Dea. John Mousall

He was the founder and much honored citizen of Woburn. He was the erector of one of the first houses.

See documentation concerning John in "The New England historical and genealogical register, Volume 58" By Henry Fitz-Gilbert Waters

The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 58.. Page 50. "The Brooks Family of Woburn"

From Bill Lander's New England Roots page:

http://troutwind.tripod.com/mousall.html

JOHN MOUSALL was born about 1595 in England since his age in 1658 was given as about 63.[3] In ref [1] his place of birth is given as Great Ormsby, Norfolkshire. He died on 27 Mar 1663 [1/v58p49], or 1665 [2][3] in Woburn, Middlesex Co., MA.

He married JOANNA THOMPSON in 1628 in England. [1/v58p59]. She was born in England [ibid], and died after 27 Mar 1663 in Woburn.[ibid]

John Mousall settled in 1634 in Charlestown, Middlesex Co., MA. He and his wife joined the church there on 23 Aug 1634. He was made Freeman on 3 Sep 1634, and was a Representative for Charlestown to the General Court in 1635.[2]

Cutter doesn't dwell on John's history prior to his arrival in Woburn and recommends "Wyman's "Charlestown", p. 692" for details of his life in Charlestown.[3]

John Mousall Sr was the third signer out of 32 on the original 1640 town orders for the founding of Woburn and the house he built for himself and family in 1641 was the first house erected within the 1893 boundries of the town. Edward Converse having erected the first house within the original boundries. [3]

([*] Did the original boundries exceed the town's boundries in 1893?)

John Mousall's homestead in Woburn contained about 40 acres. The northeast line of his property which was situated next to the meeting house bounded on the town highway. To his east was the property of John Brooks and to his southeast were Jabez Brooks, John Brooks, and Ephraim Buck. His southwest boundary ran along the "King's highway".[3]

John was a member of the Church at Charlestown and was one of the seven members of that church who formed the Church at Woburn at its first gathering on 24 August 1642. John was chosen as one of the two original Deacons of the Woburn church and remained a Deacon until his death in 1665. John was also made a selectman in Woburn when they were first chosen and was returned to that position each year for 21 years.[3]

When John Mousall died he was survived by his wife Joanna and both his children, John Jr. and Eunice who was married to John Brooks.

His Will was dated "the 19th of ye 4th month, 1660" (Ben M. Angel notes: fourth month is June, pre-1752 English dating system) and was probated on 4 April 1665.[3] He made bequests to his wife, children, grandchildren. He terms his son John Jr, and his son-in-law John Brooks as "my two sons".

He bequeaths a cow and a sheep to John Brooks specifically directing that they were earmarked to provide for the furnishing of a "new room" which had been built onto Brooks' house. This new room being intended for his widow Joanna who was "to have a peacable living in it providing she stay in it.'

He also provided for two servants or perhaps an apprentice in the case of EPHRAIM BUCK, who would have been 14 years old at the time the Will will was written. In that provision he states, that Ephraim Buck and Hannah Leppingwell were each to have "a ewe lamb, at or before the end of their time, provided they carry it respectfully to my wife". In 1670 Ephraim Buck married John's grand-daughter SARAH BROOKS. Since Sarah was only eight at the time the will was prepared its doubtful if her grandfather had any inkling she would eventually marry Ephraim Buck.[3]

John disposed of the two houses upon his property, giving half shares in the newest to John Mousall Jr. and John Brooks., as he did also the "great Meadow", and the "rest of his lands" not already assigned. He reserved for his wife Joanna one third of the "fruit of the orchard for her life", and "the little hemp yard and garden the back side of the [old] house". Also to Joanna went "...two of my best cows and two ewe sheep, and my executors are to keep these cows and sheep for her, winter and summer, so long as she liveth, and all her firewood and four pounds a year to be paid by my executors, either in money or corn."[3]

He appointed as executors of his estate "my brother James Thompson, and Allen Converse".[3]

In the inventory of his estate he was styled as "John Mousall, senior, Deacon of the Church of Christ at Woburne, deceased,". His estate was valued at 200 Pounds.[3]

CHILDREN:

• 1. John Mousall, was born probably in England, and died on 2 April 1698[3] He married Sarah Brooks on 13 May 1650.[3] While her date of death isn't mentioned in the Woburn records Cutter concluded she probably died prior to 1706.[3]
• 2. EUNICE MOUSALL

Notes: Cutter adds that a description of the house including its location, physical appearance and a partial history was given in his work "Woburn Historic Sites and Old Houses", Woburn, 1892. Reprinted from the Woburn newspaper "The News" in which it originally appeared. I have yet to see either source

Deacon Mousall died Mar. 27, 1665, leaving a widow, Joanna, a son, John Mousall, and a daughter, Eunice (above), the wife of John Brooks. The name of Mousall (pronounced Mowz-zall) as a surname, is now extinct from the place. (1)

WILL

The will of the senior John Mousall (1660) makes his two sons, John Mousall and John Brooks, joint executors; gives to his son Brooks's three children, and to his grandchild, Sarah Brooks, and to his grandchild, Eunice (Unis) Brooks ; to his son, John Brooks (in whose house John Mousall, Sr.'s, widow was to have a peaceable living) ; gives also to his grandchild, Joanna Brooks ; and certain residue of his lands to his two sons [John Mousall, and son-in-law John Brooks]. John Mousall, Jr.'s, wife being the sister of John Brooks, this relationship of the sou is more clearly understood. It was the case of being doubly brothers-in-law ; Brooks marrying the only sister of Mousall, and Mousall marrying a sister of Brooks. From this circumstance arose a partial (not total) combination of the property of Deacon John Mousall and Henry Brooks. (1)

In his will, Deacon John Mousall gives his great meadow [at Woburn Centre, in the vicinity of Prospect Street, a tract now covered with buildings to his two sons equally, but in case the son, John Mousall, died without children, then he (John Mousall, Jr.) could give his share to his wife, for use during her life, and after the decease of John Mousall, the said son, and his wife leaving no heir, the share was to return to the son in-law John Brooks's children.

John Mousall, Jr., did die without children, and some of his property returned to John Brooks's children, in accordance with the terms of the will. (1)

JOHN, Charlestown with w. join. the ch. 23 Aug. freem. 3 Sept. of that yr. rep. 1635, ar. co. 1641, ac. and selectman 1642, rem. Woburn, and d. 27 Mar. 1665. Possib. he was tempt. to Salem, for Felt prints Mousar John as hav. gr. of ld. there 1639, and among ch. memb. 1646, prints Ruth Monsall, both so very closely resembling this name, may be mistak. for it. His d. Eunice m. 1 Nov. 1649, John Brooks. His will, of 9 June 1660, pro. 4 Apr. 1665, names w. Joanna, makes s. John and John Brooks excors. with remem. of Sarah, Eunice, and Joanna Brooks, grch. of testa.27

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SOURCES

1. The Brooks Family of Woburn, Mass By William Richard Cutter, Arthur G. Loring
2. 27. Joseph Savage, A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, Little Brown, Boston, 1860.
3. https://mathcs.clarku.edu/~djoyce/gen/report/rr01/rr01_499.html#P34917