John Holbrook

The grandson named in Capt. John Holbrook’s will of 1699: he was to inherit the Scituate farm after his father and mother, paying £40 to his six sisters (Suffolk Probate 14:111-113).

The “John Holbrook of Scituate in the County of Plimouth, Gent.” of Suffolk court cases of 1734-1737; “John Holbrook of Hingham in the County of Suffolk now of Eastham in the County of Barnstable, Gent.” (Suffolk, 1738); “John Holbrook of Eastham… Gentleman” in suits of 1739-1745. In 1735 Thomas Webb of Boston, victualler (a tavern keeper), sued “Mr John Holbrook of Hingham in said County Gentn”; Webb’s pleas were “of debt” and “of the case as in the Writ,” but he did not appear and was nonsuited (Suffolk Court Records 1734-1735). The writ itself, which would say what the debt was for, has not been found. By a bond of 8 Oct 1735, “John Holbrook Gent of Hingham” and Gershom Keyes of Boston, trader, were bound to Jonathan Bowman of Boston, shipwright, for “Forty nine pounds one shilling,” to be paid by 2 Dec 1735 (Suffolk court files no. 40652). In 1739 he sued the widow Hannah Turner of Scituate, administratrix of Josiah Turner; Hannah was probably his sister, who had married Josiah Turner in 1700 (inferred).

No militia commission or office was found to explain his “Capt.” and “Gent.”; the title may come from Scituate or Hingham, whose records are not yet searched (inferred).

His sons went to Cape Cod first. Thomas married Margaret Doane at Eastham on 2 Jan 1734/5, and “John Holbrooks jun:” sat on the North Precinct (Wellfleet) committee in March 1740 and on its accounts committee in 1741. The “jun:” points to an older John Holbrook in the precinct, which fits Capt. John being “now of Eastham” by 1738 (MD 10:221-223; Freeman 2:678n; inferred). His eldest son John bought a house on Great Chebeague Island, Maine, in 1742.

In 1749 letters of administration on the estate of “Capt John Holbrook late of Eastham… Gent Deceased” went to his son John of Eastham, seafaring man.

Vinton: of their ten children, John the eldest went to Maine and “most of the others settled at Eastham and Wellfleet.” Of the children born at Scituate 1710-1729, John (1710) went to Maine, and Thomas (1712), Elisha (1716) and Ezekiel (1727) were of Wellfleet.

Open questions

• Where did his “Capt.” and “Gent.” come from? Search the Scituate and Hingham records.
• The Webb writ of 1735, which would say what the debt was for.
• The rest of the 1749 administration file (inventory, accounts, any division naming his children, in the Barnstable County probate images on FamilySearch). A division or account naming Elisha as his son would close the John-to-Elisha step, now about 95%.