Confused - Cant find them ??

[Mr Grinch]

Thanks

[Mr Grinch]

Hi there,
Just trying to build a picture further for Sarah Sophia Brooks my Great Grandmother.

Elijah her father always been a mystery. Marries Clara then disappears. Well ive done some digging and found this. Again, no FACTS but feels right somehow.
I done a search for an Elijah Brooks on the 1861 Census roughly the same age as Clara for the area and it threw up this:

Salt Wells Coppice, Kingswinford

David Brooks M Head 43 Coal Miner b: Kingswinford
Hannah Brooks M 45 b: Kingswinford
Samuel Brooks 5 b: Kingswinford
Elijah Brooks 2 b: Kingswinford

1871 Census:
Salt Wells Coppice, Kingwinford

David Brooks M Head 51
Hannah Brooks M Wife 53
Samuel Brooks Son 15
Elijah Brooks Son 13

Now looking ahead to the 1881, David and Hannah are not present. A quick BMD index check shows that David dies in 1878. Which explain the deceased part on Elijah's marriage and Hannah dies in early 1881 before the census was taken. This leaves Samuel his brother. A quick 1881 shows that he was living, yes guess where, Birch Coppice, Kingwinford, 20 doors down from Clara and Sarah Brooks. He is living with his wife Mary A Brooks and daughter Sophia the middle name of Sarah. I feel sure that this is my Elijah's family. The location and other similarities are striking.
This is just another avenue to explore. JAP and others your views ??

Regards
James

[JAP]

James,

Sounds a very good possibility for the background of Sarah's father Elijah BROOKS.

BUT, unfortunately, it gets us no further forward in finding Sarah Sophia BROOKS in 1891 ...

JAP

[Mr Grinch]

Your right 

[Mr Grinch]

Right,
Working on another line on enquiry.

I do not have a birth cert for Clara Homer. On the fee BMD index i beleive she has been registered as Clara Ann Homer at Stourbridge Reg in 1859. This district cover Kingswinford.
Working on this, there is a Clara Ann Brooks marrying in Dudley in 1889 to either a Henry Bellingham (Billingham) or Edward Glover. The Bellingham were big at Salt Wells Coppice. Could someone have a look on the 1891 or 1901 to see whether this is her ?? Maybe Sarah hiding away under a different name ?

Thanks again

James

[JAP]

Hi James,

If I remember correctly, I've looked for Clara in 1891 under all the possible married names of a Clara BROOKS (marriages from FreeBMD) without success.

And, I think, looked for the husbands in case Sarah was with them.

But, if I remember correctly, I found nothing.

Someone else might like to try - please - as I could well have missed something.

JAP

[Spidermonkey]

Hi JAP,

Sorry, I meant to post earlier that I had looked under as many permutations of Clara and potentisal husbands as I could find/think of.  No joy though 

[Mr Grinch]

Thanks guys

[Spidermonkey]

This could be nothing, but on the Ellis Island website, there is a record of a Elizah (male) Brooks from Brierly Hill, aged 46 and an iron worker arriving in 1904 from LIverpool on the SS Oceanic

I can't see a return journey for the above Elizah/Elijiah Brooks, so how about looking on the 1910 (?) American Census to see if he is still in the States.  You never know, it might show a wife........ 

I know that it is not certain that this is our Elijiah Brooks, but we could at least see if it leads anywhere.