Thomas Seabrook

Thomas Seabrook died 17 Dec 1675 in Westchester County, New York; killed by the Indians.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/146607915/thomas-seabrook

He married Mary in Long Island, NY, and they were the parents of:

• Daniel/abt 1667
• Capt James/abt 1674 m. Hannah Grover [OR - James was son of Daniel, son of Thomas]
• Ann/abt 1675 [NO - See notes]

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Seabrook-227

Estate -- "Thomas Seabrook, Westchester. Died intestate Dec. 17, 1675.

The deposition of John Clarke of Westchester, aged 29, states that "when there was an alarm of Indians, Being at Castle Hill last summer, loaded with ammunition, he was a sojourner in the house of Thomas Seabrook, and was commanded among others to go to Capt. Osburns house, and at his going away, he, the said Thomas Seabrooke, took his wife, (now present widow) by the hand in the door, as he was going out, and said Wife I am going out, I know not but I may be knocked on the head. If I never come again I give all that I have to thee, and further said to this deponent, Pray take notice what I say." Sworn before me John Pell, May 15, 1676. Deposition of Penelope Cook, aged about 50. That " Thomas Seabrook being some time last winter at Consider Woods, declared he was going over to Long Island, and said that whenever he did dye he would make his wife executor and give her all he had." Letters of Admin granted to wife Mary, May 20, 1676. Liber I. P. 139. page 6 Wills of Early Residents of Westchester, NY [6]

Notes

https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/bray/1103/

Finally, the following record from the Baptist Church records of Middletown was used by Stillwell to support the identification of Ann Bray as the daughter of Thomas and Mary Seabrook:

1724/5.Mary Whitlock, widow, dying left a sum of money to her grandsons, Andrew and Daniel Bray, which with money belonging to Peter Bowne, was lent to Thomas Cox.

It is easy to be misled by this deed of gift, since Mary is leaving money only to Andrew and Daniel, who were Ann's children.From this fact Stillwell wrongly deduced that Ann was Mary Seabrook's daughter.However, in the light of the above evidence, it is clear that Rev. John Bray was Mary Bray/Seabrook/Whitlock's son.Who Ann's real parents are, cannot be said.

The Monmouth County Historical Society has a Seabrook file. It contained information said to be compiled from family records and from a Seabrook grave plot in the Fair View Cemetery, Red Blank NJ.

Thomas Seabrook was killed in an Indian Raid in Westchester NY. He had already purchased land in the Monmouth County, NJ but not moved the family there. Mary Seabrook married a second time to Thomas Whitlock. They moved the family to Shoal Harbor, NJ and built a house that Ann was raised in. It was known as the Seabrook Homestead. Descendants of the Seabrook family lived in the house into the early 1900's. On the material copied at the Monmouth County Historical Society was a note "Spy House". It was probably referring to the Seabrook Homestead. Shoal Harbor was renamed Port Monmouth. The material went on to say that "the house is still standing, though the property between it and the Bay have been washed away."

The property has not washed away. The house is now called Seabrook-Wilson House. It is a learning center and folk museum. It sits on Shoal Harbor in Port Monmouth, and has a few acres with parking lot, picnic tables and kept grounds. The museum reflects the history of the Bayshore farmers of the sea and land.

Comments

Kimberley Phillips May 5, 2022:

There are records showing Tho. Seabrook was a juryman at the court where Mary Bray was settling Richard's estate in Exeter in 1666. There's records of Tho. & Mary selling Richard's land in Oyster River in 1667. If they married & had Daniel in 1666 and James was born in 1675-76 (Tho. was killed Dec. 1675 - Jas. could have been born up to 9 mnths later); then in 1699 when Jas. was a witness in a murder case he would have been 24. And Daniel would be 33. That means Daniel would be 11 when Jas. was born. So they could be brothers.

But, if Tho. was married before Mary Bray and Daniel was born about 1655 he'd be old enough to be the father of James. I kept thinking Tho. Seabrook was 29 yrs old when he died from what I was reading but looking at the statement of both witnesses and the statements of the witnesses for Richard Bray's death I realized that the age of the witness had to be included to make sure the witness was at least 21 yrs. (sometimes they let 18 yr. olds testify).

References

• "Early Wills of Westchester County, New York 1664-1784" by William S. Pelletreau, Am. M.; Pub. 1898 https://ia801407.us.archive.org/21/items/earlywillsofwest00pel/earl...
• Stillwell's Miscellany of NJ, v3p110, v4p223: In June 1667, Thomas Seabrook sold his 10 acres of land to John Altt,* who (see Dover, NH tax lists) had been next door neighbor to Richard and Mary Bray. This indicates the presence of Thomas Seabrook in the area shortly after Mary Bray was widowed by the October 1665 death of her first husband Richard Bray.
• Stillwell's History of NJ, v4p219: In 1673, Thomas Seabrook was enumerated in the census of Hempstead, as an inhabitant. - New York Documentary History, Vol. I, p. 658. TAX: About 1675 Westchester Co, NY
• Stillwell's History of NJ, v4p220: After he had removed to the town of Westchester, and in the year 1675, he was assessed for 2 horses, 6 cows, three "3 year old," three "1 year old," 2 swine, 5 [acres of] land and 12 [acres of] meadow. - New York Colonial History, Vol. 143, p. 488.
• http://nostalgia.esmartkid.com/seabrook.html cites
• Christian, Louise A., & Fitz Randolph, Howard S. "Isaac FitzRandolph". The Descendants of Edward Fitz Randolph and Elizabeth Blossom 1630 - 1950, 1950, page 14.
• McFarlane, James E. "Thomas Seabrook". Ancestors of Beulah Broach Eckford. 2005, Webpage: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=eckford&... .
• Rhymes, John L. "Seabrook". The Ahnentafel or List of My Forebears. ca. 2006, Webpage: http://john.rootsweb.com/Rhymes/ahnentafel.html .
• Stillwell, John E. "Seabrook of Monmouth County". Historical and Genealogical Miscellany, New York, NY, vol. 4, 1916, pages 219-260