The Family of Mr. & Mrs. Robert Brooking
(Great Grandparents)
Robert Edward |
Ellen
Thompson |
Robert Edward Brooking
Notice the spelling of the surname? Robert Edward my second great grandfather, spelled his surname Brooking as I believe his ancestors spelled their name. Robert was born in Georgia in 1822.
Robert moved with his parents Charles and Rebecca from Hancock County, to Pike County Georgia about 1834. It is believed that Robert first married Arcaty Tyler in June of 1847. The next record located referencing Robert is the license for his marriage to Ellen Elizabeth Thompson in Crawford County Georgia, in 1850. Arcaty is presumed deceased at this time. After their marriage, the names of Robert and Ellen do not appear again until the 1860 census that records them in Jefferson County, Florida.
The 1860 census shows Robert's occupation as an "Overseer." In reading the history of Jeferson County, it seems there were several large plantations in Jefferson County with cotton being the main crop. I believe it is safe to assume that Robert “oversaw” one of these plantations. Land records located in the Court House in Monticello, Jefferson County reveal,
“On the 28th day of December 1863, Robert E. Brooking purchased 78 acres more or less for the sum of four hundred and fifty dollars. This Indenture made this twenty eighth day of December in year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty three between John A. Hollman of the County and State aforesaid of the one part and Robert E. Brooking of the State of Georgia of the other part."
This indenture provided evidence that Robert was from Georgia and that his surname was spelled Brooking.
Robert, nearing the age of forty-four years old, was unable to escape the war that ravaged the south. He enlisted in the First Florida Reserve Regiment September 8, 1864 and was paroled at Tallahassee on May 26, 1865 after the regiment’s surrender. His war records also record his name as Robert Brooking.
The 1st Florida Reserve Regiment was constantly being consolidated with other Florida regiments. The reason for the consolidations was only one example of the misfortunes of war.. Florida regiments lost a large number of their men to both combat and sickness during the Civil War and in effort to make an effective fighting force many of the regiments had to be combined. The 3rd Florida Infantry regiment was the first regiment to be consolidated into the 1st Florida Reserve Infantry. Later, the 4th Florida Infantry was consolidated, and on April 9, 1864, the 6th and 7th Florida Infantry regiments were consolidated into the 1st Florida and the resulting unit was known as the First Florida Consolidated Infantry.
After the war ended Robert quickly returned home. A promissory note located in the Jefferson County Courthouse reveals that in March of 1869, Robert rented fifty acres of land and agreed to repay the loan with enough seed from his cotton crop to satisfy the amount of the loan, in addition to forty-one dollars owed from a previous year's loan. With his background as an overseer, I am certain that this would be no problem for him.
The 1880 Jefferson County census shows Ellen, Robert’s wife, living with her son J. M. Brookins and his wife in Jefferson County. The census lists her as a widow, so Robert is assumed deceased by 1880. Ellen appears in the 1885 Jefferson County Census living with Littleton and Ella (my great grandparents) and their new daughter Katie.
The perplexing question now is how did Robert’s son Littleton end up with the spelling of Brookins? I believe there are several good reasons. First, in a letter written by Littleton to his son Archie a month before he died, he tells his son Archie, “I can’t write and you no I have to wate until the rest get ready to write for me then I write.” My second reason is, the “g” in Brooking can easily be mistaken for an “s,” whether a person is illiterate or not. Third, on a later visit to the Jefferson County Court House, I stopped by the Circuit Court Clerk’s office and asked if he could tell me anything about the Brookins family. The clerk responded with “You must mean Brooking. All of the Brookins families in Jefferson County are Black." I later found that the same response was given to several other Brooking/Brookins researchers visiting the Jefferson County courthouse.
My research now leads me to beliee that Robert Edward Brooking is the son of Charles Vivion Brooking (~1790-1844) and Rebecca Clark (~1797->1855).
Charles and Rebecca
Ellen E. Thompson, my second great grandmother was born abt 1832 in Georgia. It is possible that the Monroe Bounty, Georgia census of 1850, page 41 list Ellen as Oline, brother of William Thompson.
In 1880, the Jefferson County Federal Census, dated June 17th records Ellen living with her son J.M. Brookins and his wife Prudence. Also living with them is Littleton, and Rebecca.
In 1885, the Florida Census records Ellen now age 53 living with her son Littleton and Ella.
As of now, this is the only information that I have on her. Hopefully future research will turn up additional information on the life of Ellen and her ancestors.
The family of Robert and Ellen
Name: Robert Edward Brooking
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Birth: abt 1820 Georgia
Death: BET 1870 AND 1880 Jefferson County, Florida
Father: Charles Vivion Brooking (~1790-1844)
Mother: Rebecca Clark (~1797->1855)
Marriage: 17 Dec 1850 Crawford County, Georgia
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Spouse: Ellen E. Thompson
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Birth: abt 1832 Georgia
Death: aft 1885 Florida
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Children
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1 M: James M. Brookins
Birth: abt 1855 Georgia
Death: aft 1894 [Location Unknown]
Spouse: Rebecca Letchworth
Marriage: 1 Feb 1888 Jefferson County, Florida
Spouse: Prudence A.
Marriage: abt 1883 [Location Unknown]
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2 M: Littleton Thomas Brookins
Birth: Sep 1858 Georgia
Death: 22 Jun 1928 Suwannee County, Florida
Spouse: Ella S. Walker
Marriage: 16 Apr 1884 Monticello, Jefferson County, Florida
Spouse: Cora Wilson
Marriage: 29 Jun 1911 Suwannee County FL
Spouse: Corine Wade
Marriage: 21 Jun 1918 Suwannee County, FL
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3 F: Rebecca J. Brookins
Birth: 15 May 1859 Jefferson County, FL
Death: 18 Aug 1924 Jefferson County, FL
Spouse: Noah Howell
Marriage: 28 Oct 1880 Jefferson County, FL
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4 M: Robert Brookins
Birth: abt 1867 Florida
Death: [Date Unknown] [Location Unknown]