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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Perthshire => Topic started by: mdb on Saturday 28 January 17 15:52 GMT (UK)
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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
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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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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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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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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
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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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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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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
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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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That of course is extremely possible. Brooks doesn't feature anywhere in family names that I have found so far.
If any descendants of William see this post I do have some documents including his discharge papers that they are welcome to have. It is his sister that I am descended from.
Thank you mdb