CONCLUDING THOUGHTS..........
There is a genealogy (several of them in fact that all stem from one researcher without sources) that show Levi's father to be a Thomas born in 1719 (link below) to Samuel Brooks & Sarah of Glastonbury, CT. I don't think that this Thomas is my Levi's father. IF or WHEN I am proven wrong, I will loudly and publicaly proclaim it to the world and name you all in my will (jokingly spoken of course)! I do feel, the reasoning for doubt is logical. Consider the following:
There was indeed a Thomas Brooks born in Glastonbury, CT. in 1719 to Samuel & Mary Brooks per the Barbour Index Collection 1690-1854. It is said he died Feb 8, 1795. Glastonbury Buckingham-Eastbury Church Records 1731-1873 shows this:
This saysThomas' wife died. A death date of 1795 at the age of 72 would give us a birth year of 1723.
Interpretation is required when dealing with primary records.
The original entry, made in the true spirit of male chauvinism of
the period, reads, "Thomas Brooks, his wife (whose given
name we don't know), died ..." It's describing her death
almost in terms of his property, NOT describing his death.
The NEHG Register, Volume 62, Page 194 also
translates the above to read "The Wife of Thomas Brooks died
aged 72".
The 2nd person on the above graphic (Wid, mem ... ) would have
been born in 1734.
If Thomas did die in 1795, where is he buried? I've had two separate individuals check the records at the CT. State Library and they've found nothing. I say, that it was his wife that died in 1795 and if he is the father of Levi & Thomas, he followed his boys to New York -- which brings us back to the tombstones in Wilsey Cemetery, Athol, Warren County, N.Y. Thomas Jr.buried in Wilsey Cemetery died in 1801 and was 75 years old. He would have been born in 1726.
So, if not that Thomas -- than who? We have another Thomas Brookes. He was born 6 September 1690 in Simsbury, CT. to Samuel Brookes per the IGI (Batch 7450310 Source 0002897 indicating the info was extrated from birth, christening or marriage records).
There are also records for the marriages of 3 girls in the Fair Haven Church Records of Glastonbury, CT. that say their parents were Thomas & Susannah Brooks:
Ruth married Samuel Lamb
on 26 Jan 1764
Susannah married 25 May 1769 Joseph Androus
Sarah married 16 Jun 1768 John
Brooks?????????????
The Records of the Church in Bolton, Conn (as found in the NEHG Register) shows Thomas & Susanna Brooks as parents of the following:
Sarah born 2 Feb 1742
(IGI Batch 7450310 Source 002897)
Susannah Christened 5 May 1745 (IGI Film
#1985640)
Ruth Christened 26 Jul 1747 (IGI Film
#1985640)
Samuel May 7, 1748 Son of Thomas &
Susanna Brooks
It also shows a Susanna Brooks admitted
from another Church on June 14, 1741.
By logical extension, a Thomas Brooks born in 1690 could have got "out of Dodge" and had a son named Thomas - let's say in 1726 as that would agree with the Wilsey Cemetery tombstone for Thomas Jr. who died in 1801 at the age of 75. By the way, if you've not yet read the page on Wilsey Cemetery -- right next to Thomas Jr.'s stone is Thomas Brooks Slain in the French War near the French Mountain (remember that my great grandfather said Levi's great grandfather was killed in the F&I War.). These are in the same plot as Levi's grandson, Guy Brooks & family.
Glastonbury, CT. land records for Thomas Brooks begin in 1772 and end in 1780. Is it a concidence that it was 1780 when Levi sold his land and, we believe, went to Massachusetts or Vermont before settling in New York.
The association of the Brooks family with the Pendell family needs to be studied. William Pendell & Mehitable Parker (daughter of Ralph Parker of New London, CT.) had a daughter Susanna Pendell born abt 1687 in New London, CT. A FRAGMENT OF THE PENDELL STORY clearly shows the Pendell's & Brooks' were migrating in a similar pattern.
The History of Warren County by H.P. Smith, page 527 discloses: "There is but one hotel in the town of Thurman, now kept by John Loveland, Athol. There was formerly a tavern on the farm now owned by Loveland, which was built soon after 1820, and first kept by Guy Brooks. (Guy - son of Levi Brooks & Lydia Buck that married Betsy Pendell, a sister to the Elisha Pendell that married Susannah Brooks). The same Guy buried in Wilsey Cemetery, as is Betsy Pendell.
Last, but hardly least, there is the document stored at the Broome County Historical Society -- written by Dr. James Brooks & an unknown some hundred years ago showing "Buried in Athol, Warren Co. NY". Wouldn't you think they would have a better knowledge of their ancestors than those of us trying to dig it out today!
Below is a link to a genealogy for a Connecticut line of Brooks. Some say these are the ancestors of my Levi Brooks - I don't agree but perhaps you will see something I don't.
LINK TO THOMAS BROOKS BORN IN 1719 GENEALOGY