My Genealogy Hound

JOSEPH W. BROOKBANK, carpenter, Higginsport, is the son of James Brookbank, who was born in Maryland September 13, 1791, of English parentage, and grandson of Abraham Brookbank, who was born in England in 1764, and emigrated to America when quite a boy; he was many times in the presence of Gen. Washington, but was too young to share in the military duties of the Continental war. By occupation, he became a house-joiner, but in later years followed farming. About the year 1801, he and family settled in Washington County, Ky., where he resided until his removal to Ohio in 1816, where he purchased 160 acres of land (jointly with his son) in Lewis Township. After spending a few days in their tent, they erected and moved into a rude log or pole cabin. He cultivated this land until 1838, when he moved to Higginsport, where he died, in 1846. aged eighty-two years; his wife preceded him, April 3, 1840; her maiden name was Muriel Watson, and she was the mother of four children, all now deceased, except James, the father of Joseph, who was the eldest, and who, from early in the present century, resided in Kentucky, where he married in 1816. As he was a wheelright, he never followed farming. He located in Higginsport about 1822, and conducted his trade as long as there was a demand for his labor, but finally inventive genius had rapid methods of performing this labor, and he engaged in turning for cabinet-making; this occupation, in 1840, was succeeded by the shoemaking, to which he devoted his time until March 10,1849, when his death occurred. He was a patriot in the war of 1812. He was twice married — first, to Nancy Cartright, a native of Kentucky, who was the mother of four children, two now living; his second wife was Bridget Bonwell, who was born in Bracken County, Ky., September 19, 1802, and died in Ohio June 10, 1866; she was the mother of twenty children, of whom five are now living, of these, Joseph W. is the eldest, and was born in Lewis Township, April 11, 1822; he enjoyed few school privileges in the pioneer log huts, and hence acquired but a limited education. In 1846, he engaged in the carpentering trade, and has since mostly devoted his time to it. He has seen nearly every house built in Higginsport. He was married December 31, 1852, to Frances E. Lawrence, a native of Lewis Township. She and husband were schoolmates in early life. She died March 31, 1863, aged thirty-four years four months and nineteen days; she was the mother of four children, of whom two survive — Fletcher K. and Franklin C.