Robert Brooke was probably born in Spotsylvania County, Virginia and educated at Edinburgh University in Scotland. On his voyage back to the United States, he was captured by the British and sent to England but was able to get to France and return to Virginia in a French frigate. After serving during the Revolutionary War, he became a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1791 to 1794. The General Assembly then elected him to two one-year terms as governor. An active Freemason, Brooke succeeded John Marshall as grand master of the Grand Lodge of Virginia, serving from 1795 to 1797. He was elected Attorney General of Virginia in 1796, holding the office until his death. Brooke County, Virginia (now West Virginia), formed in 1796, was named for the governor.

*Note: exact date of birth is not known.