GENERATION 11

GENERATION 10

Biography

IBROOK TOWER married MARGARET HARDIN and they had twelve children. MARGARET died Nov. 19, 1705, and IBROOK married second on Aug. 6, 1712, Mrs. Patience Hobart, widow of Daniel Hobart, and previously the widow of Benjamin Jones. Patience died Dec. 22, 1747.

IBROOK had the land which his father drew in the first division of land made by the proprietors in 1670. The deed is not recorded. He probably went upon this land and built himself a house soon after the termination of King Philip's war, and was among the earler settlers of what was then the village, and has since 1770 been the district and town of Cohasset.

He was frequently called upon to fill various municipal offices and in 1699 he was one of the selectmen of the town. In addition to the agricultural pursuits, common to all people, he was a cooper (barrel maker), an occupation for which the people of Hingham early became noted.

Raising sheep was important as a source of food in Hingham. Wolves were a natural preditor of the sheep. Bounties were offered for killing a wolf. In a list of debts due from the town in 1670-71, is one to "John Stodder and IBROOK TOWER for killing a wolf, £1;" and again the same year, "for killing a wolf, 9s." In 1672, "Paid IBROOK TOWER, about killing a wolf, 2s. 10d."

By making his home in Cohasset, IBROOK and the others were some four to five miles from the school and meeting-house. For some thirty years this young settlement went without facilities for the education of the children, and for a Sunday sanctuary. In spite of these disadvantages, the sons and grandsons of IBROOK learned to write.

In the years 1717 to 1721, a meeting-house was built and a minister ordained, and soon after a school- house was built. The first minister of the new church was Rev. Nehemiah Hobart, a grandson of Peter Hobart, and a relative of IBROOK TOWER.

IBROOK died Nov. 22, 1732, and memorial stones mark the place of his burial and that of his first wife. He is the only child of JOHN TOWER to have a stone to mark his place of burial.

    Here Lyes Ye                    Here Lyes the
     Body of Mr.                     Body of Mrs.
  Ibrook Tower who                 Margaret Tower,
    Died November                    wife of Mr.
   Ye 22nd 1732 in                 Ibrook Tower who
     Ye 88 year                     died November
     of his age                    Ye 19th 1705 in
                                     Ye 59 year
                                     of her age