Descendants of Daniel's Harbour, NL, Canada:Information about Mary Brooks
Mary Brooks (b. 1793, d. March 30, 1862)
Notes for Mary Brooks:"Origins of Mary Payne of Cow Head"
By John G. Edgar, 2005
According to statements in local histories some researchers have concluded that Mary, wife of Charles Payne Senior early resident of Cow Head, was born Mary Brooks. This conclusion may not be correct and was likely based on the incomplete or biased reading of a notation in Bishop Field's 1849 List of Inhabitants. The conclusion is also questionable in light of a more recently discovered document, The Last Will and Testament of John Brook(s),1823.
As a footnote to Robert Wheller, inhabitant #11 residing at Brook's Cove, Bay of Islands, Feild(1849) noted (all words exact quote):
"Living with Mary the wife of Richard Park, who (Richard Park) is gone to Cow Head and lives there with his sister Mrs. Charles Pain, who is a daughter of Mrs. Brooks. N.B. This Mrs. Brooks was first married to a man named Parks."
By the time of Feild's visitation, the name Parks was reduced to Park.
For some reason early researchers chose to ignore the possibility that Mary Payne was a Parks from Mrs. Brook's first marriage. It must be noted that Feild explicitedly names Mrs. Payne as the sister of Richard Park.
Other facts known about Mary Parks Brooks, mother of Mary Payne:
She was born in Burin area circa 1759, being 80 years old during Jukes'1839 visit. She was still living during the time of Feild's 1849 visit and surrounded by some of her sons (Park's) at Brook's Cove. Her daughter Mary who married Charles Payne was born before 1800 as she was married and having children at Cow Head by 1816.
A moot question is when did Mary Parks marry John Brook(s)?
In recent years, researchers have found the 1823 Last Will and Testament of John
Brook(s) of Bay of Islands, second husband of Mary Parks.
In his will, John Brook(s) states (exact wording):
"First I give and bequeath to James Clark Park the son of Robert and Mary Park now about age eighteen years old of the Bay of Islands, Newfoundland, the sum of one hundred pounds of lawful money of England."
"Also, I give and bequeath to my well-beloved wife Mary Brook, the widow of the late Robert Park of the Bay of Islands, Newfoundland, the Interest of the remainder of my whole property in the Bay of Islands, Newfoundland, and in England or elsewhere..."
In the few lists of inhabitants available for these times. there are no references to any other Robert and Mary Park and it can be safely assumed that the James Clark Park referenced as a legatee in the will is Mary's son by her first marriage and was born around 1805 when Mary was 45-46 years old. It is very likely that he is the James Park living at Brook's Cove according to the 1849 list. The 1805 birth of her son James is several years later than the birth of her daughter Mary Payne as Mrs. Payne was herself having children by 1816. From this analysis, it also appears most likely that the widow Mary Park married John Brooks when she was past child-bearing age.
In his will Brooks also states: "and after her death I give and bequeath the principal of my whole property, goods, chattles and effects to my well-beloved son, John Brook, but if he should not be heard of within the space of three years after my death I give and bequeath. .."
Obviously, John the son of John Brooks is missing. If he is old enough to be missing in 1823, one can conclude that he was John's son by an earlier marriage and that John was a widower when he married the widow Mary Park.
Based on this information and reasoning, one must seriously consider Mary Payne wife of Charles Payne Senior early resident of Cow Head to be the daughter of Robert and Mary Parks of Bay of Islands, rather than the daughter of John and Mary Brooks.
There is also a reference in local history that claims Charles Payne and Mary Brooks were married in 1810 in Christchurch in Hampshire, England. According to the "census" Inhabitants of the Western Shores of Newfoundland 1838, Charles Payne was indeed from England. However, recent researchers have not been able to find this reported marriage record in the records at Hampshire.
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Feild, Edward. (1849). List of Inhabitants from 1849 Voyage of Visitation. Corner Brook: Diocesan Synod of Western Newfoundland Archives.
(1823). Last Will and Testament of John Brook(s). London: Public Record Office.
The National Archives.
(1838). Inhabitants of the Western Shores of Newfoundland. St. John's: A.C.
Hunter Library.
More About Mary Brooks:
Adoption: Adopted Mary Park Brooks & Robert Brooks.
Christening 1: She went to England & came back with the name Mary Brooks.
Christening 2: Mary Brooks.
More About Mary Brooks and Charles Payne:
Marriage: 1810
Children of Mary Brooks and Charles Payne are:
- +Samuel Payne, b. 1810, Cow Head, NL, Canada, d. 1861, Cow Head, NL, Canada.
- +Charles Payne Junior, b. 1816, @ Sea off Cape Anguille, d. 1901, Cow Head.
- +Robin Payne, b. 1818, d. 1889, St. Paul's.
- +Sarah Payne, b. 1816, d. August 21, 1850.
- +Mary Anne Payne, b. 1821, d. 1893, Cow Head, NL, Canada.
- James Payne, b. date unknown, Died Young, Drowned, d. date unknown.
- +William Thomas Payne, b. 1829, d. 1904, Rocky Harbour, NL, Canada.
- +Keturah Payne, b. 1812, Cow Head, NL, Canada, d. June 16, 1893, Daniel's Harbour, NL.
- +John Sr Payne, b. 1826, d. 1892, Cow Head, NL, Canada.