Person Page - 1236

       Sgt. Samuel/4k Brooks was baptised 18 Jun 1749 at Kittery, ME.¹ There he married, 3 [30, Stackpole] May 1770 (int. 6 May 1769), Olive Knight of Kittery, daughter of Gideon Knight.² Recorded in the 1790 census at Kittery, with two males 16 or older, five males under 16, and three females in the household.³
     1 Apr 1818, to claim a Revolutionary soldier's pension, Samuel Brooks, resident of York, ME, aged 69, deposed that he enlisted, 17 Apr 1775, for eight months as a private soldier in Capt. Tobias Fernald's company, Col. Scammon's Massachusetts regiment of the Continental army. (His brother William enlisted in the same unit on the same day.) [Note, however, that no Continental army existed on this date, two days prior to the outbreak of hostilities on the 19th at Lexington and Concord.] He stated he was in the battle of Bunker Hill; and that on the day his enlistment expired, he reenlisted in the same company, now under Col. Phinney, as a sergeant, for twelve months, which he served out before his discharge at Fort George. His affidavit was supported by those of two fellow soldiers who stated that they had served the entire time with him while he was sergeant.^4,5 5 May 1819, the claim was allowed, and Samuel Brooks was added to the pension roll of Maine at the rate of $8/mo.⁶
     14 Jul 1820, Samuel Brooks of Eliot, a. 71, filed a property and family schedule. His itemized property included 30 rods of land, half of a small house, two pine tables, six chairs, and sundry articles of iron and crockery ware. His family schedule included himself, a day laborer, unable to work by reason of bodily infirmity incident to old age; son John [R.?] Brooks, 28, able to support himself; (daughter and) widow Tempe Nelson, 23, subject to fits and unable to contribute; and grandchildren George Nelson, 6, and John Nelson, 2.⁷ Samuel died at Eliot in Jun 1826.^8,9

       Anna/4k Brooks was baptised 1 Sep 1751 at Kittery, ME.¹

       Pvt. William/4k Brooks was born 3 Jun 1755 at Kittery (now Eliot), ME.² Baptised at Kittery 5 Sep 1756.¹ Private soldier in the Revolution.^3,4 There he married, 21 Aug 1777 (int. 3 Aug), Mary Gowell of Kittery, daughter of Capt. John Gowell and Hannah Fernald.⁵ Their 1790 Kittery household included one male 16+ (William), two males under 16, and four females.⁶ His wife Mary died 9 Jan 1814.⁷
     28 Aug 1832, William Brooks, of that part of Eliot which was formerly Kittery, there made a declaration, signed by mark and taken at his dwelling house due to age and infirmity, for the purpose of claiming a Revolutionary soldier's pension. He testifies that 1 May 1775, he enlisted at Kittery in Capt. Tobias Fernald's company of Massachusetts militia, Col. James Scammon's regiment (as did his brother Samuel the same day), which marched to Cambridge and was employed in drill and guard duty. On the day of the battle of Bunker Hill, "Colonel Scammon received information that the enemy were landing at Lechmere's point and we were marched to that place when we arrived; there was no enemy to be seen at that place we marched back near to Bunker's Hill and halted; shortly after we were ordered into the battle; before we arrived at the entrenchments the Americans retreated." He testifies that he was sent with two other men of his company about 1 Oct to Watertown to protect an army paymaster, and remained there until the last day of December, when his 8-month enlistment expired and he was discharged.^2,8
     The claim was approved 18 Sep 1833, at the rate of $20.66 per annum, and his name added to the pension roll of Maine.⁹ His name appears on the 1835 list of Revolutionary pensioners, a. 79, service in the Massachusetts militia, resident in York County.¹⁰ He died at Eliot in 1837 [newspaper report dated 25 Nov].^3,11 The brief pension file mentions nothing more concerning his family or circumstances.⁹

       Mary Gowell married, 21 Aug 1777 (int. 3 Aug) at Kittery, ME, Pvt. William/4k Brooks of Kittery, son of Joshua/3k Brooks and Anna Staples.² Their 1790 Kittery household included one male 16+ (William), two males under 16, and four females.³ Mary died 9 Jan 1814, "aged 55."⁴ William died at Eliot in 1837.^5,6

       Sgt. Joseph/4k Brooks was baptised 20 Jan 1760 at Kittery, ME.¹ There he married, 5 Dec (int. 10 Nov) 1776, Abigail Fernald of Kittery, daughter of George Fernald and Eunice Knight.² Served in Capt. Daniels's company of NH state troops at Ft. Sullivan, 1776.^1,3,4 The household was recorded at Kittery in the 1790 census, with one male 16+ (William), two males under 16, and two females.⁵

       Abigail Fernald was born 26 Jul 1759 at Kittery, ME.¹ There she married, 5 Dec (int. 10 Nov) 1776, Sgt. Joseph/4k Brooks of Kittery, son of Joshua/3k Brooks and Anna Staples.²