Person Page - 456

       Sarah/3w Brooks, probably daughter of Isaac, was born 14 May 1667 at Woburn, MA, and there died 2 Jul following. Her town birth record names her "d. of Sarah," her death record "d. of Isaac."^2,3,1

       Miriam/3w Brooks, 1st so-named, was born 29 May 1668 at Woburn, MA, and died soon.^2,1

       Miriam/3w Brooks, 2d so-named, was born 16 Dec 1673 at Woburn, MA.¹ In the will of her grandfather Henry Brooks,18 Jul 1682, she was bequeathed Henry's share of 42 acres in the town's common land ("the great lot in Woburn Common"). She shared another bequest of 8 acres in Forty Pound Meadow with her brothers Isaac and Henry.^2,3 She married, by 1693, Henry Merrow Jr., son of Henry Merrow and Jane (–?–).⁴ Of Reading, 1693, Woburn, 1695.

       Dea. John/1 Mousall was born in England circa 1596. [In a suit, Dec 1658, he was about 63 years old. In a deposition dated 10 Mar 1662, he was about 66.]^2,3 He married, in England, Joanna ?Thompson.⁴ Admitted freeman of Charlestown, MA, 3 Sep 1634.⁵ He was a Charlestown deputy to the General Courts of 2 Sep 1635, 18 Apr 1637, 17 May 1637, and 26 Sep 1637.⁶ At the General Court of 1 Aug 1637, he was one of those deputies who apportioned the colony's tax burden of £400 to be raised among the various towns. 5 Nov 1640, the Church of Charlestown chose seven men, John Mousall among them, as commissioners or agents for the erection of a church and town upon the recent grant of Charlestown Village, which became Woburn.⁷ 13 Apr 1644, he was one of seven chosen for Woburn's first board of selectmen.⁸ He was both witness to and overseer of the will of Lambart Sutton, dated at Woburn 8 Nov 1649.⁹ The will of his brother Dea. Ralph/1 Mousall, 13 Apr 1657, bequeaths brother John Mousall 20s.¹⁰ John Mousal, about 63, was a witness, Dec 1658, in the slander suit of Captain Edward Johnson against Ensign John Carter.^2,11
     10 Mar 1662, Dea. Edward/1 Converse, aged 73, and John Mousall, aged about 66, deposed, "they being two of the selectmen for the town of Woburn from the beginning of the plantation to this present time," that with James Thompson Sr., John Tidd Sr., Nicholas Davis, Mr. John Green and Mr. Nicholas Trarice, they had previously exchanged lots granted to them in Charlestown "now lying within the said town of Woburn" for conveniency of arable pasture and meadow lands in Woburn proportionately with the rest of the inhabitants. "[T]he said town of Woburn have enjoyed for near 20 years past without let or molestation in their improvement of them," the deponents stated.¹²
     "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."¹³
     John Mousall died at Woburn 27 Mar 1665.^14,4 "A founder and much honored citizen of Woburn, the erecter of one of the first houses," says Cutter, who notes the name was pronounced MOWZ-ZALL.⁴ See "John Mousall of Woburn," NEHGR 47:462-467 (Oct 1893).¹⁵

       John/3w Brooks Jr., 2d so-named, was born 1 Mar 1664 at Woburn, MA.¹ There he married, as her 1st husband, 30 Jan 1685, Mary Bruce, daughter of George Bruce and Elizabeth Clark, and widow of Walter Cranston.^2,3 Mentioned in the will of his father John/2w Brooks, 29 Jul 1690: "To son John Brooks he gives that piece of land…called by the name of English Hills."⁴ Appointed a tithingman for the Centre district, 2 May 1692.⁵ Witnessed the will of Francis/1 Kendall of Woburn, dated 9 May 1706.⁶
     His own will of 23 Aug 1726, proved 3 Dec 1733, mentions his wife Mary; sons John, Timothy and Nathan; daughters, Mary and Sarah; granddaughter, Margaret Richardson; and also his son-in-law, Timothy Winn, and two grandchildren, Timothy and Elizabeth Winn, children of his deceased daughter Elizabeth.⁷ He died at Woburn 7 Aug 1733 at age 69.⁸ His widow married (3), 15 Jan 1734 at Woburn, Peter Hay of Stoneham.^9,10
     Virkus confuses this man with his brother John (1650–1653), and says that John, b. 1649, married (2) Mary Cranston.¹¹

       Eunice/3w Brooks was born 10 Oct 1655 at Woburn, MA.¹ Mentioned in the will of her grandfather Dea. John/1 Mousall, 19 Jun 1660, and in her father's will 29 Jul 1690.² She married (1), 1672, Rev. Samuel/2 Carter, son of Rev. Thomas/1 Carter and Mary/2 Parkhurst.^3,4 He died at Groton before 30 Oct 1693, when administration of his estate was granted.^5,6 She married (2), as his 2d wife, Capt. James/1 Parker of Groton.^7,8 He died before 12 Jul 1700, the date of his inventory.⁹ She married (3), as his 3d wife, 1704, John/2 Kendall, son of Francis/1 Kendall and Mary Tidd.⁷ The will of her father-in-law Francis/1 Kendall, 9 May 1706, leaves daughters Mary Read, Hannah Green and Eunice Kendall "all my householde stuff of what sort or kind soever, to be equaly devided between them for a requital of there great care and paine, in nursing their mother my late wiff in her last sickness."¹⁰
     "She appears to have survived this last husband, but the date of her death has not been ascertained."¹¹