UNDER CONSTRUCTION

MOUSALL


     Unknown MOUSALL, of England, lived from at least  the last quarter of  the1500's through perhaps  the 1st quarter of 1600's. Had at least two sons born in 1590's who emigrated to New England.

CHILDREN:

1. Ralph Mousall, came with the Winthrop fleet,Was with his wife Alice #'s 72 & 73 in Boston Church members list, came to Charlestown, Middlesex Co., MA in 1630.[2/250]

2. JOHN MOUSALL,


     JOHN MOUSALL was born about 1595 in England since his age in 1658 was given as about 63.[3]  In ref [1] his place of birth is given as Great Ormsby, Norfolkshire. He died on 27 Mar 1663[1/v58p49], or 1665[2][3] in Woburn, Middlesex Co., MA.

   He married JOANNA THOMPSON in 1628 in England.[1/v58p59]. She was born in England[ibid], and died after 27 Mar 1663 in Woburn.[ibid]

     John Mousall settled in 1634 in Charlestown, Middlesex Co., MA. He and his wife joined the church there on 23 Aug 1634. He was made Freeman on 3 Sep 1634, and was a Representative for Charlestown to the General Court in 1635.[2]

     Cutter doesn't dwell on John's history prior to his arrival in Woburn and recommends "Wyman's "Charlestown", p. 692" for details of his life in Charlestown.[3]

     John Mousall Sr was the third signer out of 32 on the original 1640 town orders for the founding of  Woburn and the house he built for himself and family in 1641 was the first house erected within the 1893 boundries of the town. Edward Converse having erected the first house within the original boundries. [3][*] Did the original boundries exceed the town's boundries in 1893?

     John Mousall's homestead in Woburn contained about 40 acres. The north-east line of his property which was situated next to the meeting house bounded on the town highway. To his east was the property of John Brooks and to his south-east were Jabez Brooks, John Brooks, and Ephraim Buck. His south-west boundry ran along the "King's highway".[3]

     John was a member of the Church at Charlestown and was one of the seven members of that church who formed the Church at Woburn at its first gathering on 24 August 1642. John was chosen as one of the two original Deacons of the Woburn church and remained a Deacon until his death in 1665. John was also made a selectman in Woburn when they were first chosen and was returned to that position each year for 21 years.[3]

     When John Mousall died he was survived by his wife Joanna and both his children, John Jr. and Eunice who was married to John Brooks.

     His Will was dated "the 19th of ye 4th month, 1660"  and was probated on 4 April 1665.[3] He made bequests to his wife, children, grandchildren. He terms his son John Jr, and his son-in-law John Brooks as "my two sons". He bequeaths a cow and a sheep to John Brooks specifically directing that they were earmarked to provide for the furnishing of a "new room" which had been built onto Brooks' house. This new room being intended for his widow Joanna who was "to have a peacable living in it providing she stay in it.' He also provided for two servants or perhaps an apprentice in the case of  EPHRAIM BUCK, who would have been 14 years old at the time the Will will was written. In that provision he states, that Ephraim Buck and Hannah Leppingwell were each to have "a ewe lamb, at or before the end of their time, provided they carry it respectfully to my wife". In 1670 Ephraim Buck married John's grand-daughter SARAH BROOKS. Since Sarah was only eight at the time the will was prepared its doubtful if her grandfather had any inkling she would eventually marry Ephraim Buck.[3]

   John disposed of the two houses upon his property, giving half shares in the newest to John Mousall Jr. and John Brooks., as he did also the "great Meadow", and the "rest of his lands" not already assigned. He reserved for his wife Joanna one third of the "fruit of the orchard for her life", and "the little hemp yard and garden the back side of the [old] house". Also to Joanna went "...two of my best cows and two ewe sheep, and my executors are to keep these cows and sheep for her, winter and summer, so long as she liveth, and all her firewood and four pounds a year to be paid by my executors, either in money or corn."[3]

   He appointed as executors of his estate "my brother James Thompson, and Allen Converse".[3]

   In the inventory of his estate he was styled as "John Mousall, senior, Deacon of the Church of Christ at Woburne, deceased,". His estate was valued at 200 Pounds.[3]

CHILDREN:

1. John Mousall, was born probably in England, and died on 2 April 1698[3] He married Sarah Brooks on 13 May 1650.[3] While her date of death isn't mentioned in  the Woburn records Cutter concluded she probably died prior to 1706.[3]

2. EUNICE MOUSALL

Notes:

* - Cutter adds that a description of the house including its location, physical appearance and a partial history was given in his work "Woburn Historic Sites  and Old Houses", Woburn, 1892.  Reprinted from the Woburn newspaper "The News" in which it originally appeared. I have yet to see either source


     EUNICE MOUSALL born probably in England prior to her parents arrival in Massachusetts. Sources [1] & [2} say her date and place of birth unknown. She died on 1 Jan. 1683/84 in Woburn, MA[1/v58p50][2][4]; m. JOHN BROOKS on 1 Nov. 1649 in Woburn, MA.[3][4] John was born on 01 Jan 1623/24 in England, and died on 29 Sep 1691 in Woburn, The son of HENRY BROOKS.

CHILDREN:

1. John Brooks, born on 23 Nov. 1650 in Woburn, MA, and died in 1653.[4]

2. SARAH BROOKS, born on 21 Nov. 1652 in Woburn. Married EPHRAIM BUCK[4] on 1 Jan 1670/71,[2/v1p260][5] in Woburn. He was born on 26 Jul 1646 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA and died about 1720 in Woburn. He was the son of ROGER BUCK and SUSANNA (_____).

3. Eunice Brooks, born on 10 Oct 1655, Woburn.[4]

4. Joanna Brooks, born on 22 Mar1659, Woburn and married David Roberts in 1687.[4]

5. John Brooks Jr, born on 1 Mar 1664 ,Woburn[4]

6. Ebenezer Brooks, born on 9 Dec 1666, Woburn[4]

7. Deborah Brooks, born on 20 Mar 1669, Woburn[4]

8. Jabez Brooks, born on 17 July 1673, Woburn.[4]


SOURCES:

  1. "The Brooks Family of Woburn, MA," NEHGR

  2. "Gen. Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England," James Savage

  3. W.R. Cutter, "John Mousall of Woburn", NEHGR, Oct. 1893, V.47, pp. 462-464

  4. Samuel Sewall, "The History of Woburn Middlesex County, MAss.", Boston, 1868

  5. E. F. Johnson, "Woburn, MA, Vital Records", marriages p. 33



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