James Emery Brooks, the son of Samuel (1729-1807) and Tirzah Brooks (d. 1831), was born on July 28, 1799, in Exeter, New Hampshire. In 1812, he began attending the Phillips-Exeter Academy. In the year 1814, he became an apprentice to Joseph S. Gilman, a merchant in Exeter. He went to Natchez, Mississippi to work with his half-brother William from 1820 to 1821. He then worked at sea for several years until he settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he established his own importing business. From 1827 until his retirement in 1845, Brooks imported china, glassware, and what was known as Queensware. His first wife was Mary Chambers (d. 1832), whom he married on June 8, 1827. Together, they had three children: Mary Harris (1828-1862), Elizabeth Mitchell (1830-1897), and George Chambers (1832-1908 or 1909). After Mary's death in 1832, he then married Mary's sister, Clarissa Macauly Chambers (d. 1854), on March 12, 1835. They had five children: Emery James (1835-1880), Arthur Gilman (1838-1911), Frances Chambers (b. 1840), Charles Preston (1842-1925), and Alexander Chambers (1846-1920). Brooks died at Spring Hill, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania on April 23, 1850.
From the description of James Emery Brooks papers, 1819-1891 1819-1832. (New Jersey Historical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 52815344
