Talk:James Brooks (politician)

Born 1807 or 1810

I just changed Brooks's birth year from 1810 to 1807 and his birth place from Portland to "in or near Portland." The source I cited mentions that his birth year is often listed as 1810, so I expect this to be challenged at some point. Since my source is an unpublished dissertation, I thought I would just copy the relevant text here.

There is no original record of Brooks's birth, which is usually given as at Portland in 1810. The General Catalogue of Officers, Graduates and Former Students of Colby College (Waterville, several editions) attributes his birth, however, to Cape Elizabeth on November 10, 1807. So does D.C. Colesworthy's School Is Out (Boston, 1876, p. 334). Furthermore, the New England Historical and Geneological Register, (XXVIII, p. 363), in a biographical sketch, asserts that Brooks held a situation as school teacher at 16 and entered Waterville College two years later, where he graduated before he was 21. He certainly, notwithstanding the assertion of the Dictionary of American Biography, and many other works, graduated from college in the class of 1828. [John] Neal, also, says that Brooks was "not much over twenty" when he began to study law at Portland. (Portland Illustrated, p. 50.) Brooks's parents filed marriage intentions on February 8, 1807 (Original record at Portland), and he was the eldest of three children. The parents, in the above re­cord, are said to be "both of Portland." The Portland Advertiser, at the time of his election to the Maine Legislature (November 3, 1836) asserted that he was born in Portland.

Looks like solid research to me. I hope that clarifies the issue! --Dugan Murphy (talk) 01:17, 27 January 2021 (UTC)