Holbrook line: Jesse Holbrook 1729-1815 A captain and a Gentleman

Who knew Jesse Holbrook could have so many answers, and raise so many questions?  He is such an interesting man and I can't imagine why I've waited so long to write about my fifth great grandfather.  Here are a few highlights from his life:

Jesse was born July 21, 1729 in Bellingham, Massachusetts, to Joseph and Mary Cook Holbrook.  The Holbrooks had been in Massachusetts almost forever, with his great great grandfather, Thomas, being the original immigrant in 1635.  He was the youngest of nine children, so may have been a bit pampered.  Alternatively, he may have been the kind of child who over-achieves, not willing that older brothers and sisters should be able to do something he couldn't do.  

Jesse was a Baptist and apparently at one time went to jail for not paying his taxes, which would have gone partly to support the Congregationalist church.  There is fascinating information about the church fights, and the town fights, during Bellingham's history, on the official Bellingham, Massachusetts website.  This town didn't know political correctness in the 18th century!  

Jesse married Abigail Thayer, daughter of Ebenezer and Mary Wheelock Thayer, on March 28, 1753.  Elnathan Wight was the pastor of the church at the time, and it is probably that he conducted the ceremony.  Jesse and Abigail had as many as 7 children, adding to the great number of Holbrooks who already lived in the small village.  These children had not only their siblings for playmates and companions, but also their cousins, on both sides of the family.  And if they weren't related to someone, chances are their children or grandchildren would be!  

I have notes in my file that say Jesse was in the militia during the French and Indian War.  Unfortunately, I did not list my source and I can't locate one now to support that statement, so will only state that it is entirely possible, as he was of the appropriate age, and many men (Ia large percentage) of men served in one or more of the campaigns.  

We do know that Jesse Holbrook was a captain in the militia when word was received in 1775 of the battle of Lexington and Concord, and he and his unit marched to Lexington in support of the patriot effort.  He is credited with about a month of service, intermittent, during 1775 and 1776.  By this time he was past the age of 45, and it would not have been an easy effort, physically.  He also saw two of his sons go off as soldiers, at least one of whom was in the war for as long as three years.  

Later in his life, he became known less as Captain and more as "Gentleman".  This is how he describes himself in his will, and other papers in his estate packet repeat the term.  He was a respected man, for his service, for his financial status, and presumably for his standing in the church.  There are records of his 1798 tax status which show that on that particular page, the combination of his and his late son Amariah's taxes were the third highest on that page.

Jesse wrote his will in 1808, which provided for Abigail, then giving half the estate to his son Jesse Junior and the other half to be divided among his grandchildren, specifically including Tryphena Holbrook, who was to receive the same share as the other grandchildren. By the time Jesse died on March 18, 1815, he had been a widower for a little over ten years.

(Tryphena is a bit of a mystery.  She was the daughter of Jesse's son Amariah, but was also listed specifically in Amariah's will.  Was she an adopted child, or one born before Amariah's marriage, or is there another situation?  I've not been able to determine this and it is an interesting question.)

Jesse's estate package is one of the most interesting I've seen.  Not only is there a will, but there is an inventory, and not only is there an inventory, but there is also a record of who bought what when the personal property was sold.  And here is where we learn not only about Jesse's life, but about that of his daughter in law, Molly Wright Holbrook, the widow of Amariah.  

I've long felt a special connection to Molly, for reasons I can't explain.  For a long time, she was a brick wall, and I admired her because I saw her as an independent person, since she never married after the 1797 death of Amariah, and raised her 7 children by herself (except, of course, for the village of relatives who undoubtedly helped).  Jesse's papers tell me more about Molly, which only reinforces my original thoughts.  She took care of Jesse during at least the last year of his life, for which the estate paid her $42.  And she also received $47 in funeral and final expenses.  When his personal property was sold, she purchased his great Bible, and his weaving loom.  So Jesse had been a weaver, and I strongly suspect this is how Molly supported herself for the rest of her life, which was another 30 years after Jesse died.  I didn't know I was going to find so much about Molly when I looked at Jesse's estate!

The bond for Jesse's estate was $10,000, indicating that he was considered to be financially well off.  His estate was valued at considerably less than that, but may not have included all of his real estate.  Since he had a Bible and 3 other books, it is reasonable to conclude that he could read and probably write.  I didn't see a mention of firearms in the inventory.  He had mostly household furnishings, including silver spoons, and farming equipment and animals.  Since he hadn't disposed of these earlier, he likely had been farming up until his final decline.  

Jesse Holbrook was a man of integrity, and a patriot, a husband and father and believer and farmer.  I like what I've learned about him!

The line of descent is

Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer

Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright

Nahum Holbrook-Levi Rockwood

Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore

Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown

Loren Holbrook-Etta Stamard

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants