|
|
|
Capt. John Holbrooke was the son of Thomas, and the following list from the N. ENGLAND HIST. AND GEN. REGISTER, Vol. xxv. p. 14, serves to fix the date of the family's arrival at Weymouth, Mass. Waymouth [England] ye 20th of March 1635 [-6] All the data we have concerning Capt. John show the above age to have been some six years less than that given upon his gravestone, and to have been incompatible with many points in his history. He married Elizabeth Stream, who died June 25th, 1688, aged 64 years; and second, widow Mary Loring, who survived him. His children were -- John, married Abigail Pierce, daughter of Capt. Michael; a daughter, married Simon Whitmarsh; Abiezer; Hannah, married Ephraim Pierce, son of Capt. Michael; Grace, married Joseph Nash of Boston; Samuel; Lois and Eunice, twins; Eunice, married Benjamin Ludden; Experience, married Joseph Edson; Ichabod, married Sarah Turner. Capt. Holbrooke was a very enterprising man of business, and his real estate operations were quite extensive for his day. He was also prominent in military affairs, was Lieutenant of the local company, and, August 8th, 1664, was chosen to go upon some service as Lieutenant in the company of Capt. Hudson, but his wife and family being sick at the time, Ensign John Thurston, of Hingham, was appointed in his stead. In the time of Philip's war he was in command of the local company, and in the spring of 1676 was appointed to command one of the companies raised and sent out to suppress the "Insolencies" of the Indians and to "range the woods towards Hassanamesit." The following papers pertain to that service. Capt. Holbrooke died November 23, 1699, leaving a large estate to his numerous heirs. Concord ye 29th of Aprill 1676 Your Honnors Most humble Servant The following paper is doubtless the list referred to: These are to Certifie ye Hond Major Generall Denison or whome it may Conserne Being ordered to take 82 men under my Command together with 28 horses & 14 men to tend them, viz. being order by Major Clarke 39 men from Boston 4 horses 2 men Defects from Boston for non-appearance Jno Pemerton, Jno Porter & Richard Knight From Dorchester non-appearance, Consider Atherton, Henry Wedarton [Withington], Ebezar Clape. From Waymouth, Zachary Gorney. From Hingham, Jno Feres & Arthur Sherman. p me JOHN HOLBROOKE Capn
The Whipple family in this country undoubtedly descended from Matthew Whipple of Bocking, co. Essex, England, a clothier. Will of December 19th, 1616, probated January 28th, 1618, mentions son Matthew, son John, daughters Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Anne, Johane, Amye; "my sister, wife of Richard Rathbone; Hercules Stephens, grandchildren Hercules and Margaret Arthur and Henry and Anne Coldham." The two brothers Matthew and John, who were settled at Ipswich some time before 1638, were probably the sons mentioned above. They settled at the "Hamlet," now the town of Hamilton. John was a deacon or ruling elder of the First Church. He was freeman 1640, and representative for eight years between that and 1653. By first wife he had children -- Mary, JOHN, Susanna, Sarah, and probably others. Capt. John, son of "Elder" John, as above, born in Essex, England, about 1626, married, first, Martha Reyner, daughter of Humphrey, who died February 24, 1679; married, second, Elizabeth Paine, June 28th, 1680. By first wife had children -- John, born July 15, 1657; Matthew, born 1658; Joseph, born June 8, 1666; Susan, Sarah and Anna. He was appointed Cornet of the Ipswich troop before 1675, and Captain in 1683 in place of Capt. John Appleton. He was Lieutenant in Capt. Paige's Troop at Mount Hope, June, 1675, and was appointed Captain of a troop raised for service under Major Savage in March, 1676; was with the army in the unsuccessful manoeuvring of that campaign. In the letter of the Council to Mayor Savage, dated April 1st, 1676, is found the passage, "Touching that Rebuke of God upon Capt Whiple and ye poore people at Springfield it is a matter of great shame and humbling to us." This was in answer to one from Major Savage of March 28th, dated at Hadley, in which he says that they have had advice from Springfield that eight Indians assaulted sixteen or eighteen men, besides women and children, as they were going to meeting from a place called Long Meadow, "and killed a man and a maid, wounded two men, and carried away captive two women and two children." One of the men killed was John Keep. Mrs. Sarah Keep, his wife, was one of those captured with her child, and died soon from her wounds. Major Savage says, further, that being apprised of that affair and the way the Indians went, he sent out sixteen men in pursuit, who came up with the Indians, who, as soon as they found the English in close pursuit, killed the two children, and striking the women with their hatchets upon the head, left them for dead and fled. The horsemen brought back the four bodies, the women being yet alive; one recovered; and this disaster was a severe reproach to the guard, who in a popular rhyme of the day are remembered thus: "Seven Indians, and one without a gun, I am inclined to think that by the Council, Capt. Whipple, as commander of the troop, and perhaps at that time with them, was held responsible for the disaster. I know nothing of Capt. "Nixon." |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||