Janet and Robert Wolfe Genealogy --- Go to Genealogy Page for Richard Holbrook --- Go to Genealogy Page for Agnes

Notes for Richard Holbrook and Agnes

1646/47 On 2 of month 12 1646 [February 1646/7], "Richard Howlbrook, His mark R H" was among the proprietors in Dorchester, Massachusetts, who agreed to arbitration by three men of Roxbury concerning a fence around Dorchester. [1]

1648 "Rich. Holbrooke" took the oath of a freeman at the general court of the colony of Massachusetts on May 10. [2]

1653 Richard Holbrook was among the joint purchasers of Oyster Bay named in the deed from "Asiapum alias Mohenes" granting to "Peter Wright, Samuel Maio, and William Leuerich" all his land "upon Oyster Bay ... bounded by oyster Riuer to ye east side, & Papaquatunk riuer on ye west side ... wth All ye Islands Lying to ye Sea ward excepting one Island Comonly Called Hog Island & bounded neere Southward by a point of trees called Canteaiug." On the reverse of the deed is written, "we within named Sam: Maio. Peter wright, & william Leuerich, doe accept of as ioynt purchasers with o'rselves ... Mr Washbourne, Tho: Armitage, Dan: whitehead, Anth: wright, Rob: williams, Joh: washbourne and Ric: Holbrooke." [3] [4] [5] "Richard Holbrook was the first man, as a purchaser, that got up his house, in Oyster Bay." [6]

1653 On 2 April, Richard Houlbrock, Robert Williams, and Daniel Whitehead purchased from Raseokan, Sagamore of the Mattinicock, land "lying and being upon Long Island, bounded upon the west side with a river commonly called by the Indians Nachaquetack, and the North side with the sea, and going eastward to a river called Opcatkontvcke, on the south side to the utmost part of my bounds" for "6 coats, 6 kettles, 6 hatchets, 6 howes, 6 shirts, 10 knives, 6 fathoms of wampum, 3 muxes, 30 needles." [7]

1658 Patience, daughter of Richard Holbrook, was born on December 19 in Milford, Connecticut. [8]

1661 Peletiah, son of Richard Holbrook, was born on April 6 in Milford, Connecticut. [9]

1670 Richard Holbrook dated his will on March 29 in Milford, Connecticut. [10]

This is the last will and testament of Richard Holbrook, of Milford, in the Colony of Connecticut, March 29th, 1670. I, Richard Holbrook, being in perfect memory, though week in body, do here make my last will and testament, as followeth. Item. I give unto my son Abel Holbrook, my loom, and all the tackling belonging to it, and he shall work with them for his mother, and maintain them, and these shall be his when he is married. Item. My will is, that my son, Abel Holbrook, shall live with his mother, and be obedient unto her, and work for her, until he is married, and at the day of his marriage, he shall receive the loom, with all the gears. Item. I give unto my son Abel, above mentioned my gray mare. Item. I give unto my son, Israel Holbrook, my yearling mare colt. Item. I give unto my son, Peletiah Holbrook, the first colt that either of these two mares has, and they shall bring it up for him. Item, I give unto my three daughters which are unmarried, Mary Holbrook, Hannah Holbrook, and Patience Holbrook, those of them which marry while their mother lives: Item. my will is, that their mother shall endeavor to give them ten pounds a piece, so soon as she can, after the day of their marriage; but if they live with her until the day of her death: Item. my will is, that after their mother is dead, the household goods and cattle shall be equally divided between these my three daughters, above mentioned, Mary Holbrook, Hannah Holbrook, and Patience Holbrook. Item. My will is, that if my beloved wife, Agnes Holbrook, should marry again, then what estate is then, in household goods and cattle, shall then be equally divided between her and her daughters, above mentioned, Mary Holbrook, Hannah Holbrook, and Patience Holbrook. Item. My will is that the day of my beloved wife's decease, or marrying again, which of them shall first happen, my house and land shall then be equally divided between my three sons, above mentioned, Abel Holbrook, Israel Holbrook, and Pelatiah Holbrook. Item. My will is, that if any of these my three sons, Abel Holbrook, Israel Holbrook, and Pelatiah Holbrook, doth prove perverse or disobedient unto their mother's lawful commands, or will not live with her, then they shall have no right unto my house and land, above mentioned; then those of them that are obedient shall have it. Item. Unto my son, John Holbrook, I give one shilling. I give unto my son, Daniel Holbrook, one shilling. Item. I give unto my daughter, Abigail, one shilling. she having received her portion already. Item. My will is. that my beloved wife, Agnes Holbrook, shall be my whole and sole executrix. In witness thereof, I do here unto set my hand, and seal, Richard Holbrook"

Research Notes:

1665 In September and October, Thomas Armitage and Richard Holbrook were present in court in New York City concerning reserving Horse Neck by Indians when the Oyster Bay and Huntington purchase was made. [11]

Secondary sources list baptism or birth dates in Dorchester for daughters Abigail and Mary without providing source information:

1648 Abigail Holbrook was baptized on March 26 at Dorchester, Massachusetts. [12] [13]

1648 Abigail Holbrook was baptized on May 21 at Dorchester, Massachusetts. [14]

1650 Mary Holbrook, daughter of Richard and Agnes Holbrook, was born or baptized on March 17 at Dorchester. [15] [16] [17]

Some secondary sources place Richard Holbrook as the son of a John Holbrook who may have emigrated from England in the 1620s, attribute siblings to Richard, and suggest that Richard settled in Springfield. I have not found evidence to support these suggestions. The record of Richard's freeman's oath does not say he took the oath in Springfield and does not include other men named Holbrook. [18] [19]


Footnotes:

[1] William H. Whitmore and William S. Appleton, eds., Dorchester Town Records, 3rd ed. (Boston, Rockwell and Churchill, 1896), 75-76, right column of 76, [HathiTrust].

[2] Lucius R. Page, "List of Freemen," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 3 (1849), 89-96, 187-194, 239-246, and 345-352 at 191, C.R., Vol. II, p. 201, [HathiTrust].

[3] John Cox, Oyster Bay Town Records, Volume 1, 1653-1690 (New York: Tobias A. Wright, 1916), 670-671, [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive], [GoogleBooks].

[4] John Cox, Oyster Bay Town Records, Volume 1, 1653-1690 (New York: Tobias A. Wright, 1916), frontpiece, Oyster Bay First Purchase Deed, front, [HathiTrust].

[5] John Cox, Oyster Bay Town Records, Volume 1, 1653-1690 (New York: Tobias A. Wright, 1916), frontpiece, Oyster Bay First Purchase Deed, back, [HathiTrust].

[6] John Cox, Oyster Bay Town Records, Volume 1, 1653-1690 (New York: Tobias A. Wright, 1916), 692, [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive], [GoogleBooks].

[7] Peter Ross and William Smith Pelletreau, A History of Long Island, Vol. 2 (1905), 174, [GoogleBooks].

[8] "Milford (Conn.) Vital Records," The American Genealogist 9 (1932-33), 100-120 and 159-173, at 103, in the abstract of the record the date is written as 19 Dec. 1658/9. The record is between records dated 27 Dec. 1658 and 26 Apr. 1659, suggesting the possibility that the date was actually 19 February 1658/59 and perhaps originally written as 19 of the 12th month, [AmericanAncestors].

[9] "Milford (Conn.) Vital Records," The American Genealogist 9 (1932-33), 100-120 and 159-173, at 104, [AmericanAncestors].

[10] Margaret Tagliapietra, A Memorial of John, Henry, and Richard Townsend & their descendants (New York: W. A. Townsend, 1865), 65-66, [HathiTrust].

[11] Herbert Furman Seversmith, Colonial families of Long Island, New York and Connecticut, Vol. 1 (Washington, D.C., 1939), 115, [HathiTrust].

[12] A. Roberts Lord, Holbrook and Allied Families (New York: Thesis publishing Co, 1942), 11, [HathiTrust].

[13] Mary Louise Holbrook, The Holbrook Family of Derby, Connecticut (New Haven: Tuttle, Morehouse, and Taylor, 1932), 1, [HathiTrust].

[14] Susan Woodruff Abbott, Families of Early Milford, Connecticut (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1979), 372, [GoogleBooks].

[15] Susan Woodruff Abbott, Families of Early Milford, Connecticut (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1979), 372, [GoogleBooks].

[16] A. Roberts Lord, Holbrook and Allied Families (New York: Thesis publishing Co, 1942), 11, [HathiTrust].

[17] Mary Louise Holbrook, The Holbrook Family of Derby, Connecticut (New Haven: Tuttle, Morehouse, and Taylor, 1932), 1, [HathiTrust].

[18] A. Roberts Lord, Holbrook and Allied Families (New York: Thesis publishing Co, 1942), 8-12, [HathiTrust].

[19] Mary Louise Holbrook, The Holbrook Family of Derby, Connecticut (New Haven: Tuttle, Morehouse, and Taylor, 1932), 1, [HathiTrust].