A child worker in the cotton mills of the north of England, Brooks was convicted of theft in 1818 and was transported to New South Wales on board the Grenada. Through a range of additional misdemeanors he was conscripted to work variously in Sydney, Newcastle and Moreton Bay. Brooks served under harsh conditions at Moreton Bay from 1826-1836 during which time he attempted escape on at least five occasions and, as a result, was flogged several times. Eventually Brooks was freed and lived in the Brisbane area, mixing with the local Turrbal Aboriginal people.
(Source: 'In Search of "Jack Bushman"', Raymond Evans and William Thorpe, Chain Letters : Narrating Convict Lives, 2001)
