Person Page - 263

       John/2w Brooks was born circa 1623 in England, and came with his family to Massachusetts Bay.² They lived first at Concord and then at Woburn. He married (1), 1 Nov 1649 at Woburn, MA, Eunice/2 Mousall of Woburn, daughter of Dea. John/1 Mousall and Joanna ?Thompson, with whom he had 8 children.^3,4 Freeman of Woburn 7 May 1651.⁵
     "The will of the senior John Mousall (19th of the 4th month, 1660) makes his two sons, John Mousall and John Brooks, joint executors; gives to his son Brooks's three children, and to his grandchild, Sarah Brooks, and to his grandchild, Eunice [Unis] Brooks; to his son, John Brooks (in whose house John Mousall, Sr.'s widow was to have a peaceable living); gives also to his grandchild, Joanna Brooks; and certain residue of his lands to his two sons [John Mousall, and son-in-law John Brooks].
     "John Mousall, Jr.'s wife being the sister of John Brooks, this relationship of the son is more clearly understood. It was the case of being doubly brothers-in-law; Brooks marrying the only sister of Mousall, and Mousall marrying a sister of Brooks. From this circumstance arose a partial (not total) combination of the property of Deacon John Mousall and Henry Brooks, of which more is said in an article by one of the present writers, in the Register, vol. xlvii., p. 462, et. seq.
     "In his will, Deacon John Mousall gives his great meadow [at Woburn Centre, in the vicinity of Prospect Street, a tract now covered with buildings], to his two sons equally, but in case the son, John Mousall died without children, then he (John Mousall, Jr.) could give his share to his wife, for use during her life, and after the decease of John Mousall, the said son, and his wife leaving no heir, the share was to return to the son [in-law] John Brooks's children. John Mousall, Jr. did die without children, and some of his property returned to John Brooks's children, in accordance with the terms of the will. In 1673, a house described in the town records as the 'Hopewell House' was owned in common by John Mousall, Jr. and John Brooks, being a part of their inheritance from their father, Deacon John Mousall."²
     John Brooks, and Francis Kendall, Samuel Walker Sr., John Wyman, and Thomas Pierce, were appointed a committee of "wright proprietors," 28 Mar 1667, to proportionally distribute common land at Woburn. As compensation for "the truble and pains that they were at," the committee were to receive 7 acres each of "make meadow or swamp."⁶
     Johnson tells us: "In 1668 Thomas Dutton [of Woburn] brought an action of slander against Michael Bacon Jr., who had charged him with being a thief…The following paper also appears as evidence in this case and is very valuable for its autographs: Wee whose Names are under written testyfy that Thomas dutton having lived amongst us in the Towne of woburne nere the space of tenne yeares, has bine very Industrus in his calling and and has not to our knowledg bine any way given to steall or to take any thing that is not his owne. Josias Conuars, William Johnson, Mathew Johnson, James Conuars, Samuell Conuars, John Broockes, Thomas Peirce, Samual Walker senyer, John Russell Junior, henry broockes, Isack Broockes, Edward win, Richard Gardner, John Russell Sen., John Carter. The plaintiff obtained a verdict of fifteen pounds.^7,8
     Member of the artillery company, date unknown.⁹ Says Cutter, "He was evidently a soldier in King Philip's War, 1675–6, but his identity is not positive."² 4 Apr 1681, the selectmen agreed with John Brooks to keep George Wilkinson, a veteran of Philip's War and the town's first recorded pauper, until Michaelmas; "and in case more than ordinary sickness come, then the Towne to consider the charge." Wilkinson died in 1683, and was buried at the town's expense.¹⁰
     His father Henry's will, 18 Jul 1682, forgave son John Brooks £10 owed for a yoke of oxen, and forgave a £50 note for land and housing in which John Brooks and his brother-in-law John Mousall were joint debtors. John also received one third of his father's wearing apparel, "but he hath had his portion already."^11,12 His wife Eunice died at Woburn 1 Jan 1683/84.¹³ There he married (2), seven weeks later, 25 Feb 1683/84, Mary Champney, daughter of John Champney and Joan (–?–), and widow of his stepbrother Theophilus Richardson.¹⁴
     "In 1690, at the age of about 67 years, he participated as a soldier in the Phips Expedition to Quebec."² The will of John Brooks, Sr., dated July 29, 1690, probated Nov. 16, 1691, he…"being bound for Canada in the Expedition against the French enemy"…mentions wife, Mary; sons, Jabez, John and Ebenezer; daughters, Deborah, Eunice, Sarah and Joanna; grandchildren, Eunice Buck, Eunice Carter, Eunice Roberts, and John Buck, John Carter, John Brooks, David Roberts; and Mary and Elizabeth, his son John's two children; Eunice Brooks, daughter of his son Ebenezer; and Mary, daughter of his daughter, Deborah Richardson. He also names son John Richardson [husband of Deborah]; and mentions John Dane [Dean], an apprentice, and Rev. Pastor Mr. Jabez Fox. To son John Brooks he gives that piece of land…called by the name of English Hills. He gives the care of his son Jabez to Lieut. James Converse, during his minority.²
     Sep 1691, "dismissed from ordinary trainings on account of his decrepitness and incapacity to serve."^15,2 He died at Woburn, probably later that month.^16,17 In 1738 his grandson Jonathan filed a claim in right of John Brooks for bounty land awarded for the 1690 Canada Expedition.²

       Eunice/2 Mousall married, 1 Nov 1649 at Woburn, MA, John/2w Brooks of Woburn, son of Henry/1 Brooks and an unnamed 1st wife, with whom she had 8 children.^2,3 Named in the will of her father, Dea. John Mousall Sr., 1660.⁴ She died at Woburn 1 Jan 1683/84.⁵

       Jabez/3w Brooks was born 17 Jul 1673 at Woburn, MA.¹ The will of his father, 29 Jul 1690, gave care of Jabez Brooks during his minority to Lieut. James Converse of Woburn.² There he married (1), 18 Dec 1694, Rachel/4 Buck, daughter of Samuel/3 Buck and Rachel Leven, with whom he had one daughter.^3,4 Rachel died at Woburn 23 Feb 1697/98.⁵ There he married (2), 7 Jun 1698, Hepsibah/3 Cutter, 2d so-named, daughter of Richard/2 Cutter and Frances Perriman, with whom he had 10 children.^6,4
     In 1738, Jabez Brooks, of Woburn, claimed Isaac Brooks's share of land granted by the colony to soldiers of the Quebec expedition of 1690, "in right of his kinsman, Isaac Brooks," attested by Joseph Reed.⁷ 16 Jan 1739/40, Jabez Brooks, of Woburn, husbandman, "in consideration of love, good will, and affection....towards my loving wife, Hepsibeth Brooks," conveys certain household articles and wearing apparel, one large Bible, one silver spoon, a large cupboard, and all "my linen," and a bond due to her from "my son," Ebenezer Brooks. On the same date, Jabez Brooks, in a similar conveyance, mentions his sons, Nathaniel Brooks, husbandman, Samuel Brooks, husbandman, John Brooks and Ebenezer Brooks, housewrights, and Benjamin Brooks, husbandman, all of Woburn, to whom he conveys his right in a "way leading from the country road between my house and Mr. Belknap's house to the Richardson Row, to lie for an open road," etc. The originals of these deeds, with many other papers of this family are deposited in the Wyman Collection in the Woburn Public Library.⁸
     Hepsibah died at Woburn 1 Jan 1745/46.⁹ There he died 30 Jan 1746/47 at age 73.¹⁰ They are buried in the First Burial Ground.¹¹

       An undated ["16__"] baptismal record at Cambridge, MA identifies Mary Champny as the daughter of "John and Joane Champny."¹ She married (1), 2 May 1654 at Woburn, MA, Theophilus/2 Richardson of Woburn, son of Ezekiel/1 Richardson and Susanna ?Bradford, with whom she had 8 children.^2,3 He died at Woburn 28 Dec 1674.⁴ There she married (2), 25 Feb 1683/84, as his 2d wife, John/2w Brooks of Woburn, son of Henry/1w Brooks and (–?–) (–?–).⁵ Mentioned in her husband's will, 29 Jul 1690.⁶ She died at Woburn 26 Aug 1704.⁷