My Genealogy Hound
Below is a family biography included in the book, The History of Lewis County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887. These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary. Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more. There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.
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James Brooking, retired farmer, was born in Virginia, the son of Edward and Margaret (Andrews) Brooking, the former born in 1782, in Virginia, and the latter in Essex County, Va., in 1794. In 1833 the father came to near Maywood, in this county, and bought a farm near Lewiston, where he died in 1844. He was a soldier of 1812, and was a prominent man. The mother died in 1864. Our subject was seventeen years old when he came to this county, and the following year worked on a farm for $10 a month, and then went to Mississippi, and after a few months of carpentering went to Little Rock, Ark. He then returned to this county, and bought forty acres, but in 1884 bought his present estate. In November, 1848, he married Sarah, a daughter of Joseph West, and born in Indianapolis, Ind., in 1826. Their children are Sarah E. (the wife of J. Russell), Robert, William, Samuel, John, Annie (the wife of K. Seaman) and David. He has now become one of the largest land owners in the county, with an estate of 1,300 acres, which he has given mostly to his children. He has disposed of his estate, and now lives a retired life. He is a Democrat, and first voted for Van Buren. He and his wife are both members of the Christian Church, and are aged, respected citizens.
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This family biography is one of 293 biographies included in the Lewis County, Missouri portion of the book, The History of Lewis, Clark, Knox and Scotland Counties, Missouri published in 1887. For the complete description, click here: Lewis County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps
View additional Lewis County, Missouri family biographies here: Lewis County, Missouri Biographies
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