Thomas Brigham II1

M, #20210, b. Mar 9, 1640, d. Nov 25, 1717
Pedigree
Father*Thomas I. Brigham1 b. circa 1603, d. Dec 8, 1653
Mother*Mercy Hurd1 b. circa 1616, d. Dec 22, 1693

Family

Mary Rice b. Sep 19, 1646, d. May 30, 1695
Child

Chronological Events

Birth*Mar 9, 1640 Thomas Brigham II was born on Mar 9, 1640 at Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States.1 
 He was the son of Thomas I. Brigham and Mercy Hurd.1 
Marriage*Dec 27, 1665 Thomas Brigham II married Mary Rice on Dec 27, 1665 at Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States.1 
Death*Nov 25, 1717 Thomas Brigham II died on Nov 25, 1717, at age 77 at Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States.1 
Burial*Nov 26, 1717 He was buried on Nov 26, 1717 at Unknown Cemetery, Massachusetts, United States, Find A Grave Memorial# 69389383.2 
Book Excerpt* 
Among Thomas and Mercy Hurd`s five children was Thomas Brigham, the 2d, and when his mother married Goodman Edmund Rice of Marlborough continued, with his brothers and sisters, to live with his mother on his stepfather`s estate. On attaining his majority, Thomas married Marv Rice (daughter of Henry) and bought from his stepfather, Edmund Rice, 24 acres of land in the southwestern part of the town on the site known as the Warren Brigham Farm on what we call Glen street.
Here he built at log cabin. One day being called to Lancaster he left his family to care for the home. `Breaking flax` was one of the many household duties of the time, and in an unguarded moment this combustible material took fire and the house was soon in flames. When Thomas returned his little log hut was no more to be seen. But rather a fire from flax than from treacherous foe, and in 1706 up went on the same spot of land another home, a frame house, so well and safely built that it was one of the 26 chosen as garrisons by the 137 families in town at that time.

The farm of Thomas Brigham 2d was the starting of that immense farm which he acquired from the Indian occupants and finally included in his own right thousands of acres stretching for miles away to Chauncey pond. He is said to have been a large strong man of whom the Indians stood greatly in awe. It was his custom in war times when going to mill to have an escort of two dogs and two guns. Probably the guns if not the dogs accompanied him to church and to other places. ` We imagine that the two dogs, went also to divine worship as we know that in early times it was the custom in cold weather for the favorite dog to be brought to meeting where he could be a warmth to his master`s feet. Indeed, those living stoves became such a fashion and oft times such a nuisance to the congregation at large, that dog whippers were appointed and the owners of these pets were fined did they not see to it that they came not into the meeting house during the worship.

One day Thomas was found sleeping in his chair. He was 76 years old when this great sleep came upon him. They laid him away in 1716, and his son Gershom took his father`s house for an `L` (addition) to his own newly built two-story house. Gershom was a man well known in the annals of Marlborough. An impartial surveyor, an intrepid constable; a selectman and one of the distinguished committee to seat the meeting and woe unto the wide awake children of mischievous propensity, and even the parents who sometimes event did nodding before the hour glass, resting on the little stand by the preacher, could be turned, for Gershom Brigham, the tithingman, was a regular attendant and himself, was never found napping. Gershom settled down happy and contented on the old home place, the so called Warren Brigham, and had five children by his good wife Mehitable Warren (6th child of Joseph Warren of Medfield) among whom was Joseph Brigham who married Comfort Bigelow who proved indeed a comfort to Joseph as well as to John her father after the latter`s release from captivity.

From the book, A GENEALOGICAL DICTIONARY of THE FIRST SETTLERS OF NEW ENGLAND, SHOWING THREE GENERATIONS OF THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE MAY, 1692 ON THE BASIS OF FARMER`S REGISTER. BY JAMES SAVAGE, published 1860

Two of their children, Joseph aged 7 years and Comfort aged 5 years died July 17, 1742. Mrs. Comfort Brigham died September 24th 1755 aged 47 years, 11 months and 20 days and is buried in Old Common Burial Grounds. Two years later, Joseph married Mrs. Ruth Ward, widow of Elisha Ward of Westborough. She was sister to Silas and Timothy Rice who were carried off to Canada by Indians in 1794. Ruth died February 7th 1786 at age 74 years 2 months and 20 days and is buried in Old Common Burial Ground; Joseph died five months later on July 29th 1786 at age 80 years, 3 months and 8 days. He is also buried in Old Common Burial Ground.3
 

Citations

  1. [S802] Site - Ancestry.com, online at http://www.ancestry.com
  2. [S58] Gravestones - Death Cert, Find-A-Grave, BillionGraves.
  3. [S805] Site - One World Tree (SM), online at http://www.ancestry.com