Reverend Joseph Estabrooks II "The Apostle"
He was born in 1640 in Enfield, Middlesex County, England. He married Mary Mason on May 20th, 1668 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. He died in 1711 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
The pioneer Estabrooks were Puritans, and with his brother, Thomas, came to America in 1660. It is said that there was another brother with Joseph and Thomas Estabrook who settled in Connecticut.
After receiving a preparatory education for College Joseph Estabrook entered Harvard and graduated 1664. In 1667 he was ordained as colleague of the Rev. Edward Bulkley, minister of the church in Concord, at whose decease he became pastor of the church and continued in that office until his death, for which he was eminently fitted as his preaching was plain, practical and persuasive. His appearance carried so much patriotic dignity that people were induced to love him as a friend and reverence him as a father. These traits in his character obtained for him the name of "The Apostle." He was made a freeman at Cambridge, Mass., May 3, 1663.
His Mother was Anner Brainerd and his father was Joseph Estabrooks.
His salary at Concord was 80 pounds of which 40 pounds was to be paid in money and 40 pounds in grain. On the 12th of March, 1681, the town voted: "that every householder that hath a team shall carry yearly one load of wood to the minister, and every other householder or votable person shall cut wood one day for the minister, and that the wood be equally divided to the minister as the selectmen shall appoint".
On his death the Boston "News Letter" of Sept. 18, 1711, said: "This day was interred in Concord the Rev. Joseph Estabrook, minister of the gospel in said town for about 44 years (and many of them was colleague to the famous Mr. Bulkeley). He was eminent for his skill in the Hebrew language, and a most orthadox, learned and worthy divine; of excellent principles in religion, indefatigably laborious in the ministry, and of holy life and conversation."
The church in which Rev. Joseph Estabrooks preached was the church on the hill near the centre of the old burying ground. It was the one first erected by the colonists. After his death the congregation decided to build a larger, more convenient edifice; so down near the square in 1712 they built the beautiful colonial building which was to witness some of the most stirring events of the American revolution. The children of Rev. Joseph and Mary (Mason) Estabrooks were:
Joseph Estabrooks
Benjamin Estabrooks
Mary Estabrooks
Samuel Estabrooks
Daniel Estabrooks
Ann Estabrooks
This information was obtained from From the library of Stephen M. Lawson
http://kinnexions.com/kinnexions/mason/rr01/rr01_002.htm#P8and from http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/5085/estabro1.htm
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