Individual Details

I believe Thomas was older than the estimated birth date of 1732 by a few years.

Marriage record from the Kingston parish register lists his wife as Mrs. Mary Blacknall; married by Rev. Richard Locke. I think it quite likely the title "Mrs" was one of respect and she was indeed in reality a "Miss". [See her notes]


VIRGINIA TITHABLES FROM BURNED RECORD COUNTIES, Robert F. Woodson and Isobel B. Woodson, 1970. Thomas Brookes Hanover Co, 1763, 40 acres [I've no idea if this can be the same Thomas Brookes.] In Gloucester Co, Kingston Parish, in both 1774 and 1775 is a George Brookes - there's every likelihood this is a kinsman.

The following deed was copied to me from Leigh Brookes but it does not seem to be the same Thomas Brooks since wife Penelope relinquished dower and Thomas had married Mary Blacknall some three years earlier.
Thomas Brooks sold 75 acres of land bounded by land of William Denton & Edward Denton, dec'd, and Edward Goodrich to said Goodrich on 27 July 1752 in the Parish of St. Andrew, County of Brunswick, VA. It was near the three Creeks. Penelope the wife of Thomas Brooks relinquished her right of dower.. Signed: Thomas Brooks.
Wit: C. Courtney, Jos. Hickman, George Purdie Walter (WB) Bailey [p.256-259 copy from Leigh Brookes]

Thomas Brookes puchased 200 acres in Brunswick Co VA, Parish of St. Andrews, from William Gwyn [Guynne] and his wife Elizabeth, 22 Jun 1765 for the sum of 70£. It was part of a larger tract of 400 acres adjoining lands of Ingram Hagood, Johnson & Maclin, formerly granted to Thomas Singlton and by him conveyed to Walter Hibbles and by Hibbles conveyed to the said William Guynn. Winessed by John Clack, John Jones, Silvanus Stokes, John Russell, James Thornton. [p.12-14 copy from Leigh Brookes]

Caswell DB A
p.28
19 Mar 1773 Thomas Willson of Halifax Co VA to Thomas Brooks of Orange Co, Province of NC for 100£. 240 acres on Moon's Crk. Tract Willson purchased of William Morris which Morris purchased of Earl Granville 7 Jun 1761. Wit: John Williams, William Gwyn

1777 Early North Carolina Census. Thomas Brookes, Caswell County.

Thomas Brookes puchased additional land in Caswell Co NC June 10, 1778. 570 acres on both sides of Moon's Creek, and McCorkles Creek. William Holderness and Charles Brooks were chain carriers for the Survey. Patent #30. Caswell DB A, p.254

"When the Past Refused to Die: A History of Caswell Co NC 1777-1977" by William S. Powell, 1977, p.100-101: ...first court ....met at the house of Joseph Smith. ...Thomas Brooks became the county Treasurer.


NC Land Grants in TN [Listed by Grant Number, different from Warrant Number]
p.83 #94 Thomas Brooks. 429 acres. South side Cumberland River
p.125 [Appendex A] BROOKS, Thomas. Military Grant 94. Assigned by Andrew Haddock, Sgt.
TN Land Entires.
#3988 25 Nov 1783 Warrant 311. Sgt. Andrew Haddock, 429 acres delivered to Henry William; 36 months; file #3. Grant to Thomas Brooks. [see grant file #108 in Davidson Co; warrant not mentioned in Glasgow land fraud]
#10383. Warrant 311; Location 667 Jul 10 Thomas Brooks assignee of Andw Haddock, 429 acres about 7 miles E of Stoners Lick; includes Indian Camp Spring and a sugar tree marked "A T" and a poplar "M R" and runs as the law directs; removed. [Part 6, p.1037]
#10714 Warrant 311. Location 476. Thomas Brooks, heir of Geo. Brooks, 429 acres on S side of Cumberland R about a mile above Wells Cr; border; begins 200 yards above a pond and runs up the river. May 2, 1785 removed & continued by Saml. Martin; Aug 11, 1785 discontinued by Saml. Martin
#10911 Warrant 311. Location 667. Mar 4 1785. Thomas Brooks to Andw Haddock, transfer 429 ac on S side of Cumberland R; border; begins at the first bluff above mouth of Red R, runs down the river, & W; John Eliot. [Part 6, p.1075]

Caswell DB E
p.61
24 May 1786 Samuel Morgan to Robert Blackwell for 133£. 300 acres on Moon's Crk. adj Brankin's line, William Morgan. Wit: Thos. Brookes Sen., Thomas Brookes
p.86
17 Oct 1786 Andrew Vannoy, formerly of Caswell, to Samuel Moore for 100£. 640 acres on Moon's & Country Line Creeks adj Thomas Brookes crossing McCaskil's Crk, Thomas Hart, Campbell's claim, claim of Thomas Rice. By Stephen Williamson & Richard Smith who have POA of Vannoy. Wit: Charles Dixon, Zere Rice

Caswell WB B, p.332
April Court 1790
Power of Attorney: Thomas Brooks, Sen. chosen by Henry Flipping, orphan of Thomas Flipping late of Gloucester Co. VA, dec'd, as his guardian and was appointed by court of Caswell. Appoints trusty friend Thomas Brooks, Jun. lawful attorney to demand and receive from estate of Thomas Flipping dec'd in Gloucester, all negroes, money, etc. due said orphan. 10 April.

Caswell WB B, p.356
July Court 1790 Bond of Thomas Brooks as High Sheriff of Caswell Co. Bondsmen: John Brown, Thos. Donoho, Yancey Bailey.
p.363
Oct Court 1790 Bond of Thomas Brooks as Treasurer of Caswell Co. Bondsmen: Thomas Rice, Benj. Williamson, Yancey Bailey, Daniel Williams, Jethro Brown, James Williamson. 18 Oct 1790
Did Thomas Brookes Senr really hold both offices or is this one in October, an office for Thomas Junr. Thomas Senr continued as Sheriff after his son died, but he had also been Treasurer.

No dower release is noted when Thomas Brookes sells land as follows. In North Carolina, this certainly doesn't mean a wife had died - there were many years when the dower release was not required:
1784-1868: A wife's right to one-third of her husband's land became
effective only at his death, meaning that during marriage his control
was absolute. He could sell any and all of the property. His control
was called his "curtesy."
Women and the Law of Property in Early America, Marylynn Salmon
(Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1986).
As found in Post #881, Caswell County Historical Assn Yahoo Group.

Caswell DB H
p.395
20 Feb 1794 Thomas Brookes to William Holderness for 300£. 300 acres on Moon's Crk, being tract Brooks purchased of Thos Wilson & Wilson of William Morris, which Morris purchased of Earl of Granville on 7 Jun 1762. 'Wit: Benj. Shelton, Armstead Watlington, Leonard Shelton. [See DB A, p.28]
p.396
18 Feb 1794 Thomas Brooks to Charles B. Brooks for 100£. 200 acres on Moon's Crk adj Page, Swift. Wit: William Holderness, Jonathan Brooks, Ann Brooks.
p.426
7 Mar 1795. Thomas Brookes as Sheriff. Lands of William Campbell sold re judgment.

Caswell DB J
p.126
9 Nov 1795 NC Grant #1123 to John Swift. 313 acres on Moon's Crk adj Ingram, Brookes, Cobb.
p.287
6 Apr 1796 Thomas Brookes to Jonathan Brookes for 100£. 270 acres on Moon's Crk. Wit: William Holderness, John Goodson.


Caswell DB L, p.220
4 Mar 1798
William Holderness to Thomas Brookes for 500£. 200 acres on Moon's Crk being land purchased of William Moore which Moore purchased of Earl of Granville, Jun 1762
Wit: Jonathan Brookes, Ann Brookes
Is this part of the land Thomas Brookes sold to William Holderness in 1794? See DB H, p.395.
Caswell DB M
p.49
2 Oct 1800 Thomas Brookes to Jonathan Brooks. 150 acres on Moon's Crk. Wit: William Holloway, Armd. Watlington.
p.248
25 Feb 1801 Thos. Brookes to Armistead Watlington for 100£. 150 acres on Moon's Crk adj Swift. Wit: Jonathan Brookes, Robert Holderness
10 Apr 1802 William Holderness to Robert Holderness for 200£. 390 acres on Moon's Crk adj Brookes. Wit: Armistead Watlington, Thos. Holderness
p.295
20 Aug 1801 Thomas Brookes to Jonathan Brooks for 112#, 10sh. 150 acres on Moon's Crk. wit: Armistead Watlington, William Holderness
Is this a corrected deed for the the deed of 2 Oct 1800?

1810 Caswell Co NC Census, p.5. There are two Thomas Brooks in this Census, but I believe the one on p.5 to be correct as he is shown as owning 7 slaves; the other Thomas has none. Two males in the household: 1m +45 [Thomas] and 1m 16-26. The sons were married - this could be the fatherless grandson Thomas living with him. In 1819 he gave land and slaves and his household articles to this grandson.

Caswell DB S, p.6
Joseph Bracken to Thomas Brooks Sen. for $450, 170 acres, north fork of Moon's Crk. Wit: John Bracken, Thos. Brooks Jr. [Bracken was actually an orphaned grandson]

Deed Book T
p.70 20 Jan 1819 Thomas Brooks to William Russell for $1200, Negro fellow Abram. Wit: J. B. Watlington, Thos. Holderness.
p.205 29 Nov 1819 Thomas Brooks Sen to Thomas Brooks Jun, son of Thomas Brooks, Jun. Dec'd ...170 acres [son Thomas was already deceased, and he is giving land to his grandson]
p.207-08 10 Dec 1819 To beloved grandson Thomas Brooks only son of Thomas Brooks dec'd ...3 slaves and household articles and livestock.
p.208 17 Aug 1819 Thomas Brooks Snr to beloved grandson Robert Holderness for love and affection....3 slaves, Ede and sons Lewis and Abram. [Robert Holderness' mother must surely have been a daughter of Thomas Brooks, Sr.]
p.211 17 Dec 1819 Thomas Brooks Sen. to beloved granddaughter Polly Adkins, only daughter of son Thomas Brooks dec'd, for love & affection, negro boy Wiatt, boy Haris. Wit: Thos. Brooks Jun. [Polly's brother], John Manley

Thomas Brooks Senior probably died soon after these deeds of 1819. The following estate file in the NC Archives is probably not his but that of a grandson. Only a Thomas Brooks, age 25-46 appears in the 1820 Caswell NC Census.

Caswell Co NC 14 Oct 1824. Jonathan Brooks, Thomas Graves, Armistead Watlington posted bond for settlement of estate of a Thomas Brooks, Deceased. [Printed Bond looks much like 1834, but it is 1824, a note on the back says plainly 1824.] Estate records received from North Carolina Archives also contain a lawsuit resulting from the beating of a slave named Ned of the goods and chattels of Thomas Brooks, deceased, brought by Jonathan Brooks, administrator of Thomas Brooks. The beating took place on the 10th of Jan 1825. Ned and a woman, Rosetter are the only slaves listed in the Inventory of Thomas Brookes submitted by Jonathan Brookes.
From "The Free Press" published in Halifax, 3 Sep 1824, North Carolina Deaths: "Caswell County. 12th ult Thomas Brooks, aged 28. LDS Microfiche #6046798. [This is approximately the time I formerly believed this senior Thomas had died from the estate records. But I now believe the above estate papers are not for him at all. The grandson was approximately 4 years older than this Thomas and could not have been younger based on the age of his father. However, Jonathan Brooks did have a son named Thomas who could very well have been this age. Nowhere in the estate papers is the relationship between Jonathan and Thomas stated. I do believe this deceased young Thomas can only be Jonathan's son Thomas.]

Birth	Abt 1730
Marriage	16 Dec 1749	Gloucester County, Virginia - MARY BLACKNALL
Death	Abt 1819

Spouse	MARY BLACKNALL ( - )
Child	Christopher Brookes (1755 - 1781)
Child	George Brookes (1757 - 1782)
Child	SARAH B. "SALLIE" BROOKES ( - )
Child	Jonathan Brookes (1762 - 1834)
Child	CHARLES B. BROOKS (1764 - 1816)
Child	Mary Brookes (1766 - 1840)
Child	Thomas Brookes Jr. (1768 - 1793)

Father	JONATHAN BROOKES (1710 - 1754)
Mother	ELIZABETH [BROOKES] ( - )
Sibling	Richard Brookes (1732 - 1790)
Sibling	Dorothy Brookes (1753 - )