65.   Copy of Birth Certificate issued 3/19/1962, for Grace Hilda Beckett, d.o.b. 12/5/1913, in Port Arthur, Thunder Bay Dist., registered 12/17/1913, number 1913-05-057607:  (62KB).
Note that the family said Grace was born 11/5/1913, as per next reference below.   c.October 1938, Grace wrote to the Registrar about the error, but apparently never had it corrected.

144.  1901 Census for Northfield, Worcestershire, England lists Thomas and Maria Brookes and their family, including Martha (aka Agnes) Brookes, future wife of Bertie William Beckett and mother of Grace Hilda (nee Beckett) Beals.
(Text version)  (Original - 424K)
[BWB: the list of siblings of Martha, and Martha's age and birth place,
agree with personal Beckett family records.]

145.  1881 Census for Birmingham, Warwick, England lists Thomas and Maria Brookes prior to children being born.  Note that birth places and ages agree with previous record; 'Salop' is another name for 'Shropshire'.
(Text version)

164. 1891 Census for St. Martin Municipal Ward, Birmingham, England (FHL microfiche 6097490) lists the parents of Agnes Beckett (nee Martha Brookes):
Family 29, No. 1 Court 6:
        Thomas Brookes, head, 34, blacksmith, b.Shifnal, Salop [aka Shropshire]
        Maria, wife, 29, b.Worcester
        Florence, daughter, 9, b.Birmingham
        Alfred, son, 6, b.Birmingham
        May, daughter, 3, b.Birmingham
[BWB: censuses are usually taken around April 1st; Agnes/Martha was born later in the year 1891.]

Other Brookes and a Lee (Maria's maiden name) are listed, but the family connection, if any, has not been established.

165. English Marriage Certificate for marriage #287 in 1881 solemnized 1/10/1881 at the parish church in the parish of Christ Church in the County of Warwick, for
        Thomas Brookes, 23, blacksmith, residence Fleet Street, father Joseph Brookes, file cutter, and
        Maria Lee, 19, residence Fleet Street, father Benjamin Lee, boatman,
        witnessed by Michael Gormley and Elizabeth Brooks[sic].
[BWB: based on the handwriting, this document is a clerk's copy, most likely made in 1881.  The original apparently had the participants' signatures, with Maria and Michael just using an 'X'.]
*************need to copy*****************

168. English Birth Certificate for birth #133 in 1891, sub-district Saint Martin, district Birmingham, county Birmingham:
        Martha Brookes, b.8/5/1891 at 6 Court 1 Benacre Street USD
        to Thomas Brookes, blacksmith, and
        Maria Brookes formerly Lee,
        signed with an 'X' by Maria, and registered 9/14/1891.


174.  Death registration #013931 in 1926 for Thomas Brookes, Ontario Archives microfilm MS 935, Reel 335 (FHL #2079875) contains the following information:
Informant was widow Maria.
b. 4/6/1859 in England,
d.3/26/1926 of lobar pneumonia in Windsor, interred 3/27 Windsor Grove Cemetery (Giles and Howard)
Age at Death given as 69:11:11, but this would imply b.4/15/1856... from census we have c.1856-58
(I think someone got the date arithmetic backwards... note that 3/26 + 11 days is 4/06, whereas it should be computed the other way around. But, don't know how they got 69 years from 1859 - 1926.)
At death, had lived 5 days at 1510 York St., Windsor, the home of daughter Elizabeth (married Neale), and 15 years in Ontario (Martha Agnes immigrated 9/21/1910, but parents did not come on same ship; don't know when they immigrated -- the 15 years number would put immigration as 1911.)
Worked as a packer at a storage house.
Father Joseph Brookes, mother Charlotte Brookes.
[1.3MB]


175.  Death registration #013950 in 1926  for Maria Brookes, Ontario Archives microfilm MS 935, Reel 335 (FHL #2079875) contains the following information:  
Informant was daughter Elizabeth Neale, youngest surviving child.
b. 3/10/1860 in England (from census we have c.1861-62)
d. 3/31/1926 of lobar pneumonia in Windsor, interred 4/2 Windsor Grove Cemetery
Age at Death given as 66:0:21, which agrees with b/d dates
At death, had lived 8 days at 1510 York St., the home of daughter Elizabeth, 16 years in Ontario (hence moved there in 1910), and 18 years in Canada (which would say she immigrated 1908, earlier than Martha Agnes' immigration in 1910.  Also, not clear why info doesn't agree with Thomas'... may be a transcription error.)
Father Daniel Lee (disagrees with Thos and Maria's marriage registration info as Benjamin, which I would believe first), b.ENG
Mother Lillian Lees (sic), b.ENG
[59KB]

231.  Passenger List for the RMS Empress of Ireland, arriving at Quebec 9/29/1910, (FHL microfilm ****) lists:
Martha Brookes, 19, domestic, Quaker, bound for Sault St. Marie [Grace (Beckett) Beals' mother].
There are several other people destined for Sault St. Marie, but none appear to be related.
*****NEED COPY*****

270.  1861 Census for Shiffnal, Salop (aka Shropshire) England (FHL microfilm #542878):
Family 201:
Joseph Brookes, 48, Stocktaker at Ironworks, b. W.Hampton [Wolverhampton?], Staffordshire
Charlotte, 47, b. Tong, Salop
George, 20, Labourer, b. W.Hampton
William, 17, Labourer, b. W.Hampton
Mary, 12, scholar, b.Shiffnal, Salop
Ann, 7, scholar, b.Shiffnal
Thomas, 4, scholar, b.Shiffnal
Emma, 1, b.Shiffnal
***** NEED COPY *****
[BWB: Marriage entries at Ancestry.com suggest that Joseph Brooke[sic] and Charlotte Horton were married in the last 3 months of 1837 in Wellington Sal [Salop?] District.  Would have to order certificate to verify.

Thomas would marry Maria Lee in 1881, the parents of our Agnes Martha Brookes.  There were no other Brookes in the same census district, in 358 households.  Did not check other census districts in Shiffnal, of which there were many.]

271.  1871 Census for Canal Boats lying at Worcester Wharf, Birmingham England (British Public Record Office RG10/3100 Reel 11, also available at http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/WOR/worcswharf.html ), contains the following entry:
No. 365
LEE, Benjamin, Mar., Aged 50, Master, Brn. Worcs
LEE, Benjamin, Aged 16, B'man, Brn. Worcs
***** NEED COPY *****
[BWB: based on age, occupation and location, the elder Benjamin is probably the father of Maria Lee, who married Thomas Brookes in 1881.]

275.  Burial information for Thomas and Maria Brookes, provided by Windsor Grove Cemetery in private correspondence.
[Letter text] 
[Headstone picture 1 - 19KB]  [Headstone picture 2 - 20KB]
[BWB: I believe the headstone reads:
 "THOMAS BROOKES
          1856-1926
   MARIA BROOKES
          1861-1926
    Also to the memory of
  THOMAS BROOKES Jun'r
        Killed in action
         Nov 11, 1917
     AGED 18 YEARS"
]

277.  English marriage certificate for marriage #27 on 12/25/1837, obtained from the General Register Office in England:
Joseph Brooke, of full age, Bachelor, File-cutter, resides Paine's Lane, father George Brooke, Latch-maker &
Charlotte Horton, of full age, Spinster, resides Paine's Lane, father John Horton, Miner,
witnesses John Brindley and Elizabeth Dawes,
solemnized and married in the Parish Church of Wrockwardine, County Salop [aka Shropshire],
by Geo. L. Yate, Vicar.
***** NEED COPY *****


278. Military records for Thomas Brookes, Jr.
278a.  Enlistment
Enlisted 6/27/1916, re-sworn to duty 11/13/1916
Residence: 20 Niagra St., Windsor, ONT
b.3/29/1899 in Birmhingham, Warwickshire, ENG
Next of Kin: Maria Brooks [sic], mother
Occupation: Plumber
Previous service: 21st Regiment of Essex Fusiliers
Personal: 5'9", 34-1/2" girth, fair complexion, blue eyes, light hair, scar below left eye.

278b.  Death, Commemoration and Burial
DIA 11/11/1917, a Private in the 15th Battalion
Buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, Etaples, France (16 miles south of Boulogne)

364.  The Border Cities Star newspaper (later the Windsor [ON] Star), 4/5/1926, contains a Local News item as follows:
"Mrs. G. Waples, whose parents, Mr and Mrs. T. Brookes, died recently, is ill at the home of her sister Mrs. B. Beckett, 37 Allendale avenue."
[13KB]


365.  Death notice for Thomas Brookes, The Border Cities Star [later, the Windsor Star] newspaper, 3/26/1926, page 5:
"BROOKS[sic] -- Thomas, aged 70 years, died March 26th at residence of his daughter, Mrs. W. H. Lee, 1510 York St., Windsor.  Survived by four daughters and one son.  Funeral services Saturday, March 27th, at 2 o'clock from 1510 York St.  Interment Windsor Grove Cemetery."
[BWB: besides the last name spelling error, should be Brookes, the daughter was Mrs. William (aka Bill) H. Neale, not Lee.]
[10KB]

366.  Notice about death of Pte. Thomas Brookes [Jr.], The Evening Record [later, the Windsor Star] newspaper, Thursday, 11/15/1917, page 9:
"Pte. Brooks[sic] Dies of Wounds.
"On Wednesday afternoon, Mrs. Marie Brooks, 9 Charles street, received an official telegram conveying the sad news that her son, Pte. Thomas Brooks, previously reported gassed and dangerously wounded, had died of his wounds on Nov. 11th, at the hospital at Etaples, France.  Pte. Brooks, who was just eighteen years of age, enlisted here with the 241st battalion and accompanied it overseas last spring."
[26KB]