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John Brooks of Henry Co, TN

This John Brooks was born 1758 in Anson Co, NC and was probably the son of John Brooks II. He married about 1794 to Mary “Polly” Polk (b. 24 Sep 1776), daughter of Capt. Charles Polk and Mary Clark Polk of Mecklenburg Co, NC. John Brooks served as a private in NC in the Revolutionary War (NSDAR #387364 Supplemental). Late in 1825, John and his family left North Carolina for Henry Co, TN. John Brooks bought land in Henry Co., TN on 11 Jan 1826.

No record of the family yet found in the 1830 TN census or the 1840 TN census. However, a woman 60-70 years old is listed in the household of Culpepper Brooks in the 1840 Weakley County Census. This may be Polly Brooks. This puts John’s death up in the air, though. The Minute Book of Henry County Tennessee State says, "John Brooks deceased 5/4/1846". The will was probated 11/3/1845. Ida Brooks Kellum recorded him as dying in 1835. Mary “Polly” Polk Brooks does not appear in the 1850 Census. However, she does appear in the 1860 Census, living with her daughter, Sarah Hutchison, in Obion Co., TN. Various sources indicate that Mary "Polly" Polk Brooks died at the age of 107 in 1872, 1879, or 1883 in Obion County, Tennessee.

Family of John Brooks of Henry Co, TN:

Naomi “Neomma” Brooks b. 8 Sep 1794 d. 1871

m. John William Crittendon (b.<1815 d. 1840-50) No Census data yet found for these folks for any year prior to 1850. Naomi is found living with her children, Shelby Crittendon (b.1834), Ellen Crittendon (b. 1836) and James K. Polk Crittendon (b.1840) in Henry Co, TN. Apparently, her husband died before 1850. Naomi is again found in 1860 Obion Co, TN living with her son, Shelby.

Charles “Charley” Brooks b. 20 May 1795 d. 1871/81

From information received from Leo D. Brooks (descended from Charles Brooks), Charles (Charley) Brooks (b-1795 Anson Country, NC) married Lucy Marshall (b-1797 Montgomery County, NC). Neither Charles nor his children are mentioned in his father’s 1843 will. According to son Thomas in the 1880 census, Charles was born in SC and wife Lucy was born in GA. However, according to son W. Henry Marshall Brooks in the 1880 Census, both Charles and Lucy W. Brooks were born in NC. Lucy is probably the daughter of Henry Marshall of Anson Co, NC

Charles Brooks wrote a will naming Lucy W. as his wife and the names of his children. The will was written on 12/31/1870 and probated in Henry County, TN in 8/1831 (probably 1871 or 1881).

William Brooks b. 9 Apr 1798

William Brooks (born 4/9/1798 in NC) was the third child of John and Mary “Polly” Polk Brooks. He married Elizabeth B. Atkins. In the 1880 Census, their son, Dillard, indicated that Elizabeth was born in NC. Their children, as indicated in John Brooks’ will were Clinton Brooks (1827), Dillard “Dilt” Brooks (1829), Ann E. Brooks (1831) and Mary C. Brooks (1835)

William Brooks wrote a will on 3/17/1835 in which he named his wife. His will was probated in Henry Co., TN in 1836 and he is listed as deceased in his father’s 1843 will.

Elizabeth B. Atkins Brooks married John Hutcheson (1808 in VA) on 2/16/1839 in Henry Co., TN. They had three children: Sophia Hutcheson (1840), James H. Hutcheson (1845) and John William Hutcheson (1850). In 1850, John and Elizabeth B. Atkins Brooks Hutcheson were living in Henry Co., TN with their 3 children and with Dillard L., Ann E. and Mary C. Brooks.

James Brooks b. 12 Apr 1800

James Brooks was the fourth child born to John and Mary “Polly” Polk Brooks. He is not mentioned in his father’s 1843 will.

Jesse M. Brooks b. 11 Jun 1802 d. 1836

Jesse Brooks (born 6/11/1802 in NC) was the fifth child of John and Mary “Polly” Polk Brooks. He died 1836 in Henry Co, TN and his wife remarried in 1839. His five children are mentioned in the 1843 will of their grandfather John Brooks.

1. William Henry Brooks (1825)
2. Hartwell Harris Brooks (1827 in TN)
3. James Newton Brooks (1829 in NC)
4. Lucy Naomi Brooks (1831)
5. Pleasant Hampton Brooks (1835)

After the death of Jesse Brooks, Ann Mary Lee Brooks (born 8/15/1802 in NC) married William Maxwell (born 1787 in NC) 7/15/1839 (Henry Co. Marriage Records). No record of this family has yet been found in the 1840 census. They were living in Henry Co., TN in 1850 with Lucy Naomi, Pleasant, and five children that Ann Mary had with William Maxwell: William (1837), John A. (1840), Mary R. (1842), Louisa (1844), and Victoria (1846). The three oldest sons of Jesse Brooks, William Henry, Hartwell Harris, and James Newton were married and living elsewhere by 1850.

John P. “Jack” Brooks b. 1804

John “Jack” P. Brooks was the sixth child born to John and Mary “Polly” Polk Brooks. He is mentioned in his father’s 1843 will. No further record of him has yet been found.

Michael Brooks b. 1807

Michael Brooks was the seventh child of John and Mary “Polly” Polk Brooks. He was born 3/13/1807 in NC. He married Mary Johnson (born 1813-16 in NC). Ancestry.Com indicates that Michael Brooks was born in 1804 and died in 1854 and that he married Mary J. Terrell. They had seven children, all born in TN (1860 Census).:

1. John A. Brooks (1833-34)
2. Pleasant Brooks (1835-36)
3. Mary Ann Brooks (1838-42)
4. Emily Moriah Brooks (1840-42)
5. Josephine Brooks (1842-44)
6. James K. Polk Brooks (1844-46)
7. Thomas Jefferson Brooks (1848-49)

Michael Brooks was living with his family in Weakley County in 1840.

Michael and Mary Brooks and all seven known children were living in Weakley Co., TN in 1850. Michael Brooks’ occupation was Magistrate.

By 1860, Michael Brooks had died. His wife, Mary J. Brooks was living with 6 children in Weakley Co., TN. The oldest son, John A., had married by this time.

In 1870, Mary J. Brooks was living with her two daughters, Mary Ann and Emily, in Weakley County.

In 1880, Mary J. Brooks was living in Weakley County with four grown children: Mary Ann, Emily, Jim Polk, and Thomas J. Brooks.

Mary J. Brooks died in 1890 and is buried at Mt. Vernon Cemetery.

Sarah “Sally” Brooks b. 11 Jun 1809 d. after 1860

Sarah Brooks (born 6/11/1809 in NC) was the eighth child born to William and Mary “Polly” Polk Brooks. She married Lewis Malone Hutcherson and is mentioned in her father’s 1843 will. Sarah and Lewis Malone Hutcherson had eight children:

1. Amanda Hutchinson (1836)
2. Richard Hutchinson (1838)
3. Mary Hutchinson (1840)
4. Hellen Hutchinson (1842)
5. William Hutchinson (1843)
6. Calvin Hutchinson (1845)
7. John Miles Hutchinson (1847)
8. T. Lewis Hutchinson (1849)

Sarah Brooks Hutchinson and her children were living in Obion Co., TN in 1850.

Sarah Brooks Hutchinson was living in Obion Co., TN in 1860 with her mother, Mary “Polly” Polk Brooks (age 85) and two children, John (14) and T. H. (11). Her real estate value was $1200 and her personal value was $1500.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Brooks b.1810

Elizabeth “Betsy” Brooks (born 10/11/1810 in NC) was the ninth child born to William and Mary “Polly” Polk Brooks. She married James Robert Phillips 12/23/1842 (Henry Co. Marriage Records). She is mentioned in her father’s 1843 will.

Ancestry.Com indicates that James Robert and Elizabeth Brooks Philips had the following children:

Thomas Phillips (1843)
William Phillips (1845)
James Phillips (1848)

Culpepper P. “Cully” Brooks b.1814

Culpepper P. Brooks was the 10^th child born to John and Mary "Polly" Brooks. (BCBNOTE: It’s kinda coincidental that my great-grandfather [b.1818, son of William Brooks II] is named Culpeper P. Brooks, don’tcha think?) He is mentioned in his father's 1843 will. He married Matilda Lawrence and they had the following children:

1. William Calvin Brooks (1835 in TN)
2. Eliza Anna Brooks (1837 in TN)
3. John “Jack” Lawrence Brooks (1839 in TN)
4. Elmyra Brooks (1840 in TN)
5. Isabella Brooks (1842 in TN)
6. Laura A. Brooks (1844 in TN)
7. Bitha Eugenia Brooks (1848 in TN)
8. Cornelius Leonidas “Lonnie” Brooks (1849 in TN)
9. Charles C. Brooks (1852)
10. Frances Brooks (1852)

The Culpepper Brooks family are recorded in the 1840 Weakley County census.

The 1850 Weakley County census shows C. Brooks farming with his wife, Ann, and the following children: William, Eliza, John, Elmyra, Isabella, Laura, Eugenia, and Leonidas Brooks.

The 1860 Weakley County census shows C. P. Brooks with the following household: Eliza A., John L., Isabella, Laura A., Bitha E. Cornelius, Charles, and Frances Brooks. His wife had apparently died and his oldest son, William, had married by this time. The fourth child, Elmyra, does not appear and it is not known what happened to her.

The 1870 Weakley County census shows C. P. Brooks farming with the following household: Cornelius, Emily, Charlie, and Frances Brooks.

Thomas Brooks b.1816

Thomas Brooks was the eleventh child of John and Mary “Polly” Polk Brooks. He was named as co-executor of his father's 1843 will and was left a slave named Moses. A merchant named “T. Brooks” (born in 1814 in TN) was living with a landlord named “W. Thomas” in Weakley Co., TN in 1850. This may have been Thomas Brooks. There is some record that Thomas Brooks married Sarah A. Sadler in 1856. No further record of Thomas Brooks has yet been found.

Records for John Brooks of Henry Co, TN:

p. 319 - 21 Nov. 1798 - Emond Brooks to Charles Coppage - $1200. - no acreage given - "all that tract of land which my father John Brooks, Senr., Dec'd willed to myself and my brother John Brooks." - Also a tract on Coppins (Cooper's?) Creek joining said land and John Richardson. (NOTE: what happened to John Brooks, Jr. here? Emond is selling all the land that he's supposed to own with his brother, John...)

8 Feb 1820 - State of N. Carolina, Montgomery County... February 8th 1820 - I John Brooks of said county and state aforesaid do hereby Relinquish my Rights title & interest in a fishery belonging at this time between me and James Brooks of the same county and state aforesaid To the said James Brooks To him and his heirs & assigns and do here by defend the title of said trap lying about 2 hundred yards Eastward from the mouth of Island Creek said fishery lying on the northern side of the current of Rocky River opposite to the Island lying in Anson County. The dam of said fishery on the South side of the river joining of the Island on the North side the bank of the River Against my own claims or the claims of my heirs or anyone claiming under them As witness my hand and Seale the day Date above written. Attest: Mary Gurley (her mark) John Brooks (seal) (BCBNOTE: James Brooks here is John's 1st cousin, son of William Brooks I)

pg. 56 - 31 March 1824 - John Brooks to Tobias Klutts of Cabarrus County, N.C. - $200.00 - three parcels of land - One on the West tract of land lying in the fork of land - - - it being the land which the sd. John Brooks accumulated by virtue of his Father's Will - - Wit: Peter C. Boyn, Levi Klutts... Signed: John Brooks

pg. 57 - 31 March 1824 - John Brooks to Tobias Klutts of Cabarrus County, N.C. - $500.00 - three parcels of land - Lower fork of Island Creek - 100 acres - one tract on the waters of Camp Branch - joining William Brooks - 50 acres - A 3rd tract - on both sides of Camp Branch - joining Andrew Bird - 50 acres. -- Wit: Peter C. Boyn, Levi Klutts... Signed: John Brooks

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State of North Carolina / Anson County Court of Pleas and quarter Sessions / October Term 1831

The Within Deed from John Brooks to James Brooks was offered for probate to the Court, and it appearing to the Court that Mary Gourly was the Subscribing Witness thereto and it further appearing by Evidence that the said Mary Gourly is dead and she having made her mark as a witness to said Deed, which would admit of no proof - and it being in proof by the Evidence of Alexander Brooks that the name of John B. such appears to said Deed was in the proper handwriting of the said John Brooks, and that he executed said Deed from himself to said James Brooks - It is therefore Ordered by the Court that said Deed be admitted to Registration.

Fees paid Octr 20th W. Dermut Clk

State of No Carolina 11th Octo. 1831 Thru this Deed and Certificate of probate was duly Registered in the Registers office of Anson County In Book H (X) page 526.

M. Cammond Regr.

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BCBNOTE: Information on the family of John Brooks of Henry Co, TN comes from a very capable researcher, Walter Brooks who descended from William Brooks (3/31/1781 - 12/31/1845) and his wife Nancy Sutton(?) (6/9/1786 - 10/20/1833) which happens to be a different branch of Brooks entirely! Walter has written the entire history in a very professional manner, actually in an attempt to separate his Brooks from ours! I’ve hinted that he should publish it anyway.