Native American Research in Tennessee of our ancestors: John Brooks of Holland and John Smith of Virginia who's families ended up around Maury County ....

George Washington to Edmund Randolph, October 10, 1791


Mount Vernon, October 10, 1791.

Sir,

By the Post of Friday, I received your communications of the 1st. instant; and, from the character of Mr. Campbell I am glad to hear he is disposed to act as attorney for the district of Virginia; and that you had forwarded the commission to him for that purpose. Also, that a pardon had been sent to Samuel Dodge, as it appears that his errors were unintentional.

It is my wish and desire that you would examine the Laws of the General Government which have relation to Indian affairs, that is, for the purpose of securing their lands to them; Restraining States or Individuals from purchasing their lands, and forbidding unauthorized intercourse in their dealing with them. And moreover, that you would suggest such auxiliary Laws as will supply the defects of those which are in being, thereby enabling the Executive to enforce obedience.

If Congress expect to live in peace with the neighbouring Indians and to avoid the expenses and horrors of continual hostilities, such a measure will be found indispensably necessary; for unless adequate penalties are provided, that will check the spirit of speculation in lands and will enable the Executive to carry them into effect, this Country will be constantly embroiled with, and appear faithless in the eyes not only of the Indians but of the neighboring powers also. For, notwithstanding the existing laws, solemn Treaties, and Proclamations which have been issued to enforce a compliance with both, and some attempts of the Government s. west of the Ohio to restrain their proceedings, The agents for the Tennessee Company1 are at this moment by public advertisements under the signature of a Zachariah Cox encouraging by offers of land and other inducements, a settlement at the Mussle-Shoals, and is likely to obtain Emigrants for that purpose altho’ there is good evidence, that the measure is disapproved by the Creeks and Cherokees; and it is presumed is so likewise by the Chicasaws and Choctaws, unless they have been imposed upon by assurances that trade is the only object in view by the Establishment.

I am Sir,
Your most obedt hble Servt
GoWashington
To
The Attorney Genl
of the UStates

_______
Source : Library of Congress, American Memory, The George Washington Papers.

_______
1. The Tennessee Company referred to was one of three land companies in Georgia’s Yazoo land fraud. In 1789, the South Carolina Yazoo Company, the Virginia Yazoo Company, and the Tennessee Company were formed to buy land from the Georgia Assembly. For lack of good money the deal was not completed. In 1794, four new Yazoo companies, the Georgia Company, the Georgia-Mississippi Company, the Upper Mississippi Company, and the Tennessee Company managed to obtain through bribery, a vast amount of acreage, later this deal was voided. (See map)

These companies were granting land in Indian territory. Therefore, their grantees would be intruders. Most grant records of these companies have been destroyed.

• 1920 Madison Fenn on Commerce Street, Montg, AL (817 KB)
  he is Carrie's Uncle Mat or our great grandfather Wm F Fenn's brother who died in 1927 and is buried at Greenwood Cemetery by Wm F Fenn and near Emmett Fenn. Whomever buried Uncle Mat listed him as Matthew A Fenn, so they did not know much about the family's real names. Madison was a night watchman at a grocery store, according to this census, being widowed as his wife had died in Texas, prompting his return to Alabama. There is also a Rewis family on this census which we later find connected with Emmett Fenn.
• 1930 James Brooks and Susie Mae Cooper (1086 KB)
  Montgomery Alabama census... John BROOKS Self M Male W 42 PA Farmer HOLLAND FRANCE P. R. BROOKS Wife M Female W 38 TN Keeping House TN TN Nora C. BROOKS Dau S Female W 18 TN At Home PA TN Walter H. BROOKS Son S Male W 13 TN At Home PA TN John H. BROOKS Son S Male W 7 TX PA TN Lula C. BROOKS Dau S Female W 5 TX PA TN ... W. BROOKS Son S Male W 3 TX PA TN -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ Source Information: Census Place Precinct 1, Lamar, Texas.
• 1930 Uncle Wm Frank Fenn near Highland Avenue (998 KB)
  Carrie's brother, also brother of our grandpa Cecil Earl Fenn Carter. Uncle Frank, his wife Neva Mae Walraven, and her mother are living between Panama Street and Highland Avenue. He works on the railroad, like his brother Emmett. Uncle Frank later buys land in Coosada on Airport Road and has a family cemetery which includes his brother Robert's grave. The land later becomes Coosada Elementary School. Some is donated to the church for a cemetery. This is where cousin Martha remembered her mom, Neva, boiling Frank's workclothes in a pot outside from his job on the railroad. There was once a housefire where they lost many of their family photos and mementos, but one son remembered Frank having a photo of a guy in baseball uniform signed by Wm Arthur "Tige" Stone.
• 1920 Susie Mae Cooper (763 KB)
  Montgomery Alabama census with her mother Sallie E Carter, widow of Thomas R Carter and his first marriage was to Lacy Bozeman
• 1930 Eva Dakota Fenn on McDonough Stree (21 KB)
  She is now alone. At some point she moved in with her stepson Wm Frank Fenn Jr because my mother in law Mary Ella Brooks knew her and actually took her in when Eva and Frank did not get along. This might have happened in Montgomery before they all moved to Elmore County but yes, Mary Ella took care of the lady !! What a small world we live in < smiles >
• WWI Draft Registration Card (24 KB)
  James Edgar Brooks is in Forsyth Georgia so is he in our line?
• 1820 Elijah Fann/ Fenn in Laurens Georgia (407 KB)
  One of our great great grandfathers....married to Martha Rich and had John who ended up in Tuskegee Alabama and had a son named William Frank Fenn . Elijah's ancestors came down through the Carolinas and the wars and some were listed on the Georgia land lottery - such amazing history here !!
• 1910 James E Brooks in Montgomery AL (384 KB)
  on Hull Street with father in law listed as Crawford, children John and Dorothy....?W. P. BROOKS Self M Male W 55 TN Farmer NC VA Carrie BROOKS Wife M Female W 33 TN Keeps House TN TN John D. BROOKS Son M Male W 25 TN Mule Trader TN TN Roxanna BROOKS DauL M Female W 22 TN At Home TN TN Walter BROOKS Son S Male W 19 TN Farm Laborer TN TN Rolla BROOKS Son S Male W 5 TN TN TN Lilly BROOKS Dau S Female W 3 TN TN TN Kate JONES Other D Female B 35 TN Dom. Servant TN TN Oscar JONES Other S Male B 3 TN TN TN -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ Source Information: Census Place District 16, Maury, Tennessee
• 1930 Mary Ella Thornton ( married J E Brooks ) (855 KB)
  age 3 with her parents Milton Elijah and Bessie Thornton on Park Avenue in Chisholm, Montgomery County Alabama
• 1850 Cooper (93 KB)
  Chambers Alabama Alsey Cooper is widowed with children in Chambers..
• 1910 Wesley Allan Hood, father of Bessie Thornton (342 KB)
  Elmore County Census shows Mary Ella's grandfather but Bessie is listed on page two with her two brothers
• John Thomas Bozeman photo (386 KB)
  father of Lorena, husband of Alice Stephens... Peter E. BOZEMAN Self M Male W 46 AL Farmer SC SC Nancy J. BOZEMAN Wife M Female W 34 AL Keeping House AL GA John Thos. BOZEMAN Son S Male W 14 AL Field Hand AL AL Peter J. BOZEMAN Son S Male W 12 AL Field Hand AL AL Corintha BOZEMAN Dau S Female W 10 AL AL AL Robt. H. BOZEMAN Son S Male W 8 AL AL AL Martha J. F. BOZEMAN Dau S Female W 5 AL AL AL Allie Lucie BOZEMAN Dau S Female W 2 AL AL AL George M. BOZEMAN Son S Male W 1 AL AL AL -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ Source Information: Census Place Dublin, Montgomery, Alabama
• 1910 Wesley Allan Hood's children listed on PAGE 2 (19 KB)
  Elmore County Census shows Mary Ella's grandfather but Bessie is listed on page two with her two brothers
• 1930 Creek County, Oklahoma, Carrie Fenn Johnson (993 KB)
  Cousin Martha said that Aunt Carrie married a Ben Johnson and moved to Oklahoma where they had one daughter named Jean and they lived a very poor life and probably died there. Ben is shown to have been born in Texas.
• John Brooks of Pennsylvania in Texas 1880 census (833 KB)
  Shows his father is from Holland and his mother is from France and his wife is from Tennessee. John is 42 on this document and his children are born in Texas so they have been here nearly 20 years apparently. Roxanna Permilia Smith is using P R for her name on this.
• 1900 Choctaw Nation Texas, Ben Johnson (927 KB)
  some of Ben's siblings are born in Indian Territory but he shows born in Texas - all citizens are listed as white. There is another Johnson family living next to them. Ben's mother is born in Alabama. They must have returned later to Alabama when he met Carrie Fenn and married her and then they moved on to Oklahoma.
• 1860 John Brooks in Giles County TENN from PENN (643 KB)
  young man is a boarder in this household, just before he married Ms Smith and then they moved on to Texas.
• 1920 Carrie Fenn in Alabama with her father (701 KB)
  on Commerce Street with her stepmother Eva, we do not know why Carrie/ Carolyn never lived with her own mother, but her father was ill and she stayed. Her brother Emmett is also there but we do not know why they show his middle initial as J when his middle name was Marvin, but census officials were not perfect and if Eva was the person giving out the information, she probably had no clue. Eva Dakota Fenn was very young too !!

• Brooks Ancestry (23 KB)
  family of Charles Brooks
• John Smith, John Brooks, John Baptist Bond (17 KB)
  so many names in this line

• Tennessee History
• Tennessee Indian Tribes and Maps
• Our Roots and Branches
• Our Roots and Branches
• Our Roots and Branches
• Our Roots and Branches
• Our Roots and Branches
• My Home Page and Memorial to Charles Brooks
• Angelfire Webpage with links

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