Abraham “Abram” Brooks
of Meriwether Co, GA
The immense confusion all started with Eli Brooks of Anson Co,
NC. The mention of his son (mentioned in
the pension), Abraham Brooks was kind of pushing me to believe that THIS
Abraham was him. Then, on
Eli
Brooks; Anson County; Private; 10Th Regiment Infantry; $48.00 Annual Allowance;
$240.00 Amount Received; February 17, 1815 Pension Started; Died June 1814 (another source states Jan 13, 1815) In
Service; Heirs: Abraham Brooks; Ruthy Brooks
From pension papers, it would appear that Abraham & Ruthy
lived with Peggy after Eli’s demise, indicating that Peggy was Eli’s wife. The following letter from Abraham Brooks’
descendant, Suzanne Brooks Carpenter of
I see where you are putting Abraham as Eli's son (she refers to the husband of Dorcas
Meeks, and I was…). I
don't think that that is possible. I found Eli's enlistment papers and
his birthdate would have made him be about 10 or 11 when Abraham was born (she later corrects herself to be 6). He may have been a brother or
cousin (or nephew?) to my Abraham. Also, my cousin
Thelma found a census and information that Eli's heirs, Ruthy and Abraham were
his children and this Abraham is much younger than our Abraham. They are
found living with a Peggy Brooks. The enlistment papers were found on
Ancesty.com. (I looked)
I am still undecided about where our Abraham was born (could be Pitt Co, NC). Many researchers say
When Abraham sold his land in Dec. 1816 he left
In light of this evidence, Abraham Brooks who married Dorcas
Meeks was a likely brother to Eli, perhaps the namesake of his son,
Abraham. These men were likely, along
with Asa Brooks, sons of Ephraim Brooks and were very
likely from the Brooks of Pitt Co, NC and
already acquainted with the Meeks family from there. DNA evidence seems to bear this out (from
descendants of Abraham). Naming trends
for this family also match the
In 1813, Pleasant May sells to Abraham
Brooks 75 acres of land. Abram was
young, living with his mother, Peggy and just obtained his first land deed from
Pleasant May, likely with pension money from his father’s service in the War of
1812. Abraham about 19 years old. It could have been his first land
transaction. My guess is that he started
off on a young man’s life. When, in
three years, he sells this land to James Brooks, grandson of John Brooks “of
Va” and is never heard from again in Anson Co, NC. Abraham Brooks very likely joined his future
father-in-law on his way south from Pitt Co, NC. Brittain Meeks (son of Francis Meek)and
his family made a brief stopover in Anson Co, NC before deciding to continue on
to
This
is a letter written circa 1962 by Gray Meek (1889-1974). His grave in
This is a letter to his granddaughter, Sandra Kay, who was about to be married.
I could not make out the spelling of her fiancé's name. The copy I have is
faint and I hope I have retyped it without making too many errors. My copy came
from the Genealogy Department,
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MEEK FAMILY
You will note that I have never used the "S" on my name. The
story of how it came to be added and finally accepted by this particular
segment of the family is a story within itself:
A Col. Nicholls from Blackshear, Georgia came up here and made a public address
about the time of the Spanish-American War and during the course of the address
he dropped the thought that inasmuch as there were so many by that name locally
they should be called "MEEKS" instead. He surely was not very
well versed in his English since there was provision for the carrying out of
his suggestion already since Meeks is correct when speaking of them in the
plural, or in forming the possessive case. I could not but wonder what
this "learned" man could possibly know about what the family name
should be that those belonging to the family did not already know. Any
way they caught on fast and soon began adding the "S", which only led
to confusion, and it compounded. If we accept the "S" as a part
of the name and wish to form the plural then we must, of necessity, add still
another "S".
Then the second "S" has as rightful a place as the first. So
the question is, -"where would it finally end?" I recall
distinctly many discussions as regards the merits of the lawyer's bright
idea--whether we should continue using the "S", or go back to the
original form of the name. Well, custom is most difficult to combat. I
was old enough at the time to do some thinking for myself, and incidentally do
a bit of research.Ancient head-stones in this region as well as Bible records
all bore out my personal belief that the whole thing was a collosal [sic]
error, so I declined to follow my relatives when they departed from the ways of
their laurels. So this is the story of it. Right around here and in
The history of the family has been traced back to Adam Meek of
For this reason it is not impossible that someone by the name, or either their
blood relatives might have taken passage on the Mayflower. I know of no one who
claims they did, and I know of no one in the family who particularly cares.
Some of the earliest settlers, by the name, who came to this Country settled
around
There was a William Meek b. either in Hill or
Of one thing you may rest assured, and that is that
while none of your ancestors on the Meek side belonged to the nobility, yet
they qualified for what I like to think of as "The Brotherhood of True
Nobles" which is not based upon inherited wealth. They were of the purest
of Anglo-Saxon stock and were the very cream of the King's Domain. I can
remember many of my elders who compared well with leaders of the Old South.
They did not have much in the way of education (None was to be had at that
time) but their personalities, and hereditary gifts made it possible for them
to sit in the council of ministers and not be plagued by an inferiority
complex.
My granddaughter, I have simply taken advantage of a
rainy day to write you all this which I have merely conjured up out of my
"leaky" mind. Have not taken time to refer to my records. I do
not have anything in the form of bound book, but am accumulating quite a bit of
history pertaining to the family. If I ever have the pleasure of meeting
this lucky captain I will make anything I have available to the two of you.
Please be on the lookout for mistakes in this rather
lengthy record. If what I have written does not read right you will know that I
had in my mind to say the right thing any way. As I write I cannot
distinguish all the keys I employ, but have been at this so long I just know
they are there, because they were there the last time I used them.
I am working on the announcement but could use a bit
more data. For instance, what was the name and location of the college you have
been attending? And does Capt. Tomeling(sp?) have any other status, position,
designation, or anything like that other than
As ever,
signed: Granddad
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
P.S. I forgot to tell you that you are a pretty thorough mixture of Scottish,
Irish, and English. Your grandmother, about five times removed, and on my
mother's side was b. in
From:
Clyde Hooks - c_hooks@bellsouth.net
To: Coffee County List -GaCoffee-L@rootsweb.com Meeks List
Abraham couldn’t even wait to get married to Dorcas Meeks before
leaving NC, doing so on 12 Jan 1817 in Jones Co, GA. Note the date of his land sale to James
Brooks… 14 Dec 1816. It wasn’t even a
month before their marriage in GA! Talk
about hasty… but, then he was a young man and Dorcas was of hot, Scottish
blood. J And, apparently, Jones Co. was just a brief
stopover for Abraham Brooks and the Meeks family, for they are found in Baldwin
Co, GA in 1820, Gwinnett Co, GA by 1830 then Meriwether Co, Ga where his
father-in-law, Brittain passes away around 90 yrs old circa 1854. The reason for the Meriwether move is
probably this:
about Abraham Brooks
Name:
Abraham Brooks
Number:
11
District:
ELEVENTH DISTRICT, THIRD SECTION, CHEROKEE
Residence:
Strickland's
County:
Merriwether
Comment:
granted previous to the first day of January, 1838
1840 Meriwether Co, GA census shows Abraham and his wife Dorcas
Meeks Brooks living a couple doors down from Abram’s son Jesse. He’s there again in 1850. Abram shows up in 1860 Talledega, AL living
with his son, Archibald and his wife, Ann.
Dorcas is not with him. She has
passed away between 1850 and 1860.
Abram and Dorcas Brooks lived in Meriwether Co, GA near their
sons Jesse and Archibald until her death around 1855. It’s interesting to note that Dorcas and her
father pass away around the same time.
If it were not for the fact that Brittain was of advanced age, I would
presume some shared accidental death for them.
But, chances are, he died of old age.
Perhaps Dorcas cared for her father in some infirmity for awhile,
causing her to tire out and die. She,
herself, would have been about 60. Of
course, this is all purely supposition.
Abram, for whatever reason, decides to leave Meriwether Co. with
his son soon afterward. Abram can be
found in Archibald’s household in 1860, 65 yrs old. They now live in
Now, as to Abram’s mother, Peggy, nothing is known further. It is presumed that she stayed in Anson Co,
NC since she doesn’t appear in the GA census records. I have a feeling that Abram was her only son,
so she had no one. I think that she must
have died as well before Abram’s departure… perhaps an incentive to leave Anson
Co, NC with the Meeks family instead of marrying Dorcas Meeks in Anson and
remaining there.
Children of Abraham “Abram” and Dorcas Meeks Brooks:
Mary Ann Brooks b. 1818
m. Barnabus Boling m.
Archibald Brooks b. 1820 Gwinnett Co, GA
m. Ann McDowell m.
Jesse C. Brooks b. 1822 Gwinnett Co, GA
m. Eliza J. ?
m. Caroline Lord m.
Rosannah Brooks b. 1824 d. 1840-42
m. Francis L. Lord m. 1 Jan 1840 Meriwether
Co, GA b. 1820 Gwinnett Co, GA d. 3 Mar 1892 AL
William Riley Brooks b. 1827 Meriweather Co, GA d. 1915
m. Arminnie R. Sarah
Tidwell m.
Hannah B. Brooks b. 1830 Gwinnett Co, GA
m. Jackson Walston m.
Brittain Brooks b. 1832 d. 1859 Meriweather Co, GA
m. Catherine Miller m.
15 Mar 1858 Meriwether Co, GA
Francis M. Brooks b. 1834 d. 25 Jul 1908 Berlin, Cullman
Co, AL
m. Mary Franklin Grant
m. c1856 prob. Spalding Co, GA b.
1813 Pleasant May to Abram
Brooks
& 1816 Abraham Brooks to
James Brooks
This
Indenture made this 12th day of January in the year of our Lord
1813.
Between
Pleasant May, Esqr. Of the one part and Abraham Brooks of the other part
Both
of the county of Anson and State of North Carolina
Witnesseth
that the said Pleasant May for & in consideration of Twenty five dollars to
him in hand paid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, and by these
presents give grant bargain sell alien enfeoff? Confirm and deliver unto the
said Abraham Brooks his heirs and assigns forever a certain tract or parcel of
land lying in the County of Anson Beginning on a black gum Shadrach Densons
corner and runs with his line So. 30 Wt. 135 poles to a black jack Vivions
corner then with his line So. 71 Wt. about sixty poles so as to equal divide
the tract by the line of which this is to enclude one half then No. a dividing
to Jowers line then with Jowers line No. 81 Et. To said Densons corner then
with his line to the beginning.
Including seventy five acres be the same more or less, with all singular
the right hereditaments thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining. To have and to hold the said bargained
premises to the only proper use & behoof of him the said Abraham Brooks
assigns covenant & agree to warrant and forever defend the sd. Bargained
premises from himself his heirs and assigns forever, but, no further, In
witness whereof he hath hereunto set his hand and affixed his seal the day and
date above written.
Signed
Sealed & delivered
In
the presence of us
Richard
C. Pattinshall Plt. May
(seal)
Asa
Brooks
April Session, 1817
This same land was sold by
Abraham Brooks to James Brooks in 1816:
(paraphrased)
For
$100 paid by James Brooks to Abraham Brooks
For
75 acres of the same dimensions as in 1813 above…
Signed
sealed & delivered
In
the presence of us
his
Danl.
May
Abraham x Brooks
mark
William
May
April
session 1817
Records for Abraham Brooks:
Eli
Brooks;
Allowance;
$240.00 Amount Received;
June 1814 In Service; Heirs: Abraham Brooks; Ruthy
Brooks
Meriwether
Co, GA Marriages:
BROOK JAMES A 29-Jul 1858 BENNETT EUNICE H
BROOKS ABRAHAM
BROOKS BRITTON
BROOKS DAVID
BROOKS FRANCIS M
BROOKS HAMP
BROOKS JOHN F
BROOKS JOSHUA
BROOKS MATTHEW
BROOKS RODAM M
BROOKS W H
BROOKS WILLIAM P
