch.  She died 03 April 1943 at the age of 70 at Huntsville and is
buried Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville.

On 26 July 1909, Robert Brooks filed for a pension in Walker County Texas, based on his
service as a Confederate soldier.  He stated that he was 74 years old, that he was born in
Madison County, Tennessee, that he resided in Walker County, Texas for 53 years since the
year 1853, that his address was Shiro, Grimes County, Texas and that his occupation was
farmer.  Brooks enlisted in May of 1862 at Camp Herbert at Hempstead, Texas in
Company H, 20th Texas Regiment of Infantry called Dragoon and Mounted Volunteers and
served there for eight months.  After the Battle of Galveston in January 1863, he was
transferred to Howe's Corps of Engineers, known as a Sappers and Miners Corp., Parsons
Regiment in the 12th Texas Cavalry Regiment.  His Bible bears a bullet mark on the cover
and inside it Robert wrote " This Bible I carried through the Confederate War - signed
Robert L. Brooks".
His grave once had a Confederate Cross Of Honor marker but it was stolen in 1978.

Robert remarried 10 months after the death of Mary McCan.  He was 72 years old.  His
second wife was Mary Margaret (Vera Cruz) Mann Beazley, a 40-year old woman with 5
children from 2 previous marriages.  Her daughter Rosella married Edgar Sandel, son of
_____.  Robert was a member of the Masons and a Methodist minister for many years until
he was forced to leave the Methodist church when he remarried a twice-divorced woman.
He then became a Baptist, joining Ebenezer Baptist Church and later Huntsville Baptist
Church.  His children are said not to have forgiven him for remarrying a  divorced woman
and only ten months after the death of their mother.   Robert's second wife, Mary Beazley,
filed to receive a widow's pension based on his military service and received it.  Robert
died on 20 Jan 1925 at the age of 91 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville.

Mary Ann McCann's family's story is in the McCan chapter of this book.

1854 Texas School Census Walker County:  Brooks with 5 children.
                                           Montgomery County:  G. W. Brooks with 4 males

1860 Census, Prarie Plaines, Grimes County, Texas, house 386, page 61
 R. L. Brooks 26    M  TN blacksmith 1200 ac $360
 Mary   26    F  SC
 Harriett C.        4     F
 James H.  3     M  TX
 Mary A.F.       5/12 F  TX

1870 Census, Walker County, Texas
 Robert Brooks 36   M  TN    Farmer  $1000  1500 ac.
 Mary      36   F  SC Housewife
 Cornelia 15   F  GA at home
 James    13   M  TX school
 Louise   10   F  TX school
 Georgia  5    F  TX home
 Bob       2    M  TX home
 Will       2    M  TX home
 

1880 Census, Walker County, Texas
                       Robert L Brooks  45   M TN NC SC
                       Mary Ann             45   F  SC SC SC
                      Angelina F.            21   F  TX TN SC
                      Syrene                   18   F  TX TN SC
                      Georgia                 14   F  TX TN SC
                      Robert                   11   M  TX TN SC
                      Wm M.                 11    M  TX TN SC
                      John L.                    9   M  TX TN SC
                      Ella                          6   F  TX TN SC
 
 

WILL OF ROBERT LOGAN BROOKS

                                                                         Walker Co Will Book, Vol S pages 418-9

STATE OF TEXAS  )
Walker County          )
                                                 This instrument witnesseth that I Robert L. Brooks of said
State and County being in good bodily health and of sound and disposing mind and memory
do make and publish this my last will and testament hereby revoking all other wills
heretofore made by me.
I.    I direct that all my just debts be paid out of my estate by my executors hereinafter
named without unnecessary delay.
II.   I hereby nominate and appoint my wife Mrs. M. V. Brooks to be executor of this will
and direct that no security be required of her as executor.
III.  It is my will that no other action shall be had in the County Court in relation to the
settlement of my estate than the probating and recording of this will and the return of an
inventory and appraisment of my estate and list of claims.
IV.  I hereby authorize my said executor when duly qualified to take possession and assume
control of all the property of my estate real and personal and to sell and dispose of any
portion thereof in such manor as may to her seem best for the purpose of paying my just
debts.
V.   I hereby devise and bequeath to my said wife Mrs. M. V. Brooks all of my estate of
which I shall die seized and possessed or to which I shall be entitled at the time of my
decease including the tract of land deeded to my first wife Mary A. Brooks as records will
show on which my said wife and I now reside to have and to hold all and singular said
property and estate real and personal to the said Mrs. M. V. Brooks and her heirs and
assists in fee simple.
VI. The foregoing instrument wholly written by myself I make and publish as my last will
hereunto subscribing my name this 5th day of October A. D. 1907.

Witnessed by  J. W. Foster                                     Robert L. Brooks
                      H. D. Harman

Filed 28 Jan 1925
Recorded 21 April 1925

 

The will of Mary Vera Cruz Mann Beacley (Beasley)Brooks, the second wife of Robert Logan
Brooks, was written in 1940.  She left her entire estate to her daughter Mary Frankie
Gaines.

BROOKS DEED

Filed March 23, 1914                                                         Recorded Vol 36 pp 372-6
                                                                                           Deed Records Walker Co. TX
 

THE STATE OF TEXAS  )
County of Walker              )                  KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

     That, Whereas, R. L. Brooks, and Mary Ann Brooks were man and wife, and lived
together in Walker County, Texas, and during their married life acquired a tract of land
consisting of 158 acres, more or less, in the Jim Wilson Headright One-third League in
Walker County, Texas, being the only land acquired by them within said league, and being
the land hereinafter described and referred to; and
     Whereas, heretofore, to wit:  on or about the 11 day of July, A.D. 1905, Mary Ann
Brooks, wife of R. L. Brooks, died in Walker County, Texas, and left surviving her eight
children, as follows:  J. H. Brooks, W. M. Brooks, J. L. Brooks, Annie Smith, who is now
a feme sole; Rena Sandel who married J. L. Sandel, Georgia Owens, who married Sterling
Owens, Ella McCulloch, who married C. D. McCulloch, and R. M. Brooks;  and
     Whereas, since the death of the said Mary Ann Brooks, the above named children and
R. L. Brooks have held and owned in common the 155 acres of land in the Jim Wilson
Headright one-third league, in Walker County, Texas, which hereinafter described, and are
desirous of making partition of the same.
     It is hereby covenated, granted, concluded and agreed by and between the said parties,
each of them covenant, grant and agree, for themselves, his and their heirs and assigns, that
a partition of said land be made as follows, to-wit:
     I.  That the said R. L. Brooks shall have from henceforth, to hold, to possess and to
enjoy, to himself and to his heirs and assigns, for his part, share, interest and proportion of
said  land and premises all of the tract of land situated in the Jim Wilson one-third league
survey, in Walker County, Texas, described as follows:
     All that certain tract or parcel of land situated in Walker County, being a third of a
league of land patented to James Wilson and transferred to Job S. Collard by the said
Wilson, and by  Job S. Collard to Jonathan S. Collard, and sold by Jonathan S. Collard to
Mary A. Smith, and by the said Mary A. Smith and husband to Samuel Bookman, containing
___ more or less, with the following meets and bounds, to-wit:
     BEGINNING at the northwest corner of a tract of land sold by the said Jonathan S.
Collard to Henry Allen;
     THENCE North eighty-nine degrees and thirty minutes East (N 89 30' E) with the line
of said Allen's survey, one thousand and sixty-two and 1/10 varas to a stake (1062 - 1/10);
     THENCE North thirty minutes west, nine hundred and twenty and 2/10 varas (920 -
2/10) to a stake;
     THENCE South 89, 30' West one thousand and sixty-two and 1/10 varas (1062 - 1/10)
to the west boundary line of said league to a stake etc;
 

THENCE South thirty minutes East, with the line of said third of a league of land, nine
hundred and twenty and 2/10 varas to the beginning.  Save and except a 78 acre survey out
of the above tract, which is hereby set apart to the children of Mary Ann Brooks, as
hereinbelow.
     And the other parties, namely J. H. Brooks, W. M. Brooks, J. L. Brooks, Annie Smith,
who is now feme sole, Rena Sandel, who married J. L. Sandel, Georgia Owens, who
married Sterling Owens, Ella McCulloch, who married C, D, McCulloch, and R. M.
Brooks, do hereby grant, release, and confirm unto the said R. L. Brooks, the premises as
described.
     To have and to hold the above described premises, with all and singular rights,
heriditaments and appurtenances thereto, in anywise belonging unto the said R. L. Brooks,
his heirs, and assigns forever.
II.  The said J. H. Brooks, W. M. Brooks, J. L. Brooks, R. M. Brooks, Annie Smith, Rena
Sandel, Georgia Owens and Ella McCulloch, shall from henceforth have, hold, possess and
enjoy equally to themselves, and to them and their heirs and assigns, for their part, share,
interest and proportion.

 

 

THE STATE OF TEXAS  )
County of Walker              )         Before me, the undersigned authority, on this day
personally appeared J. L. Sandel and Rena Sandel, wife of said J. L. Sandel, known to me
to be the persons whose names are subscribed to the foregoing instrument and
acknowledged to me that they executed the same for the purposes and consideration therein
expressed.  And the said Rena Sandel, wife of J. L. Sandel, having been examined by me
privately and apart from her husband and having the same by me fully explained to her, she,
the said Rena Sandel, acknowledged such instrument to be her act and deed, and she
declared that she had willingly signed the same for the purpose and consideration therein
expressed, and that she did not wish to retract it.
     Given under my hand and seal of office this 12 day of January, A. D. 1914.
                                                    J. B. Sandel,  Notary Public for
                                                    Walker County, Texas


BIBLIOGRAPHY                                                                                                BROOKS

1820 AL CENSUS   Brooks:  Nancy      Dallas Co.
                                                     Charles   Franklin Co.
                                                     Jacob       Franklin Co.
                                                     John        Shelby Co.
                                                     Olive       Dallas Co.
                                                     Edward    Conecoh Co.

1830 TN CENSUS   Brooks, Richard  (Davidson Co.)  1201121-0011112
                                    Brooks, Christopher     "    10101-10001
                                    Brooks, William            "    11002-31102

1840 TN CENSUS:   Brooks, Richard    HD-228    0202201-003101
                                     Brooks, Richard S. MA-078  2220001-011101 (1 slave, 4 in agri)

1850 TX CENSUS    Brooks, Richard  HD 1009-151

1860 TX CENSUS    Brooks, Robert L.       Grimes Co. page 61

1890 TEXAS CENSUS INDEX, Civil War Veterans or Their Widows, page 8

D.A.R. PATRIOT INDEX, Part I, p. 380:
                                  Jacob Brooks  b. 1740 VA, d. 1786 SC m. Mary ___  Sol SC

A.G.L.L. Film No. M805.124  Revolutionary War Selected Records:  Brooks

EMERY ANCESTRY OF SOME EXETER FAMILIES by Rev. Rufus Emery

BROOKS FAMILY HISTORY compiled by J. Montgomery Seaver

GRAVES OF REVOLUTIONARY PATRIOTS, Vol 1 A-D,  by Patricia L. Hatcher
pages 116-118

TEXAS - San Jacinto      Thomas D. Brooks

CIVIL WAR - General Index to Pension Files:
Confederate Military Records:  Brooks, R. L.  Co B, 6 Batallion Texas Cavelry
                                                                       Co D, 12 Texas Cavalry
                                                                       Co H, 20 Texas Infantry, Sgt/Private
                                                                        (see also Sappers and Miners)
                                                         Brooks, Richard    Co D, Co H,  2nd Texas Infantry
                                                                        ( 1 Texas Infantry, Moore's Regt, Galveston
                                                                           Regt, Van Dorn Regt)

FROM SHILOH TO VICKSBURG: 2nd Texas Infantry  by Joseph E. Chance, pub Eakin
Press, Austin TX 1984

Church of Latter Day Saints, Ancestral File:  Jacob Brooks
Church of Latter Day Saints, Family Group Record 15 087 4016
Church of Latter Day Saints, I.G.I. File, South Carolina,  Brooks, pages 897-903
Church of Latter Day Saints, Individual Entry, 89 129 0324
Church of Latter Day Saints, I.G.I. File, Texas,  Brooks, pages 996-997
Church of Latter Day Saints, Family Group Record, Jacob Brooks, F857723

STIRPES   XXIII  Magazine, June 1983, page 91-92

WILLIAM AND MARY QUARTERLY, p.218, Brooks-Cannon-Hudgins

Texas, Walker Co, Marriage Record:  (Grimes Co.)  T.J.Brooks/Julia V. McDonald 1888

BROOKS AND KINDRED FAMILIES by Ida Brooks Kellam, 1950

State of AL, Madison Co Marriage Record : Saul A Brooks/Lucy Robertson 1827
                                                                    Rodah Brooks/Thomas Seahom 1823

BROOKS FAMILY  by James McDowell Allen; John Brooks from VA to NC early 1700's

TEXAS SCHOOL CENSUS, 1854,  Walker Co, Dist 6  Brooks w/5 children
                                                           Montgomery Co, Dist 5,  G. W. Brooks w/4 males
                                                           (James, George, Anthony, Omega)
 

[ Bay ] [ Brooks ] [ Chamness ] [ Chandler ] [ Crawford ] [ Crooks ] [ Eddin(g)s ] [ Edwards ]
[ Escoe ] [Hutt ] [ McCann ] [ McClanahan ] [ Mullens ] [ Salmon ] [ Sandel ] [ Sandel 1]
[ Sandel 3 ] [ Springer] [ Thomas ] [ Valiant ] [ Wheeler ] [ Woods ] [ RevWar Line ]
[ Walker County, TX Genweb ] [US Genweb ] [ Texas Genweb ] [ Index ]
Thomas, Gilmore, Springer, Landrum,Wheeler, Henson Project

This information contained on this page was researched and written by Charlotte Sandel Beck.
 
 

This BROOKS GENEALOGY site owned by Charlotte Beck.
[ Previous 5 Sites | Previous | Next | Next 5 Sites | Random Site | List Sites ]


FastCounter by LinkExchange