Holbrook line: Samuel Hayward 1641-1713

Samuel Hayward left us some traces in the records, and for that, in this month of November, I am profoundly grateful.  He is one of those ancestors who seem to be little researched, perhaps because there were several Samuel Haywards in Massachusetts Bay Colony of about the same time period and year.  Fortunately, if we limit our search to Braintree and then Mendon, Massachusetts, his story becomes if not clear, at least less murky. 

Our Samuel was born in about 1641 to William and Margery Knight Hayward.  I haven't found record of his birth but it was in the Boston or Braintree area, because that is where his parents settled early.  (His parents were those I've written of before, who apparently went to Barbados for a short time before arriving in Massachusetts.)

Samuel was one of at least 8 children, so he had quite a full family life.  As an adult, he was a "housewright", so he was likely apprenticed to or at least worked with a housewright as soon as he had finished whatever schooling he acquired.  A housewright built wooden (as opposed to stone or brick) houses, but the job involved more than a carpenter's work.  He cut the wood, sawed it into planks, and then built the house with the wood he had chosen and prepared.  There was no middleman, and no one else to blame if something was not done correctly.  I have much respect for housewrights after learning this!

Samuel married Mehitable Thompson, daughter of John and Sarah Trevore Thompson, on November 28, 1666 in Medfield, Massachusetts.  They had at least twelve children together.  Samuel is listed as a founding father of Mendon, which was officially formed from Braintree in 1667.  He held several town positions.  In 1668 he was a surveyor of highways, in 1692 and 1696 a selectman, and in 1696 also a tything man. 

One of the most remembered events of his life was probably King Philip's War.  Mendon was one of the towns that was attacked early in the war, with loss of life, and later the town was burned to the ground by the native Americans.  Mendon had several villages of "praying Indians", converted by our grand uncle John Eliot, and it was not these groups who rebelled.  They did, however, suffer consequences.  Samuel and his family left Mendon, perhaps soon after the first attack, but Samuel was back in 1677 to rebuild his home, and doubtless those of others who returned also. 

There were at least two Samuel Haywards who are listed as soldiers in King Philip's War, but I didn't find those reports also listing other Mendon men, so I think the ones who are listed in the records are not our Samuel.  He may have gone to stay with friends or relatives in Braintree, expectantly waiting for the end of the war. 

By 1680 Samuel's family was probably back in Mendon, and life was slowly returning to normal.  Samuel was hired by the town to raise (build} the meeting house, which was to be 26 feet by 24 feet in size.  He was to be paid 3 shillings a day, with part of that to be in kind, a cow and a calf.  There was some unspecified dispute involved during or following construction, but it was resolved and the town and Samuel each went about their business.

Samuel's wife Mehitabel died in 1700 and the next year he married Elizabeth Sabin.  Samuel died on July 29, 1713, without leaving a will.  If there is an inventory, I haven't located it, either.  However, I did locate papers, filed in Suffolk County, showing that the surviving children (or in the case of the several daughters who were married, their husbands) agreed to a settlement of the estate.  Interestingly, there were few who could sign their name to this document; most used a mark.  (Joseph Rockwood, our ancestor, did sign his name and it is quite legible.)  A probate judge signed off on the "deal" and presumably everyone lived happily ever after.  We do know that Samuel had a house and quite a bit of land.  Housewright may not sound like a glamorous job, but in a time when everyone needed to have a house built, it paid the bills and then some.

I like Samuel.  He took care of his family, he was a public servant, an honest and hard working man, and he served his church also.  And I especially like that I was able to find a little bit of information about him!

The line of descent is:

Samuel Hayward-Mehitabel Thompson
Mary Hayward-Joseph Rockwood
John Rockwood-Deborah Thayer
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susanna Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants