"Unfortunately for his descendants, little is known of the early life of Revolutionary soldier William Brooks and there are indications that he had only limited knowledge of his family background. In 1834, when he lived in Rutherford County, North Carolina, he applied for a pension for his service in the Revolutionary War and stated that he was born at Yellow Breeches, Pennsylvania, in 1745, "as I was told by the man who raised me." The names of his parents are not known.
Yellow Breeches was the name applied to all lands adjacent to Yellow Breeches Creek, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The part of the county where it was situated subsequently became Cumberland County in 1750. Although it is entirely in Cumberland County, the creek forms a small portion of the boundary it shares with York County, thus the area known as Yellow Breeches at the time of his birth has since 1750 been located in both Cumberland and York Counties. His intriguing reference to "the man who
raised me" poses many questions. It can be speculated that he was possibly an orphan or was bound out as an apprentice at an early age to learn a trade, a common practice in that area at the time. It is significant that the Brooks name is found in records of the area long before the birth of William Brooks. His relationship to those Brooks families, if any, cannot now be
determined. Since it was an area settled in part by the English and the Brooks name is of English origin, meaning "a dweller near the brook or spring," it is assumed that he was of English descent. William Brooks demonstrated a remarkable memory in recounting the details of his service more than half a century after the Revolution. He related that he was living in Frederick, Maryland, when he enlisted for a term of twelve months in Captain Sims' company of Colonel Smallwood's regiment in February of 1776, shortly after the outbreak of the American Revolution. Soon after enlisting, his unit marched to Annapolis, then to New York, where he fought in the battle of Long Island on August 27, 1776. He was next engaged in the battle of Harlem Heights, which was fought on September 16, 1776, then marched to White Plains, where he participated in the battle fought there on
October 28,1776. In the battle at White Plains he suffered a broken leg, either through wound or injury. Sent to the hospital for two months, he was discharged at the expiration of his enlistment and arrived at his home in Frederick, Maryland, in March of 1777. Soon thereafter, he migrated to Guilford County, North Carolina, where in December of 1779 he was drafted into the army for three months and served in Captain Frost's company of Colonel Lytle's regiment. When the term of his service ended, he enlisted for another three months in the same company and participated in the siege of Charleston, South Carolina. When the siege proved unsuccessful,
the Americans surrendered to the British on May 12, 1780, and soon were paroled for the remainder of their enlistment, an accepted military practice at that time. In June of 1780 he arrived at his home in Guilford County.
In June of 1781 he was again drafted for three months and served in Captain Conner's company of Colonel Paisley's regiment. During this service he was in several skirmishes with Tories, Americans who were loyal to England, in the Deep River area of North Carolina. When his term expired in September
of 1781, he enlisted in Captain Frost's company of the same regiment for another three months, which was his last service of the Revolution, and upon his discharge he returned to Guilford County about the beginning of 1782.
About 1786, or soon thereafter, he moved to Sandy Run, in Rutherford County, North Carolina, where he operated a grist mill for many years, after living in Guilford County for nine years. In 1799 he received a land grant in Rutherford County from the state of North Carolina and by the time of his death he had acquired several hundred acres of land. Records of the Sandy Run Baptist Church identify the wife of William Brooks as Nancy Brooks. Although not proven, it appears that they were married when he lived in Guilford County. The 1790 census of Rutherford County lists them with six children under the age of sixteen and since they moved there about 1786, this clearly indicates that some of their children were born in Guilford County. Because of conflicts in the statistical census of 1790 and 1800, the composition of their family is unclear. In 1790 he was listed with six males but the 1800 census listed one female in the same age range who had not previously been included and reduced the number of males. From this it appears that the family included five sons and one daughter in 1790 but through error all were listed as males. The name of this daughter, who apparently died prior to 1840, is not known but indications are that she was among the oldest of their children. The portion of Rutherford County where
William and Nancy Brooks lived was cut off to form Cleveland County in 1841. William Brooks died there on January 22, 1844, when he was about ninety-nine years of age. He had the singular distinction of having served the cause of American independence as a Revolutionary soldier from two states, Maryland and North Carolina. Of Nancy Brooks, who was born between 1755 and 1760, little is known although she was living as late as 1840. No record has been found to indicate when she died, but it apparently was prior to the death of William Brooks. There is no record of a pension being
paid to her as the widow of a Revolutionary Soldier."[1]
Note N2William Brooks b. 1745, Yellow Breeches, Pennsylvania, occupation
Operated Grist Mill, m. About 1780, in Guilford County, North
Carolina, Nancy ?. William died Jan 22 1844, Cleveland County, North
Carolina. "In 1834, when he lived in Rutherford County (now located
in Cleveland County), North Carolina, he applied for a pension for
his service in the Revolutionary War..." "He had the singular
distinction of having served the cause of American independence as a
Revolutionary soldier from two states, Maryland and North Carolina."
H24**This is not this Williams grave: investigate! Alternate Death shows in Tennessee - review
Cleveland County
North Carolina USA
Cemetery notes and/or description:
BROOKS CEMETERY, Cleveland County, NC
Thanks to Roy Brooks for the use of this survey. This cemetery is located in Crawley Gin area of Cleveland County, NC. It is a couple of hundred feet off the east side of the Crawley Gin Road, SR 1330. The Crawley Gin is gone now. This cemetery only has one readable marker.
↑ Source: #S63 Page: Year: 1810; Census Place: Morganton, Burke, North Carolina; Roll: 39; Page: 335; Image: 0337912; Family History Library Film: 00229 Object: @M294@
↑ Source: #S67 Page: Year: 1840; Census Place: , Rutherford, North Carolina; Roll: ; Page: . Data: Text: Name: William Brooks CONT Birth: abt 1744 CONT Death: Object: @M295@
↑ Source: #S72 Page: 1830 US Census; Census Place: Rutherford, North Carolina; Page: 495; NARA Series: M19; Roll Number: 124; Family History Film: 0018090 Object: @M296@
↑ "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHBQ-7F8 : 24 August 2015), William Brooks, Rutherford, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 292, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 370; FHL microfilm 18,097.
↑ Source: #S72 Page: 1830 US Census; Census Place: Rutherford, North Carolina; Page: 495; NARA Series: M19; Roll Number: 124; Family History Film: 0018090 Object: @M296@
↑ "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHP6-SFH : 18 August 2015), William Brooks, Rutherford, North Carolina, United States; citing 495, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 124; FHL microfilm 18,090.
↑ Source: #S63 Page: Year: 1810; Census Place: Morganton, Burke, North Carolina; Roll: 39; Page: 335; Image: 0337912; Family History Library Film: 00229 Object: @M294@
↑ "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH26-6J8 : accessed 15 July 2017), Moses Brooks, Morganton, Burke, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 335, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 39; FHL microfilm 337,912.
↑ Source: #S62 Page: 1820 U S Census; Census Place: Rutherford, North Carolina; Page: 369; NARA Roll: M33_80; Image: 344 Object: @M312@
↑ "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHGS-HQ2 : accessed 15 July 2017), William Brooks, Rutherford, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 369, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 80; FHL microfilm 162,796.
Source: S46 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.; Repository: #R1 NOTE This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created.
Source: S62 Title: 1820 United States Federal Census Publication: Name: Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.; Repository: #R1
Source: S63 Title: 1810 United States Federal Census Publication: Name: Ancestry.com. 1810 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.; Repository: #R1
Source: S67 Title: 1840 United States Federal Census Publication: Name: Ancestry.com. 1840 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.; Repository: #R1
Source: S70 Title: American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) Publication: Name: Godfrey Memorial Library, comp.. American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.; Repository: #R1
Source: S71 Title: Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots Publication: Name: Hatcher, Patricia Law. Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.; Repository: #R1
Source: S72 Title: 1830 United States Federal Census Publication: Name: Ancestry.com. 1830 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.; Repository: #R1
Source: S74 Title: Maryland Revolutionary War Records Publication: Name: Ancestry.com. Maryland Revolutionary War Records [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.; Repository: #R1
Source: S78 Title: Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.; Repository: #R1
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