Richard Locke Brooks
Saturday October 21 2023
Richard L. Brooks was born in Tazewell County on December 5, 1810. (Society; Cutright, Maxwell and Brooks) He has often been claimed as a direct descendant of English philosopher John Locke but this has been debunked, since the philosopher had no children. It is more than likely that John Locke was an Uncle to his grandmother, Nancy Anne Locke Brooks (wife of patriot William Brooks).
The family story goes that Rev. Richard Locke Brooks moved his family from the Tazewell County, Virginia area over the mountains to Upshur County. He did this in order to protect his family from conflict that he knew was coming. The family consisted of Rev. Brooks, his wife Judith, and their seven children: Irtha J, Marianne, Sarah, Rizpah, Benson, Cozy, & Luke.
From the book written by R T Brooks (additions in parentheses):
Richard was the ninth child born to Richard and Margaret McClancy Brooks, his birth occurred Dec 5, 1810 and the earlier years of his life were spent in Tazewell and Logan counties. Soon after attaining his majority he determined to go west and in the year 1833 started for Ohio. His way led down through the present counties of Lincoln and Cabell and then to a settlement on Mud river where Luke Adkins and others how founded homes as early as 1807. In this settlement he stopped, intending to tarry only a few days, but he met and loved Judith, eldest daughter of Luke and Sarah Lovejoy Adkins, and the journey to Ohio was never resumed. He and Judith Adkins (1816-1879) were married Oct 24 1833 and for about ten years lived on a farm in this settlement, where five of their children were born.
The early years of the life of Richard were spent as a farmer, tanner, cooper, carpenter and a teacher, he often remarked that he was "Jack of all trades and good at none." In youth he became a member of the Methodist Church and prior to 1834 was a licensed exhorter (one who brings spiritual support). In 1834 he was granted a local preacher's license by the quarterly conference of the Guyandotte circuit. His certificate of ordination states that he was ordained a deacon in the old Ohio conference by Bishop Joshua Soule at its annual session held at Chillicothe, 1843.
The minutes of the old Ohio Conference list him as being admitted on trial in 1846 and no mention is ever made of his being ordained a deacon. He became a charter member of the Western Virginia Conference at its formation in 1848 and was ordained an elder by Bishop Hamlin at its annual session held at Wheeling this same year. In 1846 he was assigned by the old Ohio Conference whose area then embraced a part of western Virginia, to Logan Court House, where he remained one year. During his ministry he served in nine charges in (Boone, Logan, Lincoln, Kanawha, and Upshur counties) serving two years at each.
While on a charge to Wayne CH the family lived near Madison in Boone county where their home was on the Birch river (Judith Adkins Brooks’ father had given her a farm at Charleston, West Virginia. It was known as “Adkins.” They sold the farm and lived on the money while he served as a circuit rider). At Frenchton (where he preached in the Beechtown Methodist Church) his pastorage was interrupted by ill health and in 1861, because of continued ill health, he received a superannuated relations - his days as a circuit rider were over.
He then established a church and community called Brooks Hill using land he bought (300 acres) from McWhorter. McWhorter had title to all the land east of the Davenport Line. Although the church body has been disbanded, the refurbished church and church cemetery, the school (now a community building), a library, the family cemetery, and the community still exists. The following is from an article about the Brooks Hill Methodist Church appearing in a book entitled Upshur County Centennial Churches, 1963.
"The first religious services in the Brooks Hill Community were held in the home of the Rev. Richard Brooks in 1860. Sunday School and other meetings were held there and in other homes until a schoolhouse was built in 1869."
Richard gave each of his six children 50 acres of land on Brooks Hill. This was done by dividing his 300 acres of land on Brooks Hill which he had bought of McWhorter in 1860.
Rev. Brooks served as the Upshur County Representative at the WV Constitutional Convention and was one of the Chaplains of record. His session opening prayers have been recorded for the WV Archives.
Reverend Brooks was an early advocate of free education. He retired from the ministry in 1861 and died in September 1895. (West Virginia. et al.) Brooks was buried in the Brooks-Crites Cemetery in Alexander, Upshur County.
The family story goes that Rev. Richard Locke Brooks moved his family from the Tazewell County, Virginia area over the mountains to Upshur County. He did this in order to protect his family from conflict that he knew was coming. The family consisted of Rev. Brooks, his wife Judith, and their seven children: Irtha J, Marianne, Sarah, Rizpah, Benson, Cozy, & Luke.
From the book written by R T Brooks (additions in parentheses):
Richard was the ninth child born to Richard and Margaret McClancy Brooks, his birth occurred Dec 5, 1810 and the earlier years of his life were spent in Tazewell and Logan counties. Soon after attaining his majority he determined to go west and in the year 1833 started for Ohio. His way led down through the present counties of Lincoln and Cabell and then to a settlement on Mud river where Luke Adkins and others how founded homes as early as 1807. In this settlement he stopped, intending to tarry only a few days, but he met and loved Judith, eldest daughter of Luke and Sarah Lovejoy Adkins, and the journey to Ohio was never resumed. He and Judith Adkins (1816-1879) were married Oct 24 1833 and for about ten years lived on a farm in this settlement, where five of their children were born.
The early years of the life of Richard were spent as a farmer, tanner, cooper, carpenter and a teacher, he often remarked that he was "Jack of all trades and good at none." In youth he became a member of the Methodist Church and prior to 1834 was a licensed exhorter (one who brings spiritual support). In 1834 he was granted a local preacher's license by the quarterly conference of the Guyandotte circuit. His certificate of ordination states that he was ordained a deacon in the old Ohio conference by Bishop Joshua Soule at its annual session held at Chillicothe, 1843.
The minutes of the old Ohio Conference list him as being admitted on trial in 1846 and no mention is ever made of his being ordained a deacon. He became a charter member of the Western Virginia Conference at its formation in 1848 and was ordained an elder by Bishop Hamlin at its annual session held at Wheeling this same year. In 1846 he was assigned by the old Ohio Conference whose area then embraced a part of western Virginia, to Logan Court House, where he remained one year. During his ministry he served in nine charges in (Boone, Logan, Lincoln, Kanawha, and Upshur counties) serving two years at each.
While on a charge to Wayne CH the family lived near Madison in Boone county where their home was on the Birch river (Judith Adkins Brooks’ father had given her a farm at Charleston, West Virginia. It was known as “Adkins.” They sold the farm and lived on the money while he served as a circuit rider). At Frenchton (where he preached in the Beechtown Methodist Church) his pastorage was interrupted by ill health and in 1861, because of continued ill health, he received a superannuated relations - his days as a circuit rider were over.
He then established a church and community called Brooks Hill using land he bought (300 acres) from McWhorter. McWhorter had title to all the land east of the Davenport Line. Although the church body has been disbanded, the refurbished church and church cemetery, the school (now a community building), a library, the family cemetery, and the community still exists. The following is from an article about the Brooks Hill Methodist Church appearing in a book entitled Upshur County Centennial Churches, 1963.
"The first religious services in the Brooks Hill Community were held in the home of the Rev. Richard Brooks in 1860. Sunday School and other meetings were held there and in other homes until a schoolhouse was built in 1869."
Richard gave each of his six children 50 acres of land on Brooks Hill. This was done by dividing his 300 acres of land on Brooks Hill which he had bought of McWhorter in 1860.
Rev. Brooks served as the Upshur County Representative at the WV Constitutional Convention and was one of the Chaplains of record. His session opening prayers have been recorded for the WV Archives.
Reverend Brooks was an early advocate of free education. He retired from the ministry in 1861 and died in September 1895. (West Virginia. et al.) Brooks was buried in the Brooks-Crites Cemetery in Alexander, Upshur County.