Brooks Family

A BROOKS GENEALOGY

Early American history records our family name.

Although lineages would be difficult to confirm, due to a lack of existing records, this treatise will give you an indication of the possibilities that exist.

In 1587 Governor White left his famed Lost Colony on Roanoke Island.
In the list of those left behind we find the name JOHN BROOKS.
It is interesting to note that in the colony of Indians at Pembroke, N. C., we find a Revolutionary soldier named John Brooks.
Remembering that these Indians spoke English when first discovered by white men we can only surmise that these names and the English language came from the famed Lost Colony.

In 1639 William Hawley appeared in Virginia, as Governor of North Carolina, and leave was granted by the Virginia Legislature for him to colonize it by taking 100 persons from Virginia.

An English obituary says, "John Brooks of Stepney, died in Virginia. Admo. to his widow, Mary Brooks, 7-5-1684.

In 1694 Henry Brooks proved his right to 50 acres of land in Albemarle, N. C., for the transportation of himself into the colony.
In 1708 and 1709 Henry Brooks and Samuel Brooks are found on records of Bath County, N. C.
In 1707 John Brooks made his will in Currituck County, N. C., and left a widow, Mary, daughters Elizabeth, Frances and Mary, and left his plantation to his son, John Brooks.

John Brooks was granted land by the Lords Proprietors on the Morratuck River (Indian name for Roanoke) in Bertie County.
This land was included in Edgecombe County at its formation and in 1734 John Brooks and his wife, Winnifred, sold this same land in Edgecombe County, N. C. This is the same John Brooks and wife, Winnifred, that sold 640-acres of land in Bladen County, N. C., that had been granted John in 1738,

In 1746 John Brooks was granted 200 acres in Craven County, NC, and while he is not called John Brooks, Jr., it seems that he was John, Jr.
There are no records in Cumberland for John Brooks, Jr., and very few in Chatham County.

John Brooks and his wife, Catherine, sold land in Craven County, NC, that had been patented by him in 1745.
In 1740 he is listed in Craven County, NC, with a group of "discenting persons called Baptist."
From Craven County he went to Pitt County, NC, where in 1763 he deeded his son, James Brooks, land that he had bought from Samuel Vines in 1756.

On 9-25-1754 James Brooks was granted land in Craven County on the East side of Swift Creek.
In 1768 he sold this land and at this time he is listed as James Brooks, planter of Pitt County, N. C.
In Pitt County he was granted much land, some on Swift Creek.
This is the same James Brooks that was deeded land by his father, John Brooks, In Pitt County, N. C. in 1763.

John May, Sr., was granted 520 acres of land in Orange County, N. C. by agents of the Earle of Granville in 1756. In 1760 he deeded this land to John May, Jr.
He was also granted land that he left to his daughter Selah, in Pitt County, N. C.
This is the same John May that died in Richmond County, Ga., and named his daughter, Selah, in his will.
He was also the father of Jane May that married John Brooks, Jr.,

Among the Revolutionary soldiers of North Carolina we find -"John Brooks, 12-1-1759, in Carteret County, N. C. d. 5-29-1833." "William Brooks, b. 1745 at 'Yellowbritches, Pa', enlisted from Frederick County Md., 1776; enlisted from Guilford County, N. C., 1779; moved from Guilford to Rutherford County, N. C., where he died 1-22-1844." "William Brooks, b. 8-14-1754, Middlesex County, Va., enlisted from Hertford County, N. C., 1778; volunteered in 1780 and served 3 months for a younger brother then about 16 years old and of delicate constitution. He died in Gates County, N. C., 1837 where he lived after the Revolution.

"Jonathan Brooks, b. 6-7-1762 in Gloucester County, Va., moved with his father, when quite young, to Brunswick County, VA., lived there four or five years and moved to Caswell County, N. C. Enlisted 1778, discharged Oct. 1779; enlisted 1780 and served 3 months. He was living in Guilford County, N. C., in 1832."

"James Brooks, b. 3-30-1765 in Amelia County, Va., enlisted May 1781 while a resident of Prince Edward Vo. Va. d. Wilkes County, N. C. 4-20-1838."

Many others are found in the North Carolina Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers. These records are taken from pension papers on file in Veterans Administration in Washington, DC.

Records of the six sons of John and Susan Brooks have not been easy to follow. The family came into North Carolina and had scattered land grants. The many with names, James and John, without further designation, have made them difficult to follow. Thomas seems to have been the first to settle in Orange County, though he left records in Cumberland County. Joab Brooks, Sr., also left records in Cumberland County. There are no records there for his other four sons. Thomas, Joab, Mark and Isaac Brooks died in Chatham County, N. C. Their sons, John Brooks Jr., and James Brooks, went to South Carolina and Georgia, where both seem to have died.