The earliest European settlers were Robert Barker and Dolor Davis, who settled in the vicinity of Herring Brook in 1650.

For thousands of year until that time, the Wampanoag and the Massachusett tribes lived on this land, fishing and farming along the rivers; they called the area Mattakeesett, which means "place of much fish", because of the annual springtime run of herring in the local rivers.

Most notable of the town's resources are its water resources, which include the North River and Indian Head River; its ponds, Oldham, Furnace, Great Sandy Bottom, Little Sandy Bottom, and Stetson Ponds; and Silver Lake.

[2] Just before the Revolution, Reverend Gad Hitchcock of Pembroke (who had served with the provincial troops as a chaplain in upstate New York during the French and Indian War) gave a sermon in Boston blasting the British, and was rewarded for this with a set of fine new clothes from Samuel Adams.

Residents of Pembroke again served with honor from the first "alarm" sent out by Paul Revere and others on April 19, 1775, till the end of the war.

By the turn of the 20th century, mills had sprung up along the river, and the town's ponds and streams provided the water for cranberry bogs.

Because of rail service from Brockton, the town's ponds also provided recreation and vacation spots for city dwellers.

A Massachusetts Historical Commission reconnaissance survey report dated June 1981 indicated that in the early 20th century the popularity of the cranberry spurred the construction of numerous bogs.

The attractiveness of the ponds for summer recreation led to the development of numerous, dense cottage colonies built along their shores.

Today, Pembroke is mostly a suburban community, with the majority of residents working in the Greater Boston area.

[3][4] As of 2009, Pembroke was a contender for CNN Money's "Best Places to Live", according to financial, education and quality of life statistics.

Pembroke is bordered by Norwell to the north, Marshfield to the northeast, Duxbury to the east, Kingston to the southeast, Plympton to the south, Halifax to the southwest, Hanson to the west, and Hanover to the northwest.

The southern half is dominated by several ponds and Silver Lake, where the towns of Pembroke, Kingston, Plympton and Halifax come together.

A website displays many pictures of the plants and animals of the area, for example, eagles, herons, egrets, turtles, raccoons and fox.

[6] Massachusetts Route 3 passes through the town's northeastern corner, skirting the irregular border with Marshfield.

The Kingston–Route 3 line of the MBTA's Commuter Rail passes just to the southeast of town, with the nearest stops being in Hanson and Halifax.

On the national level, Pembroke is a part of Massachusetts's 9th congressional district, and is currently represented by William R. Keating.

In 1952, Pembroke was a founding community of the Silver Lake Regional School District, along with Kingston, Halifax, and Plympton.

Due to chronic overcrowding which had led to split sessions by 1970 and double sessions by 1974, the town built its own campus of Silver Lake Regional High School in 1976, across from Hobomock Elementary School on Learning Lane.

In 2002, with growing population again an issue, Pembroke separated from the other towns to reestablish its own school district; its students remained at Silver Lake RHS until 2004.

Pembroke has established a Thanksgiving Day football rivalry with previously mentioned Silver Lake Regional High School.

Regional daily newspapers which cover the town include the Quincy Patriot Ledger and the Brockton Enterprise.

[24] Pembroke Country Club, purchased by former NHL player Jeremy Roenick, is an 18-hole course featuring 6,532 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 71.

[26] The Grand Old Fish Fry is usually held the first weekend in May at the Thomas Reading Herring Run Park on Route 14 (Barker Street).

For 30+ years the Historical Society has invited the public to the herring run for a day of great food, music, duck races and much more.

When the event first began herring were caught with nets and cooked right on site by Chef Bobby Hackett.