Alexander Brooks of Anson Co, NC
Alexander Brooks b. 1791 Anson
Co, NC, son of William
Brooks I.
He d.
E.M. Brooks, in
his History of the Rocky River Baptist Church, had this to say about
William Airley Morris:
William A. Morris
These last
sketches are not put in the order to which they are entitled but are placed
last because of their brevity.
Bro. Morris
served as pastor from 1842-1844, the year of his death. He was spoken of in the tenderest
terms in a Memorial paper offered by the church on the occasion of his death.
He lived on a
farm midway between the church and the present town of
Alexander Brooks lived in the part
of Anson Co, NC just on the south side of the Rocky River in the part of Anson
that would become Union Co, NC in 1841 (this would be eastern Union Co, NC… the
western side came from Mecklenburg Co, NC). This land
was on Richardson's Creek, probably received by him from his father's will.
Alexander did not live far from the family plantation where his brother,
Ezekiel was living with his wife and son.
Alexander, would, in fact be made guardian for his brother since Ezekiel
had mental problems (whether this was due to an accident or congenital is not
really known). See Ezekiel
Brooks of Stanly Co, NC for court
minutes and judgments on this case. I’m
guessing around 1823, Alexander moved further away to the Burnsville area of
Anson Co, NC since the records from the Carolina Observer show that he sold 225
acres then to satisfy his taxes. Times
apparently were hard, then. And the
court battles over control of Ezekiel and the family estate may have been
partially a result. The land was deeded
to Ezekiel in their father’s will, according to the court records. Perhaps Alexander did not settle well with
this… or perhaps he was genuinely concerned over the welfare of his brother and
possible “gold-digging” on the part of Sinthia
Greene, Ezekiel’s wife… don’t know exactly whether Alexander was friend or foe
to Ezekiel. At any rate, Ezekiel’s son,
Ezekiel Marion Brooks would soon grow old enough to handle the family’s
affairs, not to shade Sinthia “Siddy”
Greene’s influence, who seems to have done rather well
in wrestling control away from Alexander.
Again, as to motives, one cannot accurately say.
Alexander and Eliza Brooks can be
found in the 1850 Anson Co, NC census records in
Children of Alexander Brooks and
Cornelia Boggan were:
b.
Chattooga Co, GA. He married
Sarah Ann Griffin 9 Nov 1853 Union Co, NC
She was born 10 May 1833 Anson Co, NC and died 9 Jan 1916 in
Farmersville, Chattooga Co, GA. Her
parents were Thomas Culpeper Griffin and Nancy Bivens. They lived
very close to William and Sarah Brooks in Gordon Co, GA. After their marriage, they moved to Lee Co,
GA, then to Floyd Co, Ga and, finally to Chattooga
Co, GA where they can be found beneath the biggest and most ornate tombstone in
the Farmersville Cemetery.
James G. Brooks
b. c1830 Anson Co, NC d. 15 May 1864 Civil War from wounds
James married Mary Randle 29 Oct 1856 Anson Co, NC. She was born c1837 to Alfred Randle and
Frances Forest of Stanly Co, NC. Alfred
was son of Colby Randle who emigrated to Montgomery Co, NC from Brunswick Co,
VA. In 1850, Alfred and Frances Randle
lived next door to Robert Daniel and Priscilla Snuggs
and his brother
b.
Thomas marries Lucy Ellen Snuggs 12 Apr 1854
in Stanly Co, NC. She was born 18 Sep
1837 to Richmond Gates Snuggs and Wincy
Freeman Smith. (BCBNOTE: I received an email
from a gg-granddaughter of Thomas and Lucy informing
me of an error in my information for this man… he was quite the Confederate
hero! And so, he warrants his own page…
please make the necessary corrections… my apologies. Unfortunately, this means that William
Alexander Brooks was the only son of Alexander Brooks to survive the Civil
War.)
Cornelius B. Brooks
b. Jun/July 1834 Anson Co, NC d.
"from wounds rec'd." Cornelius is found in Stanly Co, NC in 1860,
then on 25 Mar 1862 he enlistes as a private in Co. I 52nd Reg NCTroops. On
Children of Alexander Brooks and
Eliza Ann Morris Allen were:
Elizabeth Isabel Brooks (picture)
b.
Married John Benton Parker, son
of William Wiley and Annice Broadaway
Parker. John was born
Mary C.
Brooks b. 1848 Anson Co, NC
Eliza Ann Morris’ first husband:
Miles Allen b. c1811 Anson Co, NC d. early 1840's Moscow, Fayette
Co, TN
m. Eliza Ann Morris m. c1833 probably in TN b. 1818 d. 1890 According to family
tradition… sometime between 1841 and 1844, Miles was attempting to make an arrest when his gun
discharged, killing himself... Eliza moved back to Anson Co,
NC and married Alexander Brooks.
The following are the children of Miles Allen
and Eliza Ann Morris.. all of
these children are found living with Alexander and Eliza Ann Morris Allen
Brooks in Anson Co, NC in 1850:
William Thomas Allen
b.
Martha Allen b. 1836
Rebecca J. Allen b. 1838
Kisiah Allen b. 1840
Francis Allen b. 1842
BCBNOTE: I had visited the place
where William Alexander Brooks and Sarah Ann “Sally” Griffin had settled in northern
Georgia… it was a failed town, actually… there were many farms there, but the
incorporation was never established and a nearby metropolitan area apparently
took the business from the region. So,
today, Farmersville is just that… a populated area with farms. To find the cemetery where William and Sally
are buried was an adventure, indeed. I
had only to ask one gentile old fellow walking his dog along the only “main
drag” in “town.” He pointed me across
the road and up to the top of a hill where a stand of trees were growing. I asked the people in the nearest home how to
gain access. The kind lady told me to
simply drive down that drive (she pointed across the yard) and to go through
the gate… that I could drive up the hill to the cemetery… she just left me with
a mild warning about not letting out her horses J. Once I found the burial spot, I was amazed at
the grandeur of the stone… it was multi-tiered with carvings... BROOKS in huge
letters and two columns, one above each name.
Apparently, at one time, these Brooks were somewhat prominent in the
area. The stone itself faced out from
the hill in a fashion that caused one to gasp at the beauty of the landscape,
looking out over the pasture, with mountains all around. It was beautiful! I gathered up some respect for these
hard-working and successful folks. It
would’ve made a fine place to retire.
Misc. records for this family:
28 May 1858 - Anson Co. Deed Book 17, page 323
"Thos. H. Brooks, Cornelius B. Brooks and James G. Brooks of Stanley county to George Turner.... all our title and interest in
the land known as the dower of Eliza A. Brooks. (BCBNOTE: William is not listed here because he had
already left for GA.. he would have to sell his part
in a separate deed):
April, 1862 Co. G, 2nd Georgia Cavalry formed in
Griffin, GA.. 2nd sergeant R. A. Snuggs
and private Thomas Brooks joined. This
is Thomas Hampton Brooks, son of Alexander Brooks. "R. A. Snuggs"
is probably misrecorded from "William Asbury Snuggs" who was also living in Lee Co, GA by 1860 and
was a brother to Lucy Ellen Snuggs, wife of Thomas
Hampton Brooks.
