Clayton Connections with the Brooks Family

Tue 20 Oct 2009 12:52:01 PM EDT

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The Clayton family is closely associated with BROOKS in Bucks Co. PA, Kent Co. DE, and Hyde and Craven Counties in NC. However only in the first of these have I found an intermarriage, and I have not been able to trace a connection between the Bucks County record and the family in Kent Co. DE

18?? Simon Brooks of Rushland in Bucks Co PA was the uncle of William Bonham Clayton. William was son of Amos K Clayton, born in Montgomery Co., Pa in 1816. Amos apparently married a Brooks or else Simon's brother married a Clayton. (Cf. Gen and Personal Hist. of Bucks Co, Wm H. Davis 1905/1975 p 556)

Brooks in Kent Co. DE

In a Sept. 3, 1685 deed of 1000 acres to John Edmondson, John Brooks is said to be a doctor from Dorsett Co. MD. A witness was Edward Pinder. (Deed book p. 303).

In 1687 James Brooks was named a justice of Kent Co. and took the oath of office. The same year the commissioners of William Penn confirmed a grant of 1000 acres at the head of Murder Creek to John Brooks, and Brooks shortly assigned the property to John Edmundson of Talbutt Co MD. His attorney, John Brinkloe acknowledged the deed.
(P. 581 on Kent Co. Deed Book 1)

1713 James Brooks will in Kent Co. DE, Proved in 1727:
sons: John, Arthur,Benj, James, Jr., Moses. wits were Lowbers and Mary Lenton. (There was an Arthur Brooks in Caswell Co. NC in 1777.)

1720 Brooks Abraham in Kent Co DE:
admin of young Joshua Clayton, son of John and nephew of his guardian Joshua, Sr. (Does this mean young Joshua had married Abraham's daughter?)

Arthur Brooks is mentioned again in a 1734 conveyance by John Brooks of Kent Co., hatter on Murtherkill HUndred. From this deed we can postulate the family line as follows:
James Brooks (died 1713) left John, Arthur, Benj, JAmes, JR. and Moses.
Arthur Brooks was deceased by 1734.
John Brooks may have been his son.

1741 Brooks Matthew will in Kent Co. DE
wit: John Clayton and Ebinezer Cowgill
sons: Jon, John, Thomas Evans. (This John was conceivably the John Brooks of Craven Co.)

Brooks in VA

There is some indication in Old Rappa Co. VA of a relationship of BROOKS with Thomas COLLEY, who was likely the grandfather of Mary Bedwell Webb Clayton, wife of James Clayton of Kent Co. DE:

1657 William Brooks was transported by Francis Browne who received grant of 370a in Rappa on s side of Puscatican Cr.
1673 Brooks Richard of Rappa Co. VA bought land from John Sherlock, Jr., a neighbor of Robert Bedwell and Thomas Colly on n side of the Totuskey. Wits Freshwater and Will Davis.

1685 Brooks Richard of Rappa Co. VA gave power of attorney to friend Thomas Colley to acknowledge deed of 426a n side of Totaskey to Robert Clarke.

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1642 William Brooks granted 300 acres WS of S branch of Nansemond River.

1694 William Brooks landed in Linhaven Par, of Princess Anne Co., transported by Capt. Hugh Campbell.

Brooks in Hyde Co.

(There is much good material on the Hyde Co. Brooks from my friend, Helen Shaw. It appears that Stephen Brooks, b. 1764, after becoming a sea captain was ordained as a Methodist minister in 1789 and went with Francis Asbury to what became Greene Co. TN where he served for many years. His brother, William, b. 1756 was ordained a Methodist minister in 1807 and established Bethany Methodist Church. He died in 1838 in Hyde Co.)

1708 Currituck Precinct will of John Brooks:
son John "Plantation whereon I now live".
son in law Wm Scott
wits Wm Swann
James Betts
(Betts shows up in Craven County some time later:
In 1745 Elisha Betts witnessed a Wm Carruthers sale to Mark Harford on s side of Bay River, which Wm Carruthers had just patented.
1746 Wm Carruthers sold Wm Betts 133a e side of Browns Creek, patented 1735 by Wm Carruthers. wit Elisha Betts.)

By 1716 John Brooks was in Hyde County.

In 1745 William Brooks assigned headrights to James Clayton, the first record of Clayton in NC. He was in Currituck Co., but the same year a part of Currituck Co. became part of Hyde Co.

In 1730 William Brooks registered his earmark in Craven, and in 1747 William and Stephen Brooks record their marks in Hyde Co.

In 1748 William Brooks sold 80 acres to Thomas Sowther in Hyde, adj to Henry Gibbs on Indian Ridge. (It does appear that William may have given James Clayton the headrights so he could get established in Hyde and that they were neighbors on Lake Matamuskeet.) So the question becomes: who was William Brooks of Hyde Co.? Was he related to the Kent Co. DE Brooks family?

This is a garbled record:
date?? Wn Brooks to Stephen Brooks bond 200P to be paid to Stephen Brooks. Condition assigns shall never interrupt but always give said Stephen Brooks full liberty and power to use his estate mentioned in a bill of sale from him, said Stephen Brooks to above bounded Wm Brooks of this obligation to be voyd. wit Jefse Midyett.

1756 Stephen Brooks and Mary of Hyde had son William Brooks.

1782 Stephen Brooks was in Hyde Co. Militia; over 50 years old.
1782 John Clayton was in Hyde Co. Militia.
1782 Paul Sparrow was in Hyde County Militia.

1778 James Clayton, planter of Craven Co. conveyed to Stephen Brooks, planter for 3 P 100 acres on Mattamuskeet Lake, part of 200 acre patent to said Clayton.
wit John Sparrow and Thomas X Brooks. Nov. 1778
Deeds B pp. 699-700

1797 Brooks Stephen NC Hyde will proved 1797
wit Thomas x Brooks, Banister Midyet
exor Wm Brooks, Jesse Midyet
son Isaac (got only 1 cow and calf)
son Wm 82a adj Thomas Brooks
son Stephen 150a
son Jacob 1 negro man, 1 family bible $10.00
dau Easter
dau Charity
Dau Sarah 30a adj Banister and Jesse Midyet south line.
Wm Brooks, Charity Brooks and Sarah Midyet: equal division of all the rest of my property
Hyde County Wills: will books 1,2,3 pp. 290-1 CR 53.802.1

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Brooks in Craven Co.

1730 William Brooks registered ear mark in Craven. It was perhaps his grandson, William Brooks, who in 1788 married Elizabeth Carraway. His descendants and those of Sarah Carraway Clayton and her husband Rev. James Clayton were thus cousins.

1734 John Brooks of Craven proved sale of Robert Stanton (In 1733 we have will of Jonathan Stanton, ship-carpenter in Kent Do., DE.)

1733 John Brooks witness to deed of Wm Carruthers to Sol Witherenton of 150a s side of Bay River part of 1220 acre grant to Neal O'Neale, and he dying, the same was taken by Daniel Shine by an escheat patent dated 14 Nov. 1739 other wits were Joseph Pleger and Benj Rice.

1738 John Brooks had patent for 110 acres in Beaufort (later Craven) County on N side of lower Broad Cr. adj. Wm Carruthers, a Branch, and a Small Creek..

1738 John Brooks patent e side of Browns Cr. adj Wm Carruthers. 110 acres. (Same as the one above n side of Lower Broad?)

1741 John Brooks, with Robt Spring, Nichs Purify and Thos Fulcher took the oath of allegiance and subscribed to 39 articles of Religion, dissenting from 36th and latter part of 27th.

1745 John Brooks sold 100 acres on north side of Lower Broad Cr. to Charles Howard. (patented 1736)

1769 Joseph Brooks 500 acres both sides of path that leads from Trent Swamp to Broad Cr. adj Hynson Wright and Howards and Wrights Corner. Patent

1769 Joseph Brooks 100 acres S side of Bay river and W side of Wanes Cr. and head branch of Spring Cr. adj John Carruthers, Benjamin Whitear, William Brooks and Wm Carruthers.

1769 John Caruthers 600 acres S side of Bay, adj Benjm. Williams, Francis Delamar, fork of branch above Amos Squires Plantation, a gutt, and E. side of Neals Cr., being called the bounds of Daniel Shines old patent.

1771 Clayton James NC Craven grant for 500a SW Lower Broad Cr. adj Delamar, Brooks, Bryan, Wilkes. This may be Robert Newell, surveyor of James Clayton, Sr.' 1771 500a on SW Lower Broad Cr. adj Tho Delamar in John Moore's Back Line to Tho Delamar's back line to Jos Brooks' corner to John Bryan's line along John Bryan's line to Robt Brinson? corner to Jos Wilkes' line Robt Newall? survey chain bears James Clayton, Jr. and Jos Hipps or Tripps Three years later Nathaniel Carraway, son of Thomas Carraway, bought 75 acres "part of William Brooks patent for 300 acres at the head of Trent Cr. It bordered land already owned by (a younger) Thomas Carraway.

1774 Joseph Brooks, planter to James Clayton, blacksmith for 35 lbs 250a s side of Bay River e. side of Trent Cr. at head of easternmost swamp or branch, being half of Joseph Brooks patent for 500a of 5 May 1769 adj Hinson Wright and Wm Carruthers
wits: John Bryan and John Parkinson

1788 William Brooks married Elizabeth Carraway, most likely daughter of Thomas. Bond signed by Joshua Carraway and witnessed by Asa Bryan. (the only Joshua I know would have been Thomas Carraway's grandson, son of Nathaniel.) 1788 Sarah Brooks md Joshua Ballance Carraway in Craven. 1806 Elizabeth (Betsy) Brooks Morris, widow of John Morris, and daughter of Joseph Brooks, md Francis Delamar IV, son of Thomas. Had children Hawkins and John A, went to GA 1822, came back in 1825 after Francis Delamar had died.

Note again that the first record of James Clayton in the area was headrights he was given by William Brooks with which he probably got his first patent in Hyde Co. Also when his son, James Clayton, move to Craven Co some 22 years later, he acquired property very close to Joseph and William Brooks. The Brooks intermarried a number of times with the Carraways, as did the Claytons. Finally note that Joseph Brooks received a patent for 500 acres in 1769 and in 1774 sold half of it to James Clayton as well as some of it to Nathaniel Carraway.

One might guess that John Brooks, in Craven as early as 1730, had sons William and Joseph, both of whom had land at Trent (and Joseph had land on lower Broad, perhaps inherited from his father.)

The relationship between the Brooks families in Bucks Co. PA, Kent Co. DE, Hyde and Craven Counties, NC is a considerable mystery. But it is clear that the Clayton family had commerce of some kind with Brooks living in all of those places.


Appendix 1

On 17 March in 1734 John Brooks, hatter, sold to George Willson, yeoman 40 acres, part of New LIne in Murtherkill, adjacent land of Arthur Brooks. His wife Kettern Brooks quit her right. (Deed book L Vol 1 page 5. Abstracted by Mary Brewer on page 1 of one of her volumes of Kent Co. DE Land Records)

For corrections, comment, or inquiry write to

Larry Clayton

For other Princess Anne and Craven families look at Related Families