John Brooks
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John was born about 1787 in Hawkins County, Tennessee. The 1830 Hawkins County census lists John as the head of a household in the 40-50 age bracket with the older female living in the household who is presumed to be his wife in the 20-30 age bracket. The 1840 Hawkins County census also lists him as head of household. (the 1830 and 1840 census reports do not list names other than the head of the household and only age brackets are given). The 1850 Tennessee census index shows the following: John 63, Anna 49, Thomas 29, Hiram 23, Rebecca 19, George 18, Wilson 11, Margaret 8.
On September 21, 1820, a John Brooks, believed to be this John, witnessed the Will of Captain Robert Kyle, husband of Leah Brooks who was the sister of Castleton, Littleton, Thomas, George, etc. This makes sense because John was Leah's nephew.
Here are several images of old documents, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, some of which refer to John and his sons in settling John's estate. The Wilson Brooks document at the top ,1, is a promissory note to John, his brother. Note the date. Wilson was a younger son of old Thomas. These were found several years ago among the personal papers of a John Brooks descendant after he died sometime between 1850 and 1860. Another researcher and descendant of the line, has John's birth date as 1787 in Hawkins County and date of death as 1850.
Siblings
1)William Deadrick Brooks: Born October 25, 1784 in Hawkins County, Tennessee. Married Susannah Price, daughter of Henry Price, Sr and Catherine Wax. William died May 25, 1854 in Hawkins County, Tennessee. Children: Margaret "Peggy" Brooks (1819 - 1888), George Washington Brooks (1820 - 1895), James Etter Brooks (1821 - 1901), William Dixon Brooks (1823 - 1844), Cellina Brooks (1824 - 1861 in Washington, Arkansas), Mary Ann Brooks (1826 - 1910) (Note: Mary married George Elijah Webb, brother of Mary Polly Webb), Susannah Brooks (1827 - 1859), LaFayette Brooks (1829 - 1899), Thomas Brooks (1832-1910 Arkansas), John Brooks (1834- 1889), Rachel Brooks (1835-about 1880), James Albert Brooks (1836-1866), Sarah Leah Brooks (1839-1870), Nancy Brooks (1840-1893)
2)James Brooks: Born about 1795.
3)Henry Brooks: Born about 1800. Married Catherine Elkins on January 13, 1830 in Hawkins County, Tennessee.
4)Anthony Brooks: Born June 4, 1801 Clouds Creek, Hawkins County, Tennessee. Married 1822 in Rogersville, Hawkins County, Tennessee to Hannah "Hanner" Price (August 8, 1799 somewhere in Virginia - June 14, 1876 at Clouds Creek, Hawkins County, Tennessee). Hannah was another daughter of Henry Price, Sr and Catherine Wax. Anthony and Hannah are buried in the Brooks-Harrell Cemetery on Clouds Creek, Hawkins County, Tennessee. Both have old gravestones which were evidently installed long after they died because the field stones, originally marking their graves, are still visible. Children: Stokley Deadrick Brooks (1825 - 1894)Stokley served during the Civil War H Company, 8th Tennessee Infantry Volunteers and later was a State Legislator, John Brooks (1823 - ????), Catharine Brooks (1832 - 1904) and Alice Brooks (1830 - 1910).
5)Patsy Brooks: Born between 1800-1810. Married John Rush February 18, 1831 in Hawkins County, Tennessee.
6)Wilson Brooks, b. between 1800-1810. Married Parilee Reese August 19, 1841 in Hawkins County, Tennessee. This document was a promissory note written and signed by Wilson to his brother John in 1844. After that, Wilson and Parilee disappear from the records; they either died or moved out of the county.
7)Andrew Jackson Brooks: Born about 1815 and died after 1840.
Children
1)Thomas Brooks
2)Hiram Brooks: Born January 26, 1826 in Hawkins County, Tennessee. Married 1st Catherine Price on February 2, 1868. Married 2nd Eliza Cobb. I do not know when Hiram died. Children: George Brooks (1853 - ????), Harvey Brooks (1854 - ????), John Brooks (1856 - ????), Joseph Brooks (1860 - ????), Beersheba Brooks (1869 - ????)
3)Rebecca Brooks: Born 1831 in Hawkins County, Tennessee. Married James Elkins.
4)George Brooks, b. 1834, d. between January 4 and June 7, 1877. This is the George Brooks who married three Price sisters, who were all daughters of Jacob Price and Mary "Polly" Webb. He married 1st Susan Price on November 27, 1856 and they had 1 child before she died. Married 2nd Margaret Price about 1861. One source says 5 children although the first child could have been Susan's. George married 3rd Jane Price Taylor after 1870. Three children but the first, Cordelia, is questionable and may have been Jane's child by her first husband, Alfred Taylor.
George was shot by a 14 year old boy in Poor Valley on Christmas Day, 1876 but lingered before he died. Why the shooting took place is still a question. I have been told that old man Woodard, the boy's father, was operating some kind of liquor establishment in Poor Valley, and George was in attendance. Evidently some sort of problem arose and the boy shot George. The young man was aquitted. George was evidently still alive January 4, 1877 but died before June 7, 1877. Newspaper accounts are as follows:
*Rogersville Spectator Newspaper, Rogersville, TN January 4, 1877
“A difficulty is reported as having occured in Poor Valley, a few miles from Mooresburg, on Christmas Day, in which a boy named Woodward, shot one George Brooks. The gun was loaded with bird-shot & the whole charge lodged in the side of Brooks. The boy was arrested and lodged in jail. Brooks was alive at last account, but in critical condition.”
*Rogersville Spectator Newspaper, Rogersville, TN, June 7, 1877
“Acquitted - as will be seen from the proceeding court last week, the boy John Woodard, charged with the murder of Geo. Brooks, was aquitted. This case excited considerable interest, and was ably presented to the court and jury by Attorney General Hacker, assisted by Messrs. McDermott & Kyle for the state, and the Messrs. Judge Shields & Son, and Clarkson & Dickson for the defence. The jury promptly returned a verdict of "not guilty". This decision took some persons who had listened to the testimony by surprise, but is endorsed we believe by a majority of our citizens. The boy was only about 14 years old and this fact no doubt had much to do with his aquittal.”
5)Wilson Brooks: Born 1839 in Hawkins County, Tennessee. He died August 1886.
6)Margaret Brooks: Born 1842 in Hawkins County, Tennessee. Married ? Gray.
Spouse
Parents