Person:William Brooks (23)

William Brooks
b.1615 England
  1. William Brooks1615 - Bef 1682/83
  2. Gilbert Brooks1621 - 1695
  • HWilliam Brooks1615 - Bef 1682/83
  • WUnknown _____ - Bet 1660 & 1665
m. Bef 1644
  1. Hannah Brooks1645 -
  2. Nathaniel Brooks1645/46 -
  3. Mary Brooks1647 -
  4. Sarah Brooks1650 -
  5. Miriam Brooks1652 -
  6. Deborah Brooks1654/55 -
  7. Thomas Brooks1657 - 1733
  8. Joanna Brooks1659 -
  • HWilliam Brooks1615 - Bef 1682/83
  • WSusanna HanfordAbt 1615 - Aft 1682/83
m. Bef 6 Mar 1665/66
Facts and Events
Name[1][2][3][4][5] William Brooks
Gender Male
Birth[1] 1615 England
Marriage Bef 1644 to Unknown _____
Marriage Bef 6 Mar 1665/66 to Susanna Hanford
Death[1] Bef 24 Jan 1682/83 Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United Statesdate of inventory

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.


Will

The 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
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 William Brooks, in Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995)
    pp. 412-415.

    Brith: About 1615 (aged 20 in 1635 [Hotten 93])
    Death: after 7 July 1680 (PCR 6:47) and before 24 January 1682/1683 (date of inventory).

  2. Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1860-1862)
    1:263.

    Brooks, William, Scituate, came in the Belssing, 1635, aged 20, perhaps br. of Gilbert, was of Marshfield 1643, m. wid. Susanna Dunham of Plymouth [this is a confusion caused by second wife Susanna (Hanford) Whiston who had a married daughter Bathsheba Dunham named in William's will], had Hannah, b. 1645; Nathaniel, 1646, bef. ment.; Mary, 1647; Sarah, 1650, m. Joseph Studley; Miriam, 1652, m. John Curtis; Deborah, 1654, m. Robert Stetson, jr.; Thomas, 1657 bef. ment.; and Joanna, 1659, wo m. 13 Sept 1687, John Bisby of Duxbury. DeaneS4.

  3. Briggs, Lloyd Vernon. History and genealogy of the Briggs family, 1254-1937. (Boston)
    3:851-852.
  4. Deane, Samuel. History of Scituate [Massachusetts]. (Boston: J. Loring, 1831)
    pp. 223-225.

    William Brooks was a householder in 1644. His farm was south of Till's creek, latterly called Dwelley's creek, and his house near that of Capt. William Brooks, his descendant of the sixth generation. The spot seems to have been selected on account of the sweet spring of water near it. His wife was widow Susanna Dunham of Plymouth [see comment on this error in the Savage entryS2]. His children were Hannah born 1645, Nathaniel 1646, (who married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Curtis, 1678, and succeeded to his father's residence), Mary born 1647, Sarah born 1650, (who married Joseph Studley), Meriam born 1652, (who married John Curtis, son of Richard Curtis), Deborah born 1654, (who married Robert Stetson, jr. son of the Cornet), Thomas born 1657, who married Hannah Bisby 1687, and Joanna born 1659.

  5. Holman, Mary Lovering; Winifred Lovering Holman; and Helen Pendleton Winston Pillsbury. Ancestry of Colonel John Harrington Stevens and his wife, Frances Helen Miller: Compiled for Helen Pendleton (Winston) Pillsbury. (Concord, New Hampshire: Rumford Press, 1948, 1952)
    p. 485-489.

    Susanna (Hanford) Whiston m. (2) bef 1666 William Brooks. The will of William Brooks, [proved] 6 Mar 1682/83 mentions wife Susanna. The will of Timothy Hatherly, brother of Susanna's mother, bequeathed to Susanna, wife of William Brooks, and her children, and acquits her of her first husband's debt.


Blessing (1635)
The people who probably sailed on the blessing are known based on lists compiled at port in 1635.
Sailed: July 1635 from London, England under Master John Lester
Arrived: Sep 1635 at Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Passengers:
~50 (Full List)
Henry Beck - Thomas Biggs - Jo. Briggs - Gilbert Brooke - William Brooke - Christion Buck - John Burles - Nathaniell Byham - Richard Cope - William Cope - Suzan Danes - Barnabie Davies - Jo. Fitch - Hathoway, Jo. Hathoway - Richard Hollingworth and family - Elizabeth Holly - Mary Hubbard - Christian Hunter and family - Edward Ingram - Jo. Jackson and family - Thomas King - Suzan King - Robert and Elizabeth Lewes - Nicholas Long - Jo. Manifold - Richard More - Jo. Mory - Thomazin Munson - Robert Onyon - Nicholas Robinson and family - Robert Salwell and family - Richard Sexton - Mary Spratt - Jo. Stucbridge and family - Thomas Trentum - Robert Turner - Sara Tynkler - William Vassall and family

Resources: Primary Sources:
Other information: Passenger list - Olive Tree