James Brookshaw Sr.

  General Notes:

James Brookshaw and wife arrived in the Colony of Maryland aboard the barque Friendship in 1674. They came as indentured servants which indicates that they were unable to finance their own passage to America. Upon completing their period of service they could acquire and manage their own lands and properties.

James and Mary settled in Somerset County, Maryland, and had children. “The Early Settlers of Maryland” Skordes, Hall of Records Annapolis, Maryland, Liber 18, folio 39, Service 1674. This entry of service is compared to the other entries of “transported or immigrated.”

The ship Friendship sailed for many years between Europe and the New World and would generally sail from Ireland. “A Compilation Relating to Irish Protestants” found in the Maryland Historical Library contains a listing showing James and Mary Brookshaw as passangers of the Friendship and had sold themselves into servitude to pay their passage.

Abstracts of the Inventories and Accounts of the Perogative Court of Maryland. 1674-1678 and 1699-1703 (Liver 1-5): John Chadwell appraisers: James Collyer, Thomas Jones.
List of debts: Capt. Boston, William Caine, Lancelot Poole and Christopher Shawe, William Ebden, Robert Gardner, Robert Connersworth, James Armoster, JAMES BROOKSHAW. Dec. 5, 1676

LIST OF DEBTS FOR CAPT. THOMAS WALKER:
From the Abstracts of the Inventories and Accounts of the Prerogative Court of Maryland 1670 by V. L. Skinner, Jr.
In the Inventories and Accounts is a list of the debts for the estate of Capt. Thomas Walker. The list is dated 10 March 1680. The inventory was filed in Somerset County. This list can be found in Liber 7B, folios 106-114:
Amoung many others is listed, JAMES BROOKSHAW.

LIST OF DEBTS FOR JOHN CHADWELL:
From the Abstracts of the Inventories and Accounts of the PrerogativeCourt of Maryland 1674-1678 and 1699-1703 by V. L. Skinner, Jr. 05December, 1676, John Caldwell
Appraisers: James Collyer, Thomas Jones.
List of debts: Capt. Boston, William Caine, Lancelot Poole andChristopher Shawe, William Ebden, Robert Gardner, Robert Connersworth, James Armoster, JAMES BROOKSHAW.

Somerset County, Maryland Land Records
1681 Somerset County, Brooksher(Brodsher), James, (owner), 150 Acres, “Bedlam Green,” patented October 5, 1681. Source: Settlers of Maryland 1679-1700, by Peter Wilson Coldham, pg 21. Reference: Maryland Land Tatents, Libr 25/27 and Libr 32/136.

1722 Somerset County, Maryland. James Brookshire was witness to a land transaction. Source: 2 Old 167. Note: This could be either James, Sr. or James, Jr.

1724 Somerset County, Maryland. Brooksher, James, July 1, 1724, Taxlist, place: Monie Hundred. Note: This could be either James, Sr. or James, Jr.

The next records we have found of James Brookshaw, alias Bruckshire, are the inventory of his estate as found in the Inventories of Somerset Co., Maryland, liber 12, folio 144, and the settlement of his estate as found in Administration of Accounts, liber 8, folio 336. Both records are copied here in full:
p 144
Xd: An Inventory of Goods and Chattels of James Bruckshear's Estate Taken this 21st of Febr Anno Dom 1726/27.
To one hundred pound of bacon
To 19 pounds of pot Iron
To 30 pounds of pork
To five pounds & 1/2 of Tallow
To two young Steers at 17/ p head

James married Mary Elizabeth ? in England. (Mary Elizabeth ? was born in 1650 in England and died in 1727 in Dorchester County, Maryland, USA.)