Individual Details

Christopher, Mariner of London. Aprrinticed to John Lowbridge, Mariner, of Ratcliffe (Stepney Parish) 1719.

Owned a warehouse in Gloucester Co, VA, 1729

Convicted of Virginia tobacco smuggling, 1730
Ancestry.com: Virginia Colonial Records 1607-1853
Survey Reports, Number 2306, Item 2159 [stamped], p. 2
p.115-6 19 Feb 1730
Treasury warrant to Customs Commissioners, authorizing the Commissioners to accept the petition of Christopher Brooks in respect to running a quantity of tobacco. The Commissioners to accept the sum of 26.13.4 already deposited by him as a composition for the offences providing he had given bond not to engage in smuggling in the future and has paid the prosecution charges. One moiety to be paid to Exchequer, another to the informers. The Commissioners report is prefixed to the warrant.

Ancestry.com: Virginia Colonial Records 1607-1853
Treasury, Deparmental Accounts, Barbadoes, Journal of 4 1/2% duties, 1731.
...duties collected under the act of 25 Charles II, on the island of Barbadoes, between 25 September and 25 December... The following ships & cargoes were bound for Virginia.
Folio 3. Duties collected by Edward Lascelles, collector at Bridgetown between 25 Sep and 25 Oct, 1731:
53. Haswell (Christopher Brooks), 2500 gals. rum.
58. Haswell, 2200 lbs. sugar

George Washington (President) was baptized on the 5th of April 1732 when he was about six weeks old, Westmoreland Co, VA. Mrs. Mildred Gregory acted as godmother, and Mr. Beverly Whiting and Capt. Christopher Brooks, godfathers.

Married 10 Sep 1732, Mary Murden

Will proved 5 Jun 1735. His crew mutinied near Madeira in Dec 1734 and he was murdered at sea.

Will of Christopher Brookes of London, mariner now bound out on a Voyage to Parts beyond the Seas
14 Oct 1734
Proved 5 Jun 1735 by oaths of Mary Brookes, widow and relict and John Brookes, brother, Executors. Entire estate to wife Mary and son Robert Brookes.


Calendar of Treasury Books and Papers, Volume 1, 1729-1730. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1897.
19 Aug 1720 Warrant from the Lords of Treasury to the Commissioners of Customs.
To accept 26l. 13s. 4d. from Christopher Brooks as composition for running tobacco out of the ship “Willis,” of which he was mate; and warrant from same to the Attorney General to enter a noli prosequi to the information in the case.
Prefixing:—Report from the Commissioners of the Customs to the Lords of the Treasury, dated 1729–30, February 10, on Brooks' petition to be admitted to compound.
Customs Book XIII. pp. 115–6.

Christopher Brooks commanded the Cambridge, a vessel of 100 tons and 11 men owned by London merchants Haswell and Brooks in 1729. ( Survey Report 06444 summarizing "Public Record Office Class: Adm. 68/195. Greenwich Hospital: General Accounts. The names of Ships and the Amounts paid for Sixpences at the Port of London, 1728-1731." .)
Letter from Robert Carter to Messrs. Haswell & Brooks, May 29, 1732
Rappahannock, [Lancaster County, Virginia]

May 29.. 1732
Messrs. Haswell & Brookes
Gentlemen
I have receiv'd your several letters sent this year
Your goods by the Bailey came to hand in safety your accounts of
sales we must put up with as well as We can the prizes we get are
so miserable we cannot live by our Labour
The coals by Seabrooke were delivered at my house
in my absence what measure is made me I cannot say they lye loose
and appear to be a Small parcel. You tell me fine tobaccoe will do
pritty well I must say in answer I send you as good as I make
and you may be sure I take the outmost Care I can to make it as
good as possible In your Postscript of the 17th of January you advise
me of the sales of two hogsheads at 9d. but that you were forc'd to abate
a half penny for bad Stemming I could almost adventure to forfeit
the tobacco if there could be found four pound of Stemms in both the hogsheads
I take the outmost Care to have this Evil prevented and by our tobacco
law our Overseers are under great penalties if they do not do their duty
in this respect; We promise our selves [sic ] great matters by this Law how
our hopes will succede we must leave to Experience
This encloses a bill of Loading for twenty hogsheads
of stemm'd tobacco strait laid and hath pass'd the Inspection, certainly
I shall meet with no complaints of this tobaccoe Capn. Brookes is now
here to take his leave of me I hearily wish him a good Voiage and
Safe to you he is in mighty haste and allowes me only time for
this letter I have receiv'd a Pipe of wine by Capn. Harwood of your
Ordering the merchants will pay themselves by a draft on you I have
not seen the master yet to pay him his freight which is forty Shillings
Currt. money if the freight should be demanded of you there must
be a discount of 20 pounds per hundred which is the difference of our Exchange
at Present I must taken another Opportunity of sending for some goods
I am Gent

Marriage	10 Sep 1732	Mary Murden
Death	Dec 1734	At Sea

Spouse	Mary Murden ( - )
Child	Robert Brookes ( - )

Father	Joseph BROOKES ( - 1718)
Mother	Living
Sibling	Capt John BROOKES ( - 1739)
Sibling	Capt Thomas Brookes (1692 - )
Sibling	Ann Brookes ( - )
Sibling	Living
Sibling	Joseph Brookes ( - 1744)