Brooks Family History

David Brooks 1933 - 2012

2012-01-31T07:05:00.000-08:00

My Father, David Brooks born 26th March 1933 at 3 Burgess Cottages, Pannal Ash, Harrogate died this year on the 1st January 2012. My father was a real Gentleman and everyone who knew him, speaks of him fondly and of his gentle charming manner and his particular sayings.

He was married to my Mother Bernice Henderson born 6th Oct 1936 for 40 years until her untimely death in 1996. He had worked as a Solicitors Clerk for 32 years and then a Taxi Proprietor until he retired.

My father was never really a well man, and could be very stubborn but even though he would not help himself as much as he could, we all loved him and he will be greatly missed i feel already a huge part of my life has now gone. My regrets were not being able to help him as much as i wanted to and spend as much time with him as i wanted but non the less we did see other once a week and spoke on the phone daily.

My father had to retire at the age of 59 because of an operation that had gone wrong leaving him in pain.

In 2001 he had a small heart attack followed by 2 Deep Veined Thrombosis going into his Lungs, he had other small operations since that time a drawback of getting old and as each year went on he became frailer and older.

May 2010 he had 2 small strokes and he was never to be the same again, in 2011 we could see him getting worse and worse and slowly going down hill, he was having lots of mini strokes and i believe each one was damaging more and more of his brain. By November 2011 suffering with vascular dementia he was admitted to Harrogate District Hospital, Jervaulx Ward and would remain there for 7 weeks. On Friday the 23rd December he had contracted Pneumonia, he was able to have his last Christmas Day Dinner with us at his side, although he did think at one time i was his Dad [at least he thought i was someone important]. On Boxing day he had another stroke. I was going into the hospital to feed him and make sure he had enough to drink at dinner time and tea time but by Wednesday 28th December his health deteriorated, i stayed the night holding his hand and hoping he would get some comfort.

The next day Thursday 29th December we had to decide to stop all his treatment and just let him drift off, i was told by the Doctor he would not live the night, my sister arrived at the Hospital and we in a quiet private room stayed with him so he would not be alone.

The Doctors did not realise how strong willed or stubborn my father actually was he held on for another 2 nights finally taking his last few breaths at 6:55 am on the 1st January 2012 i was at his side the whole time.

I can not thank the staff on Jervaulx ward enough for the care they gave to my father those last few days, and to the support and kindness they showed to me, enabling me to stay at my fathers side for his last 4 days. I was comforted by everyone keeping me stocked up with food and drink, and just that hand on my shoulder and small hug, meant so much to me i also found it comforting when the staff at the end of their shifts made that extra effort to come and say goodbye.

Nigel Brooks
31st Jan 2012

Barnsley & Monk Bretton BROOKS

2011-06-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

Bedale & Masham area BROOKS

2010-05-26T04:19:00.000-07:00

I was contacted this last week by a lady who tells me her Great Great Grandmother is Hannah Brooks born circa 1813 in Summerside, Ilton cum Pott.

This has brought me back to old research and one which I deem important to try and resolve if I can any assumptions and speculation made.

Hannah was baptised in Masham on the 30^th October 1813 daughter of Joseph & Sally BROOKS of Summerside.

In my Family Tree I have a speculative link to Joseph BROOKS via my 5x Great Grandfather George BROOKS – I am working on the possibility they may be Half Brothers however so far everything I have tried to prove this has failed.

All records I have for George BROOKS indicate he is born circa 1763 in Wilsill, the only baptism at this time is in Pateley Bridge on the 4^th December 1763 son of James BROOKS.

I must state at this time that it is a known fact that the Pateley Bridge Parish Records are incomplete which is one reason a lot of evidence has been lost and many families either can not be connected using this method or just disappear.

My research revolves around James BROOKS who Marries Alice HUDSON in Pateley Bridge on the 6^th July 1756 my 6x Great Grandparents and the parents of George.

Alice dies and is buried on the 31^st January 1771.

On the 11^th May 1780 in Pateley Bridge a James BROOKS marries Mary FREAR at this point in time I do not know or prove whether this is my James BROOKS but I believe they are the parents of Joseph BROOKS he is Baptised on the 2^nd March 1783 in Pateley Bridge.

Mary is buried in Pateley Bridge on the 29^th October 1785 and it is here I lose sight of James and I do not know where he went.

I pick Joseph up again and can only presume it is the same Joseph son of James & Mary when he marries on the 25^th November 1807 in Masham to Margaret Ascough a witness at the marriage is George BROOKS. It states Joseph is a Bachelor age 25 and is a Weaver. [is this my George Brooks].

George has a marriage bond dated 1809 and surety for this Bond is a Robert ASCOUGH, Inn Keeper (this may be coincidence)….Robert ASCOUGH is also a witness to the Marriage in Kirkby Malzeard on the 6^th November 1809 George is a Weaver from Pateley Bridge.

AGAINST this theory is James BROOKS’ age born in 1730 a second marriage in 1780 makes him 50, the more likely scenario is I wonder if James had a son James who is lost from PR’s and therefore Joseph is my George’s Nephew ???? - However yet another James BROOKS marries in Pateley Bridge in 1783 and I do not know who his Parents are either.

What is a coincidence is both GEORGE & JOSEPH are Weavers both from Pateley Bridge and all my research shows so far that in Pateley Bridge at this time there are clearly 2 distinct branches of BROOKS Families one all are Farmers and live in the Bewerley area and one are Weavers living in the Church Bank area, of course this still does not prove anything but does give me something to consider.

At the time of writing this I have located more Bedale BMD’s in the early 1840’s of which I have now purchased in the hope they may lead me to new clues – my family have done a DNA test and it was trying to locate MALES down different BROOKS families coming out of Pateley Bridge did I find Joseph Brooks hoping for a Male line to exist as far as I am aware he only had 2 daughters from his second marriage to Sally Wilkinson in 1812.

Hannah c.1813 & Mary c. 1816 both baptised in Masham.

Many Thanks to my recent contact I have received a Photo of Hannah and now know she Married William Wright in Masham on the 20^th December 1834, Following the family via Census records Hannah always has a 2 year age discrepancy, this is also something I am trying to double check but so far everything I have seen so far does indeed suggest she is the daughter of Joseph & Sally.

Sadly all attempts to link the families together have failed Joseph dies in 1870 in the Workhouse in Bedale so no family member registers his death, the only thing I have is that they appear in one Census on the same page and they all live in the same place.

I do not know what happened to Mary, Hannah’s sister.

If anyone knows anything about any Masham, Bedale, Summerside, Ilton cum Pott , Moorhouse BROOKS relations I would love to hear from you.

Lost LEEMING Family

2010-02-22T23:17:00.000-08:00

I am trying to locate living descendants of John LEEMING born 12th April 1884 in Bridgehousegate, Bewerley, Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire.

John married Florence Annie Cooper on the 24th March 1905 at the Register Office, Ludlow, Shropshire. The family has been hard to trace to the present day as they moved around quite a bit.

After Ludlow they are found in Chapel - en - le - Frith where he had children. Leonard Reginald Leeming 1906 - 1923, George Joseph Leeming 1907, Cyril Leeming 1910 & Harold James Leeming 1914. They are then found in WALES where he has children John Harris Leeming, 1927 & Florence Annie Leeming 1928.

I know from LEEMING relatives in the Pateley Bridge area the family was in contact with them untill at least the 1940's

I do know also that Florence Annie Leeming who married Reginald Harry Miles on the 16th April 1949 in Sunbury - on - Thames tried to find information about her family from the LEEMING ONE NAME STUDY via a letter she wrote. Unfortunatley the connection was not made to myself and my LEEMING Research untill several years later and all attempts to make contact with her have so far failed, we do know her age is against us but we also can not find a death record for her, i also know she had at least one daughter born in 1952.

As regards her siblings i have already stated oldest brother Leonard Reginald LEEMING died in 1923. George Joseph LEEMING married in 1931 in Wakefield to Phylis Day as far as i know there are no children. Cyril LEEMING married Annie Ellis in Wakefield 1933 and i know of one son Geoffrey LEEMING born 1935 Wakefield. Harold James LEEMING married Winifred May Jones in 1934 Penistone and i know of one son Allen LEEMING born 1937 Penistone. John Harris Leeming married Sylia Gladys Sinton in 1949 Middlesex and so far that is all i know.

So if you are a descendant of any of these LEEMING Families especially GEOFFREY LEEMING & ALLEN LEEMING or know of any of their whereabouts please get in touch. They are the last BRANCH we know about and they have LEEMING Cousins hoping to meet up with them.

Update May 2010

New research has found that Geoffrey Leeming married Linda Ann Harrison in 1957, Geoffreys Father Cyril Leeming died in 1970 and his Mother passed away in 1997 last known address for them was 666 Evesham Road, Crabbs Cross, Redditch, Worcestershire.

Update June 2010

New research has found that Allan Leeming married Rosanna Murphy in 1959 last known address for them is from 1999 at Flackwell Heath, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

William John Robert Smith

2010-02-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

My fathers second cousin twice removed.. W J R Smith as i have found him was born 15th August 1876 at 11 Clarence Street, Middlesborough. His parents are Robert Alfred Smith and Christiana Burrill.

Christiana's parents are Barnabas Burrill my 5x great grandmother's [Ellen Burrill] nephew and Mary Anderson [my 4x great grandmother's [Elizabeth Anderson] sister.

Christiana dies in 1879 Brearton a small village just outside Knaresborough and Robert Alfred Smith then marries Elizabeth Brooks the daughter of John Brooks and the above mentioned Elizabeth Anderson so Elizabeth being my 3x Great Aunt.

With Smith being a very common surname i have always struggled to find any suggestion of him in Census Records although he is with his Parents in the 1881 Census the 1891 i believe i have found him in Shipley age 14 birthplace listed as brearton he is a farm Servant.

So far can not find him in 1901 or 1911 census can not see any Marriages for him or even his death - in fact untill today i have always assumed he had died at an early age just did not know where to look or even thought he may have gone abroad. Well all that changed today as i have just received his fathers death certificate and informant is W J R SMITH of Beckmeetings, Kirkby Malzeard.

So the hunt for him is on again - if any one has ever come across a WILLIAM JOHN ROBERT SMITH in this area the NORTH RIDING of YORKSHIRE at any point in time especially around or after 1927 when he registers his fathers death please let me know.

W J R Smith had a sister Elizabeth Ann Smith born 24th June 1878 at 19 Birks Street, Middlesborough i have always found her with the BURRILLS she has registered her Aunt Mary Ellen Burrills death in 1899 Ripon. By the 1901 Census she is back in Harrogate at 89 Valley Drive a servant. That is also the last time i see her and nothing obviouse in the 1911 census or Marriage or Death records.

Burrill, Atkinson, Layfield & Lister

2010-02-21T14:30:00.000-08:00

After a letter from a descendant of Hannah Layfield my attention was brought back to a part of my tree i had not really visited since 2006. The descendant wanted to know how i knew her earliest proven ancestor Esther Atkinson [by marriage] was in fact a Burrill. I knew this via Parish Records in Middlesmoor.

My attention was brought to John Lister born circa 1853 in Ilkey - so far i have taken him back to his earliest known Ancestor James Lister born 21st March 1785 son of John & Ann Lister. [research ongoing and documents sent for to prove this].

The family are noted to be from Hangingstone the top side of Ilkely and my Fathers [via his mum] 2x Great Grandfather Francis Dobson born in Ilkley circa 1824 sister Elizabeth Dobson born circa 1833 marrys a Lister Robinson in Otley on the 5th April 1859.

Lister Robinsons mother is Ann Lister born circa 1815 in Baildon and Census records show them at Prospect House, Hangingstone - early suggestions are while awaiting documented proof that Lister Robinsons Grandfather John Lister is a sibling of the earliest proven ancestor of John Lister.

Out of interest my fathers 4x Great Grandparents Michael Dobson born 1750 Ilkley & Elizabeth Lister - unknown origin but born circa 1755.

Unfortunatley i am unable to link this Lister to the others but my research will obviousley surround all the Lister Families in the Ilkley areas at this time......

If anyone knows anymore please let me know....my intentions will be to go back into the Ilkley & Addingham Parish Registers of which i have Transcribed copies of.

Going back to the Burrills and Layfields of Ramsgill, Colthouse & Gouthwaite Hall i have also been able to connect more families to their earliest ancestor and have collected more documentation as proof.