Maria Louisa Griffin April 13, 1816

Maria Louisa Griffin was born in South Killingworth, now Clinton, Connecticut, according to family histories, on April 13, 1816 to James Needham Griffin Jr. and his wife Jemima Rossiter. Maria was the oldest surviving daughter in the family and at various times in her life went by either Maria or Louisa. She grew up probably in or near the house that her great grandparents Samuel Griffin and Mary Beckwith built. On September 22, 1839 she married Julius Brooks. Her sister Susan Cecelia married Julius’s brother Zerah. Maria and Julius made their home next to her father in Clinton. Julius was the oldest son of Nathan Brooks born in Saybrook, now Chester, Connecticut May 19, 1816. Nathan Brooks was a stonemason. Early in the young Julius’s life the family moved from Chester to Clinton, which had become a center for shaped stone to be shipped to New York. Julius followed in his father’s footsteps also making his living as a stonemason. Julius died at the age of 33 February 2, 1849 the victim of tuberculosis called consumption in that age. We have recovered his will. Within it are description of a very comfortable multi roomed home with feather beds and carpets. His estate did not contain enough cash to cover his expenses so Maria was forced to sell portions of the property. In the 1850 census we find her listed as head of the house living next door to her father in Clinton with her two sons Charles J. and George Edward. In 1860 we find her living in Guilford with her new husband John N Simpson and a daughter Sarah. The 1870 and 1880, census records find Maria living in New Haven. In 1880 her next-door neighbor is her son Charles. Maria died May 29, 1887 and is buried in Clinton next to Julius. Her headstone reads “Brooks, Maria Louis Griffin, widow of Julius, also wife of John N. Simpson, d May 29, 1887 age 70”.------ John Simpson was listed in the census records as being born in New York making his living as a blacksmith. In his draft registration he is referred to as a carriage smith. There is no record of what became of John after the 1880 census. Maria and John seem to have had a daughter, Sarah, together. She appears at age 6 in the 1860 census but is not listed in the 1870 census.------ Maria and Julius had two sons. Charles J. Brooks born according to the 1900 census in May 1844 and according to the history of the Simon Church family September 25, 1844. Charles married Mary A Disbrow May 28, 1867. They had a daughter Louise Chapman Brooks born March 8, 1868. It appears that Louise was handicapped living with her parents until their death then with a series of caregivers. Charles is referred to in the census records as a machinist. His draft registrations list his profession as a “builder of machinery”. His draft registration also describes him as being 5 ft. 8 in. tall and weighing 154 pounds. The Connecticut Death and Burial Index lists a death date in 1824 and indicates that he is buried in the East Lawn Cemetery in what is now East Haven, Connecticut. -------George Edward Brooks was born June 2, 1846. He married Sarah E. Huxter on August 5, 1874. Sarah was born November 21, 1848. They had two daughters Adah M born June 17, 1869 and Mabel H born June 12, 1876. The records seem to indicate that he and Charles worked together as machinists. There is a record of his death in the files of the New Haven Coroners Office. “George E Brooks, 74, late of East Haven, June 13th, 1920”. The coroner provides a summary of events, “on the 12th he worked at his trade as a machinist starting at about 5 AM he arose complaining of pain in his chest and left arm dying soon after in his sitting room”. He is buried in the East Lawn Cemetery with Charles. The two boys are mentioned in their aunt Mary Jane Griffin’s will.------ Maria Louisa / James N / James Needham / James / Samuel Griffin.------ There are two great sources for material on the Brooks family. 1-The history titled, Simon Church of Chester, Connecticut. Note: Nathan Brooks’s father married into the Church family. 2- Genealogical & Family History of the State of Connecticut. I would also refer you to the Clark Family Tree on Ancestry. Com.