Person Page - 196

       Dorothy/4a Brooks was born 15 Oct 1685 at Concord, MA.¹ There she married, 24 Mar 1705, Joseph/3 Merriam of Concord, son of John/2 Merriam and Mary/2 Cooper.² A locksmith, he died at Concord 10 Dec 1750.³ The widow's will, 18 Dec 1757, bequeathed to daughters Dorothy, wife of Joseph Adams, and Mary, wife of Simon Hunt, and to sons Joseph of Grafton, Samuel, Nathan, and Josiah.⁴

       Joseph/3 Merriam was born 20 Aug 1677 at Concord, MA.¹ There he married, 24 Mar 1705, Dorothy/4a Brooks of Concord, daughter of Noah/3a Brooks and Dorothy/2 Potter.² There he died 10 Dec 1750 at age 73.³ His widow's will was dated 18 Dec 1757.⁴
     19 Mar 1727, Joseph Merriam joined other men in purchasing Hasanamisco (the future town of Grafton) from the Indians. He transferred his rights to his eldest son Joseph, who went to Grafton and grew up with the town.⁴
     "He was a locksmith; resided in Concord. Joseph and Ebenezer Meriam, of Concord, joined, June 9, 1726, with James Taylor in a quitclaim deed of their rights of inheritance in lands which had been owned by the late James Taylor, and which Nathaniel Stow was then conveying. [Mdx. Deeds, 26, 47.] Joseph sold a freehold right and one-third of an acre of land in the Village or Town New Grant contained by Stow line, and other lands, June 5, 1732. He made deeds of gift to his sons: to Nathan the homestead, April 3, 1747; to Josiah other lands; also gave the latter life use of one-half of the shop and tools,— but Josiah must give first offer of sale to his brother Nathan if he desired to sell."⁴

       Ebenezer/4a Brooks was born 14 Feb 1691/92 at Concord, MA.¹ There he married, 18 Nov 1714, Sarah/4 Fletcher of Concord, daughter of Cornet Samuel/3 Fletcher and Elizabeth/3 Wheeler.² "He was a weaver and a farmer, owned a large number of cattle which he or his sons drove from Concord to Grafton for pasturage in the spring and back to Concord in the fall."³
     14 Nov 1741, Nathaniel Bacon of Bedford and Joseph Bacon of Woburn sold to Ebenezer Brooks of Grafton, for £300 in bills of public credit, 193 acres of land in the northeast section of Grafton. 28 Nov 1741, Ebenezer Brooks of Grafton and son Noah of Shrewsbury were among signatories from both towns to a successful petition to the General Court, asking to set off the petitioners' land from Shrewsbury and annex it to Grafton, "as the distance was too great to attend divine worship."³
     "On May 8, 1744 Ebenezer Brooks deeded to his youngest son, Joel, the original 193 acres of land as a gift. They had chosen this particular tract for the meadows in which the cattle might graze, but the soil was very rocky. In later years one of the grandsons told how when he took the cows to pasture on cold mornings, he jumped from stone to stone to save his feet from touching the frosty grass."⁴ Ebenezer Brooks was selectman four times and town treasurer from 1745 through 1754.⁵ He died at Grafton 5 Apr 1768 (g.s.), at age 76.^6,7,8
     His will, dated 16 Dec 1767 and proved 25 Apr following, devises to wife Sarah the north end of my new dwelling house with as much cellar room as she may need during her natural Life, all his indoor moveables, and her choice of two cows; to eldest son Noah, the northerly half of a Lott of Land Lying in a Swamp called Wild [Catt?], and £10-11-8; to 2d son Joel, £13-6-8 and a horse; to son Simon, £13-6-8; to daughter Sarah Willard the east end of a house at Grafton purchased of her husband Benjamin Willard, a right-of-way, and one third of the indoor moveables after his wife's decease; to daughters Elizabeth Drury and Lucy Goulding, each ten pounds and one third of the indoor moveables after his wife's decease; to son Peter, his outdoor moveables, farm and buildings thereon (excepting the half of the house already devised to his wife during his lifetime), in exchange for life care and burial of his wife; to sons Noah, Joel and Simon, the remainder of property purchased of son-in-law Benjamin Willard 7 Oct 1766. Witnesses included his 2d cousin Nathaniel/5a Ball of Grafton. Ebenezer's son Noah, named executor of the will, "utterly refused" his role on 6 Apr 1768, and the court appointed his brother Peter executor in his stead on the 26th.⁷
     Ebenezer's widow Sarah died 22 Feb 1775.^9,8 Of their 8 children, two married Willard siblings and three married Drury siblings.
     "Ebenezer Brooks built the first frame house in this part of the town. He chose the site where the old farmhouse now [1929] stands on that part of the State Hospital property now known as 'The Oaks', so named for the large oak trees growing there. By the same token it might have been called 'The Butternuts', 'The Elms', or 'The Chestnuts' for these were as numerous and beautiful as well as comparing favorable in size. The largest chestnut, when cut a few years ago, measuring between 8 and 9 feet at the swell of the stump and the trunk proper 6½ by 7½ feet in diameter. Unfortunately all the chestnuts have been killed by the blight but the others still stand. The house consisted of three rooms, two on the ground floor and a Chamber above. The kitchen was large and long with a stone chimney and fireplace so big you could sit on a cricket in one corner and look at the stars. The old flint lock and powder horn hung over it. On the floor were marks of horses' feet where they had drawn in the big back log for the foundation of the fire never allowed to go out. Once this accident happened and a member of the family took the foot stove used for keeping the feet warm in church and went down the long hill to the Cutler Farm for coals."¹⁰

       Dea. Ebenezer/4a Brooks Jr. was born 23 Mar 1697/98 at Medford, MA, and baptised 3 Apr at Cambridge.^1,2 He married (1), 20 Jun 1737 at Boston, Hannah Gibson of Boston, with whom he had 7 children.^3,4 By an agreement among the heirs of Capt. Ebenezer/3a Brooks, 1743, sons Thomas, Samuel, Ebenezer and Caleb took all the real estate, agreeing to pay their remaining siblings cash legacies. Ebenezer was to receive an additional £600-1-3 to complete his share.⁵ His wife Hannah died at Medford 6 Oct 1753.⁶ Evidently a slaveowner, 1757, when his servant Caesar Pertsmouth married Zipporah, servant of Nathaniel Brown of Charlestown.⁷ Chosen deacon of the church at Medford, 1759.⁸ He married (2), 10 Apr 1760 at Lynn, Mrs. Elizabeth Mansfield.^9,10 He died at Medford 18 Sep 1781, at age 83, of "old age and cancer."¹¹ His widow died 11 Apr 1782.¹²

       Ebenezer/4p Brooks was baptised 23 Mar 1722 at the Second Church, Scituate, MA.¹ Probably died before 16 Mar 1768; unmentioned in his father's will of that date.^2,3

       Sarah/4 Fletcher was born 19 May 1690 at Concord, MA.¹ There she married, 18 Nov 1714, Ebenezer/4a Brooks of Concord, son of Noah/3a Brooks and Dorothy/2 Potter.² They lived at Grafton, where he died 5 Apr 1768.^3,4,5 His will, dated 16 Dec 1767 and proved 26 Apr 1768, left wife Sarah "ye North End of my new Dwelling House with as much Cellar Room as she may need During her natural Life," all his indoor moveables, and her choice of two cows.⁴ She died 22 Feb 1775 (g.s.).^6,5 Of their 8 children, two married Willard siblings and three married Drury siblings.