Moses Holbrook was born in the township of Sturbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts on May 15, 1779.  He was the second oldest and first son of John and Lucretia Babbit Holbrook.

    He worked alongside his many siblings and hired hands on the large farm his father owned.  Education was very important to the family.

    In a quest to purchase a homestead of his own, he moved to New York about 1804.  

    In 1805, Moses and Hannah Lucretia Morton were married in Guilford, Windham, Vermont.  Hannah, a daughter of Abraham and Phebe Langford Morton, was born in Vermont on March 15, 1788.  Holbrook histories tell us Hannah was an "active, lively spirited woman."

    Three children were born to Moses and Hannah:

    Moses' dream was fulfilled when he was issued a deed on September 30, 1807 to 150 acres, known as part of "Scibian Patent."*  At that time, it was called Florence, but has since been renamed Annsville. (Map at right shows Annsville as the pink portion near the top northwest corner.  Click on map for larger version.)  Moses worked as a farmer and had to clear his land before planting.  

    From the journal of Joseph, Moses' son:

    The county was new, very heavy timbered with beach, maple, birch, hemlock, spruce, some basswood. The winters were long and tedious. The snow often averaging from five to seven feet on the level so that few fences were to be seen and laying from the first of November to the middle of April.
    My father in settling in Florence now called Annsville was much deprived of many of the so called comforts of life, it being entirely new, the people mostly poor, having obtained their land on credit; but my father lived agreeable with his wife. I Joseph, being their first born, my mother not being quite eighteen years of age at the time.
    I was naturally a robust boy as was my brother Chandler and Phoebe and things moved on in a harmonious and agreeable manner as my father had built the first frame barn 30 by 40 feet in that Country. He had been away from home the most of the winter getting out logs for lumber some eight or ten miles off on account of scarcity of saw mills to finish his barn in hopes of future happenings, long life and prosperity which enshrouds the mind with the hopes of future greatness. But in the month of February he came home in the evening, went away a mile or so for a cross cut saw, returned about nine o'clock being very cold which lasted about three hours when a raging fever set in. He continued to grow worse for three days when he died February 28, 1813, age 33 years 9 months. Thus in my youth I was left without a father who was always mild and generous with my little brother and sister. This unexpected death left my mother in a low state of feelings; but few know how to participate in except it be those who are called to the like circumstances. I had the fever after my father died. I lost my hearing for some three weeks in which they looked upon me dangerous.
    My father was buried in the common burying ground about a mile from home. The Methodist Priest who preached my father's sermon died three weeks afterwards and was buried by his side at Mr. Hammonds request, the name of the preacher. I visited the grave yard in 1827 and found the two graves grown over with black berry bush. Peace to their ashes until resurrection morn.
    My mother rented the farm the next season on shares to Alvin Smith Miller and lived in the house on the farm. There were about thirty-five or forty acres under cultivation.
    In June after my father died my grandfather, John Holbrook, came to see my mother and assist her in settling the estate, my father not being in debt, left her with a span of horses, a dozen sheep, a few cows, a yoke of oxen, and some young stock, enough to make her comfortable so long as she took care of it.

    It was Moses' dying wish that Joseph and Chandler should live and be educated with the Holbrooks in Sturbridge, since no established schools were kept near the farm in New York.  Joseph returned with his grandfather in 1813; Chandler and Phebe were brought to Massachusetts in the fall of 1814, leaving Hannah alone to manage the farm.

* Approximately 33 miles from Utica and 16 miles northwest of Rome toward Sackets Harbor.