Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

Thomas Brooke Sr.,

Esq. Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman an ...

(1632 – 1676) was a colonial lawyer, planter and politician of

Calvert County, Maryland Calvert County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 92,783. Its county seat is Prince Frederick. The county's name is derived from the family name of the Barons of Baltim ...

, where he served in the appointed positions of Burgess, High Sheriff and Chief Justice.

Early life and education

Thomas Brooke was born in

Battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...

Sussex, England Sussex ( /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom and, later, a county. It includes the ceremonial counties of East Sussex and We ...

on June 23, 1632, the son of Gov. Robert Brooke Sr., Esq. (1602–1655) and his first wife, Mary Baker (1602–1634). Thomas was raised as a Protestant but converted to

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. He immigrated at the age of 18 to Maryland with his father Gov. Robert Brooke Sr., Esq., an Anglican ministe

(1602–1655) on June 30, 1650.

Career

Thomas Brooke was commissioned a Captain in 1658, commanding the Militia of

Calvert County Calvert County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 92,783. Its county seat is Prince Frederick. The county's name is derived from the family name of the Barons of Baltimo ...

, and then a Major in the Militia of Calvert County by 1660, at age 28. In 1661 he led an expedition against Native Americans. He served as a Burgess for Calvert County from 1663–1669, and again from 1671-1676. He was a High Sheriff of Calvert County from 1660–1667, and presiding Chief Justice of the County Court in 1667. In addition Thomas was Mayor of Battle Creek, Calvert Co., Maryland. Maj. Thomas Brooke resided at his

plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

called "Brookefield", which he laid out on April 16, 1664. "Brookefield" was located in the woods on the west side of the

Patuxent River The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington, D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeas ...

, bounded on the north by Brooke or Mattaponi Creek, on the east by the Patuxent River, on the south by Deep or Spicer's Creek and extending west to a line marked by a stone on which were cut the letters T. B., the initials of the grantee. This is the origin of the name of the current town of T. B. A few years later Major Brooke conveyed back to the Lord Proprietor a certain number of acres on the bank of the Patuxent, intended for the site of a town, which, when laid out, was called "Nottingham Towne", in honor of the Duke of Nottingham. The village still bears the name. Besides Brookefield, Maj. Brooke was owner of two tracts of land in

Charles County Charles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 166,617. The county seat is La Plata. The county was named for Charles Calvert (1637–1715), third Baron Baltimore. The ...

. The first was "Locust Thicket", which he laid down on May 2, 1668. The second one was laid down the next day, called "Brookes Landing". He also owned five other tracts of land in Calvert County, named: "Brookes Content", laid down April 2, 1668; "Brookes Grove", on May 2, 1668; "Little Grove", on March 23, 1669; "Poplar Neck", on June 10, 1671; and "Cross-Cloath", on February 2, 1673. At the time of his death on December 29, 1676, Brooke had accumulated . His estate, which included 10

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

and 10 servants (

indentured An indenture is a legal contract that reflects an agreement between two parties. Although the term is most familiarly used to refer to a labor contract between an employer and a laborer with an indentured servant status, historically indentures we ...

) was valued at 95,910 pounds of tobacco. Thomas and Eleanor Brooke were both members of the Roman Catholic Church and raised their children as Catholic.

Marriage

In 1658 Brooke married as his second wife Eleanor Hatton (1642–1725), who was 16 years old. She was born in

London, England London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

on April 3, 1642, the daughter of Richard Hatton Sr., (1605-1648), and Margaret (ca. 1610), who married later secondly, Captain Richard Banks Sr., (ca. 1612-1667), of Maryland. Eleanor emigrated across the Atlantic to Maryland in 1649 with her widowed mother and family. Eleanor's uncle Thomas Hatton (d. 1654), had been Secretary of the Province. After the death of Thomas Brooke (1632–1676), the widowed Eleanor, then still only age 34, married Col.

Henry Darnall Colonel Henry Darnall (1645 – 17 June 1711) was an Irish-born planter, militia officer and politician who served as the chancellor of Maryland from 1683 to 1689. He was also appointed as the proprietary agent for Charles Calvert, 3rd Bar ...

(1645–1711) of "Woodyard" and "Darnall's Delight". Her son from her first marriage, Thomas Brooke Jr., (1660–1730), became the stepson of Colonel Darnall and the adopted half-brother of Henry Darnall II, Esq. (d. 1737). Eleanor Hatton Brooke Darnall died on February 21, 1725, at " Portland Manor" in

Anne Arundel County Anne Arundel County (; ), also notated as AA or A.A. County, is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 588,261, an increase of just under 10% since 2010. Its county seat is Annapolis, wh ...

Children

*Gov. Thomas Brooke Jr. (1659-1730/31) of "

Brookefield Brookefield is a neighbourhood of Bangalore. It was established in the late 19th century as a settlement for the Eurasians of Bangalore. It is a wealthy area, with high real estate prices and relatively new commercial roads such as ITPL road. ...

", Thomas married 1) Ann ? 2) Barbara Dent (1676–1754), daughter of Col. Thomas Dent Sr., Gent. *Robert Brooke (1663–1714), a Jesuit priest, first priest born in the British colonies. *Mary Brooke (bef. 1669-1742, who married 1) Capt. James Bowling (ca. 1636-1693). 2) Capt. Benjamin Hall (1667–1721). 3) Henry Witham. *Ignatius Brooke (1670–1751) *Matthew Brooke (1672–1703) *Elinor Brooke (1673–1740), who married 1) Philip Darnall (1671–1705); 2) William Digges Jr. *Clement Brooke Sr. (1676–1737), who married Jane Sewall (1685–1761).

References

The Maryland Calendar of Wills, Volume I Wills from 1635 (Earliest Probated) to 1685 Pages 182
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooke, Thomas Sr. 1632 births 1676 deaths People from Battle, East Sussex People from colonial Maryland 17th-century Maryland politicians Maryland lawyers Converts to Roman Catholicism from Anglicanism Emigrants from the Kingdom of England to the Thirteen Colonies 17th-century American planters American slave owners