WESTBROOKS FAMILY
By Hollis Westbrooks
Served four terms as Mayor of Murfreesboro

William Westbrooks was born in England in the year 1801. He came to America as a stow-away passenger on a ship, settling at Alexandria, Virginia where he worked at the tailoring profession.

He was married to Nancy Murray, the daughter of a well-to-do planter of Albemerle County in 1825 and continued to live there until about the year 1840 when differences between him and his father-in- law caused him to pull up stakes and migrate to the state of Alabama where he spent an undetermined amount of time before settling in Middle Tennessee somewhere in the vicinity of Versailles.

He is known to have been the toll-gate keeper some three miles down the pike from Rockvale leading in the direction of Murfreesboro. After that he lived in a house located on the farm later known as the Tom Whitus place, where he was living at the time of his death. He, his wife Nancy, and a daughter were buried across the road from where they lived, in an old graveyard on the back side of what was known as the Dolly Comer place. Their graves were marked with plain field stones and cannot be identified.

William Calvin Westbrooks, son of William and Nancy Murray Westbrooks, was born in Virginia, 26 Aug 1835. After coming to Tennessee he lived in an old log house located on the back side of the Tom Garrett place. The house faced the road on which the King Heath Hill was located. This road was the first to lead towards Link after leaving Versailles and went through the out-side-woods north of the village.

He was a farmer, magistrate and preacher and at one time conducted a community subscription school in a little log cabin about a hundred yards north of the Old Leb Church. He was first married to Julia Smotherman, a sister of the well-known Isom Green Smotherman. She died in 1878 and he married Nancy Smotherman, a widow, in 1881.

Politically he was a Republican and at one time was appointed to serve as postmaster of Versailles. The store in which the post office was located was owned and operated by John Nance who was a staunch Democrate. Mr Nance was having some difficulty getting a Republican administration to appoint him when Westbrooks applied and received the appointment. Immediately after receiving the appointment he turned all the responsibilities over to his friend Nance.

He preached for many years in what was then known as the Christian Church. He was instrumental in the establishment of the church in two locations. One was known as Old Mount Zion and the other as New Zion which stands to this day. The name was changed from Christian to Church of Christ in the early years of the twentieth century.

He died 16 Nov 1893 and was buried in a field which he owned about half way between Old Leb Church and Link Store; this became the Westbrooks Graveyard following his being placed there.

William Franklin (Billy) Westbrooks, son of William Calvin and Julia Smotherman Westbrooks, born 23 Oct 1870 in Rutherford County at the King Heath Hill location mentioned in the biography of his father. He married 28 Nov 1894, Mary Smotherman (d. 1 March 1931), daughter of Elbert and Elizabeth Williams Smothrman. He later married Nelly Wheelhouse Mincy.

His entire life was spent in the Link community and he never lived more than a mile distance from Old Leb Church. He was a farmer and a carpenter, owning a small farm just north of the church. In addition to farming his own land he also tilled and managed that of his brother, John, who was the merchant at Link for thirty years.

Politically he was a Republican in national politics but maintained an independent position in State and local affairs. He served the Fourteenth District as a member of the Rutherford County Court from 1930 to 1946. He also served for some time as deputy Road Commissioner as Tax Assessor.

He was a member of the Christian Church until the name was changed. He was a leader in the community and led the singing at New Zion Church for many years. He was also much in demand for that position in many of the protracted meeting which usually took place during the light nights of August just after the crops were laid-by.

He died 1 March 1946, and was buried in the Westbrooks Graveyard at Link.