William Brooks (1615 - bef. 1683)

Born 1615 in England

Husband of Unknown (Unknown) Brooks — married about 1644 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony [uncertain]

Husband of Susanna (Hanford) Brooks — married 1665 in Scituate, Plymouth

Descendants

Died before 24 Jan 1683 before age 68 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony

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William Brooks migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 1, p. 412) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disputed Wife's Name

Susanna Dunham was not the name of either of William Brooks' two wives. He married first by 1644 an unnamed wife. She died after 1659 and before 1665. William married second on 06 Mar 1665, Susanna (Hanford) Whiston(e), daughter of Jeffrey Hanford and his wife, Eglin (Hatherley) (Downe) Hanford.^[1] William's wife had been identified by Savage as widow Susanna Dunham, however, this was a misreading of Willam Brooks' will. In his undated will which was proved March 6, 1682-3, William mentioned his sons, Nathaniell and Thomas; his six daughters (without names); his wife, Susannah; his "wife's youngest daughter, Bathshebath Dunham"; his grandchild, Beriah; and his daughters Hannah, and Mary.^[1] Savage had evidently misinterpreted this to mean that William had married Susanna Dunham, but that was incorrect. Bathshebath Dunham was the name of Susanna (Hanford) Whiston's daughter, who had married a Joseph Dunham, and by him, had a child Beriah, William's grandchild.^[1][2]

The correct name of William Brooks' second wife was Susanna (Hanford) (Whiston) Brooks, whom he married on 06 Mar 1665. She was a daughter of Jeffrey Hanford and his wife, Eglin (Hatherley) (Downe) Hanford.^[1]

Biography

He was born about 1615 in England ^[3] and was the son of Nathaniel Brooks.^{[citation needed]}

On 17 June 1635 William Brooke, age 20, and Gilbert Brooke,^[1] age 14, were enrolled at London, England, on the ship "Blessing" with master, John Leicester, as servants for passage to New England. William first resided in Scituate. He removed to Marshfield by 1643 and was back in Scituate by 1657.

They arrived in August 1635 at Boston, Massachusetts ^[4] and thence went with Vassall to Scituate in Plymouth Colony.

In 1643 he was on a list of men able to bear arms in Plymouth Colony,

William Brooks first married by 1644 an unnamed wife. She died after 1659 and before 1665.^[1]

William or his wife had become a member of the Second Church at Scituate, Massachusetts by 14 Sep 1645, when they had their first child baptized there.^[1]

William Brooks remarried on 06 Mar 1665 to Susanna (Hanford) Whiston(e), daughter of Jeffrey Hanford and his wife, Eglin (Hatherley) (Downe) Hanford.^{[1] [5]}

William's truly noteworthy involvement with the judicial system, was when he was a juror in the trial of several Indians accused of the murder of John Sassamon, a Christianized Indian and one-time "counselor" to Metacom, sachem of the Pokaneket band of Wampanoags. The racially mixed jury returned an unanimous verdict of guilty, and the prisoners were executed by hanging.

William died after 07 July 1680 and before January 24, 1682-3, when the inventory of his estate was made,^[1] in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Bay. ^[6]

His undated will was proved March 6, 1682-3. In it he mentioned his sons, Nathaniell and Thomas; his six daughters (without names); his wife, Susannah; his "wife's youngest daughter, Bathshebath Dunham"; his grandchild, Beriah; and his daughters Hannah, and Mary.^[1][7]

His inventory was taken on 24 January 1682.^[7]

Children

William Brooks and his first wife (whose name was unknown) had the following children, all baptized at Scituate Second Church:^[1]

1. Hannah Brooks, born say 1644, baptized September 14, 1645; living when her father wrote his will
2. Nathaniel Brooks, baptized March 29, 1646; married Elizabeth Curtis, December 24, 1678, at Scituate
3. Mary Brooks, baptized November 28, 1647; living when her father wrote his will
4. Sarah Brooks, baptized May 26, 1650, probably married by the time of her father's will. Her husband's name may have been Joseph Studley, but no evidence for the marriage has been found.
5. Miriam Brooks, baptized June 6, 1652; married John Curtis April 4, 1678 at Scituate
6. Deborah Brooks, baptized March 18, 1654/5, probably married by the time her father wrote his will. She may have married Robert Stetson, but evidence of the marriage has not been found
7. Thomas Brooks, baptized June 28, 1657; married Hannah Bisby at Scituate, June 6, 1687
8. Joanna Brooks, baptized October 16, 1659; married John Bisby at Marshfield September 13, 1687; died 17 Aug 1726^[8]

Research Notes

No Susanna Dunham has been found in Plymouth colony records.

2021/04/29 update: Susannah Dunham married on 02 Dec 1731 in Rochester, Plymouth County, Massachusetts ^[9]

The marriages to Susanna Hatherly and Susanna Hanford are actually for the same person who was Susanna Hanford, daughter of Eglin (Hatherley) and Jeffrey Hanford.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10} Anderson, Robert Charles, Great Migration 1634-1635, A-B. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume 1, A-B, by Robert Charles Anderson, George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999. Reference pages 412-415 $Subscription
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, published 1860-62. Reference Volume 1, page 263
3. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings 1538-1975 on ancestry.com
4. ↑ U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index 1500s-1900s on ancestry.com; citing code#3274; Directory of the Ancestral Heads of New England Families 1620-1700 compiled by Frank R. Holmes in 1923 New York; reprinted in 1964 by Genealogical Publishing Co. of Baltimore, MD; p407; for William Brooks, arrival: 1635 Massachusetts @20yrs
5. ↑ "U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700" by Clarence A. Torry & Genealogical Publishing Co. of Baltimore, MD, USA in 2004; on ancestry.com with image; Text: Brooks, William (1615-) & 2/wf Susanna (Hanford) (Wiston/Whiston), w John; b 6 Mar 1665/6; Scituate
6. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #38412718 for William Brooks, b: 1615 England; d: Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA; as burial unknown
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-897D-V39W : 15 March 2023), Wills 1633-1686 vol 1-4 > image 548 of 616; State Archives, Boston.
8. ↑ Vital Records of Scituate Massachusetts To the Year 1850
9. ↑ "VItal Records of Rochester, Massachusetts to the Year 1850" by New England Historical Genealogical Society of Boston, MA in 1914 in 2 volumes; v2 p78; on Heritage Quest online

• A genealogy of the Southworths (Southards) by Samuel Gilbert A. Webber (1838-1926); & published in 1905 by S. Usher of Fort Hill Press of Boston, MA; on ancestry.com with image; descendants of Constant Southworth: with a sketch of the family in England; chapter#2 Descendants of Edward Southworth; for #106 Anne Southworth6 m: 10 Feb 1793 Curtis Brooks6, son of Lydia & Joseph Brooks5 (Gilbert4, Gilbert3, Nathaniel2, William Brooks1 who was b: 1615 England; arrival: 1635 ship "Blessing"; res: 1644 Scituate, MA; m: Mrs. Susanna Dunham of Plymouth)