Brookes Family History

David Brookes Coal Miner b.1841/1842 Audley Parish, Talk O Th Hill, Staffordshire Coal Miner				Mary Rhodes b.1844 or 1847 Goldenhill, Staffordhire
Daisy Brooks ?	Caleb Brookes b.1865/1866 Audley Parish, Talk O Th Hill, Staffordshire Coal Miner m.1887 Talke	Albert Brookes b.8 April 1870 Audley Parish, Talk O Th Hill, Staffordshire	Ada Brookes b.1872 Audley Parish, Talk O Th Hill, Staffordshire	James Arther Brookes b.1872/1873 Audley Parish, Talk O Th Hill, Staffordshire	Jabez Brookes 10 Jan 1874 Audley Parish, Talk O Th Hill, Staffordshire Coal Miner d.abt.1941	[Jack] John Henry Brookes b.1886/1887 Audley Parish, Talk O Th Hill, Staffordshire

There was a real problem here. The birth certificate for Jabez Brookes gives his parents as David Brookes and Mary Brookes née Rhodes, they are living at Butt Lane. The registration is Audley, Newcastle-under-Lyne, Staffordshire
.

The birth certificate for Albert Brookes gives his parents as David Brookes and Mary Brookes née Rhodes, they are living at Butt Lane. The registration is Audley, Newcastle-under-Lyne, Staffordshire
.

However, in the 1881 census there is only one match for our Jabez Brookes, he is Jabez Brooks and he is living with his mother, Ann not Mary! Ann is listed as a Widow.

For all this to be true then Mary Brooks (Mary Rhodes) would have to have died and David Brookes remarried to Ann, then David Brookes died. All of which would have had to have happend in 7 years! Plus, if this is the case then the children should be listed as "step son", "step daughter" etc. of Ann Brooks - but they are not.

Ernest Brookes has found Caleb Brookes married to Annise Robinson at Talke in 1887 in the FreeBMD (no certificate to confirm) 1887.

From the 1881 British Census, Ann Brooks 57 is listed as head of household and a widow living at Church Street, (Audley) Talk O Th Hill, Staffordshire
. The other people in the house are listed as her Children, all born in Audley Parish.

• David 39, a Coal Miner and his wife May 37, born in Wolstanton, Cheshire
  .
• Caleb 15, Coal Miner
• Albert 10
• James Arther 8
• Jabez 7
• John Henry 4

The explaination I have decided to go with is that the Widow Ann is the mother of David Brooks who is married to Mary née Rhodes. In the house with them are the children of David and Mary. The dates fit. However, the census entry would have to be wrong in that the children Calen, Albert, James Arther, Jabez and John Henry should be listed as Grandsons or Grandaughters and not sons and daughters of Ann since Ann is listed as head of the household. The 1861 census confirms these relationships.

Ann

Ada Brookes

Jabez