Person Page - 193

       Thomas/3a Brooks was born 5 May 1666 at Concord, MA, and there died 9 Sep 1671 at age 5.¹

       Lieut./Dea. Joshua/4a Brooks was born 14 Oct 1688 at Concord, MA.¹ There he married (1), 24 Apr 1713, Lydia/4 Wheeler of Concord, daughter of Timothy/3 Wheeler and Lydia/3 Wheeler.² Selectman of Concord, 1734 and 1749.³ "Lieut. in Company which marched from Concord to Boston on the alarm of an expected attack by a French fleet, 1746."⁴ He lived in that part of Concord which was set off to Lincoln, and was chosen deacon of the Lincoln church in 1749.⁵ His wife Lydia died 25 Jun 1750.⁶ Joshua married (2), 4 Jun 1751 at Lincoln, Mary/3 Munroe, widow of Thomas/4 Wheeler III, a 2d cousin of his 1st wife.⁷ He died at Lincoln 26 Jun 1768 at age 79.⁸ His widow Mary died there 30 May 1782.⁹ He is buried with both wives in the New Cemetery.^10,11

       Noah/3a Brooks was born in 1656 or 57 at Concord, MA, although no birth record survives.^2,1 Witness to an Indian deed, 1684.^3,4 He married, probably in 1685, Dorothy/2 Potter of Concord, daughter of Dea. Luke/1 Potter and Mary/2 Edmunds. (Savage and Bond erroneously identify Noah's wife as Dorothy Wright, but the will of Dea. Luke Potter names daughter Dorothy Brooks. Luke's son Judah/2 Potter married Noah's sister Grace/3 Brooks. Luke Potter was one of three men who returned the inventory of Noah's grandfather Capt. Thomas Brooks.).^5,4,6
     "On 11 Nov. 1695, with consent of his wife, [Joshua Brooks] sold his Concord lands by four deeds to his sons Noah, Daniel, Joseph and Job. Each deed described several parcels, all of which were in the same area and were bound by lands of these four brothers. He and Hannah both signed by mark. Noah paid £59…."⁷ In 1697 Noah was guardian of his younger brother Hugh.⁸ On 24 Aug of that year Noah, his brothers and brothers-in-law sold to Hugh their rights in their deceased brother Job's portion of their father Joshua's estate.^8,9
     Noah Brooks was selectman in 1702, 1704 and 1709.^10,11 In 1735 a group of Concord residents led by John Flint petitioned the General Court for a new town to be set off from the easterly part of Concord, the northerly part of Weston, and the westerly part of Lexington. Noah Brooks, a resident of East Concord, was, with his brothers and sister Esther, among those signing a petition opposing the request. Their opposition was unsuccessful, and the new town of Acton was created 3 Jul 1735 from "The Village, or New Grant, Together with Willard's Farms" sections of Concord.¹² Since Noah's farm was included in the setoff, he thus became a resident of Acton.³ There he died 1 Feb 1738/39, "in y^e 83rd year of his age."^13,14 His widow died 15 Mar 1752 (c.r.).¹⁵ "Their grave stones are still extant in the old Hill cemetery [in Concord] though all that is left of his is the bottom part with his age," writes Threlfall.^16,4

       Lydia/4 Wheeler was born 5 May 1694 at Concord, MA.¹ There she married, as his 1st wife, 24 Apr 1713, Lieut./Dea. Joshua/4a Brooks of Concord, son of Noah/3a Brooks and Dorothy/2 Potter.² She died at Concord 25 Jun 1750 at age 56.³ Her husband married (2) Mary Munroe, widow of Lydia's 2d cousin Thomas Wheeler III, and died at Lincoln 26 Jun 1768.⁴ Lydia is buried with Joshua and his 2d wife in the New Cemetery, Lincoln.^5,6

       Josiah/4a Brooks was born 21 May 1722 at Concord, MA.¹ He settled at Westford and there married, 12 Jan 1753, Lydia/4 Heywood of Concord, daughter of Josiah/3 Heywood and Lydia (–?–).² He had a bequest in the will of his uncle Joseph Brooks dated 19 Mar 1757.³ He died at Westford 9 Aug 1771, a. 49, and is buried in Fairview Cemetery.⁴ His estate was probated that same year.³

       Ens. Daniel/3a Brooks was born 15 Nov 1663 at Concord, MA.¹ There he married, 9 Aug 1692, Anna/3 Merriam of Concord, daughter of John/2 Merriam and Mary/2 Cooper, with whom he had 6 children.² (Daniel's brother Joseph Brooks married Abigail Bateman, Anna's 2d cousin.).
     11 Nov 1695, with consent of his wife, Daniel's father Joshua sold his Concord lands by four deeds to his sons. Each deed described several parcels, all of which were in the same area and were bound by lands of these four brothers. Joshua and his wife Hannah both signed by mark. Daniel paid £59 for his parcel, says Threlfall.³ Two years later, 24 Aug 1697, Daniel, his brothers, and his brothers-in-law sold their rights in their deceased brother Job's portion of their father's estate to their brother Hugh.^4,5
     Selectman, 1716–1719 and 1725–1729.⁶ "His home on Brooks Road, [in that part of Concord which became] Lincoln, Mass., is now [1986] owned by David Rogers, who is a lineal descendant."⁷
     Daniel Brooks, yeoman of Concord, made his will 6 Jan 1728/29. To beloved wife Anna he leaves a room in his house, cellar storage space, all his household goods, and two cows to be kept for her from year to year; and charges sons Samuel and Job, named executors, with keeping their mother supplied with meal, beef, pork and firewood, "all those things to be Brought to the house and Delivered to her in the proper season thereof," so long as she remains his widow. To youngest son John he leaves housing and lands bought of [Daniel] Hubbard besides what I have given him already in a deed of gift. To daughters Anna Jones and Mary Wheeler he leaves £70 each, less the £50 each has already received. To son Samuel, all my buildings except the lower room at the east end of my dwelling house (reserved for the widow); my home feild, barn, pastuer, and orchard, half the house meadow and the spring of water thereon; all my woodland by Chestnut feild; and all my Stock of Creatuers and Utencils for husbandary. To son Job, the Chestnut feild Pastuer, a woodlot purchased of Abraham Wood, and the other half of the house lot meadow. "With the upland Belonging thereunto which medow is to be equally divided between my two sons Samuel Brooks and Job Brooks in Quantity and Quality the one to Divide the other to Chuse and in case Jobs part shall be next to his uncle [Joseph] Brooks land he shall have the priviledge of a Bridle-way one Rod wide to his medow from the high-way to his medow." Any residue was to be equally divided between the executors. Witnesses: Joseph and Sarah Meriam and Joseph Morgain.⁸
     Daniel Brooks died at Concord 18 Oct 1733, at age 69, and rests in the Hill Burying Ground next to his brother Hugh.^9,10 His will was proved 29 Oct 1733, and sons Samuel and Job Brooks named executors.⁸ His widow is reported to have died 24 Jan 1757.^11,12

Exhibits.
     Will and probate file of Daniel Brooks, #2808, Middlesex County files.
     The Daniel Brooks house, Lincoln, MA.

       Anna/3 Merriam was born 7 Sep 1669 at Concord, MA.¹ There she married, 9 Aug 1692, Ens. Daniel/3a Brooks of Concord, son of Dea. Joshua/2a Brooks and Hannah/2 Mason, with whom she had 6 children.² (Daniel's brother Joseph Brooks married Abigail Bateman, Anna's 2d cousin.). Beloved wife Anna is mentioned in her husband's will, dated 6 Jan 1728/29.³ He died at Concord 18 Oct 1733.^4,5 Secondary sources give her death date as 24 Jan 1757.^6,7

       Lydia/4 Heywood was born 24 May 1724 at Concord, MA.¹ She married, 12 Jan 1753 at Westford, Josiah/4a Brooks of Westford, son of Daniel/3a Brooks and Anna (–?–), with whom she had 7 children.² He died at Westford 9 Aug 1771.³ She is probably the "Mrs. Brooks" who died there 15 Jan 1812.⁴