Thomas Brooks

Notes:

Captain Thomas Brooks (1) was the emigrant ancestor of
Walter Frederic Brooks, of Worcester, Massachusetts,
and a large part of the Brooks families in this
country. It is claimed by some authority he came
from Suffolk, England. He settled first at Water-
town, where he had a lot assigned him in 1631. He
was admitted a freeman December 7, 1636, but very
soon afterward removed to Concord and settled. In
Watertown he was one of "the townsmen then inhabiting"
to whom the general court granted certain
plow lands along Beaver brook in 1636.
He was elected by the general court constable
of Concord, December 4, 1638. He was a deputy to
the general court seven years, representing the town
of Concord. He was captain of the Concord company.
He held various other offices. He was an
assessor, or "appraiser of horses, cattle, etc., for
the purpose of taxing." He was appointed a special
officer to prevent drunkenness among the Indians.
He purchased of the general court the right to carry
on the fur trade at Concord for the sum of five
pounds. In his day he was a leading citizen, both
in civil affairs and in the military.
His wife Grace died May 12, 1664. He died intestate,
May 21, 1667. An agreement among his
heirs on file at the probate office made June 17,
1667, was signed by the eldest son, Joshua Brooks,
Captain Timothy Wheeler, husband of Mary Brooks,
Caleb Brooks and Gershom Brooks, also sons of
Captain Thomas. The children of Captain Thomas
Brooks were: 1. Mary, married Captain Timothy
Wheeler, of Concord, He died July 10, 1687; she
died October 4, 1693. 2. Hannah, married, December
13, 1647, Thomas Fox. 3. Joshua, of whom later.
4. Caleb, born 1632, married, April 10, 1660, Susannah
Atkinson (daughter of Thomas Atkinson), born
1641 and died 1669; married (second) Hannah,
sister of his first wife, born 1643 ; removed from
Concord to Medford in 1670. 5. Gershom, married,
March 12, 1666-7, Hannah Eckles, daughter of Richard
and Marj' Eckles, of Cambridge, had sons Daniel
and Joseph, and four daughters. There may have
been other children of Captain Thomas Brooks.

Thomas married Grace Wheeler on 21 May 1627 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. Grace (daughter of Thomas Wheeler and Rebecca Sayre) was born in 1594 in Haverhill, Essex, England; died on 12 May 1664 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Joshua Brooks, son of Captain Thomas Brooks, was born about 1630, probably in England. He married, October 17, 1653, Hannah Mason, daughter of Captain Hugh Mason. He was a tanner by trade. He settled in that part of Concord later made the town of Lincoln, where many of his family and his descendants have since lived. Three generations of his descendants in the direct male line have successively held the office of deacon of the Lincoln Church. He was the ancestor of nearly all the name since in Concord and Lincoln. He inherited one-half the Medford property, but there is no account of its disposition except that in January, 1708. He learned his trade as furrier and tanner from Captain Mason, and subsequently married his daughter. He was admitted as freeman May 26, 1652. The children of Joshua Brooks were : Hannah, married Benjamin Pierce, of Watertown ; John, died May 18, 1697; Noah, born 1657, died February 1, 1738-9; married Dorothy Wright, daughter probably of Edward Wright, of Concord. Grace born at Concord, March 10, 1660-1, died 1753, married Judah Potter; Daniel, born at Concord, November 15, 1663, of whom later; Thomas, born May 5, 1666, died September 9, 1671 ; Esther, born July 4, 1668, died 1742; married, August 17, 1692, Benjamin Whittemore, born 1669, died 1734, son of John and Mary (Upham) Whittemore; Joseph, born September 16, 1671, married (first) Abigail Bateman; (second) Rebecca Blodgett; Elizabeth, born December 16, 1672; Job, born July 26, 1675, died May 18, 1697; Hugh, born January 1, 1677-8, died January 17, 1746-7, married, March 9, 1701-2, Abigail Barker, born 1683, daughter of John and Judith (Simonds) Barker; Thomas (possibly), married Elizabeth.

Joshua married Hannah Mason on 17 Oct 1653 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. Hannah (daughter of Hugh Mason and Hesther Wells) was born on 23 Sep 1636 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA; died in 1696 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Grace married Judah Potter on 2 Dec 1686 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. Judah (son of Luke Potter and Mary Edmands) was born in 1657 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA; died on 20 Jun 1731 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Daniel Brooks, son of Joshua Brooks, was born at Concord, Massachusetts, November 15, 1663. He was known as Daniel Brooks Sr., or Ensign Daniel Brooks. He died October 18, 1733. He married, August 9, 1690, Ann Meriam. She died January 24, 1757, and was daughter of John and Mary (Cooper) Meriam. His will is dated January 6, 1728-9. It mentions "my brother Joseph." wife Anna, daughters Anna Jones and Mary Wheeler, sons Samuel and Job and no others. The children of Daniel Brooks were : Daniel, born June 5, 1693, died young; Samuel, born May 5, 1694, married in Weston, September 6, 1738, Elizabeth Garfield; Hannah or Anna, born February 21, 1695-6, married. 1716, John Jones, who died March 12, 1762, aged seventy-two years ; she died in 1753 ; she had five children; Job, baptized 1698, (he was the father of John Brooks, and the grandfather of Hon. Eleazer Brooks), married, January 26, 1721, Elizabeth Flagg; Mary, born March 2, 1699-1700, married Thomas Wheeler; John, born February 12, 1701-2.

Family/Spouse: nn. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Joseph married Abigail Bateman on 31 Jan 1702 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. Abigail was born on 29 Jul 1675 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA; died on 24 Jan 1704 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Joseph married Rebecca Blodgett on 26 Jun 1704 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. Rebecca was born on 5 Jun 1689 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA; died on 25 Jan 1768 in Lincoln, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Eunice married Eleazer Davis on 9 May 1705 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. Eleazer (son of Samuel Davis and Mary Meadows) was born on 26 May 1680 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA; died on 10 Aug 1721 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Deacon John Brooks, son of Daniel Brooks, was born February 12, 1701-2, in Concord. He married Lydia Barker, daughter of John and Elizabeth Barker, and born June 18, 1711. He was deacon of the First Church in Acton, where he died March 6, 1777. Issue, four children recorded at Concord, the remainder at Acton : John, born December 17, 1728; Samuel, March 16, 1729-30; Charles, April 6, 1732; Lydia, May 7, 1734; Ephraim, August 5, 1736; Daniel, October 24, 1738; Nathaniel. February 17, 1740-1 ; Jonas, March 18, 1742-3, died March 15, 1746; Peter, March 29, 1745; Jonas, July 31, 1747.

James married Elizabeth Bathrick on 26 Dec 1745 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. Elizabeth (daughter of John Bathrick and Mary Boyce) was born on 7 Sep 1724 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA; died in 1793. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]