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Ichabod "owned the covenant" of the Braintree Congregational Church in 1747 and was admitted on 30 April 1758.1 He was elected surveyor of highways on 18 May 1747, 5 March 1753/54,1 March 1762/63 and 2 March 1772/73.2 He served as a constable on 6 March 1775/76, 1 March 1784/85 and 7 March 1785/86.3 Ichabod and Daniel French, who also served in 1785, were given more time to collect their share of the town's taxes for that year.4 Braintree set up committees for several years to recruit troops for the Revolution, on which Ichabod served in 1779.5 Ichabod, Jr., starts to appear in town records about this time and he's differentiated from his father by being called Jr., Lt. Ichabod or both. Heserved with his father as constable in 1786.

The following are from Ichabod's estate probate:6

On 4 March 1788 Ichabod, Jr., gentleman, signed an administration bond for the estate with is brothers Thomas and Nathaniel, yoeman, as sureties. We the subscribers being appointed & impowered by the Honourable Oliver Wendell, Esq., Judge of Probate for the County of Suffolk, etc., to take an inventory of & appraize the estate of Ichabod Holbrook, late of Braintree, yoeman, deceased, agreeable to the warrant hereto annexed, have attended that service & have made the following inventory, vizt.

one hat 9/
[shillings] one cirtute [surtute/surtout, fn a man's overcoat reaching below the knees that has a wide skirt and tight - fitting waist ] 20/...1 [pound]:9 [shillings]:0 [pence]
one bed, under bed, bolster and blankett...2.5.0
about 15 lbs pigon fethers....0.6.0
old puter 3/4 one pine chest 2/6....0.5.10
cheese press 4/6 one pair iron doggs 3/4....0.7.10
logg chain 12/ iron wedges & beetle rings 3/...0.15.0
3 augus
[augurs], on[e] iron squar & 2 chisels 2/ one iron bur 2/....0.4.0
tubs and cyder casks....0.6.0
1 gray mare £4 one two year old heffer 36/...5.16.0
a pew in the Revrd Mr. Weld's meeting house...12.0.0

The amount of the personal estate £23:14:8

Real Estate as follows, vizt.

the mantion house, barn & about twelve acers of land cald the house loot...118:15:0
two thirds of about 17 acers of undivided land adjoining to the house loot...38:10:0
about 29 acers of land on the west side of the road opposite to the house...87:0:0
two thirds of about 42 acers of land lying in common and undivide, with the administrator...58:4:0
about 5 1/2 acers of pine swamp meadow...8:5:0
about 7 acrs of meadow joining the pond...31:10:0
about 7 1/2 acres of land called the Pond Loot...22:10:0
about 10 acers called the Great Meadow...45:0:0
about 25 acers of woodland in Stoughton...75:0:0
about 4 acers of do.
[ditto] at the Blew Hills...5:8:0
one acer of ceder swamp 20/ four acers salt marsh £24...25:0:0

£ 538, 16, 8

Braintree June 11th, 1788

M. French, Jno. Vinton, Nehh. Holbrook

The inventory was presented at court on 8 July.fn 350

I haven't pinpointed where Ichabod's homestead was, but it appears to have been part of his father's real estate holdings along and near (Moore's) Farm River in South Braintree, where Pond Street, as it runs north from Randolph, turns and runs east to South Braintree. Granite Street continues north from Pond Street, and the river runs to the east, forming the eastern boundary of the main Holbrook holdings. This area has been heavily developed, and nothing visible above ground remains from the 18th century.

A list of debts due from the estate:

the first is crossed out, but says "a ballance due to the administrator on settlement of his accounts with the Judge due to the State Treasurer for taxes collected & not paid for 1784 £325-0-0." This must connect to the reference in the town records to giving him more time to present his share of collected taxes when he was constable in 1785.

due to Deacon James Penniman - 3.0.0
due to Major Stephen Penniman - 9.0.0
due to Azaraiah Faxon Jr. - 8.0.0
due to Deacon Moses French - 9.0.0

354.0.0
deduct for depn
[depreciation, see recorded copy] 170
----------------
184

Certificate to sell as if the above account was £190
& the balance of ye account £69.10.4
-----------------
£259.10.4


Ichabod swore to the accuracy of this account in Boston on 24 February 1789. He also presented his invoice for serving as administrator:

1788, The estate of Mr. Ichabod Holbrood, decd, to Ichad. Holbrook administrator

Feby 25, to my going to Weymouth 3/ 26th & 28 to my going to Boston to provid for the funeral 16. - 0.19.0
March 4th, to my going to the judge for administration & expences for my self & bondsmen 15/ paid the office 1.5.0
paid my bondsmen 6/ each - 0.12.0
11th, to my going to the judge for warrant 6/ exps. 2/ - 0.8.0
to pay for swaring the apprisors & their exps 2/ - 0.2.0
May, to entertaining the apprisors two days 15/ - 0.15.0
to my self & hors two days with the apprisors, etc - 0.12.0
to paid the apprisors 12/ each for apprising, etc. - 1.16.0
June 17th, to my going to the judge return the envetory no court
[in session] - 0.8.0
July 8th, to my going to the judge to return the Enventory 0.8.0
paid at the office 4/ 7th paid Abraham Tayer £3.4.0
to settling with said Thayer & his son one day 3/ - 0.3.0
11, to paid Elkanah Thayer 2/3 & my time settling - 0.3.9
2d, to paid Lemuel Field for diging a grave 11/6 - 09.11.6
Feb 7-12, 1789, to paid Elisha French for making a coffin - 0.6.0
16th, paid Nathaniel Holbrook on note & account & taxes due to him from said estate - 64.3.2
21st, to paid John Vinton for what he provided for the
[insert] - sustaining of the family at the time of intestate's death - of said decesed, etc. - 17.13.2
21st to paid Benjamin Mann on note - 4.14.8
------------------
£ 101.18.6

examined, allowd & recieved this acct & copy 7/8 list & certificate 6/ petition 3/ - 16.8
-------------------
£ 102.15.2

Boston Feb 24 1789, Ichad. Holbrook

1788 Contra

by the enventory of the parsonal estate excluded in the probate July 8, 1788
the pue in the meeting house included - £23.12.8
Dec 5th, recd. of William Penniman on notes - 7.15.2
recd. of Silas Wild
[Weld] on note - 1.16.0
------------------
£33.3.10

Boston Febry 24th 1789
Ichad. Holbrook

Suffolk session, February 14th
[sic, 24th, see copy and other docs] 1789, then Ichabod Holbrook adminor. presented the aforegoing account produced vouchers, was sworn & the same being examined is allowed

Ja. Sullivan J Probate
a true copy att: Wm. Cooper, Reg.


children of Ichabod Holbrook and Hannah Hayden:7

Hannah, b. 19 October 1746 (she may have been the child who died of throat distemper and bur. 14 Apr 1749, since she certainly died before her sister Hannah was born, Rev. Samuel Niles's journal, 255)
Ichabod, b. 26 May 1748
Ebenezer, b. 25 March 1749/50
Hannah b. 5 December 1751
Thomas b. 7 October 1754
Nathaniel b. 7 October 1758




vital records sources: His marriage is in a database of records of the Rev. Samuel Niles of Braintree, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register 60:42 (1906). His death is in Records of the Town of Braintree, 1640 to 1793, ed. Samuel Austin Bates (Randolph:1886), 865, "Mr. Ichabod Holbrook...after a very short illness."

1. Records of the First Congregational Church, Braintree, Mass., 1711-82 and 1811 to 1850, transcription, 19, 55.
2. Records of the Town of Braintree, 1640 to 1793, hereafter RTB, ed. Samuel Austin Bates (Randolph:1886), 280, 320, 381, 435.
3. Ibid, 455, 547, 553.
4. Ibid, 554.
5. Ibid, 500.
6. Taken from images of the original documents at familysearch.org, "Massachusetts, Suffolk County, probate & family court records, 1636-1915," "Probate and Family Court Department FILE PAPERS, Box 095 Cases 18851-19030," film #104047668, images 2058-2072, of case #19016.
7. RTB, 792, 794, 797.

all text and photographs © 1998-2020 by Doug Sinclair unless where otherwise noted