A bill of complaint, probably from early 1802, stated:
“To the worshipful Justices of Essex county court sitting in chancery
Humbly complaining shew unto your worships your orators & oratrices George Durham, Lewis Durham Brooke an infant under the age of twenty one years by Lewis Brooke his father & guardian, Caleb Taylor & Nancy his wife, James Durham & Anna Durham, and Susanna, Fanny, Caty, Jacob, Joseph & Polly Durham infants under the age of twenty one years by Wm. Newbill their next friend, that James Durham, late of Essex County, died sometime in the [year] 1800 intestate & seised & possessed in fee simple of a tract of land situated in the parish of south Farnham & county of Essex, containing as your orators suppose between 100 & two hundred acres & leaving Catharine Durham his widow & your orators & oratrices George Durham, Nancy the wife of Caleb Taylor, James, Anna & Susanna Durham his children by his first wife and your orator Lewis Durham Brooke, his grandson born of a daughter of the said James Durham named Rebecca who intermarried with Lewis Brooke & died about the year 1796, which Rebecca was also a daughter by his said first wife and leaving your orators & oratrices Fanny, Caty, Jacob, Joseph & Polly Durham his children by his last wife who is now his widow. And your orators & oratrices further state, that as the said James Durham died intestate, they are advised that the said land descended to them in parcenery subject to the said widow’s dower, and the said widow being possessed thereof they have applied to her in an amicable manner to consent to have her dower assigned to her in the said land & deliver up the residue of the said tract that the same, as well as the reversions of such part as may be assigned to her for dower, may be sold as the same would not sell for as much as would entitled each of your orators & oratrices to £30 — for their respective proportions thereof, which they aver to be the fact, with which reasonable requests they hoped she would have complied with as in equity she ought: but now so it is, may it please your worships, the said Catharine Durham holds possession of the said land & refuses to consent to the same; all which actings & doings of the said Catharine Durham are contrary to equity & manifestly injurious to your orators & oratrices: in tender consideration whereof & whereas your orators & oratrices are remediless in the premises except in a court of equity: to the end therefore that the said Catharine Durham may on her corporal oath true & perfect answer make to all & singular the premises as fully & distinctly as if the same were herein again repeated & interrogated and that the said widow’s dower may be assigned to her in the said tract of land and the residue thereof & the reversion of such part as may be assigned to the widow for her dower therein after the determiniation of her life estate & the money be equally divided between your orators & oratrices…”
[Essex County, Virginia, Chancery Papers, 32-F-13.]

On 19 July 1802, a settlement of the estate of James Durham, deceased, in account with Catherine Durham, widow, was submitted to court by Edward Ware, Chs. Howerton, and Twyman Greenwood. Expenses starting 31 October 1800 include 15 shillings “To paid Roger Shackelford for making coffin”. In the division of the estate, one third part was allotted to Catherine Durham, widow, at £52.6.2-1/2, and an equal share of £9.10.2-1/2 was allotted to George Durham, Nancy Taylor, James Durham, Ann Durham, Susanna Durham, Fanny Durham, Caty Durham, Jacob Howerton Durham, Joseph Durham, Polly Durham, and grandson Lewis Durham Brooks. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 16, pages 152–153.]

“Lews Brooks & Salley Roes was Marred the 15th of November 1827 child come 4 days too soon” [Minter-Durham family Bible at the Virginia State Archives, Acc. 26856]

In an undated petition from the early 1830s, orator Obadiah Alexander petitioned the court. That his father Aris Alexander died many years ago intestate with land of 25 acres. His widow married Joseph Jones and has since died. He left the following children your orator, Mahala now the wife of Richard L. Haile, Nancy the wife of James H. Greenwood, Maria who married Lewis D. Brooks and died before her mother leaving Beverley and Alexander Brooks, both under 21. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 39, item 39-C-17.]

On July 1839, Jas. Semple, Muscoe G Wood, John H Smither, John Bird, William Wright, William S Croxton, Thomas Harper, George Rose, Lewis D Brookes Was H Purkins, George M Trible & William F Burnett served on the jury of an inquisition at the home of Frances Boughan into the death of an infant child by Mary, the property of Lucy Boughan and upon the land of Washington H Purkins. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 24, page 399.]

1850 U.S. Census, Essex County, Virginia
Dwelling 576, Family 576
Brooks, Lewis D., 53, male, farmer, $800 real estate, born in Virginia
Brooks, Sarah, 40, female, born in Virginia
Brooks, Richard, 18, male, laborer, born in Virginia
Brooks, Peggy, 14, female, born in Virginia
Brooks, Muscoe, 11, male, born in Virginia
Brooks, Lewis, 80, male, born in Virginia

1870 U.S. Census, Essex County, Virginia [transcribed by William I Brooks]:
Dwelling 399, family 399
Brooks, Lewis D., 76, male, white, without occupation, $150 personal property, eligible to vote
Brooks, Sally 67, female, white, keeping house
Goode, Peggy, 33, female, white, without occupation
Goode, John, 8, male, white, at home