John Brown

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• _UID: FE853C643A1146F4AE736FA7A3132A9756EC

John married Elizabeth Eldred in 1750. Elizabeth (daughter of James Eldred) was born in 1729 in , , Rhode Island, USA; died on 30 Sep 1809 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Margaret Brown was born in Unknown; and died.
2. John Brown, Jr. was born in Unknown; died in 1830 in , , Rhode Island, USA.
3. Benedict Brown was born in 1753 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA; died on 2 Sep 1825 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA; was buried in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA, Cem. NK048 - in the Meadows Office Park.
4. Elizabeth Brown was born about 1756 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA; died on 26 Mar 1815 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA; was buried in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA, Cem. NK048 - in the Meadows Office Park.
5. Mary Brown was born in Unknown; and died.
6. Kingsley Brown was born in Unknown; and died.

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• _UID: DDE0215B22504E909B018114891E540DC2FD

Notes:

Buried:
Unmarked Grave

Charles married Eleanor Sheffield on 30 Jun 1710 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA. Eleanor (daughter of ? Sheffield and Eleanor (Sheffield)) was born in 1693; died in 1751; was buried in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA, Cem. NK048 - in the Meadows Office Park. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: C929AD3555084B558D350635A1FC0D71E968

Notes:

Buried:
Unmarked Grave

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• _UID: 79DBE0731B7C45479908E55E703F79E7BDCF
• Alt. Death: 20 Feb 1717, Kingston, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA

Notes:

Beriah Brown perhaps was not a son of Charles Brown of Rowley, MA.

Most Internet sources indicate that this Beriah Brown is the son of Charles Brown, and was born in Rowley, MA, in 1648. I believe that there is some doubt that this is the case and that Beriah Brown may have been born overseas and immigrated directly to Rhode Island.

First of all, the question arises as to whether Beriah Brown lived previously in Massachusetts and was married there and had a child before moving to Rhode Island. It is possible from the dates that this occurred. If he had been born in 1648 in Rowley, he would have been about 25 years old when he married Sarah Harris. He would have been about 30 when they had a daughter, Sarah, and he would have been about 39 when he was first recorded in Rhode Island in 1687. Sarah, his wife, and Sarah, his daughter had apparently died sometime prior to 1687. There is mention in brother Gershom's will of a legacy to this Beriah's daughter, Sarah. Gershom died on 5 Dec. 1683, so this suggests that the daughter, Sarah, was still living in 1683. The supposed father, Charles, also died in 1687.

Alexander, Beriah's first son by his wife Abigail Phenix, was born in Rhode Island in 1684 (although at least one source indicates this marriage occurred in 1685). This would suggest that Beriah was already in Rhode Island by 1683 or 1684 although he is not recorded until 1687. If Beriah had been previously married in Massachusetts in 1673, then it is likely his wife and daughter (or at least his wife) would have died prior to that time.

There is some evidence that there was another daughter of Beriah whose name is not known. R. G. Huling mentions in his letter to John B. Peirce of 23 Mar 1883 that there was a second daughter married to John Barber. Could this have been Sarah?

Secondly, where was Beriah born and when? There are also several references to Beriah being an immigrant from England or Wales rather than someone who was born in Massachusetts and moved to Rhode Island, particularly in the correspondence between L.W. Brown and John B. Peirce (Town Clerk of North Kingstown) and between R.G. Huling and Mr. Peirce in which there are several references to Wales and Beriah's birth date of 1640. There is, however, no specific documentation referenced in these letters.

If Beriah had not been born in 1648 in Rowley and previously married to Sarah Harris, then the alternative scenario is that he was born in Wales about 1640 and came directly to Rhode Island. If this is the case, then he would have been about 45 when he married Abigail Phenix and a few years older when he started having children. This alternative scenario is also possible, although it seems likely that he would have married and tried to settle down at a somewhat earlier age.

In the absence of concrete information to determine which scenario is correct, I have decided to take the conservative route and removed the link between Beriah and the supposed parents Charles Brown and Mary Acye of Rowley. By taking this approach, his parents remain unknown and there are no other descendants of Charles and Mary in my data.

Died:
During Great Snowstorm

Beriah married Abigail Phenix about 1675 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA. Abigail (daughter of Alexander Phenix and Abigail Sewall) was born about 1655 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA; died in 1690 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA; was buried in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA, Cem. NK048 - in the Meadows Office Park. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: BBB54D456FA640CF993220A8F3375C09487F
• Alt. Birth: 1666, North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA
• Alt. Death: Between 1696 and 1710, , , Rhode Island, USA

Notes:

Buried:
Unmarked Grave

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• _UID: BCFD4A50ADBD40628EF5E4FA5E769D164763

? + Eleanor (Sheffield). Eleanor was born in 1663 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA; died after 1717. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: 382AFE29F20544B19507B9F2F09460C26246

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• _UID: 07221D54604F431AAB6D823F822933086540

Notes:

The following are notes received from Corrine Diller of Houston in e-mail sent to Larry Wilson on 11/29/99. (Don't know if Corrine did the research or someone else in her family). LDW

Most info. from Rowley V.S., which gives this obscure entry:
"____ s/o Charles Browne, bur. 16 Dec. 1687."
Note that some entries in the Rowley town records are undated.
I have typed them in the order I found them.

1638, Dec., Rev. Ezekiel Rogers and a group from Rowley, England,
landed in Mass.; in spring they established Rowley, Mass.

Rowley: Third division of Salt Marsh: "To Charles Browne two Acres
of the salt Marsh lying on ye North side Isaac Cousins Meadow
the East end abutting on a great Creeke the West end on the Comon."
Rowley: Certain parcels of meadow laid out…1st division of Fresh Marsh:
"To Charles Browne ___ Acres of Rough Marsh lying on the West
side of Richard Swans marsh the North end abutting on the vpland
the South end on Richard Thorlay his meadow…"
Rowley: Vplands laid out at the plaine Called the Great Plaine:
"To Charles Browne two Acres & an halfe of the land lying
on the north side of Thomas Millers land."
Rowley: Young Cattell: Charles Browne 0.1.8.

1647, Sep. 21, death of Francis Lambert.
1648, 11m (Jan) 20, Town meeting:
"from Charles brown to and with John Smith which bulls are to
be provided before the sixteenth of march next…"
1649, Feb. 14, "Estats for the Counstable" (taxables?)
Charles Browne 52.09.02.

1650, the names of those that has Calues (calves),
Chs Broune-1.

1651, 11m (Jan) 26, "vnto Charles Browne was graunted by the towne
a peece of sale marsh about an acre…at the shadd Creek…
where the lot of richard Swan and John Scaels…"
1653, Dec. 16, Town Meeting:
"Couper-ffor pinder Charles Browne."
1654, paid Charles Browne for a foxe, 0.2.0.
1655, 2m (April) 11, division of the bulls:
Charles Brownes.
1656, 12m (Feb.) 3, the 40 shillings the Deacon pays for Teaching is
thus Distributed… "to Charles Browne 0.1.5.0."
(he was 1 of 4.)
1659, June 7, burial of Jane (Barker) Lambert.

1661, Feb. 4, survey of landholders:
"To Charles Browne as to an acre and a half lot given by
the towne to be at cost to beate the drum for the benefit of
the town two Gates purchased of the Town one Gate."
(Gates aka commonages.)
1662, Nov. 26, "To Charles Browne one acre and a halfe be it more or
Lese lieing on the west side of Marke Primes land the south end
abuting on Marke Primes second division of land and part of the
east side bounded by severall marked trees in the Swampe the
north end abuting Simonds Brooke."
also,
"To John Lambert 4 acres lying on west side of Charles Browne's land."

Rowley: 2nd division of east end of town, mentions Charles browne
bounding Marke Prime's 2 ½ acres.
Rowley: laying out meadow: "Vnto Charles Browne bounds 10 acres laid
out for John Hesseltine."

1663/4, March 16, date of will of Gershom Lambert (b. 1643):
names (among others), Charles Browne and Cousin Mary Browne…
(some have interpreted this to mean she was the daughter of Charles,
but she could just as easily have been his wife.)
mentions "Aunt Rogers"…
(Rev. Ezekiel Rogers' 3rd wife was widow of Thomas Barker,
uncle of Gershom Lambert.)

1665, Town Meeting: "Bargained with Charles Browne to keepe the young
Catle Heard…and the said Charls is to keepe the Catle one weeke
of the time and his two sons Beriah and John another week…"

1665, paid to Charls Browne for burning younge Cattle walkes, 0.5.0.
1666, town paid to Charls Browne 0.4.0. and 0.3.6.
1667, May 20, Charles Broone rec'd lot in laying out of hog Iland.
1667, May 20, "To Charles browne for Three Gates lying on the
easterly side of John Lamberts marsh a percel of marsh on
all parts else incompased with a creeke."
1667, "Item Charles Broune for hay, 0.1.0."
"Defective fence comeinge to the Towne, Charles Browne 0.0.4.,
and 0.0.4." (fines)

1668, April 16, laid out 400 acres for Thomas Dorman, John Commins,
Robert Stilles, bounded by the South ends of John Jonson,
Charles Browne and others…

1668, April 16, "To Charles Browne Sixty Seven acres be it more
or less lying on the west side of John Jonsons land the South
end being fifty three Rod wide buting against the foresaid
dorman Commins and stilles there land the north end buting
on the foresaid John Hezeltines meadow.)

1672/3, March 14, division of the Nebery fence,
Charles Browne, 0 rods, 7 foots, 0 inches;
Marks XVI…list of the fence of the Common field…
Charles Browne 1 rods, 1 foots, IIII Number.

1683, Dec. 1, date of will of Gershom Browne,
names brother Nathaniel and his "mother";
cousin Sarah (d/o Beriah) to be brought up by his mother;
brothers John, Samuel, Ebenezer, William, Joseph, sister Mary;
Uncle John Acy;
father Brown and brother John to be executors.
(Gershom Browne is thought to be older than the other children, supposed
son of a first wife. "Mother" would be Mary Acye, actually his
step-mother,
but if she raised him, she would be the only mother he knew. Apparently
he had taken responsibility for the daughter of his brother.)

1687, Dec. 20, Rowley, date of will of Charles Browne,
"father Acy then alive"
brother John Acy,
eldest son Beriah,
granddaughter Sarah Brown a minor who had a legacy left
her by son Gershom, dec'd,
sons William, John, Samuel, Ebenezer, Nathaniel, and Joseph under age;
executors, John, Nathaniel, Ebenezer;
witnesses, Richard Dummer, Jonathan Wheeler, John Sterlin;
(will rec. with Essex deeds, 5 Ipswich, 303.)
1687, Sep. 14, Rowley, proved will of Charles Browne.
1687/8, March 12, inventory of estate of Charles Brown,
by Richard Dummer, John Wheeler;
total L.47.15.0.

Charles married Mary Acy on 14 Aug 1647. Mary (daughter of William Acy and Margaret Haiton) was born in 1623; died on 12 Dec 1683. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: 9FDFC3AA70E547079FC90019AF2845669181

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• _UID: 59BCDB6E40D0462EAC04E5FACB33B45578AC

Alexander married Abigail SewallNorth Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA. Abigail (daughter of Thomas Sewall) was born on 14 Mar 1650 in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, USA; died after 1718. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: E78E5FD38A714654BAB8886A4720AC5B0EF7