Author Topic: Is William Brooks really William North?  (Read 1118 times)

Offline mdb

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Is William Brooks really William North?
« on: Saturday 28 January 17 15:52 GMT (UK) »
I am looking for information on a William Brooks who was a sergeant instructor in the army in Perthshire having previously fought in India and in the Crimea. According to his discharge papers he was born in Nottingham in 1835 and joined up in 1853. A family story is that he was born William north and after a family quarrel took his wife's surname. There is no record of a William North after the 1851 census that I can find so the story could be true unless anyone knows different!
mdb

Online rosie99

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Re: Is William Brooks really William North?
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 28 January 17 16:10 GMT (UK) »
If he was the William North in Nottingham in 1851 (end of March) parents Charles & Mary Ann a Framework Knitter and he joined up January 1853 as William Brooks and your family story is correct he must have married 1851/53  :-\
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Offline MaureeninNY

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Re: Is William Brooks really William North?
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 28 January 17 16:19 GMT (UK) »
Is he the William BROOKS who marries Helen McMANUS 12 Dec 1859 Stirling?

Seems to be Corpl 42 R H in 1861.

Maureen

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Re: Is William Brooks really William North?
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 28 January 17 16:25 GMT (UK) »
Charles and Mary Ann are still calling themselves North in 1861 so not a case of a name change by parents  :)
RG9 /2458 f71 p25



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Offline mdb

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Re: Is William Brooks really William North?
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 28 January 17 16:31 GMT (UK) »
Yes and yes. His parents are Charles and Mary Ann and the marriage I found was to Helen McManus although that goes against the family story of him taking on his wife's name.
mdb

Offline MonicaL

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Re: Is William Brooks really William North?
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 28 January 17 19:29 GMT (UK) »
The name North features so strongly on the children's births registrations where they show as XXX North Brooks. William himself shows as such in one of the birth registrations. From FS www.rootschat.com/links/01jdd/

The best way forward at this stage would be to look at the 1859 marriage registration. Scottish marriage certs include the full names of father and mother for both bride and groom.

Monica

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Offline MonicaL

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Re: Is William Brooks really William North?
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 28 January 17 19:57 GMT (UK) »
From other's research, this is the detail given from William and Helen's 1859 marriage entry on 2 Dec 1859 in Stirling:

William Brooks 24 (Corporal 42nd Royal Highlanders) Stirling Castle. Son of Charles Brooks (Weaver) & Mary Ann Brooks ms Roberts. To: Helen McManus 22 (Widow) Mary's Wynd, Stirling. Dau of Thomas McManus (Master Shoemaker) dec. & Bridget McManus ms Crox?

Monica
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Offline mdb

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Re: Is William Brooks really William North?
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 28 January 17 21:52 GMT (UK) »
Thank you Monica for the info.  I feel now that they are definitely 1 and the same person. The only question now that I want to find an answer to is where the name Brooks comes from.
mdb

Online rosie99

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Re: Is William Brooks really William North?
« Reply #8 on: Sunday 29 January 17 08:05 GMT (UK) »
If he did fall out with his parents before joining the forces then he probably just 'chose' the name rather than it coming from anywhere so he was not initially easily traced
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