Holbrook: The Family of Thomas Holbrook 1589-1677

 I've written before of Thomas and Jane Powyes Holbrook, our first ancestors of that surname in America.  I gave very little information about their children, however, other than the post I wrote about their son Thomas, who is also our ancestor.  This post will give brief details about their other children, the ones who sat around their dinner table, helped with chores, slept in possibly the same room or in a sleeping loft, and who knew each other quite well.  Five of their known six children were apparently born in Glastonbury, Somerset, England, and they probably all came to New England with their parents in 1634, although only four of the children are listed on the ship manifest.  

The first son was John, known variously as Lieutenant or even Captain, due to his service in King Philip's war.  He was born April 6, 1617 at Glastonbury.  He was married three times and had at least ten children.  His first wife was Sarah Heardman, although I have also seen French given as her surname.  She died in 1644/45 and he married Elizabeth Stream or Streame about a year later.  Elizabeth died in 1688 and he then married Mary Jacob Otis, a widow with one child.  She survived him and was well cared for by John's will.  Like his parents, John lived in Weymouth, Massachusetts,

Thomas and Jane named their second child William. an ancestor I've written about previously.  He was born June 14, 1620, married Elizabeth Pitts about 1643 and they had at least 8 children. She died and he later married Abigail Wright, the widow of Robert Sharp and Thomas Clapp.  She had five children from her first two husbands, so the extended family would have been quite large.  William was both a Captain and a deacon, and lived in Weymouth but was in Scituate after his second marriage.  He died in Scituate.  

I've written previously about Thomas, the third son.  He was married to Joanna Kingman and they had at least five children.  He died in Braintree in 1696.  He is also our ancestor.

Thomas and Jane also had three daughters.  Anne was born about 1629 and married John Reynolds in 1650 in Weymouth.  They had at least four children.  She died in 1699 in New London, Connecticut, the only child of the couple to move outside the Weymouth area.  

Elizabeth Holbrook was born February 13, 1630 in Glastonbury.  She married Walter Hatch May 6, 1650 in Scituate, but they were in Weymouth later.  They had at least eight children.

Jane  Holbrook married Thomas Drake .  She was born or christened in 1636, probably in Weymouth.  Jane and Thomas had as many as 8 children, and stayed in Weymouth their entire married life, unless they left during King Philip's war.  Drake saw active service during that conflict.  

It's interesting to note that there was a gap of 5 or more years between the births of Elizabeth and Jane.  One could suspect that there was at least one pregnancy during that time, but that perhaps there was a stillbirth or very early infant death.  

Thomas and Jane had about 34 grandchildren, and most of them lived within just a few miles. It's fun to think about how the families lived and worked together as the children became adults, and mostly stayed within hollering distance of home. The grandchildren would have had many cousins to play, learn, and work with.  The entire family would have worried as some of the men were fighting during King Philip's War, and as fifteen homes in the town were burned during two separate attacks on the town.  It is likely that at least some of the Holbrook family went to a safer location until the war was over, but I've not found documentation for that.  

The Holbrook men contributed to their community, their church, and their colony, and were valued members of their town. The women, while less noticed, did more than just raise children.  They also contributed to the life of their community.  Men and women like these, along with their many descendants, are part of what makes America great.