Captain R. H. Brooks
Captain R.H. Brooks began his marine life when he was twenty-two years of age, and since then has been engaged for the most part in that occupation. He was born September 1, 1859, at Brighton, Ontario, where he attended school until he was fifteen years of age, after which he went to Michigan and was employed in the lumber forests and other business until he went on the lakes. His first trip was made on the schooner Mary, in the capacity of seaman, on which he spent one season, subsequently going before the mast on the Paragon, running out of Toronto. In the same position he served on the Erie, Stewart and Hartford, afterward shipping on the Iron Chief, Newburgh, and Kasota, as wheelsman. The following season he acted as second mate on the Missoula, and held the same berth on the Robert Mills, of Buffalo, and on the Thomas Wilson, from which he went on the Artic as mate. He spent two seasons on the E. B. Bartlett as mate, and in 1896 went on barge No. 155, as master.
Captain Brooks is a member of the Knights of the Maccabees and the I.O.O.F., at Rochester and Buffalo, respectively. He was married, on February 7, 1892, to Miss Jessie Coursom, of Brighton, daughter of Adolphus Coursom, who is a vessel master and owner, having an interest in the Wave Crest, of Port Hope.
The Captain's brother, Thomas J. Brooks, was steward on the Olympia during the season of 1897, having been on the lakes for the past fifteen years. John Brooks, father of our subject, is still living at Brighton, Ontario; he has been engaged during the greater part of his life in the United States in the meat business.
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Volume I
This version of Volume II is based, with permission, on the work of the great volunteers at the Marine Captains Biographies site. To them goes the credit for reorganizing the content into some coherent order. The biographies in the original volume are in essentially random order.
Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.
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