THOMAS BROOKS JR.
DIED 1801, age 75 yrs.
and
THOMAS BROOKS SLAIN IN THE FRENCH WAR NEAR THE FRENCH MOUNTAIN
WHO ARE THESE MEN?
Wilsey Cemetery of Warren County, near Thurman/Athol, New York - There is a plot for Brooks which holds Guy Brooks (1795-1879). Guy settled in Athol, N.Y. and had license there to run an Inn. He was the son of Levi Brooks and Lydia Buck. His two wives are buried by him. The two stones pictured above are so close to each other that they have to be Father and Son. The Thurman Town Historian tells me that her records show that Thomas Jr. is the son of Thomas.
I am Carol Pullen-Reynolds, a descendant of Levi Brooks and Lydia Buck. "Levi Brooks Sr. born in 1757. He was in the Revolutionary War - at Bunker Hill when but 20 or 21 years of age. He married Lydia Buck about 1780. To them was born Levi, Hannah, Pelatiah, Polly, Susan, Bethuel, Guy, Selah, Asa. Levi was a farmer in good circumstances - lived and died in Norwich." This quote was taken from the Memoirs of James Norman Brooks. He was the son of Asa Brooks and Betsy Pierce, grandson of Levi Brooks and Lydia Buck.
Per the book "Revolutionary War Veterans Chenango County-New York, Volume 1: Levi and Lydia are buried in Aldrich Farm Cemetery on the Plymouth/Norwich Road in Norwich, New York. The cemetery is off the road on a high prominence. His tombstone reads: Levi Brooks A Revolutionary Soldier Died Feb 12th, 1829 Aged 72 years & 16 days (which confirms the writing in the J.N. Brooks memoirs).
Additional quote from the writings of J.N. Brooks......... "My Father's (meaning Asa Brooks) great-grandfather was born about the year 1700 or 1720 - was killed in the French and Indian War in Canada in 1758, while holding office as Captain being wounded his men not being able to rescue him from the Indians, but saw him fire on them when they were within a few feet of him. He was found next day, his body mangled as none but Indians can do." When he says that Asa's great-grandfather was killed in Canada, remember that most of New York was being claimed as Canadian territory in those years.
Another indication that Levi's father and/or grandfather (?) is buried in Wilsey Cemetery is found in the patient ledger books of Dr. James Brooks (originals at the Broome County Historical Society, Binghamton, NY). He was the son of Pelatiah Brooks (one of Levi's sons). At the top, right hand margin of this document is written: "Killed Indian War Buried Athol, Warren Co., N.Y.". The genealogy page is written in two different color inks and probably two different hand writings unless his writing changed with age. When viewing the original patient ledgers, it appears that his ink well simply ran dry and he refilled it with another color ink as the later dated parts of his patient records are written with the 2nd color ink (matching his genealogy writings). This document indicates there were two boys, Levi and Thomas. I feel the two Thomas Brooks' in Wilsey Cemetery are member's of my Brooks line - especially since they are in the same plot as one of Levi's sons (Guy Brooks).
Ref: CT. HERO - Israel Putnam by John Niven: As I understand it, there was activity in the French Mountain area in 1758. Col. Lyman's & Col. Ruggles' Regiments were there in July with Connecticut men in their regiments with record of battles and "many being killed".
I do have more info for Levi and his descendants. I will gladly share what I have -- including photos of other graves in the Wilsey Cemetery (Guy, Obid Brooks 1835-1862, George A. son of L. & C.M. Brooks died 1863). Any information for this family will be most welcome and may help to discover who the Thomas Brooks' are in Wilsey Cemetery. My goal is to simply identify and honor an ancestor that lost his life in a hideous manner fighting for our freedoms.