Person Page - 2702

       Major Thomas/5g Brooks Jr. was born circa 19 Aug 1760 (g.s.), probably at Glastonbury, CT, though no birth record survives.³ Connecticut state records show that he and his brother Levi served as privates in Capt. Hale's company of state troops in 1776.⁴ He married, by 1778, Lucy/5g Brooks, daughter of Capt. John/4g Brooks and Mary Crofoot, and thus his 1st cousin.^1,3
     "He was a soldier of the Revolution and was at the battle of Bunker Hill.", says an 1869/70 gazetteer of Norwich, NY.^5,6 The baptismal record of his son John, 4 Jul 1778 at Glastonbury, notes that the child was sponsored by his mother alone, "the father being in the Army." Smith's Hist. Chenango and Madison Counties assigns to Thomas Brooks, as a major of militia, a critical role in the Mohawk Valley campaign of 1777, as follows.⁵
     In August, 1777, Joseph Brant's Iroquois warriors and Loyalist units under Sir John Johnson and Col. John Butler combined with St. Leger's British troops to lay siege to Fort Schuyler. A relief force of colonials under Herkimer was bloodily repelled at the battle of Oriskany, and Herkimer killed in the action. Yet the siege was raised on the 22d, owing in part to a panic created by the appearance in the British camp of Yost Schuyler, nephew to Gen. Schuyler, who reported that the Americans were approaching in numbers like the forest leaves, and that he himself had barely escaped with his life, in confirmation of which he directed attention to his coat, which bore the marks of several bullets. The Indians, who had lost about 70 warriors at Oriskany, were thoroughly alarmed and hastily departed for their boats on Lake Oneida, "killing on the way thither many of their tory allies, and became, in their terror, wrote St. Leger, 'more formidable than the enemy they had to expect.'"
     Smith adds, in a footnote, "Hon. Yost Schuyler had been captured and sentenced to be hung by Gen. Arnold, who was marching to the relief of Gansevoort. But Major Brooks prevailed on Arnold to make use of Schuyler, a half-witted fellow, in a novel manner. He was promised his liberty if he would go to the camp of St. Leger and give such an exaggerated account of the number of Arnold's army as would be likely to create a panic in St. Leger's Indian allies as would compel him to raise the siege; and failing in this his brother, who was held as hostage was threatened with the death to which he had been condemned. Right well did he fulfill his mission."⁷
     N.B. The story of the misleading errand of Yost Schuyler is well known and documented in histories of the Mohawk Valley campaign. Smith's identification of Thomas Brooks as its inspiration, however, is new to this writer, and ought to be regarded skeptically without additional confirmation, preferably from Thomas Brooks's Revolutionary War records, if such still exist.
     About 1783 Thomas Brooks removed north to Franklin County, MA, where he is reported at Leyden in 1783.⁸ In 1788 he was at Deerfield, MA, "with wife Lucy and ch. Thomas, John, Elijah, Suretis, Thetis and Clarissa, but they soon disappear."⁹ The 1790 census at Deerfield (Franklin County) reported a Thomas Brooks household with one adult male, six males under 16 (who would be sons John, Elijah, Thomas, Theseus, Socrates and Clitus), and two females (wife Lucy and daughter Clarissa).¹⁰
     Smith's Hist. Chenango & Madison Counties reports that Thomas Brooks settled about 1790/91 on the west green of what became Norwich, NY, on which he built "a log cabin without using either hammer or nails." Other secondary sources report the family's arrival there as late as 1794.^11,12,13 Thomas Brooks taught the first school at Plasterville or Sherburne Four Corners (North Norwich, first settled in 1794).^14,15,16 Thomas subsequently removed "to the south-east corner of Plymouth, to the farm now [1880] occupied by Ambrose Bryant."¹⁷ In 1800 he sold his Smyrna farm to Stephen Parker.¹⁸ At Plymouth's first town meeting, held 3 Mar 1807 at the house of Walter Bement, Thomas Brooks was chosen one of three tax assessors.¹⁹ Elected a trustee at the organizing meeting of The Friends to Theological and Civil Society, 9 Sep 1807.¹⁹
     Thomas died on his homestead 30 Aug 1822 (g.s.), "age 62 years and 11 days."^3,19 His obituary, published in the Norwich Journal, 4 Sep 1822, relates: “On the afternoon of Friday last, Major Thomas Brooks of Plymouth, in this county, was killed by the fall of a tree. … He, one of his sons, and several others were felling trees for the purpose of clearing a piece of land. Two men were engaged in chopping a tree which was hollow. They gave notice of the fact, and cautioned the others to keep out of the way; but they did not move until the tree was about to fall. When the tree started, it appeared to be falling in the direction in which Major Brooks stood; he ran towards the south, and unfortunately the tree fell in the direction which he ran. For some reason unknown, when he had nearly cleared himself from the tree, having but about eight feet further to go to be beyond its reach, he stopped, turned and looked at it, and remained motionless, until the top struck him. The flesh was stripped from one side of his head, but the bone was not fractured. His shoulder and breast were very badly injured. He was taken up and carried into the nearest house, where he lived in great agony for about an hour and a half, and then yielded up his spirit to that God who gave it; and whose inscrutable, but righteous Providence, has called him from his friends and weeping family to an untimely grave. His funeral was attended by a large concourse of people. His funeral sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Stacy of Hamilton. Major Brooks was one of the few surviving patriots of the Revolution; and has always been respected by his fellow citizens as an industrious and worthy man.”.²⁰
     Thomas Brooks died intestate. Probate documents dated 12 Sep 1822 mention (brother) Levi and (son) Cassius C. Brooks. 24 Sep 1822, wife Lucy was appointed administratrix of his estate, which was appraised by sons Clitus and Socrates.^21,22 Lucy died at Plymouth 31 Dec 1827.²³ They are buried in Stewarts Corner Burying Ground, Chenango County, according to records at the Chenango County Historical Society, although their stones are now lost. Thomas's g.s.was inscribed, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord In Memory of Thomas Brooks Who died August 30th 1822 Aged 62 years and 11 days Husband to Lucy & father to John, Clarisa, Elijah, Thomas, Roswell, Electra, Socrates, Theseus, Clitus, and Caius the best of fathers how shall we discharge the gratitude and duty we owe him. For die to live is Christ & to die is gain. Lucy's stone read, In memory of Lucy consort of Thomas Brooks died Dec 31 1827 aged 71 years __ months. My children dear come drop a tear on your kind mother’s grave that ______your infant lives to save.^24,25
     Smith also relates that Thomas Brooks participated in Shays' Rebellion, "a fact which he always admitted and justified."²³
     "Mr. Brooks specially prided himself on the classical nomenclature of his large family of sons — Cassius, Caius, Brutus, Marcus, Antony, Socrates, etc."²⁶

       Lucy/5g Brooks was born 1 Jul 1754 at Glastonbury, CT.¹ She married, by 1778, Major Thomas/5g Brooks, probably son of Thomas/4g Brooks and Susanna (?), and thus her 1st cousin.^2,3 In 1788 he was at Deerfield, MA, "with wife Lucy and ch. Thomas, John, Elijah, Suretis, Thetis and Clarissa, but they soon disappear."⁴ The 1790 census at Deerfield (Franklin County) reported a Thomas Brooks household with one adult male, six males under 16 (who would be sons John, Elijah, Thomas, Theseus, Socrates and Clitus), and two females (wife Lucy and daughter Clarissa).⁵
     Smith's Hist. Chenango & Madison Counties reports that Thomas Brooks settled about 1790/91 on the west green of what became Norwich, NY, on which he built "a log cabin without using either hammer or nails." Other secondary sources report the family's arrival there as late as 1794.^6,7,8 Thomas subsequently removed "to the south-east corner of Plymouth, to the farm now [1880] occupied by Ambrose Bryant."⁹ There he was killed by a falling tree 30 Aug 1822.^3,10 He died intestate, and Lucy was appointed administratrix of his estate, 24 Sep 1822.^11,12 She died on their farm at Plymouth, NY, 31 Dec 1827, at age 73.¹³ They are buried in Stewarts Corner Burying Ground, Chenango County, according to records at the Chenango County Historical Society, although their stones are now lost. Thomas's g.s.was inscribed, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord In Memory of Thomas Brooks Who died August 30th 1822 Aged 62 years and 11 days Husband to Lucy & father to John, Clarisa, Elijah, Thomas, Roswell, Electra, Socrates, Theseus, Clitus, and Caius the best of fathers how shall we discharge the gratitude and duty we owe him. For die to live is Christ & to die is gain. Lucy's stone read, In memory of Lucy consort of Thomas Brooks died Dec 31 1827 aged 71 years __ months. My children dear come drop a tear on your kind mother’s grave that ______your infant lives to save.^14,15

       Clarissa/6g Brooks was baptised 28 Feb 1780 at Glastonbury, CT.¹ At Deerfield, MA with her parents, 1788.² Her parents settled about 1790/91 on the west green of what became Norwich village, Chenango County, NY.^3,4,5 She taught the first school at Plymouth, NY, in 1800 or 1801. "The school-house in which she taught was a log structure, and stood a little below the store occupied [1880] by James B. Anthony. It was an uncouth structure and soon gave place to a more commodious one."⁶ Clarissa lived on the family homestead at South Plymouth[, where she was recorded in 1860, keeping house for her widowed brother Cassius], with real estate of $6,000 and personal estate of $500.⁷ "A teacher most of her life," she died on the homestead, unmarried, in 1869.^8,9
     The Syracuse Herald Journal, on 19 Oct 1952, published the following story, entitled "Beauty Gave Up Love to Teach.”     
     "Clarissa Brooks, a surpassingly beautiful daughter of a Revolutionary major, gave up love, hope of a family, everything. In 1801, she was a grown girl, but had secured a fairly good education. There were a large number of families that had come to Chenango, and a still larger number of children. It was depressing to the educated Brooks family to see these children growing up unlettered. It was then that Clarissa made her decision. She would teach them.
     "She first taught in a small log schoolroom in 1801 and was still teaching in a larger wooden structure in 1845. She rode her horse to school each day from her father's house. At times, one of the Prentis boys would ride around and escort her home, and one day he told her of a farm he was about to buy. He was undecided on the purchase, he confided, until he knew whether the pretty teacher would be his wife and go with him to Georgetown. A bit sadly she later told the Prentis boy of her decision, and although he continued to press his suit, Clarissa always shook her head. She loved him, she admitted, but here were those children, waiting to be taught and with no one else to teach them. Were not there several lives of more importance than her own life?
     "Some time later a horseman rode to the school door and told the teacher that misfortune had struck her home. Her father, the major, had been killed in the woods that afternoon by a falling tree. School was dismissed and the young woman rode home to face the second great tragedy in her life.
     "Clarissa went to live with one of her brothers. The date of her retirement is unknown. When death came to her, her former pupils gathered in the old churchyard to hear the preacher tell the story of her usefulness to the community."¹⁰

       Elijah/6g Brooks was baptised 3 Nov 1782 at Glastonbury, CT.¹ At Deerfield, MA with his parents, 1788.² His parents settled about 1790/91 on the west green of what became Norwich, NY.^3,4,5 Died before 1822.⁶