Guide to the Papers of James Emery Brooks 1819-1891 MG 1264
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 1819-1891 The New Jersey Historical Society 52 Park Place Newark, New Jersey 07102 Contact: NJHS Library (973) 596-8500 x249 library@jerseyhistory.org http:/www.jerseyhistory.org © 2004 All rights reserved. The New Jersey Historical Society, Publisher Inventory prepared by Stephen Yautz as part of the “Farm to City” project funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Finding aid encoded by Danielle Kovacs. September 2003. Production of the EAD 2002 version of this finding aid was made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Finding aid written in English. Biographical NoteJames Emery Brooks, the son of Samuel (1729-1807) and Tirzah Brooks (d. 1831), was born on July 28, 1799, in Exeter, New Hampshire. In 1812, he began attending the Phillips-Exeter Academy. In the year 1814, he became an apprentice to Joseph S. Gilman, a merchant in Exeter. He went to Natchez, Mississippi to work with his half-brother William from 1820 to 1821. He then worked at sea for several years until he settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he established his own importing business. From 1827 until his retirement in 1845, Brooks imported china, glassware, and what was known as Queensware. His first wife was Mary Chambers (d. 1832), whom he married on June 8, 1827. Together, they had three children: Mary Harris (1828-1862), Elizabeth Mitchell (1830-1897), and George Chambers (1832-1908 or 1909). After Mary’s death in 1832, he then married Mary’s sister, Clarissa Macauly Chambers (d. 1854), on March 12, 1835. They had five children: Emery James (1835-1880), Arthur Gilman (1838-1911), Frances Chambers (b. 1840), Charles Preston (1842-1925), and Alexander Chambers (1846-1920). Brooks died at Spring Hill, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania on April 23, 1850. Return to the Table of Contents Scope and Content NoteThis collection contains the papers of James Emery Brooks, which includes financial and business records, letters, notes, and other documents, as well as ephemera pertaining to Brooks and his family. The papers cover the years 1820 to 1891. Included in the papers are the financial and business records of James Emery Brooks. One financial statement is an account of Brooks’s debt with William Brooks. The various debts were incurred beginning May 22, 1820, and continue throughout the remainder of that year. The statement indicates that the debt was paid in full on February 8, 1821. Another account statement included in the papers lists the assets of the Estate of James Emery Brooks, from circa 1850. Additionally, the papers contain a newspaper advertisement for Brooks’s importing business in Philadelphia, dated August 31, 1836. In the announcement, Brooks states that items sold in his business consist of china, glass, and other fine goods, with “prices moderate and a liberal discount for cash.” The papers also contain two letters from James Emery Brooks, along with his personal notes. The first letter is to his brother William, written in Exeter, New Hampshire, dated November 21, 1819. In the letter, James discusses the prospect of accepting William’s offer of employment in Natchez, Mississippi. The other letter, dated July 9, 1832, is to James W. Barnes, the grandson of his half sister, Elizabeth Brooks Woodbridge. The personal notes are written by Brooks, and show a list of names in Spanish, as well as a phrase in Spanish. These notes date from circa 1823-1824. Also included are letters written by other family members. One letter is from George Brooks of Lawrence, Kansas to his sister, Mrs. William H. Sayre, and dates from May 13, 1861. Another letter is a transcript from 1891 of an original letter dated April 30, 1757. This letter is written by John Chumly of Uffculme, Devonshire, England to Rev. Samuel Brooks of Exeter, New Hampshire. The papers contain, too, a dissertation on acute pneumonia by Horace Ladd, M.D., a son-in-law of James Emery Brooks. There are two copies of the dissertation; one is a draft, and the other is the final version. Dr. Ladd presented this dissertation at The Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 1, 1848. The ephemera included in the papers are the locks of hair of James Emery Brooks and his first wife, Mary, and date from circa 1820-1832. An oversize item, a Masonic Lodge certificate issued to James Emery Brooks on January 19, 1826, in Boston, Massachusetts, completes the collection. Return to the Table of Contents ArrangementThis collection is organized by type of document and arranged chronologically therein. Return to the Table of Contents RestrictionsAccess RestrictionsThere are no access restrictions on this collection. Photocopying of materials is limited and no materials may be photocopied without permission from library staff. Use RestrictionsResearchers wishing to publish, reproduce, or reprint materials from this collection must obtain permission. The New Jersey Historical Society complies with the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code), which governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions and protects unpublished materials as well as published materials. Return to the Table of Contents Return to the Table of Contents Related MaterialFor published material on the Brooks Family, see: Brooks, James Emery. Family Records Collected by James Emery Brooks of Glen Ridge, N.J., 2 vol. Brooks, James Emery. My Great Grandfather’s House in Exeter, New Hampshire, 1932. For collections related to the Brooks Family, see: Manuscript Group 1263, Matchin-Brooks Family Papers For collections related to merchants in the early nineteenth century, see: Manuscript Group 99, Ralph Doremus Record Book Manuscript Group 112, Phinehas Horton Record Books Manuscript Group 451, Josiah Cooper Account Book Manuscript Group 470, John R. Pearson Receipt Book Manuscript Group 590, Josiah P. Knapp Papers Manuscript Group 934, William H. Wolfe Daybook Manuscript Group 1224, Colhoun Family Papers Return to the Table of Contents Administrative InformationPreferred CitationThis collection should be cited as: Manuscript Group 1264, James Emery Brooks Papers, The New Jersey Historical Society. Acquisition InformationThis collection was donated by James Emery Brooks of Glen Ridge, New Jersey in 1941. Return to the Table of Contents BibliographyBrooks, James Emery. Family Records Collected by James Emery Brooks of Glen Ridge, N.J., 2 vols. Brooks, James Emery. My Great Grandfather’s House in Exeter, New Hampshire, 1932. Return to the Table of Contents Container List
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