Person Page - 734

       Abigail/3w Brooks was born at Woburn, MA.¹ She removed with her family to Swansea, where she married, 16 Oct 1695, Levi/2 Preston, son of Roger/1 Preston and Martha (–?–).^2,3 Sister Abigail Press "Liveing in West Jersey:" is mentioned in the will of her brother John/3w Brooks of Swansea, 9 Apr 1713.^4,5 She died 24 Nov 1746 (g.s.).⁶ Buried in Old Cohansey Cemetery, NJ.⁶
     "At Fairfield, now Fairton, in Cumberland Co., NJ, there was a settlement of New England and Long Island people as early as 1705. Most of the settlers were located at a section about two miles southeast of the Fairton post office at a village, which they termed, 'New England Cross Roads.' Here came Levi Preston with his wife, Abigail Brooks … about the year 1709."⁷

       Rev. Timothy/3w Brooks Jr., 2d so-named, was born 9 Oct 1661 at Woburn, MA.^1,2 He followed his father first to Swansea.³ There he married, 10 Nov 1685, Hannah/2 Bowen of Swansea, daughter of Obadiah/2 Bowen and Mary Clifton.^4,5 They lived at Swansea for perhaps five years after marriage.
     About 1690 they followed Timothy's father to Salem County, West Jersey. According to Robert Peacock Brooks, they landed at the mouth of the Cohansey River, then Salem and today Cumberland County. "Some of these people settled along the north side and some on the south side. The Brooks, Bowens, Barrotts and the Swinneys settled along the north side near Bridgetown (Bridgeton) and called their settlement 'Bowentown,' or the Brooks Company, for the reason that Timothy Brooks, Junior, was their pastor. The region near the home of the Barrotts was known and is still known today [1927] as Barrotts Run ... Many of the descendants of Timothy, Jr. live in the region of Bowentown, and for many years his lineal descendants lived on the farm of his father at that place."⁶
     Timothy became a lay preacher of considerable influence, as Robert Peacock Brooks wrote in 1927:
     "Timothy Brooks (Junior) was much interested in the religious tenets of the Baptists and became a preacher with a considerable following. In 1687 a little band of Welsh Baptists left for Jersey, as has been said. Timothy Brooks's company kept a separate church society until 1710. During a part of this time this society — Seventh Day Baptist — worshipped in the homes of its members, as they had serious differences with the congregation of the First Day Baptists, which had organized as the Cohansey Baptist Church in 1690. This church was a little log church along the banks of the Cohansey Creek under the leadership of Rev. Thomas Killingsworth of Salem as their pastor. This church was used for about four years and was replaced by a small frame building at Sheppard's Mill. Due to the efforts of the Rev. Valentine Wrightman of Groton, CT, Timothy Brooks, Jr., and two of his daughters, united with the Cohansey church and laid aside their differences (predestination, the singing of psalms, the laying on of hands and a few other minor details of doctrine). The Rev. Killingsworth having died in 1709, Timothy Brooks became the pastor of the Cohansey Baptist Church in the same year that he united with it, 1710. This congregation worshipped in the small frame church at Sheppard's Mills until 1741, when they built a new church near the old graveyard, which may still be seen close to the Mills. In this cemetery many of the first Baptists of South Jersey lie buried, and here also is the marked grave of the first white child born in Cohansey — Deborah Swinney. Unfortunately for the genealogist and historian, but few of the graves are marked and we are at a loss to trace many of these early families. In 1802 the church was removed to Roadstown, where it is still standing, although it has been remodeled.
     "The Rev. Timothy Brooks was not 'eminent for parts or for learning, yet he was a successful preacher; meek in his carriage; of a sweet and loving temper and always open to conviction, and made the Welsh ministers labor to instruct him in the ways of the Lord more perfectly.' Mr. Brooks served as the pastor of this church until he died in 1715, having won the love of both flocks—the Seventh Day Baptists and the First Day Church—who were heartily united to him."⁷
     Son Timothy Brooks of Cohansey is mentioned in his father's will, 12 Mar 1709. Elder brother Timothy Brooks of West Jersey is mentioned in the will of his brother John, 9 Apr 1713.⁸ Timothy's son Seth and wife Rachel helped to found Cape May Court House Baptist Church, the first of that denomination in the county, in 1711/12, and Rev. Timothy Brooks presided over the formal dedication of the new church.^9,10 Two of Timothy's daughters remained true to their Seventh Day doctrine and were, among others, organizers of the Seventh Day Baptist Church of Shiloh.¹¹
     16 Oct 1711, Timothy and Hanna Brooks of Cohanse, County of Salem, West Jersey, granted power of attorney to "our well beloved brother John Brooks" of Rehoboth, to receive a legacy on their behalf, to be paid by Thomas Bowen of Swansea, "from his and our Hon'rd ffather Obadiah Bowen Sen'r."¹² 10 Mar 1712, John Brooks of Swanzey, as attorney for Timothy and Hannah Brooks, receipted to Thomas Bowen, executor, for 8 pounds 10 shillings, '& one bed & beding in full of a Legacie..unto sd Hannah Brooks.¹³' Thomas Bowen of Swansea reports, 12 May 1712, legacy to John Brooks for (brother) Timothy Brooks (of West Jersey) and Hannah his wife.¹²
     Timothy's will, made 26 Jan 1715/6 and proved 10 Feb following, mentions his wife and 7 children, and 20 acres "bo't of bro. John Brooks." [This may have represented John's share of the paternal estate of their father Timothy.] Among the witnesses was Caleb Ayars, probably by then Timothy's son-in-law. Though he described himself as "gentleman," Timothy's estate was inventoried on 6 Feb at a modest £157.1.3, including books and papers valued at £4.17.9.⁸
     "The history of the family in South Jersey bearing the Brooks name … is that of the three sons of Rev. Timothy [who] located on farms near their father north of the Cohansey," Robert Peacock Brooks wrote.¹⁴

       Josiah/3w Brooks was born 26 Aug 1681 at Swansea, MA.^3,1 Removed with his parents and several siblings, after 1690, to Cohansey, West Jersey.^4,5 A yeoman farmer, his wife was Lucy (–?–).⁶ "Josiah Brooks married and took his wife to a farm on the south side of the Cohansey [River], where their descendants still [1927] live. … Josiah and his children located south of the Cohansey in Fairfield."⁴ Brother Josiah Brooks, "liveing at West Jersey," is mentioned in the will, 9 Apr 1713, of John/3w Brooks of Swansea.^7,8 He died intestate.⁶ 25 Apr 1732, the inventory of his estate, amounting to £131.5.7, was returned by David Wascoat and William Batman (William/4w Bateman), his 1st cousin once removed. 8 June 1732, bond of Lucey Brooks, of Cohansey, widow, as administratrix of the estate; Daniel Wescote, fellow bondsman.⁶
     The village of Fairfield, now known as Fairton, was within Cohansey precinct, of which Josiah's probate indicates he was a resident. Robert Peacock Brooks adds a gratuitous Timothy ("(Timothy, Timothy, Henry)") to Josiah's pedigree.^9,10

       Pelatiah/2 Mason was born 1 Apr 1669 at Rehoboth, MA.¹ He married, 22 May 1694 at Swansea, Hepsibah/3w Brooks of Swansea.^2,3 Brother-in-law Palatiah Mason and sister Hepsabeth Mason of Swansea are mentioned in the will of her brother John/3w Brooks, 9 Apr 1713.^4,5 Pelatiah Mason and Thomas Lewis, executors and brothers-in-law, presented his inventory, 7 Dec 1714.⁶ His wife Hepsibah died 24 Aug 1727.⁷ A tanner and shoemaker, he died 29 Mar 1763 at age 93.⁸

       Thomas Lewis Jr., of Swansea, MA, there married, 10 Apr 1689, Elizabeth/3w Brooks of Swansea, daughter of Capt. Timothy/2w Brooks and Mary Russell.^1,2 Pelatiah Mason and Thomas Lewis, executors and brothers-in-law, presented the inventory of John/3w Brooks, 7 Dec 1714.³

       Roger/1 Mowry was admitted freeman of Salem, MA, 18 May 1631.^1,2 He married, by 1637, as her 1st husband, Mary Johnson, daughter of James Johnson.² Of Salem, 1631, Lynn by 1646, and Providence, RI by 1652.² He died at Providence 5 Jan 1666/67.² See The Great Migration, 1634–1635; Dean C. Smith, Ancestry of Emily Jane Angell, 414-34.²