St. John the Baptist parish church in Glastonbury

    Thomas Holbrook was born about 1590, the son of William Holbrook.  It is believed he had six siblings:  Joane, Basell, John, Elizabeth, Rebecca and William.  He married Jane Powyes September 12, 1616 at St. John the Baptist parish church in Glastonbury, Somersetshire, England.

   Thomas came from Broadway, County Somersetshire England.  He and wife Jane with four sons and daughters aged 11 to 1 year sailed from Weymouth on or near 20 Mar 1634/5 on the ship "Marygold" with Rev. Joseph Hull's Company of families who were going to settle together in New England to form a town.  They came ashore at Dorchester the 7th of June 1635, remained a "fortnight" and then they went to the place now called Weymouth and built a house, etc. 

    The family settled in the northern part of Weymouth on the Tide-water.  Ten acres were granted to Thomas in the first division, and 30 acres in the second, in that part of Weymouth called "Old Spain."  They lived next door to Thomas' sister Rebecca and her husband Clement Weaver.  Thomas was a grantee of Rehoboth, Massachusetts in 1643 although he forfeited the grant two years later by remaining at Weymouth.  He owned the salt meadows at Kingman's Neck.

    Thomas  was made a freeman of the Massachusetts Bay Company in May 1645 and served as selectman at Weymouth six times (1641-1654).  In 1649 he was appointed a member of a commission to lay out a highway from Weymouth to Dorchester.  Thomas made a statement November 7, 1666, giving his age as 77 years.  

    His will reads "being sick and weak" he made his will on 31 Dec 1668 and divides his goods between children and grandchildren.  He stated his grandson Peter had been "serving him and his wife in their old age for about 8 yrs for which he was to have his dwelling in Weymouth with orchard and arable land." But he did not die until 1675.  He owned 40 A. in Weymouth in 1663. Children living when he died:  John b. 1622, Thomas b. 1624, William b. 1627, Anne b. 1629, Elizabeth b. 1633, & Jane b. 1656.

    A typed copy of Thomas' will is included below:

Notes:  
     The 1635 passenger list shows Thomas Holbrook, 34, of Broadway, Jane Holbrook, 34, his wife, and children John, 11, Thomas, 10, Anne, 5, and Elizabeth 1.  The ages may be in error on the passenger list.
     McMaster states there is reason to think Thomas was one of the company who arrived in 1624 with Mr. Barnard as their minister, from Weymouth in Dorset.  Since he deposed that he came in 1635 with Mr. Hull's company, this seems unlikely.
     A codicil was dated December 31, 1673.  The will was proved April 24, 1677.

Sources:  
   Photo of St. John the Baptist Church:
        http://www.somerset.gov.uk/archives/ASP/pics.asp?Place=Glastonbury
   Suffolk Court Files 815
   History of Weymouth - George Walter Chamberlain, 1923
   Weymouth Land Grants 283.284
   Sukffolk Co. Probate 6:201 
   Holbrook and Allied Families, McMaster, pages 330-331
   The Holbrooks of America
   Records of Lorna Holbrook of Massachusetts
   The Holbrook Family, compiled and written by Molly Frances Holbrook Pfeiffer (1870-1953)