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m. Bef 1644
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m. Bef 6 Mar 1665/66
Facts and Events
William Brooke, aged 20, and Gilbert Brooke, aged 14, sailed from England in the Blessing, John Lester, Master, in 1635, "having brought Cert from the Minister & Justices of their Conformitie being no Subsedy Men, tooke oaths of Alleg: & Supremacie." They are entered on the passenger list with destination Marshfield, and arrived in Boston in August 1635. William was at Marshfield in 1643 and at Scituate by 1657, according to Anderson [in 1644 according to Deane]. William or his wife had become a member of the Second Church at Scituate by 14 September 1645 (even though they were residents of Marshfield at this time), when their first child was baptized. William served on the Plymouth grand jury 5 June 1644 and 1 June 1675; Plymouth petit jury 1 June 1675. On 3 March 1645/6 "Will[ia]m Brookes, of the town of Marshfeild," was presented "for the breach of his oath, in disclosing of his fellows' counsel and his own, which he through weakness confesseth he did, and is released." He was surveyor of highways at Marshfield 2 June 1646 and 6 June 1649, and constable of Scituate 5 June 1667. He took the oath of fidelity at Scituate in 1657 and was admitted freeman of Plymouth Colony 1 June 1658. On 2 April 1649 "William Brookes of Marshfield, husbandman" sold to John Bryant of Scituate, wheelwright, land which "the said William Brookes hath lately bought and purchased of William Randall of Scituate, being part of two lots which the said William Randall did formerly buy and purchase of George Kenerick once of Scituate." On 31 May 1659 he was granted "a certain island of upland lying in the marsh on the northerly side of the creek commonly called and known by the name of Till's Creek" in Scituate, and in 1673 he was granted "five acres in a swamp near the land called Spring Swamp." Deane says William's farm at Scituate was south of Till's, or Dwelly's Creek Brook, and his house was near the spring of water in the Riverdale Farm pasture. In 1665 "father-in-law" William Brooks and uncle Edward Jenkins assisted Joseph Whiston [son of Susanna by her previous marriage] in settling some of the realty of his father's estate.
[edit] WillThe will of William Brooks of Scituate was undated and signed by mark, proved 6 March 1682/1683. His inventory included "His apparel and books" valued at Ð6 6s. 6d. He bequeathed to "my son Nathaniell Brooks half my upland and half my meadow land ... also half the upland which is on the island within the meadow" and "half the fruit of my orchard forever"; to "my son Thomas Brooks" "the other half of my land & meadow with the housing thereon," and if Thomas died without issue, this land was to return to Nathaniel. Nathaniel was to pay Ð12 40 s. to each of his six sisters or their children. "my wife Sussannah Brooks shall live in my house during her widowhood," with provision for her maintenance by Nathaniel and Thomas Brooks, a bequest of some moveables, and "all those things which she brought with her when she became my wife"; "my grandchild Beriah shall be at my wife's dispose"; to "my wife's youngest daughter Bathshebah Dunham forty shillings" [Bathsheba Hanford m. Eleazer Dunham]; the residue of the estate "to be divided amonst my six daughters, only my grandchild Beriah, my daughter Hannah and my daughter mary forty shillings apiece more than the rest"; "my eldest son nathaniell Brooks" to be executor; "Cornet Robert Studson and Charles Stockbridge Sr." to be overseers. References
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