Cornelius Holbrook (1662 - 1742)

Born 19 Nov 1662 in Weymouth, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Experience (Unknown) Holbrook — married about 1694 in Weymouth, Suffolk, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died 14 Dec 1742 at age 80 in Weymouth, Suffolk, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

Identity of First Wife, Margery

The profile of Cornelius Holbrook was derived from Chamberlain's History of Weymouth.^[1] Chamberlain didn't find a last name for either of his wives. I did some limited searching. There doesn't appear to be any proof for Margery being Margery Eames, but there's a reasonable basis for speculation.

Torrey does cite a long list of sources in relation to the marriage of Cornelius and Margery: "Davis: Anc. of Joseph Neal 132; Sherborn Hist. 136; Weaver 33; Beecher-Bullard 54; Will of Justice Eames; Torrey Gen. 1:36; Mr. J. W. Linzee; Vinton Mem. 334; Cross Anc. 91"

The early records of Marshfield, Massachusetts, where Margery Eames is supposed to have been born, were largely destroyed, so there's apparently no record of her arrival in the world. However, the name Margery appears frequently in the Eames family, so it's reasonable to guess that Justus Eames might have named a daughter Margery.

The will of Justus Eames (connected to Margery Eames as her father) is on the NEHGS website.^[2] That's in Torrey's list as "Will of Justice Eames." Justus died in 1706 (some years after the death of Margery (___) Holbrook). The will is difficult to read online because it was too wide to fit on a single screen, so I've only skimmed it looking for indications of his children and the grandchildren of his deceased children. The will provides for several sons and four living daughters and for a granddaughter named Mehitable Holbrook. Since the first child of Cornelius and Margery Holbrook was a daughter named Mehitable, that indicates a legitimate basis for speculating that Cornelius' wife was the daughter of Justus Holbrook. Info from Ellen Smith.

Biography

Cornelius was born on either 10 or 19 November, 1662^[3] . Cornelius Holbrook married firstly, near 1686, Margery. Her maiden name is not known; she died within a few years of marriage. He married secondly, near 1690, Experience, whose maiden name is not known. He made his will 4 February, 1741, which was proven upon his death 24 December, 1742. Cornelius lived in South Weymouth.^[1]

Children by his first wife, born at Weymouth:^[1]

• Mehetable, born 10 March 1687.
• Margaret, died unmarried in 1764.

Children by his second wife, born at Weymouth:^[4]

• Experience, m. 29 April, Timothy Thayer of Weymouth.
• Elizabeth, b. 23 May, 1695. m. 17 January 1715/16, Samuel Jackson of Abington.
• Abigail, b. 19 August, 1697. m. 1 July, 1723, John Jones of Mendon.
• Mary (name on record, date torn off) b. near 1700, m. 30 Jan 1726/27, Ebenezer Bicknell of Weymouth.
• William, b. 4 July, 1709.
• Hannah, b. 9 February, 1712/13, d. 1 February 1723/24.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Chamberlain, George Walter, History of Weymouth, Massachusetts, 1923. Vol III, page 271.
2. ↑ Case 7012: p. 9: Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. [ http://www.americanancestors.org/databases/plymouth-county-ma-probate-file-papers-1686-1881/image/?pageName=7012:9&volumeId=21173&rId=45681246 AmericanAncestors)
3. ↑ Davis, Walter Goodwin. The Ancestry of Joseph Neal 1769-c. 1835 of Litchfield Maine. Portland, Maine: Southworth-Anthoensen Press, 1945| "Ancestry of Joseph Neal, Chapter XI, Holbrook of Weymouth, Page 132"
4. ↑ Chamberlain, George Walter. History of Weymouth, Massachusetts, 1923. Vol III, page 272.

• "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F45T-T2N : 8 December 2022), Cornelius Holbrook, 19 Nov 1662; citing Birth, Weymouth, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007578176.