Is there a Brooks -

Gilbert Connection?

The Rocky River area of NC along the borders of Anson & Montgomery Counties was a place of beginnings. There is speculation that around 1760, there were as few as 18 people settled here. Obviously, the Brooks family were some of them. Our ancestor, John Brooks “of Va” as he has become known brought his family here sometime around the “opening” of these lands to settlement before 1758 . See Great Wagon Road for the story of early settlement here.

What has become apparent through numerous brief mentions in deeds and other records from this area is that a Gilbert man may very well have married a Brooks. My “feeling” is that a Brooks man may just as well have married a Gilbert woman. Specifically, that our William Brooks I may have married a Gilbert woman. Understand that this is sheer speculation and that I’m only exercising my old brain cells here.

First of all, let’s examine exactly who was in this small community of farmer/pioneers at this early time. For, certainly, if William was born 1736 and came to NC around the mid 1750’s, he would have been a very young man and very likely met his wife (or wives) here in Anson County. Now, if he arrived around 1760, that’s a different story. But, for now, the supposition is that they arrived early.

1763 Anson Tax List
 
John Brooks - (from Virginia) 3 slaves
William Brooks - 5 slaves, Sharper, Cesor, Quam, Mol and David Senad
John Brooks - 1 slave, Nan
 
Dec 1770 
NC Milita - Rocky River Company – William Brooks recommended as Ensign (John Brooks, Lieut.; John Culpeper, Capt.)
 
 
 
 
1780 Tax List (Montgomery)
 
John Brooks - Invalid - 100 acres, 3 slaves
William Brooks - 750 acres - 5 slaves (100 acres in Anson)
John Brooks, Sr. 150 acres - 1 slave
John Brooks, Jr. - 900 acaares, 4 slaves (100 acres in Anson)
Culpeper, Daniel
Culpeper, Thomas
** No Gilberts mentioned
 

Deed: 6 Dec 1778, Anson Co., North Carolina, Book 7, Page 99: John Culpeper of Anson to Jacob Green, for £150, 100 acres on the South side of Rocky River, beginning at a white oak just above the mouth of Reason's Branch, running thence 80.60 Wt. 48 poles to a white oak then South 84 Wt. 110 poles to a pine thence North 71 Wt. 50 poles to a pine thence North 87 Wt. 60 poles to a sweet gum on the river bank then down various courses of River to the beginning. Signed John Culpeper (Seal), Wit: Jesse Gilbert, Gideon (X) Green, proved in July Court 1779 by Gideon Green, witness; Michael Auld, Clk.

Deed: 14 Oct 1783, Anson Co., North Carolina, Book 4, Page 382: State of North Carolina Grant No. 511 to John Culpepper, for Fifty shillings for each 100 acres, 75 acres in Anson County on both sides of Rocky River Beginning at a Red oak standing on the Bank of said River in John Brooks sen. line and Runs with sd. Brooks Line North 54 East 12 chains to the said Brook's corner then 36 west 7 chains & 70 links to a hickory John Brook's Jun. line then with sd. Brook's line south 45 west 12 chains to the sd. Brook's corner Elm on the river Bank then with the sd. Brook's line North 45 wt. 38 chains & 75 links crossing the sd. River to the sd. Brook's corner stake then south 45 west. 17 chains & 30 links to a stake then south 45 east 43 chains and 75 links to a stake then north 45 east 17 chains & 30 links crossing sd. River to the Beginning -- At Hillsborough the 14th day of October in the 8th year of our Independence & in the year of our Lord 1783. By his Excellency's Command, J. Glasgow Secy. Alex Martin.

The two deeds above show that John Culpeper and Jesse Gilbert had some connection to the Brooks. The 1778 deed mentions land on the south side of Rocky River that Jacob Green’s heirs sold to William Brooks II around 1832. It was once owned by John Culpeper. This is the land on Reason’s branch that once had a mill. It is very possibly the same mill that William Brooks I used to own, implying that he once owned the land as well.

 
1790 Census
 
Head of Household Page M16+ M16- Fem Other Slaves
 
ANSON CO, NC
FAYETTE DISTRICT
 
GILBERT JESSE 35 2 2 5 0 6
 
MONTGOMERY CO, NC
SALISBURY DISTRICT
 
Burlison, David 165a 2 2 5 0 0
Brookes, William  165a 3  2 4 0 0
Brooks, John  165a 3 2 4 0 0
GILBERT JESSE 164 1 3 3 0 0
GILBERT JOHN  164 2 1 3 0 0
GILBERT JOHN 164 1 0 0 0 0
GILBERT NATHAN 164 1 0 0 0 0

There is also a reference in 1819, to the guardianship over Ezekiel Brooks where the courts decided that Ezekiel (inherited main plantation from his father, William) wasn’t capable of handling that responsibility and gave guardianship over him and his lands to Ezekiel’s brother John Brooks and Jehu Gilbert. Jehu is often used interchangeably with “John”. Why this responsibility to John Gilbert? Unless he is somehow related to the Brooks.

Also, William Brooks I had two sons by his first wife, one John Brooks b.1758 and another one, very likely Jesse Brooks b.c1770 that we find in 1800 Montgomery Co, NC. Was this Jesse Brooks named for Jesse Gilbert? Jesse is not a common name in our Brooks family.