CULPEPER PAUL BROOKS

Culpeper P. Brooks was born to William Brooks II and Mary Burleson on 28 May 1818 in old Anson Co, NC, later becoming Union Co, NC in 1841. He married on 21 Dec 1848 to Louisa Lowery Allen, daughter of Robert Nance Allen and Eliza Ann Lanier of Anson Co, NC. Cullen Brooks remained with his father and mother at the old home place till the death of his mother in 1852, then moved to Stanly county near Norwood where he remained till after the War. In 1873 he moved to Anson where he raised his family departing this life in 1893. They had three children:

Eliza Jane Brooks b. 13 Oct 1849 m. Thomas Teal
Mary Frances Brooks b. 1851 m. Darling High
Edgar Marcelus Brooks b. 5 Feb 1861 d. 26 May 1943

Culpeper and Louisa had many children die at birth and, so only produced three children including one male child, E. M. Brooks. Lucky for me, I guess since he’s my grandpa! Culpeper also went by the name of “Cullen,” said to be short for Culpeper (don’t know who they asked… ?). Anyway, my Uncle Cullen P. Brooks says that his name never was Culpeper! But, my regards to Uncle Cullen… Culpeper P. Brooks signed his name both ways… just goes to show you that you can’t take anything for granted.

I suppose you could say that Culpeper P. Brooks was the man responsible for wiping out the vast Brooks fortune. It was he who must have bought all those confederate bills found in the “treasure” chest at my grandfather’s estate inventory in 1943. My Uncle Cullen (named for Culpeper P. Brooks) remembers well the $150,000 in “worthless” Confederate money… he says that everyone just thought of it as worthless paper then… now, of course, it’s still worth a fortune! I wonder what happened to that money? …. Hummmm….

This is a Xerox copy of one of the bills that Uncle Cullen took from the chest of "worthless paper" for a souvenir. I've tried to bring out the detail as best I could and added the color back to it. Just imagine 1500 of these $10 bills in that chest! Wow!

Culpeper P. Brooks died 13 Jun 1893 in Union Co, NC. Louisa Lowery Allen Brooks died 7 Apr 1900 also in Union Co, NC. The family documents contain a draft of a will that Culpeper Brooks wrote on 25 Mar 1853. This will was never probated, of course, but it may be of some interest. BCBNOTE: my grandfather, Edgar Marcelus Brooks was not yet born. His two older sisters were, however. Culpeper and Louisa Brooks tried many times to have more children. Three of their sons died at childbirth. E. M. Brooks was the only one that survived.

Robert Nance Allen's father was a Revolutionary War Soldier named Darling Allen who died not in the war, but was shot in his house (near the chimney) by his slave, Mose who feared that he was going to be sold. Mose became the first man ever to be officially hanged in Anson Co, NC.