Thomas Brooke, Jr.

Col. Thomas Brooke, (1659-1730/31) of "Brookefield", President of the Council in Maryland and acting Governor. Thomas, was the son of Maj. Thomas Brooke, Esq. (1632-1676) and his second wife Eleanor Hatton (1642-1725).

Biography

Thomas was born near Nottingham, Calvert Co., Maryland on January 2, 1660. He was commissioned Major of the Militia and promoted to Colonel.

Thomas was one of the Justices for Calvert County. Thomas was a justice of the peace for Calvert County in 1679-1681; 1685-1689. Thomas was a vestryman of St. Paul’s Parish, Calvert County. He was removed from his justiceship probably due to his opposition to the revolution Protestant Associators in 1689. He was nominated by Charles Calvert (1637-1715), 3rd Lord Baltimore to become a member of the first royal Council, commonly known as the Upper House, on August 26, 1691. He was probably appointed in an effort to mollify the proprietor after his loss of the colony. Thomas served as a member of the Council of Maryland from 1692-1707. He took the oath of office as a justice of the Provincial Court on May 1, 1694. He was appointed Deputy Secretary of Maryland the following year, and in 1699 was Commissary General of the Province.

Thomas was dismissed from all offices by Gov. John Seymour (1649-1709) in 1708 as a result of close Catholic ties-his brothers were Jesuits and Col. Henry Darnall, Sr. (1645-1711) was his stepfather-and for poor Council attendance, although his attendance had been very regular prior to Seymour’s governorship. Brooke was reappointed to the same position after the colony reverted to proprietary control, and served from 1715-1722. In 1720 he was elected President of the Council, and acting Governor of Maryland from the departure of Gov. John Hart until the arrival of Governor Charles Calvert. The reason for his second dismissal from the Council in 1722, is unclear. Unlike his parents and brothers, he was a member of the Church of England and reared his family in that faith. He was one of the first vestryman of St. Paul's Parish.

Thomas resided at "Brookefield", his estate on Mattaponi Creek near the Patuxent River, which he inherited from his father. The land was formerly in Calvert County, but became Prince George's County when it was formed. In addition to "Brookefield", Col. Brooke also laid out several other tracts of land in Calvert County including: "The Gore", laid out on June 10, 1680; "Brookes Chance", on July 13, 1680; "Addition to Brooke Chance", on June 10, 1685; "Hogg Pen", on June 12, 1685; "Addition to Brookefield", on March 29, 1688; "The Grove Landing", on July 10, 1688; "The Forrest", on Sep. 5, 1694; "Dan" on September 6, 1694; "Brookes Discovery", on Dec. 10, 1695; and "The Prospect", on Dec. 11, 1695. At the time of his death on January 7, 1730 at “Brookefield”, Thomas had amassed over 7,000 acres (28 km²) of land, in which a majority was heavily mortgaged. His estate value was listed at 1,374 pounds, including proceeds of the sale of land, and 36 slaves.

Marriages

In about 1680 he married Anne ?, who by some authorities said to have been Anne Baker and others Anne Addison. He had by her six children, and she died in about 1684.

Thomas married as his second wife, Barbara Dent (1676-1754). Barbara was born in 1676 in St. Mary’s Co., Maryland, and died June 26, 1754 in Calvert Co., Maryland.

Barbara was the daughter of Col. Thomas Dent, Sr., Gent. (1630-1676) and Rebecca Wilkinson (1633-1726).

Children

By first wife Ann:
*Elinor Brooke (b. abt. 1680 - aft. 1742), who married 1) John Tasker, son of Col. Thomas Tasker (d. 1700) and Rebecca (Isaacs) Brooke (d. 1700). 2) Charles Sewall, son of Maj. Nicholas Sewall (ca. 1655-1737).

*Thomas Brooke III (1683-1744/45), who married Lucy Smith (1688-1770), daughter of Col. Walter Smith, Sr. (ca. 1676-1711) and Rachel Hall (1671-1730).

*Sarah Brooke (1684-1724), who married 1) Col. William Dent, Sr., Gent. (1660-1705). 2) Capt. Philip Lee, Sr., Hon., Esq. (1681-1744), son of Col. Richard Lee II, Esq. (1647-1715) and Laetitia Corbin (ca. 1657-1706).

By second wife Barbara:
*Priscilla Brooke (1685-1760), who married Hon. Thomas Gantt, Jr., Gent. (d. 1763), son of Edward Gantt and Ann Baker.

*Nathaniel Brooke (1689 - bef. 1730)

*John Brooke (1690 - bef. 1730)

*Baker Brooke (b.1694)

*Benjamin Brooke, Sr. (1694-1727), who married Eleanor Bowie (1709-1790), who married secondly, Mr. Skinner. Eleanor was the daughter of John Bowie, Sr., Gent. (ca. 1688-1752) and Mary Mullikan.

* [Elizabeth Brooke] (1699-1748), who married Col. George Beall (1695-1780), son of Col. Ninian Beall, Sr. (ca. 1625-1717) and Ruth Moore (d.ca. 1700).

*Jane Brooke (1702/03-1779), who married Alexander Contee (1693-1740), son of Dr. Peter Contee (d. 1714) and his first wife, Catherine.

*Rebecca Brooke (b. bet. 1700-1709; d. 1768), who married Capt. John Howard (ca. 1691-1741), son of Edmond Howard (1659-1712) and Margaret Dent (1662-1712).

*Mary Brooke (1702-1758), who married Dr. Patrick Sim (d. 1740).

*Lucy Brooke (b. 1708), who married Thomas Hodgkin.

Ancestry

Thomas Jr., was the son of Maj. Thomas Brooke, Sr., Esq. (1632-1676) and his second wife Eleanor Hatton (1642-1725). After the death of Maj. Thomas Brooke, Sr., Esq. (1632-1676), Eleanor married Col. Henry Darnall, Sr. (1645-1711) of "Woodyard" and “Darnall’s Delight”, making Col. Thomas Brooke, Jr., Hon. (1660-1730), the stepson of Col. Darnall and the half brother of Henry Darnall II, Esq. (d. 1737).

Eleanor was the daughter of Hon. Richard Hatton, Sr. (1605-1648) and Margaret (ca. 1610), who married secondly, Capt. Richard Banks, Sr. (ca. 1612-1667).

Thomas Sr., was the son of Gov. Robert Brooke, Sr., Esq. (1602-1655) and his first wife, Mary Baker (1602-1634).

Mary was the daughter of Thomas Baker II and Mary Engham.

Robert Sr., was the son of Hon. Thomas Brooke (1561-1612) and Susan Foster (ca. 1570-1612).

Susan was the daughter of Sir Thomas (Forster) Foster V (1548-1612) of “Etherstone”, Hertford, England, and his wife, Susan Foster (1548-1625), co-heiress with her sister Constance.

Thomas was the son of Richard Brooke, Sr., Gent., Esq. (1519-1594) and Elizabeth Twyne (1523-1599).

Richard was the son of Robert Brooke (d. 1593).

References

* [http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mrmarsha&id=I01809 1658-1758 Charles County MD Families "The first 100 years": Wills, Court, Church, Land, Inventories & Accounts]
* [http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~marshall/esmd27.htm Brook Family Genealogy]
*Maryland State Archives: St. Mary's City Men's Career Files MSA SC 5094 [http://www.msa.md.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc5000/sc5094/000500/html/sm566.html Brooke Thomas (1659-1731)]