William Holbrook was born 14 June 1620 in St. John's Parish, Glastonbury, Somerset, England to Thomas Holbrook (1594-1675) and Jane Powyes (1592-1677) and died 3 July 1699 Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts of unspecified causes. He married Elizabeth Pitts (1625-1696) 1643 in Glastonbury, Somerset, England.
Biography
William Holbrook lived in Weymouth until about 1663 when he settled in Mendon only to be driven out during King Philip’s war. The last twenty years of his life were spent in Scituate.
Migration to America
William Holbrook immigrated from England to Weymouth with the family as a teenager. He married Elizabeth and they raised 11 children at Weymouth, Massachusetts. He was a Freeman there in 1647.
Settlement of Mendon MA
In 1662 10 Wyemouth citizens were given land in Mendon, Massachusetts and on 23 May 1662 William Holbrook signed the “regulations” for Menham and was chosen “manager” for that year. On 15 May 1667 Mendon was incorporated by the General Court at Boston, MA and in 1669 Whilliam Holbrook and his family moved there. In 1670 William Holbrook bought 40 acres more in Mendon from Moses Paine. William Holbrook was Selectman in 1672, deacon of the Congregational Church from 1667 on, and Captain in the militia.
King Philip's War
On 14 July 1675 Mendon was the first town in MA attacked in King Philips War and it was reduced to ashes. William Holbrook and his family fled and they did not return. William Holbrook sold his Mendon land to brother Thomas Holbrook and nephew Peter Holbrook in 1679.
Settlement in Scituate MA
William Holbrook was at Scituate, Massachusetts by 1676. He purchased lands in Conihasseett, adjoining the farm of Capt. Michael Pierce, on the sowth-west. His house was built on the south side of the Cohasset road, a half mile west of Capt. Pierce’s. William Holbrook’s will was dated 09 September and it was proved 17 July 1699.
The Will
He made his will 09-Nov-1696, providing for his wife Abigail. To his son Cornelius he gave his lands in Weymouth, he to pay his own daughter Mehitable Holbrook £5 at marriage. He bequeathed to his daughters Elizabeth Buck, Hopestill Reed, Mehitable Sprague, and Jane Balcolm and to his son William and Samuel whom he calls his eldest son. See the Ancestry of Joseph Neal (Holbrooke Pg 8 below for details of William’s and Abigail’s wills)
Marriage & Family
1st Marriage: Elizabeth Pitts
William’s first wife Elizabeth Pitts was the daughter of the widow Elizabeth Pitts. Elizabeth’s mother was Elizabeth Pitts. This may be the Elizabeth Pitts who joined the first Church of Charlestown on 13 Apr 1643. Administration on the estate of Elizabeth Pitts who died in Weymouth, MA was granted to William Holbrook and Elizabeth, his wife, on 01 August 1655. Part of the Suffolk probate account reads: “My mother Mrs. Pitts oweth to me for attendance in her sickness of 26 weeks, L10”. Therefore, Elizabeth, the wife of William Holbrook of Weymouth, 1655, was a daughter of Elizabeth Pitts. The daughter may or may not have been born a Pitts. Source: History of Weymouth, MA by the Weymouth Historical Society, 1923.
2nd Marriage: Abigail Wright
William’s second wife Abigail Wright was the daughter of Richard Wright. and the widow of Robert Sharpe and Thomas Clapp. Abigail died 3 Jul 1699 in Scituate, Mass.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Elizabeth Holbrook (1624-1699) | 1645 England | 5 July 1699 Weymouth, Norfolk County, Massachusetts | John Sprague (1638-1683) |
| Jane Holbrook (1644-1702) | |||
| Mehitable Holbrook (1645-1719) | |||
| Hopestill Holbrook (1647-1706) | |||
| William Holbrook (1654-) | |||
| John Holbrook (1660-1735) | |||
| Experience Holbrook (1670-) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| John Holbrook (1618-1699) | |||
| William Holbrook (1620-1699) | 14 June 1620 St. John's Parish, Glastonbury, Somerset, England | 3 July 1699 Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts | Elizabeth Pitts (1625-1696) |
| Thomas Holbrook (1624-1697) | 6 April 1624 Glastonbury, Somerset, England, United Kingdom | 22 July 1697 Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States | Joanna Kingman (c1623-aft1697) |
| Ann Holbrook (1627-1699) | |||
| Elizabeth Holbrook (1630-1674) | |||
| Margaret Holbrook (1635-1670) | |||
| Jane Holbrook (1635-1681) | 13 September 1635 St Johns Church, Glastonbury, Somerset, England | 9 March 1681 Weymouth, Norfolk County, Massachusetts | Thomas Drake (1635-1692) |