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BiS A HISTORY
OF THE
j^-lo^^
Michael Brown Family
\
OF
m.
ROWAN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
TRACING ITS LINE OF POSTERITY FROM THE
ORIGINAL MICHAEL BROWN TO THE PRESENl'
GENERATION AND GIVING SOMETHING OF
THE TIMES ONE HUNDRED AND FIFl^Y YEARS
AGO TOGETHER WITH MANY HISTORIC FACTS
OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL INTEREST
By
The Reverend RICHARD L. BROWN
PUBLISHED UNDER THE AUSPICES
OF THE
MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY ASSOCIATION
HA:-.
AflY
GITY
Kkv. Richard L. DroWxV
TO Tiie DESCENDANTS OF THE
SAINTED MICHAEL BROWN
IN THIS DAY AND
GENERATION
THIS BOOK IS AFFECTION ATEI.Y
DEDICATED
PREFACE
I This history may be considered accidental or
I of a spontaneous character. On one occasion
I Rev. N. D. Body and the writer were in conver-
I sation relative to the " Old Stone House." The
I former suggested that the Browns should keep
I the house in their possession as a sacred relic.
I Out of this interview grew the idea of organizing
I a Michael Brown Family Association which later
I was effected, having as its main object the bring-
ing together annually the descendants of Michael
Brown and their friends in a social way, caring
for the old family graveyard and if possible
purchasing the Old Stone House which had by
this time passed into the hands of those outside
of the Brown family.
It occurred to us that a history of the original
Michael Braun (Brown) and his posterity would
prove of interest not only to the immediate
Brown family, but also to their many friends.
We set ourselves to the task but it was soon dis-
covered, to our great sorrow, that much of this
family tree, one of the oldest and largest in the
• State, had been lost because not taken up sooner.
Notwithstanding this great loss there is still an
astonishing cluster of branches which have sprung
from the original trunk. We have endeavored to
6 PREFACE
trace these family limbs as far as possible and
thus give the descendents of our illustrious an-
cestor something of their line of descent, also
noted something of the times, customs of the
people and conditions of the country in those
days.
It is to be remembered that many things in this
book were on the verge of oblivion. Much of the
material was gathered from personal interviews
with some of our oldest kindred and citizens,
some of whom will not live much longer; the
writer could not reproduce it, some was gleaned
from scattered records, hence, many things in
connection with the history of the Old Stone
House family will be preserved only through this
publication. It picks up and throws light on
many things which we believe will be relished by
both the old and young of our day and of the
generations to come.
The Jews are able to trace their line of descent
for thousands of years. For instance, Christ was
a descendent of David, and David a descendent
of Abraham, etc. Thus our Bible history would
be much impaired if this lineage could not be
traced.
A history of our ancestors is sometimes worth
something to the young in selecting a consort or
life-companion. Sometimes the sins and habits
of the parents are visited upon the children unto
the third or fourth generation, and he or she who
I PREFACE
ffr is seeking a partner for life should know some-
thing about these facts. Rev. Dr. Samuel John-
f son said to his prospective wife previous to their
'f marriage that he very much desired to marry her
I but there were three obstacles in the way. First,
* he was very humble in origin ; second, he had no
I money ; and third, he had an uncle who had been
I hanged. To this she replied that, first, she was
f not governed by his parentage; second, she had
f no money herself ; and third, although she had no
relatives who had been hanged, she had twenty
who deserved to be. They married and lived a
happy life for many years.
This book is an attempt to connect the present
with the past in the hope that from this time forth
descendents of Michael Brown, of the Old Stone
House, will not only cherish the best in their fam-
ily's history and traditions but will also hold
sacred the old family graveyard containing the
ashes of their original ancestors, see to its upkeep,
and if possible purchase and preserve the " Stone
House," still standing, one of North Carolina's
landmarks, antedating Revolutionary times; also
that they will keep ample records of the line of
descent from now on and with their own lives
emulate the virtues of their forefathers and
rightly use the rich heritage which has been
handed down to them from generation to
generation.
It is to be regretted that so little is known of
8 PREFACE
the original Michael Brown prior to his migration
to North Carolina. However, some light is
thrown on this period in his life in two chapters
in this history.
We, therefore, commit this little book to its
readers with a motive of honor, respect and
Christian duty. May it serve as a solemn re-
minder of our departed relatives and a constant
evidence that we too are passing away. While
the young will find something to their interest, the
old will refer to it as a book of sacred references.
Richard L. Brown.
Contents
PART ONE
Page
Chapter 1 — Valuable Information Recently Sup-
plied 11
Chapter 2— The Michael Brown Family Associ-
ation 16
Chapter 3— Michael Brown's Will 19
Chapter 4— The Country and Its Early Settlers. 23
Chapter 5— Belief in Witchcraft and Other Su-
perstitions 27
Chapter 6 — Michael Braun (Brown) and the
Dunns 34
Chapter 7 — Michael Braun (Brown) and Min-
isters Descended from Him 38
Chapter 8 — Names of Michael Brown's Sons... 46
Chapter 9— Integrity and Patriotism of Michael
Brown's Posterity 53
Chapter 10 — The Stone House and Incidents in
Connection Therewith 58
Chapter n — The Lands of Michael Brown 67
Chapter 12— The Graveyard 76
PART TWO
Chapter 1— Michael Brown— The Trunk of the
Tree 84
Chapter 2— The Branches 86
Chapter 3 — David Brown, the First Branch of
the Brown Tree 88
Section 1 — Michad L. Brown, a Son of David Brown.
Section 2 — Jacob Brown, a Son of David Brown.
Section 3 — Solomon Brown, a Son of David Brown.
Section 4 — David Brown, Jr., a Son of David Brown, Sr.
Section 5 — Daniel Brown, a Son of David Brown.
Section 6 — Henry Brown, a Son of David Brown.
Section 7— Jeremiah Brown, a Son of David Brown.
Section 8 — Andrew Brown, a Son of David Brown.
9
10 CONTENTS
PsETC
Section 9 — Georg-e Brown, a Son of David Brown, and
Isabella Brown, His Wife's Sister.
Section 10 — Mary Brown, a Daughter of David Brown.
Section 11 — Christina Brown, a Daughter of David Brown.
Chapter 4 — James Brown, the Second Branch of
the Brown Tree 147
Section 1 — Jeremiah Brown, a Son of James Brown.
Section 2 — James Brown, Jr., a Son of James Brown.
Section 3 — Alexander Brown, a Son of James Brown.
Section 4 — Allen Brown, a Son of James Brown,
Section 5 — William Brown, a Son of James Brown.
Section 6 — Lisa E. Brown, a Daughter of James Brown.
Section 7 — Sally Brown, a Daughter of James Brown.
Chapter 5— Moses Brown, the Third Branch of
the Brown Tree 159
Section 1 — Moses L. Brown, Son of Moses Brown.
Section 2 — Michael Brown, Son of Moses Brown.
Section 3 — Peter Brown, Son of Moses Brown.
Section 4 — Alfred Brown, Son of Moses Brown.
Chapter 6 — Peter Brown, the Fourth Branch of
the Brown Tree 168
Chapter 7— Jeremiah Brown, the Fifth Branch
of the Brown Tree 169
Chapter 8 — The Sixth Branch of the Brown
Tree 173
Chapter 9 — Clementine Brown, the Seventh
Branch of the Brown Tree 174
Chapter 10— A Resume of the Michael Brown
Family History 175
Chapter 11 — Memorabilia and Musings — By Rev.
B. S. Brown. Sr 183
Chapter 12 — Some Suggestions 189
A History of the
Michael Brown Family of Rowan County
North Carolina
CHAPTER I
Vi*LUABLE INFORMATION RECENTLY SUPPLIED
About the time this history was ready for the
press the Rev. M. Luther Canup, of New York
City, a descendent of Michael Brown, became
interested in that part of his ancestor's history
which antedates his migration to North Carolina.
In this chapter we shall give some interesting and
important information as supplied by Rev. Canup.
Tradition says Michael Brown migrated from
Pennsylvania to North Carohna about the middle
of the eighteenth century, coming in that long
train of pioneers which wound its way slowly
through the picturesque Cumberland and Shenan-
doah Valleys, every able-bodied person walking,
women and children in wagons, and cattle, sheep
and hogs driven before them, until they reached
their destination, — Rowan and adjoining counties.
This kj^end is substantiated by the fact that the
records in the office of the Register of Deeds at
Sahsbury indicate that the first purchase of land
11
12 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
by Michael Brown (from John Dunn) was made
in 1758. There is also a tradition that he origi-
nally came from Germany. The architecture of
his house, the furnishings of the same, the lang-
uage he spoke, the inscriptions found chiseled in
the walls of his building and trade marks stamped
on his cooking utensils lend proof to this view.
In July, 1920, we communicated with the His-
torical Society of Pennsylvania, located at Phila-
delphia, relative to the ship records of those
landing in this country from Germany via the
Philadelphia port. A prompt reply brought the
information that a Michael Brown (Braun) came
•ver on the ship St. Andrew Gaily, John Sted-
man. Master, from Rotterdam but last from
Cowes, September 26, 1737. The communication
further stated that the original ship lists are pre-
j; served in the archives of the State Library at
IJ Harrisburg, Pa., and suggested that these might
'! be of further assistance in identifying our an-
I cestor. Upon visiting the above library the origi-
f nal list was produced which shows that Michael
Brown was one among one hundred and forty
immigrant passengers on board the above named
ship, and that he, along with the others, took the
oath of allegiance to their newly adopted country,
signing the oath then and there. This act the
authorities called qualifying. The following is an
exact copy of what the new comers set their
hand and seal to :
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 13
" We stibscribers natives and late inhabitants of
the Palatinate upon the Rhine and places ad-
jacent having transported ourselves and fafnilies
into the Province of Pennsylvania a colony sub-
ject to the crozim of Great Britain in hopes and
expectation of finding a retreat & peaceable set-
tlement therein DO solemnly promise and engage
that we will be faithful & bear true allegiatue to
his present Majesty King George the Second and
his successors kings of Great Britain and zvill be
faithful to the proprietor of this province and that
we will demean ourselves peaceably to all his said
Majesty subjects and strictly observe and con-
form to the lazvs of England and of this province
to the utmost of our power and best of our
understanding/'
Palatines imported in the ship St. Andrew-
Gaily, John Stedman, Master, from Rotterdam
but last from Coives as by clearance thence.
Qualified the 26th day of September, 1737.
Then follows the signatures of each of the im-
migrants. Thus it seems with absolute certainty
we have traced our distinguished forefather from
his grave in the old Brown family graveyard back
to his parental home on the banks of the Rhine.
Industrial, political and religious conditions in
Europe at this time caused a very large number
of its inhabitants to seek an asylum in America.
14 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Many came from all parts of Germany, in order
to escape the demands of their country upon them
for military service. Michael Brown, who was
doubtless in his early teens at this time, severed
himself forever from all that he once held dear in
the Old World to make his home in the New.
Granting that this chapter in his distinctive life is
true, the memory of him becomes the more
sacred. He was among those courageous hearts
whose conscientious convictions of duty led them
to venture upon the dangerous and tedious voyage
across the Atlantic and to endure the perils and
hardships of an inhospitable wilderness in the
Western World.
Supposing Michael was a boy of sixteen when
he landed in 1737, he would be a man of thirty-
seven when he made his first purchase of land in
Rowan County in 1758, and eighty-six when he
wrote his last will and testament in 1807. From
another ship list bearing almost the same date,
which gives the ages of those on board, we learn
that most of them were under twenty years of
age. We know that Michael Brown lived to be a
pretty old man, hence, the above dates seem to fit
into his life admirably and lend force to the argu-
ment that he is the Brown from whom we sprang.
Just where and how he spent the interval be-
tween his landing in Philadelphia and his coming
to North Carolina no one has as yet been able to
ascertain. However, it is not improbable that in
i
5 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 15
f future generations light will be thrown on these
I years in his life. In the writer's own mind the
I sturdy, brave lad who arrived via Philadelphia
i Sept. 26th, 1737, is the person who afterwards
i migrated to the " Old North State " and who
built the " Old Stone House.'* Granting this, we,
I his descendents, have in our veins something of
the thrift, frugality, honor and fervent religious
I spirit which characterized those simple folk who
I came from the Rhine provinces which character-
1 istics are an asset to any family and for which
I we Browns must eternally feel indebted.
\
i
r
I
CHAPTER II
THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMII^Y ASSOCIATION
The first meeting of the Michael Brown Family
Association was held at Granite Quarry on July
28th, 1914. Although the weather was unfavor-
able about two hundred were present, meeting in
a hall near by, Rev. C. A. Brown acting as chair-
man pro tem. After devotional service by Rev.
M. Luther Canup the following officers were
elected for one year: President, Rev. R. L.
Brown; Vice-President, Rev. C. A. Brown; vSec-
retary, Charles F. Brown, and Treasurer, Nathan
Brown. The afternoon was spent in the grove,
and we were favored with speeches by Revs. G.
H. Cox, D.D., B. S. Brown, M. Luther Canup,
and others. The organization was much encour-
aged, and steps were taken to meet again the fol-
lowing year.
A second meeting was held on Aug. 26th, 1915,
on the same grounds. At that time the following
officers were elected: President, Rev. C. A.
BrowTi; Vice-President, Rev. R. L. BrowTi; Sec-
retary, John R. Brown; Treasurer, Nathan
Brown, and Historian, Rev. J. H. C. Fisher.
Messrs. W. Henry Canup, Robert M. Brown and
Paul Barnhart were appointed a committee to
16
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 17
look after the old family cemetery near the Stone
House. It was upon this occasion the Brown de-
scendents began to show marked interest in their
ancestors. The Vice-President saw there was a
bright future for this Association, and began to
pick up bits of histor>' and statistics for the
Brown family, little by little, until later these
things grew into a history.
On Aug. 24th, 1916, a third meeting was called
to meet on the same grounds. All the old officers
were re-elected, and considerable business was
transacted; steps were taken to look after our
claims to the plot of the graveyard, and it was
found that one of the heirs to the land, Mrs.
Martha Earnhardt, in disposing of her share of
the estate, had in her wisdom excepted the grave-
yard, hence later made a deed of the plot to the
Brown Family Association for as long as it re-
mains an Association. The great World War
had begun and the Association did not meet again
until 1919, but the work was moving along nicely,
and in the meantime the original will of Michael
Brown was found, dated 1807. This gave us
some insight into his family, their names, etc., and
the writer of the book could see more clearly than
ever that there was a great treasure of informa-
tion buried beneath bygone days and places made
sacred by the sainted Michael Brown.
The fourth meeting was called for July 30,
1919, at the same place, and the following officers
18 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
were elected : President, Rev. P. D. Brown ; Vice-
President, Rev. R. L. Brown ; Secretary', Mr.
Robert M. Brown; Treasurer, Mr. M. G. M.
Fisher, and Rev. J. H. C. Fisher was re-elected
Historian. At this meeting the history that had
been growing was mentioned, a synopsis of its
contents was read, and the publication of the
same became the leading thought. About this
time Rev. M. Luther Canup, of New York, and
others, became much interested in the project.
The fifth meeting was held August 4, 1920, on
the same grounds. x\ll the old officers were re-
elected. A large audience was present, among
them being ten ministers, and a number of en-
thusiastic speeches were made in favor of print-
ing the book and thus put into permanent form
that which was on the verge of being forever
lost. It was at this meeting that the publication
of this history was unanimously authorized. Ten
men present showed their interest in the matter
, by assuming the financial responsibility of the
i book and a committee of twenty was appointed
j by the President to sell copies of the same. Revs.
I Richard L. Brown, M. Luther Canup and Mr. M.
4 G. M. Fisher were appointed a committee on
} publication.
CHAPTER III
MICHAEI. brown's WILI.
A copy of the original will of Michael Brown
of the Stone House.
In the Name of God, Amen.
I, Michael Brown, of Rowan County, in the
State of North CaroHna, do make and ordain this
my last will and testament in manner and form
following, to wit :
1st. My will and desire is that all my just
debts shall be paid out of my estate as soon as
may be after my decease.
2nd. I leave to my beloved wife, Eleanor
Brown, the Stone House with the out-houses and
plantation, and one-third of the land where I now
live, during her natural life ; and the use for five
years after my decease of the bottom land which
I cleared on the tract willed to my son James
Brown. I also give to my said wife the bed and
furniture called my bed ; and one bay mare, sad-
dle and bridle, for her own use, and as her own
property, and I lend to my said wife the mulatto
girl, Betsy, for ten years after my decease ; at the
expiration of which time the said girl, Betsy, is to
be sold, and the money to be divided among my
lawful heirs.
19
20 HISTORY OF THE) MICHAEIv BROWN FAMILY
3rd. I give and bequeath unto my son David
Brown the tract of land on which the Stone
House stands where I now live, and another tract
of thirty acres adjoining the same, to him and his
heirs forever ; subject to the life estate in part of
said land already given to my wife.
4th. I give and bequeath unto my son James
Brown one-half of my tract of land called Dunn's
place, whereon he now lives, to him and his heirs
forever.
5th. I give and bequeath unto my son Jere-
miah Brown the house and lot of land in Salis-
bury where I formerly lived, after his paying to
my beloved wife the sum of one hundred silver
dollars for her own use. Then the said house and
lot to be the property of the said Jeremiah Brown
and his heirs forever.
6th. I give and bequeath unto my son Moses
Brown the one other half of my tract of land
called Dunn's place whereon he now lives, to be
his and his heirs' forever.
7th. I give and bequeath unto my wife's two
daughters, Sally Reeves and Nancy Reeves, in
consideration of their dutiful conduct to me, my
two lots and houses in Salisbury, now occupied
by Mrs. Balfour and John H. Pitchey, called
Dayton's lots ; to these said Sally Reeves and
Nancy Reeves, their heirs and assigns forever, to
be held by them as tenants in common, and not as
joint tenants.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 21
8th. If my wife Eleanor Brown shall be deliv-
ered of a lawful child to me, of which she may
now be enceinte, my will is, and I give and be-
queath unto the said child, the mulatto girl called
Emily, child of Betsy, and also the sum of five
hundred silver dollars to be paid out of my estate.
And I hereby nominate and appoint my friend
Montfort Stokes to be guardian of the said child
which may be born to me hereafter, and to super-
intend the education thereof after my decease.
9th. My will and desire is that all the rest and
residue of my estate shall be sold by my executor
after my death, and the money arising therefrom
to be equally divided amongst all my children and
my wife, Eleanor, share and share equal and
alike.
And I hereby authorize my executor to execute
good and efficient deeds of conveyance for the
property so to be sold ; and to vest the purchasers
in a fee simple estate in the same: hereby be-
queathing to my said executor the said residuary
real estate for the purpose expressed in this claim
of my will.
10th and lastly, I hereby nominate and appoint
my sons, Peter Brown, Moses Brown and James
Brown and W. Joseph Pearson to be the execu-
tors of this my last will and testament; hereby
revoking all, and every other will by me hereto-
fore made.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my
22 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEIv BROWN FAMILY
hand and seal this 12th day of October in the
year of our Lord 1807.
Michael Braun.
Signed, sealed, published and declared to be the
last will and testament of Michael Brown, in the
presence of us who have severally attested the
same as witnesses.
David Griffith,
M. Stokes.
Michael Brown's Will
John Gardiner.
Registered in Book D.
Copied by A. L. O. A. L. O.
1807
CHAPTER IV
THE COUNTRY AND ITS EARLY SETTLERS
Strange that our imaginations of the past are
often far different from the actual facts in the
case.
It would be natural to suppose that two hun-
dred years ago the hills of this county of ours
were covered with an abundance of timber, with
a thicket of undergrowth and an unbounded for-
est; but history tells us differently. It says that
much of the country was nearly barren, with scat-
tering timber of moderate size, except along the
streams and lowlands, and here the timber was
scattered, but some of the trees were very large,
and so tall that the guns of the hunter could not
reach the game in the topmost branches. These
were, one after another, uprooted by the storms
of summer and winter. The banks of dirt from
the roots of these trees are still visible in many
places. Many changes have taken place in the
last two centuries.
In 1750 the settlement of Sandy Ridge was
very scarce in timber, and logs for building had
to be hauled for miles. The high lands between
the Third and Fourth Creeks were once an o[>en
93
24 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
prairie, with a building here and there, and neigh-
bors widely scattered. Prior to this Indians in-
habited this section. They composed several wild
tribes, known as the Catawba, the Waccon, and
the Sapona. These roving, hunting and war par-
ties had their paths all over this country, and es-
pecially up and down the Yadkin River. Some of
these paths were still very clear when Michael
Brown and the Dunns settled southeast of Salis-
bury, near Crane Creek on the north, and now
Granite Quarry on the south.
At Trading Ford these Indians had a fort or
village called Sapona, and this seemed to be the
headquarters for this Sapona tribe. Trading
Ford is still remembered as an Indian settlement,
and on an island in the river near there they had
a burying ground ; and on this island, which is
still there and now under cultivation, many
human bones have been unearthed ; and pieces of
old Indian pots, dishes and arrows have been
found in abundance.
When Michael Brown and the Dunns settled
here the county was full of wild animals and
game, such as wolves, panthers and bears, who
had their homes in the thickets of the low lands,
and in the rocks of the Granite Ridge. When
Solomon lirown was a small boy he followed his
sisters (contrary to orders), who were carrying
some fresh meat to the family in the Stone House.
As the girls passed through the thicket near the
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 25
house, the boy heard something trotting through
the bushes, and looking, saw seven large wolves
cross the path between himself and the girls. The
wolves smelled the fresh meat, and did not molest
the disobedient boy, who found his way back
home without losing much time.
Wild turkeys, squirrels and opossums abounded,
and the hogs got much of their living from the
forests ; while the pigs had to be protected from
the foxes and panthers.
From the swamps around the Stone House
were often seen strange lights which were then
called " Tack-o'-lantern," or "Will-o'-the-wisp."
These lights appeared as streaks of fire, appearing
and disappearing at intervals, for an hour or
more.
At the " Two Rocks " on the public road from
Salisbury to Gold Hill, at what is now Granite
Quarry, is a place noted for its apparitions. Tra-
dition tells us that a light was often seen to go
across the road, or dance up and down in it ; that
a big black dog would come out to disturb those
passing along ; and a man without a head would
come out from behind these rocks, unhitch the
horses, and go on to a place where a Tory had
been killed, and buried, during the Revolutionary
War, and then disappear.
The writer well remembers hearing his father
say, when he was coming across there one dark
night on horseback, he heard something in the
26 HISTORY OF THE MICH.\EL BROWN FAMILY
bushes before him hke a loose horse with har-
ness on. He w^ould have supposed this to be
a fact, and nothing more than a loose horse, but
his dog, which was in front of him, came running
back and crouched under his horse. He could
feel the throbs of his horse's heart, and the animal
refused to go forward, but after considerable ef-
fort he succeeded in getting by. Then his dog left
him, and the horse would have done the same
thing if he had not been an expert rider. He was
never able to say what it was, but thought his dog
and horse understood it better than he.
The " Two Rocks " have been broken and most
of the pieces have been hauled away. Part of
one remains in front of the McCombs and Ley-
erly store across the road; the other w^s near
where that store stands.
CHAPTER V .
BELIEF IN WITCHCRAFT AND OTHER SUPERSTITIONS
Under this heading, we purpose referring to
some of the superstitions our early settlers had
to contend with, but it is to be particularly under-
stood that we are not advocating, encouraging or
teaching anything of such obnoxious character.
However we refer to them as things of the past,
which the early settlers of Rowan did actually
encounter, and our reference to them is intended
as a reproof of those foolish notions. As we
relate some of the beliefs that were in common
use in those days, you will see in every case that
there is nothing complimentary to those who be-
lieved in these evil practices.
A witch was generally supposed to be an old
woman in league with something bad, or the great
evil spirit, and able to do wonderful things
through Satanic agency. Hence these believers
feared and shunned the witch women as we
would fear a rattlesnake or a mad dog.
The usual way to become a witch was to go
down to the spring at the dawn of day, and look-
ing down into the water at the image dimly out-
lined there, pledge the soul to the devil, on
conditions that he would render the help needed,
and after this compact with the infernal spirits
27
2S HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
such a woman was supposed to be able to do
almost anything bad, and nothing good, hence the
name of a witch signified something evil.
A witch was supposed to be able to ride
through the air on a broomstick, or to transform
herself into a black cat, a rabbit, or other animals.
Walking along the road late one evening a man
alleged that he saw three women sitting on a log
by the side of the road. As he looked at them the
women suddenly melted away, or from view, and
three antelopes galloped oft in their stead. The
witch was supposed to have power to transfer the
corn from one neighbor's horse trough to that of
another without touching it with his hands. The
result was, that while the one farmer's horse
would grow poor and lean, the other man's horse
would grow sleek and fat.
To see a rabbit hopping about the barn sug-
gested the presence of a witch making arrange-
ments to abstract the corn from the horses or the
milk from the cows. An old fashioned shilling
wuth its pillars of Hercules nailed in the horse
trough was supposed to break the spell and keep
the corn in the trough. It was thought the only
way to kill a witch was by using a silver bullet ;
supposing that the witch could turn a lead ball.
A bewitched cat or rabbit shot with a silver ball
would suddenly disappear, and it would soon be
heard that some old woman at home had suddenly
died of heart trouble or apoplexy.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 29
At the same time witches had a peculiar kind
of gun, which was simply a glass phial, open at
both ends, and the bullet used was made of
twisted and knotted hair; and this bullet pos-
sessed the wonderful quahty of entering the flesh
of animals without making a hole in the skin. It
was alleged that such bullets were found, and
animals after being skinned would show the hole
through which the bullet went.
There are people to this day who believe that
the foot of a rabbit caught in a graveyard has
wonderful power in it, and the man who has one
in his pocket is to be feared. It was believed that
witches rode on the necks of horses at night, and
the knots in the mane were used as stirrups ; and
in these instances the witch assumed the form of
a rabbit.
Conjuring was a close neighbor to witchcraft,
and people feared one as well as the other. A
neighbor of ours who carried his grinding to mill
on his back was seen to have a cedar brush tied to
his clothes, dragging it behind him to cover up
his tracks, supposing a neighbor of his could and
would put a spell on him if he saw his tracks.
It was also believed that if witch rabbits sucked
the cows it would cause them to give bloody milk,
and that was the reason that cows at times did
give such milk. The remedy for this was to milk
the cow through a knot hole in a rich pine plank.
It was no uncommon thing to see rich pieces of
30 HISTORY OF THE illCHAEL BROWN FAMILY
pine plank with a knot in it hanging up outside of
the old log kitchen ready for use when needed.
If the cow gave thick milk, or the milk thickened
before it was soured, it was an evidence that
somebody had put a spell on the cow.
We have such things as these to contend with
at the present day, but most people have better
sense than to believe that a witch is the cause of
it. In those days, a worn horse shoe nailed over
the door was regarded as a spell against witch
power, and would cause the inmates to have good
luck; but that belief has so far passed away that
at present it is the fashion to make many orna-
ments in the shape of a horse shoe and wear them
as a symbol of good luck. The luck part has
passed away, and the ornament has taken its
place.
Some people are still superstitious about a rab-
bit or black cat running across the road before
them, as a token of good or bad luck, depending,
I believe, on the direction the animal is going.
To see the new moon clear or through obstruc-
tions was another thing to give either trouble or
consolation. Then there were the signs in the
moon ; the little moon up or down was claimed to
have much to do with covering buildings, laying
the bottom rail of a fence, or in hauling out
manure. To this day some people say, that in
order to keep bean leaves from getting full of
holes you must plant the beans in the scales
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 31
because that is the only thing in the zodiac that
has no mouth.
There were so many superstitions that gave
trouble and concern in days gone by that we can-
not refer to them all, for fear the reader will con-
sider them monotonous; but please allow the
WTiter, before closing this part of the subject, to
tell one of his experiences along this line.
In one of his pastorates he had occasion to
visit a parishioner who was sick, and pecu-
liarly sick, too. Here he performed his minis-
terial duties in a very satisfactory way, and re-
turned home with the consolation of a duty well
performed. Some time after, he was informed
that a certain witch doctor had heard of this case
of peculiar sickness, and had made it his business
to visit this family also, and informed them that
it was a case of witchcraft, and that if they
wanted to know who the witch was he would
place a horseshoe or something else over the door
in that room. This would bring up the witch, and
the first one that came into that room under that
something placed over the door was the one who
was causing this trouble. Now, would you be-
lieve that this poor preacher, as innocent as a
lamb, and as harmless as a dove, was the first one
to enter that door under the trickery that was
over it. But we are sure this event had its salu-
tary eflfect, not only on the immediate family, but
32 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
all who heard of it were convinced that witch-
craft was a failure.
The foregoing are some of the troubles and dis-
advantages under which the early settlers had to
labor; but even down to the present day, in this
Christian, civilized and educated land of ours,
there are, comparatively, a large percent of our
people who believe in some signs, or forebodings,
of good or evil. Itching hands, nose or eyes are
considered signs of something to come. Dreams
are also forebodings of good or evil in the near or
distant future.
Where all these superstitions came from, or
how they ever got into so many people, we are
unable to say. We know that in olden times there
were persons called witches. For instance, King
Saul in his great trouble with the Philistines, went
to the Witch of Endor, and had her call up Sam-
uel from the dead so that he might know the out-
come with his enemies. We also read of Paul,
while at Paphos, finding a certain sorcerer whose
name was Barjesus. Then another by the name
of Elymas, who withstood Paul and Barnabas to
their faces.
The Saviour said concerning signs : " When
it is evening ye say it will be fair weather for
the sky is red; and in tlie morning, it will be
foul weather to-day, for the sky is red and low-
ering." " A wicked and an adulterous gener-
ation socket h after a sign, and there shall no sign
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMIL? 33
be given it but the sign of the prophet Jonah."
Also hear what the Apostle Paul says in regard to
such evil things : " Even him, whose coming is
after the working of Satan with all power and
signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivable-
ness of unrighteousness in them that perish, be-
cause they receive not the love of the truth, that
they might be saved, and for this cause God shall
send them strong delusions, that they should be-
lieve a lie, that they all might be damned who
believed not the truth, but had pleasure in un-
righteousness."— II Thess. 2:9-12.
It is the business of Satan to always have some-
thing to draw human minds from the truth, and
he, with the men of the world, are sometimes
wiser in their plans than the men of God. He
often transforms himself into an angel of light
to make men believe a thing is right when it is
evil.
While Michael Brown had to contend with the
superstitions of his time, we believe, however, he
was too much of a Christian, and too well in-
formed, to be led astray by such foolish and
ignorant ideas.
CHAPTER VI
MICHAEL BRAUN (bROWN) AND THE DUNNS
We refer to the Dunns in this connection be-
cause they and the Browns were neighbors and
great friends, and in order to give further infor-
mation about the Dunn graveyard.
Tradition says there was an agreement between
these two friends that if one died childless before
the other, and the living one had children, the
lands of the heirless one should go to the living,
and his heirs. Whether this is true or not, we
know that Michael Brown was the father of nine
children, and in his will he mentions the Dunn
plots two or three times as being bequeathed to
his different heirs.
On the north side of the Stone House farm,
and adjoining it, was the Dunn farm and coun-
try home. The house was built of wood, and has
long since disappeared, but the depression in the
ground still marks the spot where the lawyer's
cellars once were. Not far from this place is
a cluster of graves, known in the neighborhood as
" The Dunns' Graves." The plow of the farmer
has long been going over the spot, and the wheat
and the corn have grown rankly over it, and the
eye of the stranger would never detect the place.
Our imaginations run inquisitively as to who has
84
HISTORY OF the; MICHAEIy BROWN FAMILY 35
eaten these ashes, or the substance that came
from them.
A few aged citizens, who may not linger long
to hand down the information, are still able to
point out with accuracy to the very spot w^here
their forefathers said John Dunn and others were
sleeping their last sleep and waiting for the
Resurrection Morning. As a general guide to the
locality of the place, it may be stated that the
spot is a short distance, say, a half mile, from the
old Asa Ribelin House in the direction of Salis-
bury, or near there, slightly to the right of where
Lewis G. Ribelin now lives.
It is to be regretted that so many of these old
family graveyards have not been kept up and that
they have fallen into the hands of strangers, leav-
ing no traces of the last resting place of our
pioneer ancestors. One of the objects of this
history is to remind the present generation of
these places, and to preserve a record of them as
far as can be done.
I.ATER INFORMATION
In addition to the foregoing information, we
have gathered the following from Mr. Lewis J.
Ribelin, who is now seventy years old, and lives
near the place where these bodies lie.
He says he can point out the very spot where
the Dunn graves are, that he has been there many
times, and although the place has been plowed
36 HISTORY OF THE MICIL-^EIv BROWN FAMILY
over very often, the depressions in the ground
are still visible.
In addition to being a half mile from the old
Asa Ribelin farm (his father's place) it is be-
tween a half and a quarter of a mile east, or a
little northeast from where he now lives, and a
quarter of a mile on the north side of the Stokes
Ferry public road, and about midway between
this road and the old Wendle Kluttz, or the late
Henry Peeler place, now owned by George W.
Miller. Mr. Ribelin says a number of the Alulls— ,
are also buried there. In all, there must be some
twelve or fifteen graves, and probably more, at
that place.
The writer's mother-in-law, whose maiden
name was MulL (known as " Graney Agner"),
who frequently went to the Stone House to spin
for the family of Michael Brown, said she had
two sisters buried at this place and had Mr.
Ribelin take her over to the graveyard. While it
was evidently the place, she was not able to locate
the graves of her sisters. At that day marble
yards were very scarce and tomb stones not com-
mon, hence no marks to indicate the resting place
of the departed.
Mr. Ribelin said that his father, Asa RiWin,
and his grandfather, Jacob Ribelin, told him there
was an old house near there, built of logs, having
port holes in it, through which the inmates would
shoot at the Indians that came to the spring for
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY S7
water. (This must have been early in 1700.)
These facts have been handed down from the
time of the Dunns to this generation and we take
this opportunity to record them as a part of this
history.
CHAPTER VII
MICHAEL BRAUN (bROWN) AND MINISTERS
DESCENDED FROM HIM
We now come more directly to the life and
character of this old pioneer and our great-
grandfather.
Michael Brown was an emigrant from Pennsyl-
vania, and probably came originally from Ger-
many. It is said that he and his brother Jacob
Brown left Pennsylvania together and startecP'
south in pursuit of lands and permanent homes.
As they came through Virginia in their private
vehicles (for that was the only way to travel in
those days), with their property and associates,
Jacob Brown concluded to stop in that State, and
it is now supposed that the Browns of Virginia
are near relatives of the Browns of Rowan and
surrounding counties.
Michael Brown came on to Salisbury. How
long he lived there we do not know, but it is well
known that he owned considerable property in
that place. His first wife's name was Margareta
(her maiden name is lost), but we are not able to
say whether she was a Pennsylvanian or North
Carolinian. After living in Salisbury for a time,
he settled near the Granite Ridge, and near what
is now Granite Quarr>', which is on the Gold Hill
38
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 39
public road from Salisbury. Here he and the
Dunns were among the first settlers of this sec-
tion. The Dunns settled north of Mr. Brown, but
their farms joined each other, and the Dunns'
land must have extended across the Stokes Ferry
road and embraced the mountain on that road,
still known as Dunn's mountain.
When they settled here the country was, com-
paratively, in a crude state, and infested with
many wild and dangerous animals, wolves,
panthers, bears, rattle snakes ; also deer, turkeys
and plenty of palatable game. As the settlers
were scattered, very likely Mr. Brown and the
Dunns settled near each other, associated with
each other, and often had their sports in the for-
ests together.
There were also many paths, called Indian
trails, through the country, along which the Indi-
ans would travel from one section to another,
to visit their tribes up and down the river, and
from some of the western camps, especially to the
village called the Sapona Town, on the Yadkin
River, at Trading Ford. The place is still known
as Trading Ford on the Yadkin River about four
miles east of Salisbury.
These early settlers were men of principle, in-
dustry and friendships. With these characteris-
tics they soon had for themselves comfortable
domiciles, the land in part cleared up, and reaped
abundant harvests from the same. Having plenty
40 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWxN FAMILY
of elbow room, and the wealth of the soil to their
choice, their lines must have been pleasant and
their places prosperous.
Mr. Brown was a man of morals and a church-
man. From the following it is evident that he
took a part in the church work and gave his ser-
vices and influence in that direction. It has been
said that he, and one Frederick Fisher, donated
the one hundred and more acres of land to the
Lutheran Church on the Bringle Ferry road from
Salisbury, which is still known as Union Lutheran
Church, about five miles from the county seat.
Others say they were only the trustees of said
church for said land. Thus, it is evident, that
our great-grandfather was interested in, and took
upon himself a part of the church's work.
This church at that time was called the Dutch
Piney Meeting House, now known as the Union
Evangelical Lutheran Church, but the original
deed was made to Michael Brown and Frederic
Fisher.
We should feel proud of this and try to live up
to his good example. History shows that from
his day down to the present time, his posterity has
been, as a rule, of a moral character ; progressive
in business and interested in the progress of the
church. Few of his descendents have been vio-
lators of the civil or religious laws; few are in
the lower class as to finance, culture, respect or
education, and few of them outside the pales of
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 41
the church. The name carries with it the thought
of integrity and respect.
The young man who marries into this family
may be considered fortunate, and as having struck
a streak of good luck. This is not intended, how-
ever, to reflect on any other name, but simply to
speak of these good family qualities, and to en-
courage all the members to strive in holding up
this enviable reputation. The Browns have gone
into business ; into the various occupations of life,
and hold themselves on a level with other names
in the world.
MINISTERS AMONG HIS DESCENDENTS
As to those who entered the Gospel ministry,
we can call to memory the following from Rowan
County. How many may be in the ministry in
other sections we are unable to say. We give the
following of this County, according to age or
dates of their ordination:
Rev. R. L. Brown, ordained 1868;
Rev. H. M. Brown, ordained 1873;
Rev. C. L. T. Fisher, ordained 1884;
Rev. C. A. Brown, ordained 1889;
Rev. J. H. C. Fisher, ordained 1890;
Rev. S. J. M. Brown, (ordination not
known) ;
Rev. W. W. J. Ritchie, ordained 1899;
Rev. M. L. Canup, ordained 1907;
Rev. P. D. Brown, ordained 1913.
42 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
We know these have, or are giving their best
days, time and talents to the ministry of the
Word; to the services of the same Lord and
Master whom our great-grandfather, Michael
Brown, served.
In the above list we find authors, professors,
pastors and ecclesiastical officers :
Rev. R. L. Brown married Miss Nancy E.
Agner, of Rowan County, and has been in the
Gospel ministry for more than fift>' years. He
is one of the foremost church builders in the
North Carolina Synod, and is the author of " The
Mission Work Illustrated." Of this publication
Rev. R said, " the Spirit of God must have
directed him in this important work." He is now
writing a history of Michael Brown of the Stone
House and his posterity.
Rev. H. M. Brown, who married Miss Rosetta
Fisher, of Stanley County, was also a church
builder and a good pastor ; the author of " The
Scriptural Mode of Baptism " and the " Seven
Sermons on Creation." He was a strong preacher
and splendid church worker.
Rev. C. L. T. Fisher, who married Miss Mary
C. Homer, of Pennsylvania, served for a time as
a pastor and teacher at Mt. Pleasant, N. C, but
has since moved north beyond our information.
Rev. C. A. Brown, who married Miss Emma
Propst, of Rowan County, has been in the work
for thirty years, has made a success in the min-
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 43
istry and pastoral work ever since his ordination,
and at different times has been President of the
Southern Lutheran Conference, and is now
(1919) serving his fourth year in the presidential
chair of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of
North Carolina.
Rev. J. H. C. Fisher, who married Miss Leah
Blackwelder, of Mt. Pleasant, has been serving
neighboring pastorates and at the same time
teaching in Mt. Amoena Female Seminary, at Mt.
Pleasant, N. C. His ability in the pulpit and
educational world is recognized at home and in
the wider circles of the Church.
Rev. S. J. I\L Brown married Miss Sarah Kirk,
of Rowan County. He became associated with
the Episcopal Church and is highly esteemed by
his parishioners and the Episcopacy.
Rev. W. W. J. Ritchie married Miss Anna
Mariah Hinkle, of Virginia. He acquired a good
education, both literary and theological, and was
ordained to the Gospel ministry in 1899. He
served several churches in North Carolina, mar-
ried a Virginia lady, moved to the valley of the
same State, and is doing a good work in his min-
isterial calling.
Rev. M. L. Canup, who married Miss Inez Bol-
linger, of Lancaster, Pa., served for a time as pas-
tor of the church at High Point, and while there
received a call to the Evangelical Lutheran
Church of the Epiphany, New York City. Here
44 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
he is serving- the Master with a credit to himself
and his people.
Rev, P. D. Brown, who married Miss Florence
Bodenhimer, of Philadelphia, Pa., is yet a young
man. He has a post-graduate education, has al-
ready done much good work, and stands high in
the estimation of his people and the North Caro-
lina Synod. He has a bright future before him.
He is serving his first and only parish at Hgih
Point.
All these were at one time boys on the farm,
and without any special wealth, but by that ener-
getic and persevering spirit of the Brown blood
they made themselves what they are.
But returning to the subject of Michael Brown.
Some say that he was married several times, but
we cannot find any record of more than two mar-
riages. The Christian name of his first wife was
Margareta, and that of his second was Eleanor.
He had a large family, six sons and three daugh-
ters by his first wife, and a fourth daughter by
his second wife.
As his descendents in this County, State and
other States are numerous, the reader may not
object to some of their names, location and rela-
tions, as far as can now be ascertained. Hence,
we are here giving a list of his children, that is,
of the boys. We have no record of the one son
or of any of the girls, except the youngest, (by
his last wife). Later on wc will give some ac-
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 45
count of this one and follow her posterity as far
as information can be obtained.
Much of this history has been lost, and much of
what we herewith give must be credited to the
memor>' of aged friends. It is not certain that
we can give the names of his sons in the order of
their seniority. There is a difference of opinion
as to these names and their posterity.
CHAPTER VIII
NAMES OF MICHAEL BROWN's SONS
We give the names of the five sons mentioned
in his will: David, Peter, Moses, James and
Jeremiah.
1. David: Some give John as the oldest and
omit David, but we are certain that David was
one of the boys, as Michael Brown, in his will,
mentions " my son David." He also must have
been the oldest, being first mentioned in the will,
and according to dates, the first children of
David Brown seem to be the oldest grandchildren
that Michael Brown had. As David was a
farmer who settled and died in the country, he
and his children may not have obtained as much
publicity as those who moved to Salisbury. How-
ever, David was a prominent man in his day, and
had a large family, which will be referred to
more definitely later on.
2. Peter: We have two accounts of Peter
Brown. The first record mentions him as the
second son with a large family of children, many
of whom, in the recollection of the writer, are not
regarded as near relation to the Brown family;
the other gives Peter Brown as a third son of
Michael Brown with only a small family. This
last account is based on data taken from the toml>-
40
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEIr BROWN FAMILY 47
Stone in the old Lutheran graveyard in Salis-
bury near the railroad depot, and we are rather
inclined to hold to the facts given elsewhere in
this history.
Peter Brown married Miss Susanna Bruner,
a daughter of Mr. George Bruner, who lived at
the place which has for a long time been called
the Dr. Albert Powe Home. This couple was
blessed with a number of children. Their daugh-
ter, Elizabeth, married Thomas L. Cowan, of
Salisbury, who was the mother of the late Mrs.
Charlotte Jenkins and Mrs. Mary Hall. Mary,
another daughter, married Barney Bowers.
Susan married a Mr. Thompson, of Randolph.
Margaret married Joseph Chambers, of Iredell
County, and was the mother of Major P. B.
Chambers, of Statesville. Sally married Dr.
Satterwhite.
Besides these daughters, Peter and Susanna
had two sons; the late Michael and George
Brown, of Salisbury. These two sons married
daughters of Alexander Long, of Yadkin Ferry,
and sisters of the late Alexander Long, of
Salisbury.
Peter Brown first settled about two or three
miles east of Salisbury, but soon moved into town.
He purchased the building on the west corner of
Main and Ennis Streets, where he conducted a
store for many years. The place was afterward
occupied by his son until about 1860. It is com-
48 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
monly known as the McNealy Corner, which was
later occupied by Ross & Green, and now by the
Davis & Wiley Bank.
3. Moses: This son was born February 24th,
1773, and married Catharine Swink. The oldest
son of Moses and Catharine Brown was named
Michael S., and was born December 28th, 1797.
He lived near his birthplace and had several chil-
dren. He died November 28th, 1849.
A second son of Moses Brown, and a grandson
of Michael Brown, was the late Moses L. Brown,
of Salisbury, who lived in the Martin Richwine
residence, and his daughters, IMrs. Richwine and
Mrs. Johnson, made their homes in Salisbury.
Another son of Moses Brown (son of Mich-
ael), was the late Peter Brown, of Charlotte.
Peter M. Brown was first married to Elizabeth
Poole, of Salisbury, by whom he had two chil-
dren,— John L. Brown, of Charlotte, and Mar-
garet C. Brown, who was married to Dr. John R.
Dillard, of Virginia. John L. Brown, of Char-
lotte, married Miss Nancy J., daughter of the late
Jennings R. Kerr, of Charlotte. He represented
his County, Mecklinburg, three sessions in the
Legislature, each time being almost unanimously
elected.
Moses Brown (son of Michael Brown) also
had another son, Alfred Brown, who settled in
Concord, and had two daughters, Sophia and
Sally.
HISTORY OF THK MICHAKL BROWN FAMILY 49
4. James: The fourth son of Michael Brown
of the Stone House was named James. He set-
tled, and spent his days, in the old neighborhood,
and his descendents settled not far from the place
of their nativity.
5. Jeremiah: The youngest son of Michael
Brown of the Stone House was Jeremiah. He
married the widow of Tobias Furr. Mrs, Furr
was the mother of several children by her first
husband. Mary Furr married John Murphy;
Ehzabeth Furr married Samuel Lemby; and
Louise Furr married William H. Horah, all of
Salisbury.
By her marriage with Jeremiah Brown she had
three children. Margaret married Thomas Dick-
son, Delia married John Cougenhour; and the
late Col. Jeremiah M. Brown, whose widow and
children made their homes in SaHsbury, Miss
Bessie Brandt Brown, a descendent, has fur-
nished us with a complete history of this branch
of the Michael Brown family, which appears else-
where in this history.
6. We shall have something to say about the
sixth son when we come to the Sixth Branch of
the Brown Family. When we come to the chap-
ter on the family graveyard we will show evidence
that the three girls by his first wife died single,
likely in infancy.
The second wife of Michael Brown of the
Stone House was Mrs. Eleanor Reeves. Mrs.
50 HISTORY OF THE) MICHAEI. BROWN FAMILY
Reeves was a Maryland lady ; her maiden name
was Wakefield. She was first married to William
Reeves when quite young, by whom she had four
children, viz. : Thomas, Samuel, Sally and Nancy.
Samuel was the late Samuel Reeves, who was the
father of Dr. Samuel Reeves, and Mrs. Sarah
Johnson. Nancy and Sally were with her when
she married Michael Brown of the Stone House.
Nancy Reeves married a Mr. Kiestler, and was
the mother of Mrs. Jane Price, and the grand-
mother of Robert Wakefield Price, and others of
Salisbury.
By her marriage with Michael Brown, she
(Mrs. Reeves) had one child, whose name was
Clementine, who afterward married Charles
Verble ; and Mr. Verble's daughter, Eleanor, mar-
ried Mr. Thomas E. Brown, and was the mother
of Lewis V. Brown, of Texas, and Frank Brown,
of Salisbury.
Of the three daughters of Michael Brown re-
ferred to on the tombstone in the graveyard, the
writer has not been able to find any trace. They
may have died young, or single, consequently left
no family of children to be traced. If they had
left any posterity, undoubtedly some one would
have known something of them.
We may here remark that the German name,
or word " Braun " signifies dark, or brown in
color, and is pronounced in German exactly as our
English word brown. Therefore the descendcnts
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 51
of old Michael Braun discarded the German
spelling and signed themselves " Brown," a name
and not a color. Although the original name and
spelling signified a hue of the skin, we are abun-
dantly sustained in saying that this generation is
as fair in complexion as any other name, and by
a glance over the foregoing, and a comparison
with others at this day, you will find that they
not only compare favorably in fairness of face,
but that they also stand in the front rank in in-
dustry, honesty, prosperity and success. In real-
ity, the name signifies much. While many of the
family have married into different names, they
have, as a rule, carried v/ith them the reputation
of honesty, sobriety and economy. This seems to
have been deep-seated in our great-grandfather.
Some one has said that " a man is an omnibus
in which all his ancestors are seated." This
seems to be true of the Brown family. A Greek
maid, being asked what fortune she would bring
her husband, answered, " I will bring him what
is more valuable than any treasure; a heart un-
spotted and a virtue without a stain, which is all
that has been descended to me from my par-
ents. Such a dowry in a woman is a valuable
inheritance.
Have we then not cause to be proud of the
name "Brown" and its posterity? We should
certainly do all we can to hold up the morals, hon-
52 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
esty and reputation of our family. We should
now, and we believe our posterity will give special
care and attention to the memory of their dead as
long as time lasts.
CHAPTER IX .
INTEGRITY AND PATRIOTISM OF MICHAEL BROWN's
POSTERITY
Something has already been said of the moral
soundness of this generation of citizens, but a
few more lines in this connection may not be out
of place.
We find that the original Michael Brown was a
church worker, at one time a trustee of the lands
now belonging to the Union Evangelical Luth-
eran Church, hence he must have been a member
of that church and faith, and doubtless was a
strong arm in the support of the same. We also
know that the majority of his posterity are
staunch Christians, many of them still adhering
to the Lutheran faith.
We are also positive that he was honest, be-
cause the very first provision made in his last will
and testament was that his just and lawful debts
be paid before any other claims could come in.
This trait of character runs through his succeed-
ing families to the present day. As a rule, you
will find them a law-abiding people. Honesty is
their standpoint ; uprightness is one of their in-
delible marks ; virtue their ensign ; goodness their
associate; and a good moral principle the sign
board to their success.
53
54 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
As to education, wealth and religious training
you will find them in the first ranks. Their origi-
nal name Braun (German) implies a tanned or
sunburnt complexion. This may be true be-
cause they were, origfinally, farmers. The idea
of earning their bread by the sweat of their face
seems to have been born in them, even their
ministers were at one time field hands and farm-
ers, but they had that determinative spirit that
led them from the plowhandles to the Gospel
ministry.
If we were to represent the Brown posterity
in military terms, we would have a platoon of
ministers, teachers, professors, lawyers and doc-
tors; and many other useful offices success-
fully filled from the same family; and all of
them backed up by a corps of farmers, garden-
ers, truckers, etc. In short, the Browns stand in
the first line with any other name in this country.
The family has so much of the Brown blood in
it, of tenacity, perseverance, push and pull, that
they have been brought to this high standing, and
we believe will be able to maintain that spirit until
the end of time.
As to the patriotism of these Browns, we must
say that it was in the blood of our great-
grandfather, and seems to have been transmitted
from one generation to another until it has come
down to the present day. The Stone House built
by Grandpa Brown must have been constructed
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 55
with the idea in mind that a war was brewing,
hence presents a face and spirit of defence. We
know he lived in the days of the Revolutionary
struggles; that his wife had trouble with the
Tories ; that his sons were of the right age to be
good soldiers ; and we know that one of the
Browns was called ** Continental John Brown,"
probably so called because he took some note-
worthy steps, or performed some commendable
deeds in defence of the Continental troops.
Hence the spirit of patriotism is evident.
In the Civil War the Browns held their posi-
tion with such bravery that we never knew of one
of them to be shot in the back. The writer spent
three years of his life in this service as a soldier,
went through many fearful battles, faced some of
the most dangerous places and hardships, but
never knew of a Brown to desert his post.
In the World War they were equally numbered
with other names, and stood side by side with
their fellow soldiers.
The Brown family was originally Lutheran,
and the Reformer after whom the Lutheran
Church was named was a native of Germany,
hence, it was thought for a time that the Luth-
erans were Teutonic in principle. Let those
thoughts run as they may, most Lutherans have
as much American patriotism in them as any
other people and perhaps more so; and when it
comes to loyalty the Browns are as true as the
56 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
truest. When it comes to standing by their flag
in their native country, and in the defence of the
same, they are there. The Stars and Stripes is
the flag of the United States, made here and
made for us, and we may venture to say that the
whole Brown family will stand by the Stars and
Stripes in defence of our country to the bitter
end. They glory in the Red, White and Blue, and
are always ready to rest securely under its pro-
tection. From the Adjutant General's ofHce, in
Washington, D. C, we learn that soldiers by the
name of David and James Brown, from North
Carolina, served in the Continental Army and in
all probability these were sons of Michael Brown.
To shoulder a gun, and start out with an am-
bition to face an enemy is not the only, and some-
times not any sign of patriotism. Love and kind-
ness to each other, care for the poor, the sick and
suffering; love for the church and right; sacri-
fices for the spread of the Gospel, and the wel-
fare of others stand as high in the line of the
characteristics of patriotism as the man with a
gun on his shoulder and always yearning for war.
Then we find another line of patriotism in this
family. They are law-abiding citizens. Conten-
tion and strife are almost strangers to the Brown
family, and courts and prisons are almost super-
fluous as far as this name goes. They are patri-
otic enough to attend to their own business, and
expect the other fellow to do the same. At the
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 57
present day it requires a good deal of patriotism
to do this. To stand by their own constitution is
one of their leading mottoes. Something of
Michael Brown's citizenship is seen in the fact
that he is on the records as having served on jury
duty March 7, 1777. In the first Federal Census
ever taken in Rowan, 1790, his family (repre-
sented as consisting of " 5 free white males of 16
years and upward and 2 free white females ") are
mentioned. He at that time possessed 15 slaves.
A copy of these records can be seen in any State
Historical Society library.
CHAPTER X
THE STONE HOUSE AND INCIDENTS IN CONNECTION
THEREWITH
About three miles south of Sahsbury, and near
the supposed Indian path, or trail, from other
sections to the town of Sapona at Trading- Ford,
stands a remarkable relic of the early settlers of
Rowan County. It is known far and wide as the
Old Stone House.
A large smooth stone over the front door tells
the visitor that Michael Braun (Brown) erected
this house in the year 1766, and contains the fol-
lowing lettering :
MICHAEL. BRAUN. MRICHREDA
BRAUN. io. PE WE- BE
MI. CH. DA- M'i766
The house is built of native granite stones, well
shaped, but unhewed. The walls are started
some twelve or fifteen feet in the ground and
finished with the same native, picked up stone or
58
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 59
blocks to the top of the gables, laid in cement so
durable that it still stands out in ridges between
the rock.
In the gables are port holes perhaps made with
a view of defence against the Indians. Mr.
Brown must have had some knowledge of the
nearness of the Revolutionary War. The lower
floor contained five rooms, all of which were well
finished with plaster. At one end of the house
there is a double chimney with fire places in the
corners of two adjoining rooms, so that one
chimney answered for both rooms and these
chimneys were built in the wall so as not to show
their appearance at the top of the gables or top of
the building. At the other end there is a huge
chimney facing outward around which was built a
wooden kitchen. This chimney is eight feet in the
clear and four feet deep.
Michael Brown not only provided a substantial
house to live in, but also had large ideas in regard
to cooking facilities, and no doubt many big din-
ners were cooked there in the olden times. The
most curious part of the arrangements was a
wonderful fire box, stove or oven in the east end,
or room of the house that was fed through an
opening in the back of this huge chimney. It
probably was used as an oven and not as a stove
as it had no other outlet but this chimney ; heated
by fire, and fuel put in it through this opening,
and after it was fully heated the fire v/as drawn
60 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
out into this fireplace and the baking done from
the heat that remained in this huge fire-box. It
was something similar to our former family ovens
built of brick out in the yard, heated in like man-
ner, and the housewife could bake a supply for
the family at one time or from one heating.
These old bake ovens are still fresh in the mem-
ory of nearly all of our older people to this day.
It may be that succeeding settlers got their ideas
of the dirt oven from this arrangement, intro-
duced in this County by our great-grandfather,
Michael Brown.
The plates of this ancient fire-box, stove or
oven are still lying there, massive in form, and
highly ornamented with curious figures, circular,
oval and diamond shaped, with flowers and vases
filled with lilies and lanceolate leaves.
On one plate is this inscription :
C O M. B A N. N9
1766
Another plate contains the following:
GEORGE ROSS.ANN (AND) MARY ANN
FURNACE
It appears that George Ross and Mary Ann's
combination (company), wherever it was located,
had some original methods of spelling, and
" Mary Ann " had practical ideas about woman's
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 61
rights, and had succeeded in transmitting her own
name along with George's to posterity.
The north side of the building was covered with
cypress or cedar shingles. They were probably
put there in 1766 or before, and remained for one
hundred fifteen or twenty years, were well cov-
ered with lichen and moss, and had turned the
rains for many summers and upheld the snows of
many winters. But after serving their purpose so
long and faithfully, time made marks upon them
and they had to be removed and pine shingles put
in their place; but the old building still stands,
built one hundred and fifty-five years ago. The
first shingles were fastened with shop nails, that
is, nails made in the blacksmith shop by hand,
one at a time. This would now seem to be almost
impossible, but the patience and conscientiousness
of the people of that day are evident, and the nails
are there to show for themselves. Many of the
nails used in other parts of the building were
made in the same way, comparatively rust-proof,
good and sound.
Tradition says that the main part of the Brit-
ish Army passed by this Stone House on the
evening of February 2. 1781, on its way to the
Trading Ford crossing of the Yadkin River,
headed for the Alamance battlefield, and from
there to Yorktown. It has been constantly re-
ported that when the army was passing the Stone
House, an American officer, who was probably on
62 HISTORY OF THE MICH.\EI. BROWN FAMILY
a reconnoitering expedition, was nearly overtaken
by the British dragoons near this house. He
seemed to have but one way of escape; although
hazardous, it was better to risk it than be cap-
tured, consequently when he saw these dragoons
coming thundering down the hill in front of the
house the American turned his horse and fled for
his life. The only way of escape seemed through
the house, so he rode in full speed through the
front door, about level with the ground, (as the
house stands on a slope the other side is some
eight or ten feet high) leaped his horse out of the
back door, and made his way to the thickets and
branch bottom, about one hundred and fifty yards
away, thence proceeded on towards Salisbury in
safety.
Another local tradition tells of a furious hand
to hand encounter between an American and a
British soldier in the front door of this same
building. There is a deep gash in the old walnut
facing of the door, which has been there for one
hundred and twenty years as a living testimony
to the event referred to, seen by many visitors
and said to have been made by the swords of these
parties in a struggle for mastery. There can be
but little doubt but what some such conflict took
place. These cuts and gashes could have been
made with some other instrument, but the de-
scendents of old Michael Brown who have occu-
pied the house from his day until several years
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 63
ago have substantiated these statements. In time
new facings took the place of the old ones.
Another tradition relates a similar incident,
that at one time this house was used as a prison
where the British kept prisoners of the Colonies
for safety, and while in this prison one of the
Americans made a plunge for his liberty, and as
he leaped through the window a British guard
struck at him with his saber, but missing his
object made a severe gash in the window facing.
This also remained there with the marks in the
door facing. These things and facts have not
only been handed down from one generation of
Browns to another, substantially the same, but
the writer was a playmate of the family and saw
them himself.
(Very recent information.) We are told that
the door facing was never removed but was boxed
over by Thomas Brown and that the gash in the
door facing remains there to this day but behind
the boxing. Tear that away and you can see the
saber mark with your own eyes. We are also
told that there is a pit or depression in the ground
about one-half mile northwest of the Stone House
that is said to be the place where dead soldiers
were thrown in from a battle fought somewhere
not far from that place. The ground had sunk
so much as to prevent ploughing through it. This
all goes to prove that there evidently was consid-
64 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
erable struggling between the British and the
Colonists around the Stone House.
At that day there were Tories in the country'
who made it a business to pilfer, rob and steal at
every opportunity, anything they could find, and
in the absence of ample protection, innocent
women often had to resort to strategy to save
what they had. These Tories would go right into
the houses and seize anything they could lay their
hands on. We are told that when Mrs. Brown
would see the Tories coming, if there was any
money in the house, she would get it, pick up the
half bushel, put the money under it and sit upon
it while the Tories were looting the house, and
would sit there until all were gone. Mrs. Brown
must have been a Bible reader and known what
Rachel did when her father Laban was in pursuit
of Jacob and his family, looking for some prop-
erty he claimed had been stolen (see Genesis
31:34).
The writer has been told by his cousin, who
was then living in the house, that there were
various departments under the floor, (the house
is on a steep slope) where meat, flour and valu-
ables were stored away, having secret doors or
entrances that no one knew or could detect but
those who had the proper instructions. We have
often played around this old Stone House, ran
over the hills and across the gullies ; many times
sat by the hre in the eight-foot chimney, and ate
HISTORY OF THEMICHAEIy BROWN FAMIL'? 60
many meals that were cooked by that fire. We
also rambled around in that house from room to
room, and up and down stairs, but we have never
been able to detect any of the secret doors, or
departments under the floor, referred to by our
cousin, but we do know that the stairs wind
around a large box instead of a post. This box
is open at the upper end, and is large enough to
receive a good chunk of meat, flour or other eat-
ables, so large that it is reported a negro slave
boy slid down into it to hide and avoid punish-
ment. Where and how the bottom end is we do
not know. Perhaps it opens into some of those
secret departments under the floor.
(Later.) Since the house is not occupied, and
has been left to the weather and time, the floor
in some way, and by somebody has been torn up,
and the truth of the statement made by our cousin
has been verified. The ground under the floor is
full of pits, trenches and passages from one side
of the house to the other. These were, of course,
built for a purpose, but the opening into them
from above may still be a secret, and no doubt
will remain so for some time. We are of the
opinion that there is no man now living who is
better able to testify to the events referred to
above than we are, as we have known the house
from childhood.
We are not able to understand why our great-
grandfather, with so much land, and so wise in
66 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Other things, would select such an unsightly place,
so near a marshy branch, and on quicksand
ground, to build such a nice, large and substantial
domicile. In all probability it was the abundant
flow of clear and healthy spring water that came
gushing from among the great granite stones near
the place. It is very likely that at the time of the
erection of this building that part of the country
was a massive forest with swamps on one side and
granite mountains on the other ; a diversified wil-
derness. Perhaps, also, as the Revolutionary
War was brewing, he did not care to locate on any
public road or any conspicuous place. Then his
great chums, the Dunns, were joining him on this
side, and as neighbors were scarce, very likely
some of these things had their influence to draw
him to this, in our opinion, very unattractive
place. Notwithstanding these disadvantages the
house has been standing and been occupied nearly
all the time for one hundred and fifty years, as a
living monument and witness to the events that
transpired there.
Note — Since the above criticism of the loca-
tion was written, we have been informed that the
public highway formerly ran just in front of the
old home. This, together with the close proxim-
ity of pure spring water and stone from the
quarry belt, doubtless had weight in bringing
about this decision.
CHAPTER XI
THE LANDS OF MICHAEL BROWN
Michael Brown must have been an extensive
freeholder, perhaps he owned several hundred or
a thousand acres of land, and built near the east-
ern line and comparatively in the swamps. This
line on the east side must have been somewhere
between the Stone House and Dunn's Mountain,
which is not a mile away, and must have been
owned by the Dunns and so got its name. This
line runs north and south, or nearly so, crossing
Crane Creek about midway between Stokes Ferry
and Gold Hill roads, and crosses the Gold Hill
road about two miles from Salisbury near what
is known as Tar Kiln Branch, and continues that
direction to, or near to the road from Salisbury
to Concord, then runs south, or southeast to near
where the Mt. Pleasant Road crosses Crane
Creek, leading on across the country west of
Granite Quarry, and then east to the eastern line,
crossing back over the Gold Hill public road near
the " Five Mile Post." This plot would embrace
the land owned by several of his children, such as
David, James and Moses ; or his grandchildren,
perhaps better known as Michael, Henry, Peter,
Moses, James, Alexander, Jacob and William.
67
68 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEIv BROWN FAMILY
The last named were all grandchildren of old
Michael Brown, and probably settled on the land
that was willed to their fathers by their grand-
father, Michael. Some of the land still remains
in the hands of the family, but much of it has
gone to others. We are still able to hold our
meetings on the land that was once owned by our
great-grandfather whose memory is so dear to us.
LAND GRANTED TO MICHAEL BROWN
While this history was in preparation Rev.
Canup communicated with the Secretary of State,
at Raleigh, N. C, relative to lands granted to
Michael Brown. The records in the Department
of State, at Raleigh, show that four grants were
issued to Michael Brown himself, that two others
were issued to him and John Dunn jointly and a
seventh was issued to Michael Brown and Fred-
erick Fisher in trust of the congregation of the
Dutch Pine Meeting House. We herewith pub-
lish these grants, copies of which were furnished
from the office of the Secretary of State. Sup-
posing that he and John Dunn equally shared in
the grants issued to them jointly, these grants
alone make him the possessor of more than one
thousand acres. This does not include property
which he purchased, records of which are to be
found in the office of the Register of Deeds at
Salisbury.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 69
From the boundary lines given in these grants
many of our older citizens may be able yet to-day
to trace the original possessions of our rich
ancestor.
Book 80, page 482.'
File 3022.
State of North Carolina.
No. 2202.
Know Ye That We have granted unto Michael
Brown and Frederick Fisher in trust of the con-
gregation of the Dutch Pine Meeting House One
hundred and eighteen acres of land in our County
of Rowan On the West side of the South fork of
Crane creek beginning at a large White Oak near
the meeting house Conrad Breams corner and
running South sixty-two degrees West fifty
chains to a black jack oak thence South twenty-
two degrees East fifteen chains to a white oak
thence East thirty-seven chains to a black oak
then North twenty-one chains to a hickory then
East ten chains and fifty links to an oak then
eight chains and seventy-five links to a post oak
then to the Beginning. To hold to the said Brown
and Fisher and their survivors and successors
forever dated 26th of November, 1773.
Richard Dobbs Spaight.
J. Glasgow, Secretary.
70 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Book 67, page 113.
File 2155.
State of North Carolina.
No. 1370.
Know Ye That We have given and granted
unto John Dunn & Michael Brown a Tract of
Land in our County of Rowan containing Three
hundred Acres on the South side of Dunns
Mountain and on the Waters of Crane creek and
Beginning at a post oak South of a branch runs
North fifteen chains to a small hickory East fif-
teen chains to a small red oak thence North
thirty-five chains to a post oak thence West
sixty-five chains to a hickory South fifty chains
to a small red oak thence East to the Beginning.
To Hold unto the said John Dunn & Michael
Brown their Heirs and Assigns forever dated the
25th of October, 1786.
R. Caswell.
J. Glasgow, Secretary.
Book 67. page 191.
File 2359.
State of North Carolina.
No. 1574.
Know ye that We have given and granted unto
Michael Brown a Tract of land Containing Thirty
Acres lying and being in our County of Rowan
On the East side of Crane creek — Beginning at a
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 71
black oak on the line of said Browns of another
Tract and corner to another Tract that said
Brown bought of John Dunn and runs North
fifteen chains to a black oak by the head of a
spring his Corner then along his line East twenty
chains to a Maple then South fifteen chains to a
stake on Jacob Browns line then along his line
West to the Beginning. To hold to the said
Michael Brown his Heirs and Assigns forever
dated the 9th day of August, 1787.
R. Caswell.
J. Glasgow, Secretary.
Book 67, page 146.
File 2246.
State of North Carolina.
No. 1461.
Know ye that We have given and granted unto
Michael Brown a Tract of land in Our County of
Rowan containing Three hundred and seventy-
four Acres On the Waters of the middle fork of
Crane creek and the waters of the South fork of
said Creek including a part of Dunns Mountain.
Beginning at a black oak Charles Dunns corner
and runs West thirty-five chains to a Lightwood
stake in Jacob Browns field and on said Brown
line thence along his line South fifty-three chains
to the centre between the black oak in an old road
then West twenty-eight chains to a hickory said
72 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Browns corner then South along Michael Browns
line thirty chains to a stake on the line of an-
other tract then along that line East sixty-three
chains to a stake Charles Dunns corner thence
along his line North to the Beginning. To Hold
unto the said Michael Brown His Heirs and As-
signs forever dated the 9th day of August, 1787.
R. Caswell.
J. Glasgow, Secretary.
Book 114, page 32.
File 3594.
State of North Carolina.
No. 2764.
Know ye that We have granted unto Michael
Brown & John Dunn Five hundred and forty-
seven Acres of Land in Rowan County lying on
the Waters of Crane Creek Beginning at a White
Oak in their West line of another tract, and nms
South fifteen chains to a black Oak Sapling,
thence West thirty chains to a black oak Sapling,
South twenty-five chains to a Post Oak, West
thirty-five chains to a black oak on William Mc-
Brides line, North four and a half chains to a
White Oak said Mc Brides corner West forty
chains to a post oak said McBrides corner North
forty chains to a post Oak on Michael Brown's
line. East twelve and a half chains to a black
oak. North forty-five chains to a black jack on
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 73
Jacob Browns line and Michael Brown's corner,
East fifty chains to a Hickory corner to their
former survey. South forty-nine chains and fifty
links to a small red Oak said Dunn's & Brown's
corner, thence East to the Beginning. To Hold
to the said Michael Brown & John Dunn their
Heirs and Assigns forever. Dated the 12th of
December, 1801.
B. Williams.
Will White, Secretary.
Book 121, Page 104.
File 3699.
State of North Carolina.
No. 2877.
Know Ye, that we, have granted unto Michael
Brown eighty acres of land in Rowan County ly-
ing on the branches of Crane Creek. Beginning
at a black oak bush John Brown's corner in the
said Michael Browns old line on the East side of
the Pee dee road and running thence with Johns
line South thirty-four chains to a black oak David
Garners Corner on the top of a hill, thence with
his line East twenty-three chains and fifty links
crossing the road to a black jack in said Brown's
old line, thence with the same North thirty- four
chains to a stake his corner, thence with the same
again West to the Beginning. Entered 19th
Januar>', 1802. To Hold to the said Michael
74 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Brown his heirs and assigns forever, dated 28th
November, 1805.
J. Turner.
Will White, Secretary.
Book 121, page 102.
File 3696.
State of North Carolina.
No. 2874.
Know Ye, that we, have granted unto Michael
Brown Senr. one hundred and three acres of land
in Rowan County on the Waters of Crane creek,
Beginning at a hockry formerly supposed to be
the North East corner of his old tract and is a
comer of a tract of three hundred and seventy-
four acres of which includes Dunns Mountain,
thence with the line of the said tract South three
degrees East one hundred and twenty poles to a
stake its corner, thence with its line East thirty-
six poles to a black Jack a corner to a tract of
five hundred and forty-seven acres, thence with
its line South one hundred and ninety-eight poles
to a Small black Tack, thence West fifty pole to a
small dead post oak On the line of an eighty acre
tract thence North twenty-two pole to a black
Jack, thence West nine pole to a dead black oak a
corner of the old tract thence North three de-
grees West two hundred and ninety-six pole to a
small black oak and white oak thence East thirty-
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 75
four pole to the beginning. Entered 14th March,
1804. To Hold to the said Michad Brown his
heirs and assigns forever dated 28th November,
1805.
J. Turner.
Will White, Secretary.
CHAPTER XII
THE GRAVlvYARD
Just a few hundred yards southwest of the
Stone House is a burying ground known as the
" Stone House Graveyard " or family cemetery.
These family burying places were very common
among the early settlers. Churches Vv^ere not so
plentiful, and a considerable distance from some
sections, hence each section would select some
suitable place on a farm and a number of families
would bury their dead together at these selected
places. After churches, and church cemeteries,
became more numerous, many of these farm plots
were neglected; some of them have passed into
oblivion and the places are known to us no more.
Rich harvests have been reaped from such soil
and very likely we are to-day being fed from the
ashes of our forefathers. Children and posterity
should have cared for and held these places in
sacred memory, instead some of them may be
feasting on the substance that gave them birth.
This is unfortunate for a civilized, educated and
religious country. More fortunate, however, for
the bodies of the early Brown settlers; they were,
and are still, being cared for, and their last rest-
ing place is in a fair way of being preserved for
ages to come.
76
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 77
It seems that Grandpa Brown, or some of his
near successors, had a wall of round, or rough
stones put around the grave of Mr. Brown's first
wife, inclosing a plot of several yards square. At
the entrance there are two large granite posts
marking the gateway into this ground. If there
ever was a gate there it must have been of wood,
for we are not now able to find any traces of it.
A mulberry snag still stands there, the sprout of
which may have been planted to shade the grave
of Margareta, the first wife of Michael Brown.
At one time it was a large tree, and the writer
remembers when its cooling branches spread out
over this grave. This burying-ground, like many
others, had to a certain extent been neglected for
many years, much of the wall had fallen down,
thickets had grown up around and in it, hence
it could scarcely be found. At the second meet-
ing of the Brown Family Association, held at
Granite Quarry on August 26, 1915, a reso-
lution was passed to re-build this wall; a com-
mittee was appointed to look after the place, keep
the walls in good condition, and the ground
cleared. Part of this work was done without
delay, the wall is now replaced and the thickets
cleared away. It is now under the supervision of
this Committee and the Brown Family Associ-
ation. A deed has been secured, and made to
the present officers and their successors, as long
as this Organization shall exist. If it ever ceases
78 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
to be, the plot goes back to the original owner,
Mrs. Martha Brown Barnhart, her heirs and pos-
terity. Mrs. Barnhart, in her wisdom and Chris-
tian affection for the dead, excepted the grave-
yard when she sold her part of the homestead,
hence she had a right to make this deed as she
thought best.
Just inside of the two large stone posts referred
to above, is a large marble slab, 12 or more inches
wide, 4 or more inches thick, and from 3 to 4
feet out of the ground, seemingly as steady
and erect as when first put there; standing,
as a sentinel on post, watching over the ashes of
Margareta, now more than one hundred and fifty
years, and we hope will stand there for all time,
and show to all passersby that it is still respecting
the ashes of our dear grandmother. On its face
it bears the following inscription :
1771
" Gestorban Julius 20,
Heir lieght der leib
Marcareda Brown des
Ml. Braun's ehe weibe
Hat 9 kinder, 6 Sons
3 d.— alt. Z7 Jahr 2 mo."
The above inscription is in the dialect known
in North Carolina as the Pennsylvania Dutch.
The following is, perhaps, a correct interpreta-
tion of the epitaph:
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 79
1771
" Here lies the body of Margareta Brown, the
wife of Michael Brown. Died July 20, 1771,
Age 37 years and two months. She had nine
children, six sons and three daughters."
To the above facts this remarkable slab has
been testifying for a century and a half. Part of
the time, yes, for many years, it was shaded by
the large old mulberry tree, which has of late
given way, and fallen into decay, but the stone
still stands unflinchingly testifying to the truth
as given above. But there is something strange
about the singleness of this stone, and the Michael
Brown family. While the plot is about full of
graves, and other tombstones stand in different
places, we cannot find any further testimony to
the ashes of any other of the immediate family of
Michael Brown. In 1807, after he had been mar-
ried for some time to Eleanor (the widow
Reeves), his second wife, he made his will in her
interest and that of the children of his first wife,
but there are no further records about him. All
history, posterity and tradition testify to the fact
that Michael Brown was buried there, but nothing
on this slab indicates it. From the environment
we may form some very reasonable conclusions.
There is a space fifteen or more feet to the right
of this grave that is said to be filled, but no one
now living can tell whose ashes lie there. It may
80 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEI. BROWN FAMILY
very reasonably be assumed that Mr. Brown had
this slab put at the head of his first wife's grave,
had it enclosed, the mulberry tree planted, etc.,
with the intention of having similar slabs put to
all the other graves of the family; but wooden
slabs may have been put there for a time only,
and for some unaccounted reason they were never
replaced by anything more lasting, hence nothing
remains to show just whose ashes occupy that
space.
There was a family graveyard on the Tvloses
Brown Farm (the Haines place), but we have no
evidence that any of Michael Brown's immediate
family was buried there, or anywhere else but in
the old Stone House graveyard. As to the three
daughters by his first wife, w^e have no record.
Perhaps they died young. Tradition says that
there are some graves outside of the original w^all
of this cemetery. One is a Mr. Earnhart's, a
white man, while another is that of George
Brown, a slave of Michael Brown, who in some
way was killed while the Stone House was being
built. He was buried just outside of the gateway,
and near the old mulberry tree.
It is hoped that the land around the graveyard
will some day fall into the hands of the Michael
Brown Family Association, so that there will be
plenty of room for our annual associations, pic-
nics, etc. The old Stone House is in a neglected
condition, and in the hands of strangers, and if
HISTORY OF THE MICHA^Iv BROWN FAMILY 81
something is not done for its care and restoration
it will soon be a thing of the past. It is to be
regretted that nothing has been done sooner.
At one time it was thought that if the old house
was in the hands of this Association, it might be
repaired and used as an archive for our minutes,
records, histor\', etc. ; but as it has gone so far
towards demolition as to be almost beyond re-
pairs, it may be wiser in the end to build some
kind of a monument or archives on the ground of
the graveyard that will be substantial and mod-
ern. We hope these Hnes will suggest some
thought, and conclusion, that in time will ma-
terialize in something substantial to the sacred
memory of the dead, and in everlasting memory
to the posterity of Michael Brown. Those who
read these lines should think and devise some
plan for some structure at this graveyard that
will be a living and everlasting protection to these
sacred grounds. We do not know what the
growth of Granite Quarry may be ; or how soon
and near this place a large cotton plant, or some
other machinery may be located, and the grounds
and graves overrun. Where there is a will there
is a way. There is wealth enough in Michael
Brown's posterity to build any monument desired.
This, also, would help to hold the ties or affections
of his children more closely together, and to the
sacred place. Some one to lead, and make a sug-
gestion, is an important part of this work. If
82 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
the movement is once started, a large sum of
money could be raised, and a little from each one
would help to make up the amount.
The writer has gone to much trouble in com-
posing this history in the hope it will hold the
Brown family together, and make them better
acquainted with each other, and we trust this
object will be accomplished; but the monument
at the graveyard is beyond his reach. Therefore,
he insists that the younger and more able of the
Brown family take up this matter at an early day,
and never rest till something substantial is placed
on the grounds or in the graveyard. If it can be
done during our time, we would be happy, but if
it is not done until after we are gone, it will still
be a monument to their credit, and to their pos-
terity for all time to come.
We leave this part of the work in the hands of
those who read this book. It is for them to prove
how much they love and respect the memory of
their ancestors.
PART II
In the first part of this Httle history, we have
given a sketch of the times and customs of the
early settlers, with some reference to the life of
Michael Braun (Brown), the Stone House, the
graveyard, etc. It is now our intention to enter
more specifically into the family and posterity of
this great-grandfather, giving the names, births,
deaths and place of burial, as near as we can, and
as far as obtainable. We are very sorry that
much of the desired information has been lost
through the lapse of time, the deaths of the older
ones, and the separation of these families into
different parts of the country. Sorry that we
cannot begin at the trunk and give the first limb
of the tree, then the second, third, and so on, until
every limb from the original trunk, Michael
Brown, is traced to the farthest branches. Some
of these we may be able to follow with consider-
able success, while it is impossible to trace the
records of others. We hope our readers will re-
member these things, and bear with us in the im-
perfect parts, and appreciate what we are still
able to present and preserve.
83
CHAPTER I
MICHAEL BROWN — THE TRUNK OF THE TREE
Michael Brown migrated from Pennsylvania.
He had two waves ; the first must have been from
his native state and of German type. Her name,
Margareta, instead of Margaret, signifies German
origin. She did not live to be old, only 37 years
and 2 months. She had nine children, of whom
six were boys, and three were girls. She died
July 20, 1771, and was buried in the family ceme-
tery, within a few hundred yards of the old stone
building in which she lived.
His second wife was a widow, named Reeves.
Her first husband was Mr. Samuel Reeves, and
by him she had a large family of children. Two
of them, Nancy and Sally Reeves, she brought
with her into the family of Michael Brown. Mrs.
Reeves was a native of Maryland and her maiden
name was Wakefield.
After her marriage to Michael Brown she gave
birth to one daughter, whose name was Clemen-
tine (Brown). This gives the trunk of the origi-
nal tree that first settled in the Stone House. Of
these three we are not able to give the dates of
birth of any of them, nor the dates of death of
any save that of Margareta, as stated before.
SI
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 85
We have no positive statement as to where he,
and Eleanor, his second wife, were buried, but
circumstantial evidence, as well as tradition,
testify to the fact that they, too, died in the Stone
House, and were buried by the side of Margareta
in the family cemetery.
CHAPTER II
THK BRANCHES
Now we come to the first branches of the
trunk, and here opinions begin to differ, and
owing to the lapse of time it is very difficult to
give the facts exactly as they were. We cannot
dispute what is on the tombstone of Margareta,
six sons and three daughters; but one record
gives the boys as John, Peter, James, Moses and
Jeremiah ; the other, taken from his last will and
testament, gives the following names: David,
James, Jeremiah, Moses and Peter. These were
living at the time of the making of his will, 1807,
but no reference is made in the will to the three
daughters referred to on the tombstone, either by
name or otherwise. Five of his sons are men-
tioned and his last daughter, Clementine, (by his
second wife) who was yet unborn. One of his
sons was doubtless dead at that time.
These children branched from the old trunk,
and we believe most of them, if not all, first set-
tled around and near the old homestead, and prob-
ably on a part of the father's large tract of land.
As time passed on they began to go from the
country to town, and went into business of differ-
ent kinds. Soon these branches begin to grow
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 87
beyond record, but we will try to follow them as
far as we can, and to follow the line as given in
the will, we take up David first. He was born at
the Stone House and is buried there. We are not
able to tell how Michael Brown's children stood
as to seniority, but he mentions David first in his
will, hence we take him to be the first one in age.
CHAPTER III
DAVID BROWN, THE FIRST BRANCH OF THE
BROWN TREE
David settled in about three and one-half miles
of Salisbury on what was then known as the
Cheraw and Fayetteville Road, but now known as
the road from Salisbury to Gold Hill, and near
where Granite Quarry now stands. At the pres-
ent day the house part of the place belongs to Eli
Kerns. He married a Miss Sarah Miller, who
was also from Pennsylvania, and spoke the Dutch
language. David was a successful farmer, owned
a large tract of land, and while he may not have
become as prominent as those who moved to Sal-
isbury, he was a man of high standing in the
neighborhood and considered wealthy. To them
were born nine sons, Michael, Jacob, David, Solo-
mon, Daniel, Henry, Jeremiah, Andrew and
George ; and two daughters, Christina and Mary.
(section i) — MICHAEL L. BROWN, A SON OE DAVID
BROWN
Michael L. Brown, son of David Brown, and a
grandson of old Michael Brown of the Stone
House, settled on the road from Salisbury to
Cheraw and Favetteville, now known as the road
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 69
from Salisbury to Gold Hill, about four miles
from Salisbury. Here he owned about one hun-
dred acres of land, in all probability a part of
the original Stone House tract. He was a farmer,
a church-man, and a Bible reader, and raised a
family of respectable children. One son, Rev. S.
G. M. Brown, and four grandsons. Revs. C. A.
Brown, C. L. T. Fisher, J. H. C. Fisher and
Wiley W. J. Ritchie, entered the Gospel ministry.
Michael L. Brown was married twice, first to
Miss Elizabeth Miller, and the second time to
Mrs. Susan A. Wiley. He was born July 12,
1802, died March 29, 1879, and was buried at
St. Paul's. His first wife, Elizabeth Miller, was
born September 27, 1810, (time of death un-
known), buried at St. Paul's. To this first union
were born six children :
Elizabeth C. Brown, born November 28, 1833,
buried at St. Paul's.
Mary A. L. Brown, born January 11, 1837, buried
at St. Paul's.
John D. A. Brown, born October 10, 1838, buried
at St. Paul's.
Sophia Mariah Brown, born October 16, 1839,
buried at St. Paul's.
Isabell C. Brown, born February 25, 1844, bur-
ied at St. Paul's.
Simeon Jeremiah Michael, born April 29, 1846,
buried at Chestnut Hill.
90 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
By his second marriage to Mrs. Susan Wiley
(born June 30, 1839, buried at St. Paul's), was
born one child, Magdalena Brown, bom May
2, 1866.
The first child of Michael L. Brown was Elisa-
beth Commiila. From this limb we have many
branches, as she was married three times. First
marriage to Peter Alexander Fisher, July 26,
1852. Second marriage to Wiley A. Shuping,
February 4, 1861. Third marriage to Peter A.
Ritchie, May 30, 1865.
To her union with Mr. Fisher were born four
sons:
John D. A. Fisher, born July 16, 1853.
M. G. M. Fisher, born February 20, 1855.
Rev. C. L. T. Fisher, born April 4, 1857.
Rev. J. Henry C. Fisher, bom March 30, 1859.
John D. A. Fisher, first son of Commiila
Fisher (Brown), was married twice: First to
Miss Jane J. Gardner, Oct. 23, 1873; second to
Mrs. Ellen S. Eller, Feb. 18, 1912.
His first wife died May 19, 1911, buried at
Faith. To this union were born two sons and
two daughters :
Theodore J. L. Fisher, born August 26, 1874,
died February 9, 1876.
Dovie L. Bell Fisher, bom December 11, 1876.
Charles Samuel Fisher, born April 27, 1879, died
(buried at Faith).
Rejina Josephine Fisher, born July 9, 1881, died.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 91
Dovie Louise Bell Fisher married William M.
McCombs October 27, 1892. To this union were
born ten children :
Leona S. J. McCombs, born September 12, 1893.
Ila May McCombs, born July 14, 1895.
Junius David McCombs, bom September 14,
1896; died July 9, 1897; buried at Faith.
Cora Irene McCombs, born June 26, 1898.
Clarance Harben McCombs, born August 3, 1900.
Luther Craven McCombs, born February 7, 1903.
John William McCombs, bom June 10, 1905.
Charles Heller McCombs, born November 11,
1907.
Loy Macon McCombs, born February 25, 1910.
Kathleen Jane McCombs, born January 27, 1913.
Leona S. G. McCombs, first daughter of Wil-
liam M. McCombs, married Paul J. Lyerly. To
this union was born one child, Paul, Jr.
Thus runs the genealogy of the first-born child
of Michael Brown down to the eighth generation,
viz.: Michael Braun, David Brown, Michael L.
Brown, Commilla Brown, J. D. A. Fisher, Dovie
McCombs, Leona Lyerly and Paul, Jr.
Now we will go back to Commilla Brown and
take the first line of Commilla's second son, M.
G. M. Fisher. He married Miss Margaret Ma-
riah Peeler, March 16, 1879.
To this union were born six children :
Henry L. Junius Fisher, bom October 2, 1887;
died ^lay 14, 1901 ; buried at St. Paul's.
92 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Luther Vastine Fisher, born February 28, 1881.
Myron Charley IMelanthon Fisher, born July 29,
1887.
Hilbert Adam Henderson Fisher, born January
14, 1892.
Edgar Walton Eugene Fisher, born May 2, 1896.
Pearle Anna Commilla Fisher, born March 22,
1903.
As Henry L. Junius died single, we will take
the next, Luther Vastine. Luther Vastine mar-
ried Cora A. Brown on March 10, 1904. Cora
A. Brown is a daughter of Rev. R. L. Brown.
To this union were bom seven children :
Junius V. Fisher, born January- 16, 1905.
Herman George Fisher, born March 25, 1906 :
Ray Richard Fisher, born March 25, 1906.
Marcus Henry Fisher, born August 14, 1907.
Rosco Brown Fisher, born November 21, 1909.
Carle Hilbert Fisher, born November 19, 1910.
Earle Hugo Fisher, born March 24, 1913.
This ends the first line of Commilla's second
son. We go back to her again, and take her third
son.
Rev. C. L. T. Fisher was married to Miss Mary
C. Homer, September 28, 1886. To this union
was born one daughter, Pauline Tyrone Fisher
(April 8, 1890) and one son, Homer Charles
Henry Fisher (born November 1, 1895). As
there are no grandchildren, we go to the next
son of Commilla Brown and Peter Alex. Fisher,
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 93
which is Rev. James Henry Cornelius Fisher.
He was married to Leah J. Blaqkwelder on
August 3, 1897 (Mrs. Fisher was bom June 1,
1870). To this union were born three daughters
and one son :
Katharine Brown Fisher, born February 10, 1899.
Amy Louise Fisher, born April 30, 1900.
Mary Virginia Fisher, born July 5, 1903.
Henry Lee Fisher, bom December 22, 1909.
Katharine B. Fisher married Bowman Barrier
December 24, 1917.
We will now go back to Commilla Brown, her
first marriage to ]\Ir. Fisher, and take the remain-
ing famihes of her four sons as they come. Her
first son was John D. A. Fisher, married twice.
The first child with his first wife was Theodore J.
L. Fisher. He died without issue, hence we go
to her second child, Dovie Louise Bell Fisher.
She had ten children, as previously given.
Leonia's line has been traced.
Then we go back to the other children of John
D. A. Fisher, son of Commilla Fisher by her first
marriage. His first son died young, and his sec-
ond son, Charles Samuel Fisher, was married to
Florence Martha Jane Lyerly, July 20, 1902. To
this union was born one son and one daughter.
Of the son we have no record; supposed to have
died September 2, 1903. The daughter of Charles
Fisher is Mable Fisher, born February 11, 1904.
This ends the family of Charles Fisher.
94 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
The fourth child of J. D. A. Fisher was Rejina
Josephine Fisher. She married Stephen D.
Davis, July 4th, 1908. (He was born June 5,
1878.) To this union were born two children:
Marion Fisher Davis, born May 2, 1909.
Allen Sarah Isabel Davis, born October 17, 1911.
This completes the family of Rejina, and all
the children of J. D. A. Fisher by his first wife.
He was married to his second wife, Mrs. Ellen
Susan EUer, February 18, 1912. By this union
there are no children.
We now go back to the second son of Com-
milla Fisher (Brown), who was M. G. M. Fisher,
and take his second living- son, Myron Charley
Melanthon Fisher. He married Cora Bell Mis-
enheimer, May 7, 1911. (Miss Cora Bell was
born April 19, 1890.) To this union were bom
the following:
George Alexander Fisher, born January 10, 1914.
John Hughes Fisher, born June 17, 1916.
The fourth son of M. G. M. Fisher was Hilbert
Adam Henderson Fisher. He was married to
Miss Ethel May Cobb, June 27, 1916. To this
union there are no children. The fifth son of M.
G. M. Fisher is Edgar Walton Eugene Fisher,
who was married to Miss Margareta McAnally,
June 6, 1918. The sixth child of M. G. M.
Fisher is Pearle Anna Commilla, born March 22,
1903. As we have no grandchildren from Rev.
C. L- T. Fisher and Rev. J. H. C. Fisher this
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 95
will end the posterity of Commilla Fisher
(Brown) by her first husband.
We will now take up her children by her sec-
ond husband, Wiley A. Shuping. To this union
was born one son, Jeremiah L. Shuping (May 1,
1862). His father was killed in the Civil War,
at Gettysburg, and buried on the ground. Jere-
miah L. Shuping was married to Miss Ellen Lud-
wick, August 12, 1882. To this union were bom
three sons and one daughter:
Charley Michael Shuping, born April 19, 1884.
Joseph Shuping, born August 5, 1886 ; died Aug-
ust 7, 1886.
Claudus Ross Shuping, born June 2, 1888.
Mary Maggie Commilla Shuping, born Decem-
ber 2, 1890.
Charley Michael Shuping, son of Jeremiah,
married Ada Irene Ribelin (born January 11,
1883). To this union were bom two sons and
three daughters:
One son, not named, born May 2, 1905 ; died May
2, 1905.
Grady Michael Shuping, born April 3, 1906.
Sarah Alice Grace Shuping, born September 18,
1907.
Jessie Maie Shuping, born August 16, 1913; died
October 17, 1913.
One daughter, not named, born May 18, 1915;
died May 18, 1915.
96 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEI, BROWN FAMILY
Claud Ross Shuping married Beulah Lee Can-
non, July 4, 1906 (born February 8, 1886). To
this union were bom four sons and one daughter :
Jessie Luther Shuping, born June 29, 1907.
Jackson Emmette Shuping, born December 29,
1909.
Pauline Jennette Shuping, born January 7, 1912.
Claude Richard Shuping, born January 23, 1914.
Sherman Bates Shuping, bom July 22, 1915.
Mary Maggie Commilla Shuping married Wil-
liam Washington Gill, May 27, 1908. To this
union were bom three sons and two daughters :
Jeremiah Gifford Gill, bom February 25, 1909.
James Washington Gill, born February 2, 1911.
Irmer Eleanora Gill, bom November 9, 1913;
died September 13, 1916.
Thomas Lourina Gardner Gill, born November
12, 1915.
Sarah Mean IMildred Gill, bom June 17, 1914.
This ends Commilla's family by her second
husband, Wiley A. Shuping.
She was married to her third husband, Peter
A. Ritchie, May 30, 1865. To this union were
bom two sons and one daughter :
Wiley W. J. Ritchie, born September 24, 1867.
William R. Ritchie, born June 23, 1869.
Mary J. C. Ritchie, born March 7, 1871.
Rev. Wiley W. J. Ritchie, first son of Com-
milla Brown by her third husband, was married
to Annie Mariah Henkel, October 25, 1899.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 97
(Mrs. Ritchie was born November 2, 1871.) To
this union were born three sons : .
Charles Matthias Ritchie, born September 1, 1900.
Fred Henr>' Ritchie, born November 27, 1902,
WilHam Alfred Franklin Ritchie, born July 24,
1909.
William Richard Ritchie married Mary Eliza-
beth Jones, May 19, 1889. To this union were
born three sons and one daughter:
Charley Ritchie.
Edgar Ritchie, born November 27, 1893.
William Junius Ritchie, born August 2, 1896.
Annie M. Commilla Ritchie, born June 26, 1897.
Ernest Ritchie married Helen C. Ritchie. (The
date of this marriage not ascertained.) To this
union were born one son and one daughter :
Ray William Ritchie.
Reta Maria Ritchie.
Edgar Ritchie married Beulah Agnes Hols-
houser, December 24, 1911. (She was bom July
28, 1891.) To this union were born one daugh-
ter and three sons :
Elma Hazihne Ritchie, born April 21, 1912.
Earle Haden Ritchie, born December 22, 1914.
William Ray Ritchie, born April 16, 1916.
Fisher Ritchie.
William J. Ritchie married Grace Beck, No-
vember 29, 1917.
Annie M. Commilla Ritchie married Jason
98 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Spurgeon Washington. To this union one son
was born :
William Garlen Washington, born May 26, 1915.
Mary Isabell Commilla Ritchie married Daniel
Peeler, September 20, 1893. To this union were
born two daughters :
Eve Ann Commilla Peeler, born July 11, 1894.
Abbie Pauline Henrietta Peeler, born April 4,
1896.
These are the names and dates of the posterity
of Commilla Brown as they come down through
three husbands, being given me by Maggie Fisher
and J. D. A. Fisher on January 24, 1918.
Having finished the descendents of Elizabeth
Commilla Brown, the first child of Michael L.
Brown, we now take up her first sister, Mary A.
L. Brown.
Mary A. L. Brown, second child of Michael L.
Brown, and granddaughter of Michael Braun of
the Stone House, was born January 11th, 1837.
She married Jacob Barger, had one child, and
died some time after. We believe the child also
died in infancy.
John David Alexander Brown, third child of
Michael L. Brown, born October 10, 1838, died
December 6, 1890, buried at St. Paul's. He mar-
ried Sarah Cladora Fisher on February 10, 1859,
(born December 4, 1835, died March 5, 1911,
buried at St. Paul's). To this union were born
six children :
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEI. BROWN FAMILY 99
Rev. Chrisenberry A. Brown, born December 6,
1859.
Charles H. Brown, born April 29, 1860.
Dolphus M. Brown, born October 10, 1866.
Sally E. Brown, born June 22, 1871.
Mary C. C. Brown,, born October 28, 1873.
Alice L. Brown, born March 4, 1877.
The above is the family of J. D. A. Brown and
wife, and we will take up the children, with their
families, as they come.
Rev. C. A. Brown was married to Miss Emily
A. Propst, September 10, 1890. (She was bom
February 14, 1868.) To this union were bom
six children :
Lala C. Brown, born July 3, 1892.
Edna P. Brown, born March 10, 1894.
Infant son, born April 19, 1895.
Thelma Ruth Brown, born March 26, 1897.
Armand C. Brown, born January 23, 1900; died
June 14, 1901 ; buried at Frieden.
Herman A. Brown, bom April 16, 1904.
Lala C. Brown, daughter of Rev. C. A. Brown,
and granddaughter of J. D. A. Brown, married
Henry C. Dale, of Bolten, N. C, on May 28, 1916.
The other children of Rev. C. A. Brown not mar-
ried at the time of this writing.
The second son of John D. A. Brown, Charles
H. Brown, is not married at this date (August
2, 1916).
The third son of John D. A. Brown was
100 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Dolphus M. Brown. From him springs out a
limb with many branches. Each Hmb has Hmbs
and some of them many branches. He married
Miss Lottie S. McCombs on March 11, 1886.
(She was born September 25, 1867.) To this
union were born the following:
Grace D. Brown, born January 10, 1888.
Nora M. Brown, born September 30, 1889.
Fannie Maud Brown, born August 16, 1891.
Ila C. C. Brown, born November 25, 1893.
Maggie L. Brown, born June 24, 1896.
Hoke D. Brown, born February 20, 1899.
Lottie Thelma Brown, born December 30, 1901.
Katie M. Brown, born November 12, 1904.
The first child of Dolphus M. Brown, Grace D.
Brown, married Ernest D. Wilhelm on December
22, 1904. To this union were born the following:
Claud B. Wilhelm, born ^larch 28, 1906.
Margie E. Wilhelm, born April 7, 1907.
Lottie Pearle Wilhelm, born January 3, 1909.
Robert L.-W'ilhelm, born September 30, 1910.
Duke M. Wilhehn, born October 16, 1914.
Nora M. Brown, second daughter of Dolphus
M. Brown, and granddaughter of J. D. A. Brown,
married Sidney E. Misenheimer on December 4,
1910. To this union were born the following:
Opal L. Misenheimer, born August 13, 1911.
Zada L. Misenheimer, born July 12, 1913.
Lottie Lucile Misenheimer, born December 14,
1914.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 101
Fannie JMaud Brown, third daughter of Dol-
phus M. Brown, and granddaughter of J. D. A.
Brown, married Harvey B. Frick on September
18, 1907. To this union were born the following:
Harry T. Frick, born May 4, 1908.
Zelia lone Frick, born June 5, 1910.
Cletus Hoke Frick, born April 15, 1911.
Harvey Brown Frick, born December 4, 1912.
Loyd Hurbert Frick, born July 9, 1915.
Ila C. C. Brown, fourth daughter of Dolphus
M. Brown, and granddaughter of J. D. A. Brown,
married Gilbert H. Ritchie on February 25, 1912.
To this union was born George Brown Ritchie on
August 13, 1913.
This ends the family of Dolphus M. Brown,
third son of J. D. A. Brown, and grandson of
Michael L. Brown.
The fourth child of John D. A. Brown, Sally
E. Brown, and granddaughter of Michael L.
Brown, married Luther C. Trexler on August
2, 1888. (He was born September 19, 1867.) To
this union were born the following:
William L. Trexler, born March 31, 1889.
Pearle V. Trexler, born March 26, 1890.
Rosa G. C. Trexler, born March 19, 1892.
George H. A. Trexler, born August 31, 1894.
Edgar C. Ray Trexler, born May 29, 1896.
William L. Trexler, son of Luther C. Trexler,
and grandson of J. D. A. Brown, married Ina
102 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
May Sloop, April 30, 1911. To this union was
born Gladys Trexler on February 20, 1912.
Pearle V. Trexler, second child of Luther C.
Trexler, and grandchild of J. D. A. Brown, mar-
ried John B. Park on December 25, 1910. To
this union was born Hurber V. Park, December
29, 1911.
This ends the posterity of Sally E. Brown.
The fifth child of John D. A. Brown, Mary C.
Brown, and granddaughter of Michael L. Brown,
married Charles V. McCombs on April 19, 1891.
(He was born January 23, 1870.) To this union
were born the following:
May E. McCombs, born March 5, 1892.
John William McCombs, born July 17, 1893.
Luther Osco McCombs, bom April 6, 1897.
Ina C. C. McCombs, born September 3, 1898.
Alice Hope McCombs, born March 4, 1900.
Versie Lee McCombs, born December 26, 1901.
Aleene Pearle McCombs, born ^larch 7, 1904.
Nora McCombs, born January 6, 1906.
Charley Clifford McCombs, born July 4, 1908.
Marvin F. IMcCombs, born July 30, 1910.
Robert Earle McCombs, born August 16, 1912.
Grady Eugene McCombs, bom January 2, 1915.
Harold Burdette McCombs, born April 12, 1916.
Mary E. McCombs, daughter of Mary C.
Brown, and granddaughter of J. D. A. Brown,
married George Goodman on August 28, 1910.
To this union were born the following:
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 103
Lala Nora Goodman, born July 4, 1911.
Charles B. Goodman, born October 6, 1913.
J. W. Goodman, born November 19, 1915.
Ina C. C. McCombs, daughter of Mary C.
Brown, and granddaughter of J. D. A. Brown,
married Charles C. Wagoner on April 1, 1916.
The sixth child of John D. A. Brown, Alice L.
Brown, and granddaughter of Michael L. Brown,
married George W. Bruce on October 4, 1894.
(He was born June 1, 1861.) To this union were
born the following:
Zeld May Bruce, born November 5, 1896.
Myron B. Bruce, born May 10, 1902.
Dora Ruth Bruce, born February 2, 1904.
Pearle C. Bruce, born November 16, 1906.
Armond Glena Bruce, born August 3, 1909.
Elmer Paul Bruce, born October 5, 1915.
Tht fourth child of Michael L. Brown was
Sophia Mariah, born October 16, 1839. She
grew to maturity, but died unmarried ; is buried
at St. Paul's. The f^fth child of Michael L.
Brown, Isabella C. Brown, died young.
The sixth child of Michael L. Brown, Rev.
Simeon Jeremiah Michael Brown, born April 29,
1847, died March 31, 1920, buried in Chestnut
Hill. He married Sarah Ann Kirk on Novem-
ber 14, 1866. (She was born July 24, 1840.) To
this union were bom the following :
Taswell Jackson Brown, bom August 8, 1867.
Sarah Jane Rcjina Brown, bom October 9, 1869.
104 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Daisie Leon Fortunate Brown, bom October 13,
1876.
Baxter Eusebious Brown, born October 17, 1880;
died November 7, 1880.
Ola Londe\y Aurelia Brown, born February 13,
1885.
The first child of Rev. S. J. M. Brown, Taswell
J. Brown, was married twice. The first time to
Miss Etta Steward on March 4, 1888. To this
union was born one child, Ola Estella BrowTi, on
March 29, 1889.
Ola Estella Brown married A. B. Johnson. To
this union were born three children :
Win ford Johnson.
Margie Johnson.
Obie Jackson Brown Johnson.
Taswell J. Brown was married the second time
on July 23, 1903, to Sadie Sweenee. To this
union there are no children.
The second child of Rev. S. J. M. Brown,
Sarah Jane Rejina, was born October 9, 1869.
She was married twice ; first time to James Wil-
liam Washington Fisher on December 20, 1888.
To this union was bom one son, Claud Jeremiah
Whitehead Fisher, on December 21, 1890.
Claud J. W. Fisher married Ella L. Seamons
on June 30, 1915. To this union was bom one
child, Jennie Lillie Fisher, bom August 7, 1916.
Sarah J. R. Bi'own was married the second
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 105
time on June 24, 1896, to James Bright Wiley.
To this union were born four children :
Vara Irene Eudara Wiley, born December 15,
1897.
Sarah Londare Wiley, born May 27, 1900.
Bright Wiley, bom February 2, 1902; died Feb-
ruary 2, 1910.
James Michael Wiley, born August 15, 1905.
Vara Irene Eudara Wiley married Charles
Thomas jNIorgan on June 20, 1916. To this union
was born one son, Charles Thomas Morgan, on
October 17, 1917.
The third child of Rev. S. J. M. Brown, Daisie
Lou Fortunate Brown, was bom October 13,
1876. She married Elisha Baldin Melton on
August 26, 1896. To this union were born eight
children :
Claudie Rosco Melton, born July 4, 1897.
James Ray Melton, born February 27, 1901.
Lillian Relaline Melton, born March 4, 1903.
Burtis Jeremiah Melton, bom May 5, 1905.
Sarah Jane Margie Melton, born September 17,
1907.
Daisie Ruth Melton, born May 2, 1909.
Hazel Marie Melton, born April 30, 1911.
Ehsha Brown Melton, born July 23, 1915.
Claude Rosco ^lelton married Lena Rivers
Wagoner on October 8, 1918. James Ray Melton
married Myrtle Brooks on September 22, 1918.
Lillian Relaline Melton married Thomas Houstin
106 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEI. BROWN FAMILY
Kesler on August 18, 1918. The other five chil-
dren are not married (April 3, 1919).
The fourth child of Rev. S. J. M. Brown, Bax-
ter Eusebius, died young. (See first list of Rev.
wS. J. M. Brown's family.)
The fifth and last child of Rev. S. J. M. Brown,
Ola Londary Aurelia, was born February 13,
1885. This ends the posterity of Michael h.
Brown by his first wife.
We now take up his second marriage and fol-
low the branch from that relation. His second
wife was Mrs. Susan A. Youst, bom June 30,
1839. To this union one child was bom, Magda-
lina Brown, on May 2, 1866.
Magdalina Brown married William T. Peeler
on August 2, 1891. To this union three children
were bom :
Cleo Hyacinth Peeler, bora October 19, 1892.
Elsie Elisabeth Peeler, born April 12, 1894; died
December 17, 1918; buried at Union Church.
Beatrice Lonclara Peeler, born January 11, 1895.
Cleo Hyacinth Peeler married Walter C. Smith
on May 17, 1914. This ends the family of Mich-
ael L. Brown, son of David Brown, and grandson
of old ^Michael Braun of the Stone House.
(section II ) — JACOB BROWN, A SON OF DAVID
BROWN
Jacob Brown, son of David Brown, and a
grandson of Michael Brown, was born in 1810
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 107
and died in 1853, buried Stone House. He not
only lived on part of the original tract of land,
but settled in the old Stone House. He was a
farmer, cultivated much of the soil cleared up by
his grandfather, and made a successful living.
He was also a man of morals and a church-man,
one of his grandsons, Rev. M. L. Canup, entered
the ministry, and is now laboring in New York
City. He married Miss Annie Edieman, born
1813, died 1876, buried at Stone House. To this
union were born eleven children :
Sarah L. Brown, born 1831 ; died 1857 ; buried at
Stone House.
Mary Clementine Brown, born 1833; died 1889;
buried at St. Paul's.
David Brown, born 1835; died 1844; buried at
Stone House.
Margaret Brown, born 1836; died 1867; buried
at Stone House.
Theophilus Brown, born 1838.
Jeremiah Brown, born 1840; died 1861 ; buried at
Stone House.
Julia Ann Brown, born 1842.
Joseph Brown, born 1844,; died 1846; buried at
Stone House.
Jacob C. Brown, born 1847; died; buried at
Christian.
Thomas L. Brown, born 1849; died; buried at
Christiana.
Martha J. Brown, born 1853.
lOS HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Sarah L. Brown, oldest daughter of Jacob and
Annie Brown, never married. Lived at home in
the old Stone House, died there, and was buried
in the old Stone House cemetery.
Mary Clementine, daughter of Jacob and x\nnie
BrowTi, also never married. Spent her last days
with her sister, Julia Ann Canup; died there
and was buried at St. Paul's Lutheran Church.
David, son of Jacob and Annie Brown, died
young, and was buried in the family cemetery
near the old Stone House.
Margaret, daughter of Jacob and Annie Brown,
married William Beck in 1866. To this union one
child was bom, Margaret Beck, born in January
and died in June of the same year. Buried at
the Stone House cemetery. The mother died
before the child, in 1867, and is also buried at the
Stone House cemetery.
Theophilus, son of Jacob and Annie Brown,
volunteered in the Confederate Army, died as a
soldier and was buried on the battlefield, prob-
ably Gettysburg.
Jeremiah, son of Jacob and Annie Brown, died
before marrying, in the old Stone House and was
buried in the family cemetery near the same place.
Julia Ann Brown, daughter of Jacob and Annie
Brown, married Caleb Canup (born June 17,
1845; died 1915, buried at St. Paul's). They were
married November 26, 1868. To this union were
born seven cliildren :
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 109
Nancy Jane Canup, bom 1869.
Annie Loucettie Canup, born 1870.
David E. Lee Canup, born 1872.
William Henry Canup, born 1873.
Mary Rebecca Canup, bom 1875; died 1875;
buried at Union Church.
Martin Luther Canup, born 1879.
Sarah Louvina Canup, born 1880; died 1915;
buried at St. Paul's.
Nancy Jane, daughter of Caleb and Julia Ann
Canup, married Thomas Webb in 1891. (He was
born in 1871.) To this union were born four
children :
Charley Lee W^cbb, born 1893.
John Taswell Webb, born 1895.
Julia May Webb, born 1908.
Marvin Edward Webb, born 1911.
Annie Loucettie, daughter of Caleb and Julia
Ann Canup, married Bruner T. Propst in 1904.
(He was born in 1874.) To this union was bora
one child, Mary Lillian Propst, in 1912.
David E. Lee, son of Caleb and Julia Ann
Canup, married Ida Julian on October 14, 1909.
(She was born in 1880.) To this union were
born five children :
Arnold Julian, born 1910.
Harley Lee, born 1912.
Ruth Elizabeth, born 1914.
Carl Ray, born 1918.
Luther Paul, bora 1920.
no HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Mary Rebecca Canup, daughter of Caleb and
Julia Ann Canup, died when six weeks old.
William Henry Harrison, son of Caleb and
Julia Ann Canup, married Maggie Julian on Oc-
tober 28, 1915. (She was born in 1886.) To
this union was boni one daughter, Bessie Pearl,
on September 17, 1917.
Rev. M. Luther Canup, son of Caleb and Julia
Ann Canup, was married to Inez Bollinger on
June 19, 1918.
Sarah Louvina, daughter of Caleb and Julia
Ann Canup, died before marriage. She was born
in 1880 and died November 17, 1915; buried in
St. Paul's.
Joseph Brown, son of Jacob and Annie Brown,
died young and was buried at the Stone House
cemetery.
Jacob C. Brown, Jr., son of Jacob and Annie
Brown, married Chrissey Kepley on February
23, 1871. (He was bom December 29, 1847;
died September 26, 1906; buried at Christiana.)
Mrs. Brown was born September 2, 1836, and
died December 2, 1904; buried at Christiana
Church. To this union were born three children :
Joseph L. Brown, born May 6, 1873.
Martin L. Brown, bom March 28, 1876.
Mary Brown, born July 7, 1880.
Joseph L. Brown, son of Jacob Brown, Jr., and
grandson of Jacob Brown, Sr., married Susan
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 111
Youst on May 7, 1903. (She was born January
26, 1879.) To this union there are no children.
Martin L. Brown, son of Jacob C. Brown, and
grandson of Jacob Brown, Sr., is not married at
the time of this writing.
Mary C. Brovm, daughter of Jacob C. Brown,
and granddaughter of Jacob Brown, Sr., married
John Hinceman on July 31, 1902. (He was bom
September 11, 1880.) To this union were born
four children :
Eula Hinceman, born July 10, 1903.
Viola Hinceman, bom July 1, 1907.
Grady Hinceman, bom October 20, 1909.
Margie Hinceman, born November 29, 1913.
Thomas L. Brown, son of Jacob and Annie
Brown, married Charlotte Kluttz. To this union
were born four children :
John Brown.
Adolphus Brown.
Lewis Brown.
Mary Brown.
Adolphus Brown, son of Thomas and Char-
lotte Brown, not married at the time of this
writing.
Mary Brown, daughter of Thomas and Char-
lotte Brown, married John Lyerly on Februar)'
22. To this union were born six children :
(Names and births of children not given.)
Martha J. Brown, daughter of Jacob and
Annie Brown, married Crawford Barnhart on
112 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
December 6, 1883. (He was born October 3,
1836; died October 29, 1912; buried at St.
Paul's.) To this union were born four children:
Annie Laura Barnhart, born April 27, 1885.
Paul Crawford Barnhart, born August 5, 1888.
Ida Pearl Barnhart, born July 29, 1890.
Ira Leo Barnhart, born October 21, 1894.
Annie Laura Barnhart, daughter of Martha
and Crawford Barnhart, married Frank Jackson
on December 24, 1904. (He was bora January
8, 1883.) To this union were born the following:
Martha Levona Jackson, born October 28, 1908;
died January 6, 1909.
John Crawford Jackson, born January 21, 1910.
Margie Pearle Jackson, born October 19, 1911.
Paul Crawford Barnhart, son of Martha J. and
Crawford Barnhart, Sr., married Minnie K.
Propst on February 2, 1913. She was born July
19, 1882.
Ida Pearle Barnhart was born October 21,
1894; died young, only eleven months old.
Ira Leo Barnhart was born October 21, 1894;
married Maggie Elizabeth Parks on April 12,
1914. (She was born August 30, 1890.) To this
union were born the following children :
Myron Leo Barnhart, born February 15, 1915.
William Crawford Barnhart, born February 8,
1917.
Howard Parks Barnhart, bom September 14,
1918.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 113
Ruth Brown Barnhart, born March 30, 1920.
To J. C. Barnhart and his wife, Martha J., were
born two children that died in infancy. The first
was born May 16 and died June 1 of the same
year. Not named.
Ida Pearle Barnhart, born July 20, 1890; died
June 15, 1891.
Myron Leo, a grandson of Martha J. Banihart,
was bom February 15, 1915.
This ends the family of Jacob Brown (Sec. 2),
a son of David Brown, and grandson of Michael
Brown of the Stone House.
(section hi) — SOLOMON BROWN, A SON OF DAVID
BROWN
Solomon Brown was the third son of David
P>rown and grandson of Michael Brown of the
Stone House. He lived at diflerent places for a
number of years, but in 1850 settled down on the
Gold Hill Road, six miles from Salisbury. This
road was formerly called the Cheraw and Fay-
etteville Road, the same one on which his brother
Michael settled.
Solomon was a successful farmer, successful
without many of the present day improvements.
He was also known as the Ginger-cake and
Ginger-bread Peddler, was expected at all nearby
public gatherings, and was looked to for some-
thing to eat on such occasions. From this he
gathered considerable revenue. He was a good
114 HISTORY OF THE XIICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
moral man, a church worker, and a man of pub-
lic prayer. Two of his sons entered the Gospel
ministry, Revs. Richard L. and Henry M. Brown,
and one grandson, Rev. P. D. Brown.
Solomon Brown was born in February, 1811,
died April 3, 1863, buried at Stone House. On
December 20, 1836, he married Aliss Amy Miller.
(She was born November 20, 1815, died October
9, 1900, buried Christiana.) To this union were
born the following :
Nathan Brown, born November 6, 1837.
Sarah L. Brown, born 1839, died 1857; buried
Stone House.
Calvin L. Brown, born January 2, 1841 ; died
December 25, 1914; buried Organ Church.
Rev. Richard L. Brown, born March 18, 1842.
Karamiah B. Brown, died young; buried at Stone
House.
Rev. H. Maxwell Brown, born April 2, 1845;
died July 23, 1913 ; buried at Organ Church.
David L. Brown, born April 25, 1849; died Aug-
ust 22, 1878; buried at Christiana.
Rebecca Brown, died young; buried at Stone
House.
Martha Ann Brown, died in her teens; buried at
Stone House.
Nathan Brown, oldest son of Solomon Brown,
grandson of David Brown and great-grandson of
Michael Braun of the Stone House, settled on
the Gold Hill Road at the old homestead. After
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 115
serving in the Confederate Army, he became a
successful farmer and a staunch member of the
church. He has one son in the ministry. He
was married twice, first to Miss Martha J. Peeler
(who was born November 20, 1851 ; died March
3, 1882; buried Christiana). To this union were
bom:
Mary Lelia Brown, born April 7, 1871.
Luther Henry Brown, born November 28, 1874.
George Franklin Brown, born May 27, 1879.
He was married the second time to Miss Rosa
Sophia Agner (who was born October 16, 1858).
To this union were bom four children :
Amy Loucritia, born August 25, 1884.
Rev. Pleasant David Brown, born November 26,
1886.
Andrew Jackson Brown, born November 29,
1888.
Fannie Sophrona Brown, born June 30, 1890.
Mary Lelia Brown, first child of Nathan
Brown, married Thomas Lyerly, April 1, 1888.
(He was born January 15, 1863.) To this union
were born the following:
Junius Melanthon, born May 11, 1889.
Sophia Virginia, born May 13, 1891.
James Gilbert, born March 2, 1895.
William Herbert, born July 11, 1896.
Pearle Roxana, born September 7, 1897; died
August 26, 1913 ; buried at Christiana.
Amy Lula, born March 29, 1900.
U6 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEI. BROWN FAMILY
Edgar Ray, born August 11, 1902; died August
9, 1904; buried at Christiana.
Marian Naoma, born September 23, 1908.
Jessie Pauline, born May 31, 1910.
Junius Melanthon, son of Thomas J. and Mary
LeHa Lyerly, married Winnie May Johnson on
April 7, 1912. (She was born August 23, 1891.)
To this union was born one child, Sarah Louise,
February 7, 1912.
Sophia Virginia Lyerly was married to Robert
Paul Sea ford on July 21, 1914. (He was born
June 13, 1892.) To this union one child was
born, Mary Virginia, June 10, 1915. The re-
mainder of Thomas J. Lyerly's children are not
married.
Luther Henr)\ second child of Nathan Brown,
married Rosa Daisy Kluttz on June 6, 1900.
(She was born February 18, 1876.) To this
union were born three children :
Thurman Lamer, born May 9, 1904; died June
11, 1904.
Oneda Maybelle, born May 11, 1908.
Theron L., born December 7, 1913.
George Franklin, third child of Nathan Brown,
was married to Roxie A. Cauble. (She was born
March 18, 1880.) To this union were born the
following :
Georgian, born May 4, 1904.
Willie N. F., born April 13, 1910.
Jennis Emma, born September 30, 1918.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 117
Amy Loucretia Brown, first child of Nathan
Brown by his second wife, was married to Seba
Rowe Fry on February 10, 1906. (He was born
October 23, 1811.) To this union were born the
following :
Paul Brown Fry, born August 1, 1907.
Glen Ansel Fr>-, born September 10, 1908.
Rosa Elisabeth Fry, born September 5, 1913.
Rev. Pleasant David, second child of Nathan
Brown by his second wife, married Florence
Bodenhorn on August 20, 1913. (She was born
April 21, 1888.) To this union were born the
following :
Robert Meredith, born October 13, 1914.
Janice Adelle, born May 17, 1916.
Andrew Jackson, third child by his second
wife, is not married at this writing, April 17,
1919.
Fannie Sophronia, fourth child of Nathan
Brown by his second wife, married Rev. Luther
Alex. Thomas on August 6, 1914. (He was born
August 8, 1888.) To this union were born the
following : •
Grace Brown.
Luther A. Brown, Jr.
This ends the posterity of Nathan Brown, the
first son of Solomon Brown.
Sarah Louise, second child of Solomon Brown,
grew to years of maturity but died before
niarrymg.
lis HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Calvin Brown, son of Solomon Brown, was also
in the Confederate Army for three years. After
the close of the war he married Loutitia Ribelin
on January 30, 1866, settled dowTi on a farm near
Gold Hill, and became a successful farmer. He
was an active member of the church, full of life
and sociability. His wife is buried at Organ
Church. To this union were born the following :
Ellen A. Brown, bom November 22, 1866.
Dovie Brown.
George L. Brown.
John L. C. Brown.
Ellen A. Brown married Caleb L. Kluttz. To
this union were born the following :
Charles A., born December 1, 1893.
William M., born April 8, 1897.
Katie, born April 25, 1888.
Katie Kluttz married a Mr. Harkey. To this
union were born the following :
Vera M. Harkey, born April 17, 1907.
James F. Harkey, born June 4, 1911.
Clara B. Harkey, born Februar}- 15, 1886.
Dovie Brown, second daughter of Calvin L.
Brown, married H. A. Holshouser. To this
union was born one child, Beulah Holshouser, on
November 15, 1886.
Beulah Holshouser married George Fink. (He
was born March 18, 1880.) To this union were
bom the following :
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 119
Dwight Fink, bom August 20, 1911.
Robert Fink.
George L. Brown, son of Calvin L. Brown, was
born June 16, 1873. He married Mary Elizabeth
Trexler, (She was born January 25, 1874.) To
this union were bom the following :
Duke Alexander Brown, born January 31, 1895.
William Lee Brown, born December 26, 1896.
Reid Calvin Brown, born December 11, 1900.
Gilmer Ray Brown, born September 24, 1902.
Georgia Brown, born March 25, 1904.
Rosa Matetia Brown, born May 17, 1906.
Glen Clifford Brown, born October 1, 1908.
Luther Linn Brown, bom May 11, 1910.
Elisabeth Brown, born October 7, 1915.
John Littleton Calvin Brown, son of Calvin L.
Brown, was born September 22, 1875. He mar-
ried Mable Lucretia Finley. To this union v/as
born one child, Clarion Alberta Brown, on Janu-
ary 20, 1905. This ends Calvin Brown's family.
Rev. Richard L. Brown, another son of Solo-
mon Brown, spent three years of his school days
in the Confederate Army. This, to a certain ex-
tent, crippled his education. After returning
home hestudied theology and entered the ministry
in 1868. He was a successful worker in this
sphere of life for some fifteen or twenty years,
but at this time he became afflicted with partial
paralysis and his work as a minister was very
much hindered from this time on. However, he
120 HISTORY OF THE MICHAKL BROWN FAMILY
lived and remained in the ministry for more than
fifty years, and still did much church work. He
married Miss Nancy E. Agner on January 31,
1866. (She was born July 23, 1844.) To this
union were born the following :
Mary L. R. Brown, born January 14, 1867.
David Solomon Brown, born October 27, 1868.
Lewis D. Henry Brown, born January 30, 1872.
John Richard Brown, born April 12, 1875.
Maxwell Melanthon Brown, born June 17, 1879.
Cora Ann Brown, bom May 13, 1882.
Marcus Calvin Brown, born January 10, 1884;
died January 25, 1885 ; buried at Christiana.
Mary L. R. Brown married P. Alexander
Peeler. .To this union were born the following:
Jennie Peeler, born May 13, 1888.
Mamie Peeler, bom August 18, 1889.
Mary Naoma Peeler, born November 28, 1890.
Burtie Maie Peeler, born July 10, 1892.
Pearle Irene Peeler, born September 29, 1901.
Jennie Peeler, daughter of P. A. Peeler, mar-
ried James Jones on February 4, 1904. To this
union were born the following :
Naoma Jones, born May 13, 1904; died March
8, 1906.
Harold Jones, born March 25, 1907.
Helen Jones, born March 26, 1909.
Hazel Jones, born January 1, 1913.
Norman P. Jones, born May 30, 1919.
Mamie Peeler married William Barger on Sep-
HISTORY OF THi: MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 121
tember 25, 1911. (He was born February 12,
1886.) To this union were bom the following:
VVillette Barger, born August 10, 1914.
P. A. Barger.
Burtie M. Peeler married Gideon C. Miller on
August 31, 1910. To this union were born the
following :
Cecil Mark Miller, born June 6, 1911; died
August 6, 1912; buried at Faith.
Mary Alice Miller, born September 8, 1913; died
August 25, 1918; buried at Faith.
Estelle Miller, born January 25, 1916.
Mary N. Peeler married Rev. Harvey A.
Fesperman on May 22, 1916. (He was bom
October 11,1 892.) To this union was born Mary
Brown Fesperman on March 7, 1917.
Pearle Peeler, not married at the time of this
writing.
David S. Brown, second child of Rev. R. L.
Brown, married E. Emma Fisher on February 25,
1892. (She was bom May 8, 1871.) To this
union were born the following:
Laura Eleanora Brown, born January 31, 1893.
Marcus Richard David Brown, born March 22,
1894.
Luther C. Brown, born December 2, 1897.
Cora Maic Brown, born September 19, 1900.
Myrtle Irene Brown, born October 14, 1902.
Junius Calvin Brown, born January 10, 1906.
122 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Earle Jacob Brown, bom September 14, 1907;
died December 28, 1911 ; buried at Christiana.
Wilferd Orman Brown, born June 10, 1914.
Marcus Richard David Brown, son of David S.
Brown, married Edith Koch on April 29, 1917.
Lewis D. H. Brown, another son of Rev. R. L.
Brown, married Ida Ritchie. (She was bom
September 22, 1877.) To this union were bom
the following:
Beulah Virginia Brown, born March 18, 1896.
Pearle Aletic Brown, born March 19, 1898.
Glide Rosco Brown, born January 19, 1900.
Essie Nancy C. Brown, born July 14, 1903.
Lena G. P. Brown, born October 14, 1905.
Gora Ruth Brown, born January 14, 1908.
James R. Brown, born March 13, 1910.
Ralph E. Brown, born August 11, 1912.
Cecil Caldwell Brown, born May 13, 1918.
John R. Brown, another son of Rev. R. L.
Brown, married Lottie G. Bostian. (She was
born August 24, 1884.) To this union were born
the following:
Kathar>'n Elane Brown, born November 5, 1907.
Mary Louise Brown, bora May 15, 1913.
Maxwell M. Brown, another son of Rev. R. L.
Brown, married Annie Lentz. (She was born on
February 26, 1875.) To this union were born
four children :
Lillie N. E. Brown, bom April 28, 1905.
Ray R. J. Brown, born March 20, 1909.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 123
Kyle M. Brown, born November 21, 1911.
John Hilbert Brown, born Novernber 6, 1915.
Cora Ann Brown, daughter of Rev. R. L.
Brown, married A. L. V. Fisher on March 10,
1904.. To this union were born the following:
Junius V. Fisher, born January 16, 1905.
Herman G. Fisher, born March 25, 1906.
Ray R. Fisher, born March 25, 1906.
Marcus H. Fisher, born August 14, 1907.
Rosco B. Fisher, born November 21, 1909.
Carl H. Fisher, born November 19, 1910.
Earle H. Fisher, bom March 24, 1913.
Rev. Henry Maxwell Brown, son of Solomon
Brown, and brother of Rev. R. L. Brown, was
born April 2, 1845 ; died July 23, 1913 ; buried at
Organ. He was also in the Confederate Army,
served as a private till the surrender of General
Robert E. Lee; was taken prisoner and carried
to Point Lookout ; remained there until the close
of the war; released from prison in July, 1865.
Our country was in a devastated condition until
the Reconstruction Period, but he was determined
to prepare for the ministry. His father died dur-
ing the war, and his financial circumstances were
very unfavorable, but he managed to attend the
Reformed School at Newton, N. C, for several
sessions, and then took a further course in liter-
ary training in connection with theology at N. C.
College at Mt. Pleasant. Theology was then
taught there, and was a part of the school curricu-
124 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
lum. He graduated and was ordained to the Gos-
pel ministry May 4, 1873, by the Evangehcal
Lutheran Synod of North CaroHna at a meeting
of the same in St. Paul's Lutheran Church of
Rowan County. He was called to the Bethel
pastorate near Salisbury and proved to be a suc-
cessful minister. He was married to IMiss Lou-
setta Fisher, who was born April 21, 1856. To
this union were born the following:
Dora Brown, born; died; buried at Bethel.
Lula Rosa Brown, born April 10, 1877.
Mary Lousetta Brown, born October 28, 1878.
Bachman H. Brown, bom October 14, 1880.
Lillie Endera Brown, born January 4, 1884.
Nathan Maxwell Brown, born July 13, 1886.
Myrtle Maie Brown, born November 1, 1887.
Jason Solomon Brown, born May 1, 1891.
Clarence Evert Brown, born March 2, 1893.
Clyde Gilbert Brown, born July 28, 1896.
Dora, and two other children, died in infancy.
Lula Rosa Brown, daughter of Rev. H. M.
Brown, married Adolphus Henry Fogleman.
(He was born April 1, 1870.) To this union
were born the following:
Adolphus Brown Fogleman, bom November 25,
1905.
Paul Faust Fogleman, born February 26, 1908.
Mary Lon Fogleman, born October 2. 1909.
Joseph Harold Fogleman, born July 16, 1914.
Mary Loucetta Brown, daughter of Rev. H.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 125
M. Brown, married Rev. Robert Reaves Sowers.
(He was born October 9, 1869.)- To this union
were born the following :
Harry Brown Sowers, born March 23, 1913.
Jack Rayboum Sowers, born April 5, 1915.
Bachman H. Brown, son of Rev. H. M. Brown,
married Bessie Anderson. (She was born Sep-
tember 27, 1885.) To this union were born the
following :
Robert Brown, born May 10, 1907.
Hattie Brown, born June 8, 1909.
Raymond Holt Brown, bom June 29, 1913.
Lillie Endora Brown, daughter of Rev. H. M.
Brown, married William Titus Efird. (He was
born June 11, 1880.) To this union were born
the following:
Bessie Lee Hfird, born I\Iay 2, 1904.
Lillian Brown Efird, born April 12, 1908.
William Louis Efird, born January 20, 1910.
William Titus Efird, born October 24, 1912.
John Maxwell Efird, born June 9, 1914.
Dorothy Bittle Efird, born December 24, 1915.
The maiden name of Nathan Maxwell Brown's
wife, son of Rev. H. M. Brown, could not be
ascertained. (She was born July 21, 1890.) To
this union was born Edna Laura Brown on Oc-
tober 14, 1914.
Myrtle Maie Brown, daughter of Rev. H. M.
Brown, married Thomas Benjamin Ross. (He
was born June 15, 1882.) To this union was
126 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEIv BROWN FAMILY
bom Thomas Benjamin Ross, Jr., on February
11, 1913.
The remaining three sons of Rev. H. M.
Brown, Jason Solomon, Clarence Evert and Clyde
Gilbert, are not married at the time of this writ-
ing, July 7, 1916.
David L. Brown, son of Solomon Brown, was
bom July 25, 1849. He was a farmer by occupa-
tion, but also taught school and was an energetic
worker in the church, Sunday School and prayer
meetings. He contracted tuberculosis when com-
paratively young, died in the faith, and went to
sleep in the Lord with a bright vision before him.
Some of his last expressions were, *' Is this
death, if so, how sweet it is to die." He married
Miss Londo Moose, and to this union was bom
one child, Lizzie E. Brown, on Febmary 18, 1876.
Lizzie E. Brown married George O. Kluttz.
(He was born March 13, 1871.) To this union
were born the following :
Oma Thelma, born December 18, 1895.
Beulah Maie, bom July 25, 1897.
Vera Lelan, born August 19, 1899.
Mary Varda, born April 16, 1901.
Theda Brown, born April 8, 1903.
Katharine West, born June 27, 1907.
This ends the posterity of Solomon Brown, son
of David Brown, and grandson of Michael Braun
of the Stone House.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 127
(section IV) — ^DAVID BROWN, JR., SON OF DAVID
BROWN, SR.
David Brown was a son of David Brown, Sr.,
who lived on the Gold Hill Road near Crane
Creek, brother of Solomon Brown and grandson
of Michael Braun of the Stone House. He was
a farmer and miller; settled on the Baties-Ford
Road near Organ Lutheran Church, and was
a man of good morals. He did not live to a great
age. He was born January 8, 1813; married
Margaret Eddleman. (She was born May 8,
1819.) Both are buried at Organ Church. To
this union were born the following:
Peter A. Brown, born June 11, 1834; buried at
Organ Church.
Eliza Mariah Brown, born March 14, 1837.
Henry Monroe Brown, born March 29, 1840.
Rosa Ann Brown, born January 29, 1843.
Lawrance Brown, born March 4, 1845 ; buried at
Faith.
David Wilson Brown, born March 21, 1848.
Mary Jane Brown, born May 27, 1851.
Peter Brown, son of David Brown, Jr., mar-
ried Eliza S. Lippard. To this union were born
three children :
John David, born August 9, 1857; buried at
Organ Church.
Sarah Ann Jennette, born August 12, 1859.
Laura Alice Cladora, born April 12, 1S64.
12S HISTORY OF THE) MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
John David L. Brown, son of David Brown,
Jr., married Laura A. Harris. To this union
eight children were born :
Florence M. Brown, born October 30, 1883.
William Everette Brown, born March 28, 1887.
Myrtle A. Brown, born September 1, 1888.
Annie V. Brown, born October 24, 1890.
Walter A. Brown, born August 25, 1895.
Maie Brown, born November 29, 1896.
George Henry Brown, bom October 19, 1898.
Effie V. Brown, born November 15, 1901.
Florence M. Brown, daughter of John D. L.
Brown, married N. T. Deaton. To this union five
children were bom. (The names of the children
have not been ascertained.)
W. Everet Brown married Katie Smith. To
this union one child was born. (Name not given.)
Sarah A. Jenette Brown married George A.
Barger. To this union eight children were born :
Curtis jMcCarthy Barger, who had one child.
Burlin Barger, who had three children.
Myrtle Barger, who had one child.
Ada Barger.
Lizzie Barger.
Floyed Barger, who had one child.
Louise Barger.
Elreca Barger.
(The above statement is very meagre, but fur-
ther information is not obtainable. You will un-
derstand that Sarah Ann Jenette Brown had
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 129
eight children, and that some of them had chil-
dren as given above.)
Laura A. C. Brown married A. M. Boger; to
this union one child was born ; Burlie Boger.
Eliza Maria Brown, daughter of David Brown,
Jr., married a Tvliss Edleman and lived some-
where between the old homestead and Enochs-
ville, but we have never been able to trace the
family.
Henry M. Brown was a son of David Brown,
Jr., and of his family we have the following : He
was born March 29, 1840, died February 5, 1872.
On January 1, 1866, he married Mary L. Youst.
She was born October 3, 1843, and died Septem-
ber 1, 1906. From the information we have we
gather that he had the following children :
James J. Brown, born November 20, 1866.
Amanda S. Brown, bora IMarch 16, 1868.
Julia Evelin Brown, born November 17, 1870.
James J. Brown married Etta Co wens on De-
cember 6, 1888. She was born December 12,
1860. To this union were born the following:
Lelia Brown, born October 1, 1889.
Earnest Brown, born September 29, 1891.
Ray Brown, bom January 7, 1894.
Lester Brown, born May 18, 1899.
Evel}!! Brown, born April 15, 1902.
Earnest Brown married Henrietta Humphreys
on Januar>' 30, 1915.
Amanda S. Brown, daughter of Henry Brown,
130 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
married David A. Earnhardt on January 30, 1890.
He was born March 25, 1866. To this union
were born the following:
Clyde S. Earnhardt, born January 10, 1891.
Uza jM. Earnhardt, bom January 13, 1893.
Very B. Earnhardt, bom August 3, 1894.
Cleopatra Earnhardt, born August 15, 1895.
Olga Welock Earnhardt, born November 10,
1903.
Claudio Alfonso Earnhardt, born February 22,
1907.
Julia Evelyn Brown, third child of Henry M.
Brown, and a great-granddaughter of Michael
Braun of the Stone House, w^as bom November
17, 1870, and married Samuel Henry Welock.
He was born October 9, 1865. Soon after their
marriage they moved to Providence, R. I. To
this union were born three children :
Eula Katharine Welock, born April 3, 1891.
Samuel Henry Welock, Jr., bora September 27,
1892.
Mary Ella Welock, born March 30, 1895.
The father, Samuel Welock, Jr., and Mary
Ella, did not live long after moving to Provi-
dence. Julia married well, and she and one child
are still living.
We have but little history of the foUownig
children of David Brown, Jr. :
Eliza Mariah Brown, born IMarch 14, 1837.
Rosa Ann Brown, born January 29, 1843.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 131
David Wilson Brown, born March 21, 1848.
Mary Jane Brown, born May 27, 1851.
Laurance Brown, son of David Brown, Jr., and
great-grandson of Michael Braun of the Stone
House, was born March 4, 1845 ; died February
18, 1919; buried at Faith. He married Margaret
Frances Lippard on December 25, 1885. (She
was born May 1, 1868; died November 5, 1911 ;
buried at Faith.) To this union were born the
following :
Walter Monroe Brown, born August 1, 1886;
died March 3, 1886; buried at St. Paul's.
Robert Luther Brown, born April 15, 1890; died
October 5, 1890; buried at St. Paul's.
Myrtie Joana Brown, bom August 20, 1892 ; died.
Adam Littleton Brown, born January 27, 1894;
died.
David Eli Brown, born July 11, 1899.
Clarance Alexander Brown, born July 7, 1900.
John Boyden Brown, born March 27, 1903.
Lelia Lucile Brown, born September 6, 1908.
Mary Elisa Brown.
Mary Elisa Brown, daughter of Laurance
Brown, married Charlie Wilbert Deal on Decem-
ber 4, 1904. (He was bom January 18, 1882.)
To this union the following children were born:
Murtie Lucela Deal, born October 6, 1905.
Walter Leroy Deal, bom May 11, 1909 ; died July
24. 1909; buried at Faith.
Adam Littleton Brown was married to Bessie
132 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Maie Kluttz on June 4, 1916. (She was born
February 23, 1898.) To this union one child
was born, Clifford Alexander Brown, on June
12, 1917.
This ends the family of David Brown, Jr., as
far as we have been able to ascertain the facts.
(section v) — ^DANIEL BROWN, A SON OF DAVID
BROWN
Daniel Brown was another son of David
Brown, Sr., and grandson of Michael Braun of
the Stone House. He settled in the southwestern
part of Rowan County, west of Organ Church.
His occupation was farming. He had much sick-
ness and many adversities ; did not live to be old,
but was married three times. First to ^Miss Ly-
erly, second to IMiss Leah Troutman and third to
Miss Rimer. To the first union were born three
children :
Allen Brown, born ; died in the Confederate
Army.
Joseph Brown, born November 12, 1864; buried
at St. Peter's.
Margaret Brown, born November 22, 1866.
Margaret married and moved West, and a fur-
ther history of her life is not obtainable.
Joseph Brown married Margaret Holshouser.
(She was born July 18, 1848.) To this union
were born seven children :
John D. Brown, born January 7, 1868.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEIv BROWN FAMILY 133
Gusta Brown, born May 8, 1870.
Lottie Brown, born December 26, 1873.
Martha G. Brown, born June 20, 1877; died
April 10, 1878 ; buried at St. Peter's.
Daisy Brown, bom February 4, 1880.
Flora Brown, born May 18, 1882.
Roxie Brown, born October 8, 1885.
John D. Brown, son of Joseph and Margaret
Brown, was married twice. First to Laura
Linker on January 10, 1888. To this union was
born one child, Beulah Brown, November 16,
1888. The second time to Laura Lingle on
March 23, 1897. To this union were born four
children :
Olna Brown.
Stailey Brown.
Clement Brown.
Kenneth Brown.
Gusta Brown married John Linker on January
10, 1889. To this union were born two children :
Laura M. Linker.
Burtie M. Linker.
Lottie Brown married George Peeler on Feb-
ruary 23, 1896. To this union were born six
children :
Roy D. Peeler, born February 11. 1897.
Banks J. Peeler, born February 11, 1897.
Ina Maie Peeler, bom September 6, 1902.
Raymond H. Peeler, born September 12, 1905.
Herman B. Peeler, born August 19, 1908.
1S4 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Mitchel A. Peeler, born April 12, 1914.
Daisey Brown married H. W. Earnhardt on
October 16, 1904. To this union were bom two
children :
Roy M. Earnhardt, bom January 10, 1906.
Margaret Earnhardt, bom July 23, 1915.
Flora Erown married George A. Lyerly on
October 16, 1904. To this union were born six
children :
Margie Lyerly, born January 2, 1906.
Eeulah Lyerly, bom January 17, 1908.
Leon Lyerly, born December 31, 1910.
Dortha Maie Lyerly, born May 1, 1914.
George J. Lyerly, born March 26, 1916.
Lyerly, born March 17, 1918.
Roxie Brown married Henry Trexler on No-
vember 5, 1903. To this union were born five
children :
Reed Trexler, born August 28, 1904,
Jessie P. Trexler, born November 12, 1908.
Margaret Trexler, born December 22, 1911.
Harold Trexler, born September 3, 1912.
Ida D. Trexler, born July 23, 1917.
Concerning Margaret, daughter of Daniel
Brown, we have learned the following facts : That
she married Monroe Poole, and soon after moved
West. We do not know the date of their mar-
riage. They had two children, one daughter and
one son. Dates of birth not given. Margaret
died some time in February, 1917.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 135
(section VI) — HENRY BROWN, A SON OF DAVID
BROWN
Henry Brown was a son of David Brown and
a grandson of Michael Braun of the Stone House.
He settled on the Gold Hill Public Road about
four and one-half miles from Salisbury; was a
successful farmer, and a man of good Chris-
tian character. He had a large family, but
had much sickness and but few of his children
lived to marry. He was bom November 22,
1814; died November 12, 1887; buried at Christ-
iana. In 1844 he married Magdalena Barger.
(She was bom March 11, 1825; died November
9, 1879; buried at Christiana. His wife also
joined him in the work of the church, and they
were noted for their piety and activity. To the
above union were born seven children :
Peter Monroe, born March 12, 1846; died July
22, 1860; buried at St. Paul's.
Crawford Luther, bom July 14, 1848; died April
21, 1863; buried at St. Paul's.
Manda Currena, born July 17, 1850; died August
26, 1886 ; buried at Christiana.
Carson Alexander, bom November 9, 1852 ; died
May 10, 1910; buried at St. Peter's.
Caleb Husten, born November 16, 1854; died
August 25, 1856; buried at St. Paul's.
Andrew Lewis, born June 2, 1857; died June 14,
1860; buried at St. Paul's.
136 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Margaret Catharine, born January 15, 1860.
Margaret Catharine Brown, daughter of Henry
Brown and great-granddaughter of Michael
Braun, married Martin I^uther Lyerly on Janu-
ar>' 27, 1881. (He was born January 3, 1855.)
To this union were born five children :
Carrie Magdalena Roxana, born January 16, 1882.
Cora Lillie Eleanora, born August 9, 188^1-.
Mary Ida Beaulah, born January 12, 1890.
Paul Jacob Luther, born February 13, 1893.
Ivy Nathan Chrissenbery, born October 30, 1894.
Carrie M. R. Lyerly, daughter of M. Luther
Lyerly, married Liither Cauble on December 26,
1900. (He was born June 26, 1878.) To this
union were born five children :
Guy Herman, born September 22, 1901.
Luther Rang, born September 15, 1904.
Mar\-en Glen, born February 1, 1911.
Ralph Paul, born October 2, 1915.
Claud Nathan, born January 29, 1918.
Paul Jacob Lyerly, son of Luther and Margaret
C. Lyerly, was born February 14, 1893. He mar-
ried Leona Sarah McCombs on June 4, 1917.
(She was born September 12, 1893.) They have
one child, Paul Lyerly, Jr., born February 24,
1918.
Ivy Nathan Chrissenbery, another son of
Luther and Margaret C. Lyerly, married Allene
Glover on May 26, 1918.
]Manda Currena, daughter of Henry Brown,
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 137
married Manelis Safrit, September, 1873. To
this union were born three children :
Margaret Ellen, born February 1, 1874.
Moses Alexander, born April 26, 1875.
Charley Henry Nelson, born December 6, 1877.
Margaret Ellen Safrit married Maxwell Trout-
man in June, 1895. To this union were born
seven children:
Quincy Ernest Walter, born 1895.
Ethel Londary, born 1897.
Beulah Viola, born 1898.
Harvey Eugene, born 1902.
Mary Currena, born 1904.
Benjamin Maxwell, born 1908.
Alma Margaret, born 1915.
Ethel Londary, daughter of Ellen Troutman,
married Walter Hobson Kirk in the year 1919.
To this union was born one daughter, Ruth Kirk,
in 1920.
Beulah Viola, second daughter of Ellen Trout-
man, was married to Leslie Godwin in 1920.
Charley Henry Safrit, son of Manda Safrit,
was born December 6, 1877. He married Rhoda
Kestler on June 5, 1903. (She was born April
30, 1877.)
Moses Alexander, son of Manelis Safrit, mar-
ried Ellen Heilig on June 2, 1895. (She was
born November 24, 1865.) To this union were
born two children:
13S HISTORY. OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Arthur Odell, born August 22, 1901 ; died July 28,
1902; buried at St. Paul's.
Ivy Richard, born July 8, 1903.
Carson Alexander Brown, son of Henry
Brown, married Martha M. Lyerly on February
24, 1881. (She was born September 9, 1860.)
To this union were born five children:
Annie Josephine, born July 8, 1882.
Harvey Jeremiah, born January 14, 1884.
Clarence Alexander, bom June 23, 1887.
Irvin J., born July 5, 1892.
Lewis Luther, born July 22, 1894.
Annie Brown, daughter of Carson Brown, mar-
ried David Brady. To this union were born six
children.
Harvey Jeremiah Brown, who married a Miss
Brady.
Clarence Brown, who married Fannie Bost.
Irvin Brown, son of Carson Brown, who mar-
ried Ester Trexler.
Lewis Brown, who married Beulah Peeler.
(section VII) — JEREMIAH BROWN, A SON OF
DAVID BROWN
Jeremiah Brown was a son of David Brown,
Sr., and a grandson of Michael Braun. He died
young, and was buried at the Stone House.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 139
(section VIII) — ANDREW BROWN, A SON OF DAVID
BROWN
Andrew Brown was a son of David Brown, and
a grandson of Michael Braun. He married and
had two children, but died in a few years after
marriage, some sixty or seventy years ago, and
was buried at the Stone House. Further history
of that family is lost. We think the children
were boys but are not able to tell what has become
of them.
(section IX) — GEORGE BROWN, A SON OF DAVID
brown, and isabella brown, his
wife's sister
George Brown, son of David Brown, and
grandson of Michael Brown of the Stone House,
lived on the old home place of his father, David
Brown, and we believe died there. He was a
farmer and had made a successful start in the
world, but after a few years of married life, he
was called away by death and buried at the Stone
House. He married Mariah Brown, and to this
union were born two children:
Nathanuel Boyden.
Mary Jane.
Nathanuel Boyden married Louretta Beaver.
To this union were bom two children :
Albert BrowTi.
Edward Brown.
140 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Edward Brown married Cora Holobough. To
this union were born the following children :
Ethel Brown.
Lula Brown.
Hirum Brown.
Albert Brown was married twice ; his first wife
was Molly Holobough. To this union were born
three children. His second wife was Miss Lula
Stirewalt. To this union was born one child.
Mary Jane Brown, daughter of Mariah Brown,
married Calvin Cruse. To this union were born
four children :
John Cruse.
Alice Cruse.
George Cruse.
Henry Cruse.
John Cruse married Jane Ritchie. To this
union were born five children :
Omer Cruse.
Karle Cruse.
Marven Cruse.
Ethel Cruse.
Hazel Cruse.
Alice Cruse married Lawne Kluttz. To this
union was born one child, who died young.
George Cruse married Pearle Ritchie. To this
union were born five children:
Delma Ritchie.
Roy Ritchie.
Pauline Ritchie.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 141
Lillian Ritchie.
Sada Ritchie.
Loucile Ritchie.
This ends the family of George Brown, but his
widow was of the Brown family, and she was
married again to Paul Misenheimer. To this
union were born three children :
Margaret Misenheimer.
John Misenheimer.
George Misenheimer.
Margaret Misenheimer married first David
Bostian. To this union were born three children :
Effie Bostian.
Ida Bostian.
Bessie Bostian.
Effie Bostian married Charles Stirewalt. To
this union were born six children:
Roy Stirewalt.
Harry Stirewalt.
Pauline Stirewalt.
Price Stirewalt.
Ralph Stirewalt.
Reubin Stirewalt.
Ida Bostian married a Mr. Stirewalt. To this
union were born five children :
Opal Stirewalt.
John Lewis Stirewalt.
Walter Stirewalt.
Welden Stirewalt.
Amelia Stirewalt.
142 HISTORY OF THE MICH.\EL BROWN FAMILY
Bessie Bostian married William Cline. To this
union were bom four children :
Howard Cline.
Margaret Cline.
W. A. Cline.
Annie Cline.
George Misenheimer, son of Alariah Brown,
was married twice ; first to Celia Peeler. To this
union were born four children:
Charley Misenheimer.
Sidney Hisenheimer.
Roy Misenheimer.
Beulah Misenheimer.
George Misenheimer's second wife was Mrs.
Minnie Rendleman; to this union there are no
children.
Sidney Misenheimer, son of George Misen-
heimer, married Nora Brown. To this union
were born three children. (Their names are not
given.)
Charley Misenheimer, son of George Misen-
heimer, married Bessie Peeler. To this union
were born six children :
Fannie Misenheimer.
Roy Misenheimer.
(The names of the others are not given.)
John ^lisenheimer, son of Mariah Brown, mar-
ried Sarah Peeler. To this union were bom
seven children:
Cappie Misenheimer.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 143
Rosco Misenheimer.
Fannie JMisenheimer,
Maggie Misenheimer.
Daisy Misenheimer.
Pearle Misenheimer.
Charley Misenheimer.
This ends the history of the George Brown
family through Mariah Brown and her posterity
through George Brown ; and her second husband,
Paul Misenheimer. This family of Misenheim-
ers and their children come into the family of
the Browns because their mother was a Brown,
and a cousin to her first husband, George. She
came through the family of Moses Brown, a son
of Michael Braun of the Stone House.
In this connection, although a little out of the
regular line, we refer to her sister, Isabella
Brown, who was bom August 20, 1843, and was
married to David Lawson IMiller on November
29, 1865, by Rev. Butler. They lived in Rowan
a short tim.e, and then moved West, travelling
from place to place for a number of years, finally
settling down in Arkansas. To this union were
born eight children:
David William ^liller, bom February 3, 1867;
died March 15, 1867.
George Simeon Miller, born April 29, 1868.
Laura Anna Catharine Miller, born September
14, 1870.
Bertha Mosella Miller, born December 28. 1872.
144 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEI. BROWN FAMILY
Albert Zebedee Miller, born June 14, 1876.
Ira Welker Miller, born December 14, 1878.
David Lee Miller, born May 13, 1882.
Anna Bell Miller, bom February 3, 1887.
David Lawson died some time in 1919.
(section X) MARY BROWN, A DAUGHTER OF
DAVID BROWN
We now return to David Brown's family, and
his daughter Mary Ann. She was a grand-
daughter of Michael Braun of the Stone House ;
was born August 14, 1825 ; lived to a good old
age ; was much thought of by all, and was known
by the familiar name of "Aunt Mary." She
married John J. Miller. (He was born January
15, 1819.) To this union were born three
children :
Boyden A. R. Miller, born December 18, 1847.
Luther E. Miller, born May 1, 1849; died young;
buried at Organ Church.
Carson C. Miller, born February 26, 1852; died
young; buried at Organ Church.
Boyden A. R. Miller, son of John J. and Mary
Ann Miller, was married twice. First to Annie
L. Bost, who was born August 30, 1848. To this
union were bom two children :
John L. C. Miller, born October 20, 1870.
Carry R. Miller, born September 27, 1872; died
and is buried at St. Luke's.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 145
He was married the second time to Frances B.
Shives. To this union three children were born :
Lizzie J. Miller, born July 30, 1880.
Charlie A. Miller, born April 18, 1882.
Martha L. Miller, born October 24, 1883.
John L. C. Miller, son of Boyden A. R. Miller,
married Minnie Fisher. To this union one child
was bom, Arthur Miller.
Carrie A. Miller, daughter of Boyden A. R.
Miller, married George D. Peeler. To this union
ten children were born :
lUirley S. Peeler.
Eula May Peeler.
II oy A. Peeler.
Annie Lee Peeler.
Pcarle Peeler.
Sadie L. Peeler.
Mary Ray Peeler.
Lcthid M. Peeler.
Addie Ruth Peeler.
Helen Elizabeth Peeler.
Lizzie J. Miller, daughter of Boyden A. R.
Miller (by his second wife), married George
Holshouser. To this union two children were
l>orn :
Harry Holshouser.
CIco Holshouser.
Charley A. Miller, son of Boyden A. R. Miller
< by his second wife), married Esther Fisher. To
tl'.H union no children are born.
146 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEI, BROWN FAMILY
Martha L. Miller, daughter of Boyden A. R.
Miller (by his second wife), married Clarence
Kluttz. To this union one child was bom, Gladis
Kluttz.
(Si:CTlON Xl) — CHRISTINA BROWN, A DAUGHTER
OF DAVID BROWN
This ends the posterity of Michael Brown, of
the Stone House, through his son David Brown,
with the exception of one daughter, Christina
BrowTi, who married a Mr. Kluttz, and moved to
Dongola, 111. So far we have not been able to
find any further trace of the family other than
that they had children, but we have not learned
their names nor their addresses. Christina was
one of the oldest children of David Brown's
family. We have now covered the ground of but
one of old Michael Brown's children, viz., David.
There are four other boys to refer to, but con-
cerning some of them our history is limited.
CHAPTER IV
JAMES BROWN, the: SECOND BRANCH OF THE
BROWN TREE
James Brown was a son of Michael Braun of
the Stone House. He settled on a part of his
father's land, near Crane Creek, not more than a
mile from his birthplace. At this time the coun-
try was still wild, and httle cleared, hence he had
to build and settle in the woods, but he soon had
a comfortable home, built of logs, and the cracks
plastered with mortar as was common in that
day. He cleared up considerable land and culti-
vated it successfully; raised a large family of
children, nearly all of whom settled near him and
westward. Nearly all of David's children settled
southward and near the public road from Salis-
bury. Hence, for a time there was no other name
known on this road from Salisbury to near the
Hampton Creek, about six miles. At one time
one-half of the population of Salisbury was com-
posed of Browns. Much of his history has been
lost. We do not know when he was born, when
he died or where he was buried (but believe it
was at the Stone House). We are also without
any information concerning his wife, but know
that they had a large family of children:
1-17
148 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
James Brown, Jr.
Allen Brown.
Alexander Brown.
William Brown, who married Caroline Fisher.
Jeremiah Brown.
George Brown, who died single.
Polly Brown, who married Felty Pence.
Lisa Brown, who married Paul Miller; born
January 4, 1812; died May 26, 1895; buried
at Organ Church.
Suchy Brown, who married Noah Reaves.
Sally Brown, who married IMichael Heilig.
Margaret Brown, who married George Holo-
bough.
In all six sons and five daughters ; as to many
of them the dates of births and deaths have been
lost.
(section i) JEREMIAH BROWN, A SON OF JAMES
BROWN
Jeremiah Brown was a son of James Brown
and grandson of ^Michael Brown of the Stone
House. He married a Miss Mary Brown, and
settled near the Gold Hill Road eight miles south-
east of Salisbury. His occupation was farming,
at which he made a comfortable Hving. All his
children were girls :
Margaret Brown, buried at Christiana.
Sarah Brown, buried at St. Peter's.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 149
Clementine Brawn.
Elizabeth Brown, buried at St. Peter's.
Mary Brown, buried at Lower Stone.
Margaret Brown married Edward Bame. They
settled near the Rimer Mine, adjoining the lands
of Solomon Brown. To this union three children
were bom :
Rosa Ann Bame, born May 2, 1847; buried at
Rockwell.
Polly Bame, born May 23, 1850.
Rev. Richard L. Bame, born March 28, 1862;
died and buried in the West.
Rosa Ann, daughter of Edward and Margaret
Bame, married a Mr. Cazort. To this union four
children were bom :
Edgar Cazort.
Jessee Cazort.
Thomas Cazort.
Paul Cazort.
Edgar Cazort married a Miss Cauble.
Polly Brown, daughter of Edward and Marga-
ret Bame, married William Parker. To this
union five children were bom :
Dovie Parker, buried at Christiana.
John Parker, buried at Christiana.
Martin Parker.
Maggie Parker.
George Parker.
Martin Parker married a Miss Aery. To this
union three children w^ere born :
150 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
May Parker, bom May 30, 1905.
Hoy Parker.
Luther Parker.
Maggie Parker married John Aery. To this
union five children were born :
Ila Aery.
Emma Aery.
Carrie Aery.
Molley Aery.
Mary Aery.
George Parker married a Miss Misenheimer.
To this union three children were born :
Money Parker.
Harold Parker.
Clifford Parker.
Sarah Brown, daughter of Jeremiah and Mary
Brown, lived with her sister, Elizabeth, and died
unmarried.
Elizabeth Brown married Andrew Barger (this
being his second marriage). To this union two
children were bom :
Paul Barger.
Thomas Barger.
Paul Barger married a Miss Phillips. To this
union one child was born, who died young.
Thomas Barger married a Miss Kluttz. To
this union seven children were bom, whose names
and dates of births cannot be ascertained.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 151
(section II) — JAMES BROWN, JR., A SON OF
JAMES BROWN
James Brown, Jr., was a brother of Jeremiah
Brown, and grandson of Michael Braun of the
Stone House. He was married twice; first to
Miss Sarah Rendleman, by whom he had one
child, Laura Mariah Brown (bom August 22,
1837; died July 10, 1916; buried Chestnut Hill).
He lived on the west side of the Gold Hill Road,
joining the old Moses Brown land or Haynes tan
yard. His second wife was Miss Celey Riden-
hour, by whom he had no children.
Laura M. Brown was first married to Otho
Holshouser, a native of Rowan County, on March
10, 1864. This union was of short duration. She
was married the second time to Miles M. Bailey.
(He was born July 23, 1841.) To this last union
four children were born :
Carrie M. Bailey, born November 8, 1867.
Sarah Bailey, born January 2, 1870.
Thomas McClelen Bailey, born July 23, 1871.
Margaret May Bailey, born May 30, 1878.
Carrie Minnie Bailey married William Arthur
Fries, of Mt. Pleasant, N. C, on August 14, 1889.
To this union four children were born :
Verona Eulala Fries, born October 15, 1890.
Mabel Leone Fries, born June 15, 1894.
Harold Fries, born May 11, 1899.
Richard Edison Fries, born June 25, 1901.
152 HISTORY OF THE MICHx\EIv BROWN FAMILY
Verona Eulala Fries married Lacy Dayvault
Hines, of Brown Summit, N. C, on October 26,
1909. To this union one son was bom, Edward
Dayvault Hines, on December 19, 1910, who is
also a great-grandson of Miles M. and Laura M.
Bailey. She was married the second time to Wil-
liam Washington Cruse, of Oxford, N. C, on
July 26, 1914.
Mabel Leone Fries married Frederic Marven
Dick, of Greensboro, N. C, on August 10, 1915.
Margaret May Bailey married Samuel Clark
Peacock, of Davidson County, N. C, on June 29,
1904. To this union three children were born :
Walter Bailey Peacock, born May 2, 1907.
Helen Elizabeth Peacock, bom May 3, 1911.
Margaret Clark Peacock, born July 16, 1913.
This brings the family of James Brown, a
grandson of old Michael Brown, down to 1915.
(section hi) — ALEXANDER BROWN, A SON OF
JAMES BROWN
Alexander Brown was a brother of the James
Brown above mentioned, and a grandson of Mich-
ael Braun of the Stone House. He also located
on the Gold Hill Road two and one-half miles
from Salisbury. His occupation was that of a
farmer, at which he made a successful living;
owned a number of slaves and accumulated con-
siderable property. He was born in 1804, died in
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 153
1892, and buried at St. Paul's. His first wife
was Betty Walton, whom he married in 1835.
To this union three children were born :
Adam Brown, born 1839; died 1887; buried at
St. Paul's.
Henry Brown, born May 10, 1851.
Mariah Brown, born 1839.
He was married the second time to Miss Sophia
Miller. To this union three children were born:.
Jennie Brown, born November 4, 1853.
Catharine Brown, born December 29, 1855.
Laura S. Brown.
Adam Brown, son of Alexander Brown, died
while a young man, and unmarried.
Mariah Brown married John Bringle. (He
was born in 1865.) To this union six children
were bom :
W. A. Bringle.
Robert Bringle.
Hattie Bringle.
Margaret Bringle.
Thomas Bringle.
Jennie Brown, daughter of Alexander Brown
(by his second wife), married John Crosset. To
this union four children were born :
Cora Lee Crosset, born September 23, 1871.
Mary J. Crosset, born March 5, 1873.
John T. Crosset, born May 22, 1875.
Bessie H. Crosset, born July 7, 1889.
IM HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Catharine R. Brown, daughter of Alexander
Brown (by his second wire), married J. J. Sloop
on December 12, 1878. To this union six children
were born :
Lon Leyburn Sloop, born October 6, 1879.
Lila Caroline Sloop, born July 19, 1881.
Marga Bell Sloop, born September 1, 1884.
Wilburn Eddie Sloop, born August 8, 1888.
Harry Alexander Sloop, born May 15, 1891.
Clifton Brown Sloop, born June 16, 1893.
Lon Leyburn Sloop, son of J. J. and Cath-
arine Sloop, married Carry Carlyle Tuttle on
August 31, 1911. To this union no children were
born.
Lila Caroline Sloop, daughter of J. J. and
Catharine Sloop, married George F. Seyfert on
May 1, 1902. To this union four sons were born :
George F. Seyfert, Jr., born January 13, 1903.
Charles King Seyfert, bom April 23, 1904.
William Paton Seyfert, born September 21, 1907.
Wilburn Eddie Sloop, daughter of J. J. and
Catharine Sloop, was inarried to Daniel Worth
Plyler on October 12, 1910. To this union no
children have been born.
Laura Sally BrowTi, daughter of Alexander
Brown (by his second wife), and a sister of
Catharine Brown, was married. This ends the
family history of Alexander Brown.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 153
(section rv) — ^ALLEN BROWN, A SON OF JAMES
BROWN
Allen Brown was another son of James Brown
and a grandson of Michael Braun of the Stone
House. Beyond the fact that he married Polly
Smithdeal we have no further record of this
family.
(section v) — WILLIAM BROWN, A SON OF JAMES
BROWN
William Brown (born in 1815; died in 1867)
was another son of James Brown, St., and a
grandson of old Michael Braun of the Stone
House. He settled near his father ; probably on
a part of his land, and engaged in farming, at
which he was very successful. He was of a good
moral character, a trait inherited by all the mem-
bers of the Brown family. He married Carolina
Fisher and to this union were born :
Alice Brown.
James Brown.
William Sylvester Brown.
Margaretta Brown.
Thornton Brown.
Several other children died young, of whom
we have no record.
Alice Brown married Henry Kirk.
Margaretta Brown married Stephen Kirk.
156 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
William Sylvester Brown married a Miss
Bailey.
All those who grew to maturity married and
had large families. As far as known, all of
William Brown's children are dead with the ex-
ception of Alice Kirk, of Salisbury, N. C, and
William Sylvester Brown, of Granite Quarry,
who was bom about three-quarters of a mile from
the Stone House, January 7, 1852. On Decem-
ber 18, 1872, he married Martha Maria Bailey, a
native of Iredell County, who was born Septem-
ber 8, 1849. To this union were born seven
children :
Agnes Josephine, born October 7, 1873.
Robert Maxwell, born August 23, 1875.
Mamie Puella, born July 22, 1877; died October
29, 1887.
Josy Sylvester, bora January 8, 1881.
James Aaron, born June 14, 1884.
Celia Zulema, born March 31, 1887.
Charlie Ferley, born June 5, 1890.
Agnes Josephine married James Pinkney Trex-
ler, of Salisbury, N. C. They have no children.
Sylvester married Angie Thompson, of
Chester, S. C. Their children are :
Sarah Agnes.
Grace Augusta.
Ivey Sylvester, Jr.
Robert Maxwell, Jr.
James Aaron married Ai^nes Pauline Tucker
HISTORY OF the; MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 157
on December 23, 1908. To this anion were born
Catharine Mariah, Alma Marie, Agnes Gertrude
and ]Mary Elizabeth Brown.
Ceha Zulema married D. Green Witt, of Mt.
Airy, N. C. They have two children, Charley
Franklin and Louise Brown Witt.
At the time of this writing, Robert M. Brown
and Charley F. Brown are unmarried, and living
with their parents at Granite Quarry, N. C.
(section VI) — IvISA E. BROWN, A DAUGHTER OE
JAMES BROWN
Lisa E. Brown (born January 4, 1812; died
May 26, 1896, and buried at Organ Church) was
a daughter of James Brown and a granddaughter
of old Michael Braun of the Stone House. She
married Paul Miller (he was born December 23,
1811; died February 24, 1859; buried at Organ
Church), and to this union were born the fol-
lowing children:
George A. Miller, born in 1835 ; died December
12, 1861 ; buried at Organ Church.
Henry Miller, date of birth unknown. He was a
Confederate soldier, killed on the battlefield
of Sharpsburg, and buried at same place.
Laura C. Miller, born November 8, 1838; died
February 26, 1902 ; buried at Organ Church.
Mary L. Miller, born September 20, 1840; at the
time of this writing is living at Blowing
Rock.
158 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEI< BROWN FAMILV
John R. Miller, bom in 1874. He married a Miss
Holshauser, had a family of children, suf-
fered a fracture of the skull, died at Mor-
gantovvn and was buried at the same place.
The date of his death cannot be ascertained.
J. Allen Miller, born November 28, 1847. At the
time of writing living near the old homestead
not far from the village of Rockwell, N. C.
(section VII ) — SALLY BROWN, A DAUGHTER OF
JAMES BROWN
Sally Brown married Michael Heilig and lived
near St. Paul's Church. To this union the fol-
lowing children were born :
Mary Ann, married Miles Rusher.
Henry, married Caroline Julian.
Richard, married Louretta Miller.
Elizabeth, married Jacob Peeler.
Margaret, married Moses Peeler.
George, married Julia Holshouser.
Allen, married Mary Julian.
Amanda Jane, married John F. Heilig.
Most of these children are dead and buried in
the cemetery of St. Paul's Lutheran Church.
As far as our present information goes this
ends the posterity of Michael Braun of the Stone
House through his son James Brown.
We know the remaining children of James
Brown, both boys and girls, had large famihes,
but their line could not be traced.
CHAPTER V
MOSES BROWN, THE THIRD BRANCH OF THE
BROWN TREE
We will now go back to Michael Braun of the
Stone House, and take up his third son, Moses
Brown. The foregoing statistics or dates all refer
to Michael Brown's posterity of two of his sons,
David and James. We regret not having as much
histor>' of Mr. Brown's other children as of the
first two already mentioned.
Moses Brown settled on a part of his father's
tract of land near Crane Creek, three miles from
Salisbur>', near, or on what is now known as the
public road from Salisbury to Gold Hill. He
was a successful farmer and tanner. The tan
yard was in existence up to the time of Thomas
Haynes and known to many as the Ha>'nes
Tanyard.
Moses Brown married Catherine Swink. To
this union were born nine children :
Michael Brown, born December 28, 1797; died
Nov. 28, 1849.
David Brown.
Peter Brown, born ; died October 31, 1812; buried
in Salisbury.
Moses L. Brown, bom November 11, 1800.
159
160 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Alfred Brown.
Henry W. Brown, born July 27, 1814; died April
19, 1852.
Mumford Brown.
Sarah Brow^n.
Sophia Brown.
SECTION I
Moses L. Brown, son of iMoses Brown, and
grandson of Michael Braun of the Stone House,
was married to (name is not known). To this
union eight children were born :
Maria Brown.
Harriet Brown.
Laura L. Brown, born February 18, 1832.
Rebecca C. Brown, born April 9, 1834.
Henrietta Brown.
Sarah A. Brown, born October 7, 1840.
Lawson W. Brown.
Julia A. Brown, born November 27, 1842.
The following marriages of the children of
Moses Brown are obtainable :
Laura L. Brown, married Thomas W. Haynes.
Rebecca C. Brown, married IMartin Richwine.
Julia A. Brown, married Thomas P. Johnson.
From Rebecca C. Brown's marriage with Mar-
tin Richwine seven children were bom :
Margaret Lotitia Richwine, born August 2, 1856.
Moses L. Brown Richwine, born September 6,
1859.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEI, BROWN FAMII.Y 161
Eva Mebane Richwine, born December 17, 1865.
Hannah Brown Richwine, born June 17, 1868.
Lillie Martin Richwine, born January 10, 1874.
Daisy Rebecca Richwine, born January 10, 1874.
Carrie Holms Richwine, bom January 4, 1876.
Eva M. Richwine married a Mr. Nicholas. To
this union eleven children were born :
Millie Bernard Nicholas, born January 1, 1885.
Robert Sumneral Nicholas, born January 15, 1887.
Joseph Martin Nicholas, born October 29, 1888.
John Russell Nicholas, born August 18, 1890.
Val Richwine Nicholas, born March 10, 1893.
Henry Benson Nicholas, born October 27, 1895.
Eva Rebecca Nicholas, born April 27, 1898.
Cyrus Barnhill Nicholas, born October 22, 1900.
Moses Brown Nicholas, born November 27, 1902.
Dan Miller Nicholas, born March 6, 1905.
Adelaide Huburt Nicholas, born March 5, 1907.
SECTION II
We will now take up Michael Brown's family.
This Michael was a son of Moses Brown and
settled near the old home on the road leading
from Salisbury to Mt. Pleasant by Organ Church.
He was a good farmer, had considerable land on
Crane Creek and was successful. This was a
part of the land owned by old Michael Braun
of the Stone House, and probably a part of his
father's estate owned by Moses Brown. He
married Lizzie Rusher, and though the dates of
162 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
death are not obtainable, they are both buried
at St. Paul's. To this union eight children were
bom:
Richard C. Brown, born in October, 1830; buried
at Lower Stone Church.
Mariah Brown ; buried at St. Paul's.
Isabella Brown, born August 20, 1843.
(Isabella's family is recorded elsewhere.)
Sarah Brown married Wilson Fisher; buried at
St. Paul's.
Maxwell Brown died young ; buried at St. Paul's.
Jane Brown married Lawson Fisher; buried at
Lower Stone Church.
Richard C. Brown, son of Michael Brown, Jr.,
married Mary Cladora Miller. (She was born
July 6, 1837.) Mary Cladora was married the
third time to Alexander Peeler and was buried
at St. Luke's Reformed Church. To Richard C.
Brown's union with Claroda Miller were bom six
children :
John A. M. Brown, born March 1, 1857.
Martha Jane Brown, born March 16, 1859.
Alfred W. Brown, born July 7, 1861.
George V. Brown, bom July 21, 1863.
Lillie J. C. Brown, born June 15, 1866.
George E. Brown, born May 22, 1869.
John A. M. Brown, son of Richard C. Brown
and great-grandson of old Michael Braun of the
Stone House, married Martha J. Bostion. (She
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 163
was born March 4, 1864.) To this union twelve
children were born :
George F. Brown, born March 2, 1880.
Bessie C. Brown, born January 24, 1883.
Charley M. Brown, born February 25, 1885.
Richard C. Brown, Jr., born Februarys 23, 1887.
Jacob H. Brown, born January 19, 1889.
Lelia J. Brown, born June 26, 1891.
Nora Brown, born May 20, 1894.
James Brown, born April 25, 1896.
Paul A. Brown, born May 20, 1899.
Zola Brown, born i\Iay 1, 1902.
Theodore R. Brown, bom October 13, 1905.
Mable Lee Brown, born January 16, 1910.
George F. Brown, son of John A. M. Brown,
married S. A. Josey. (She was born December
18, 1879.) To this union three children were
born:
Ethel Maie Brown, born March 2, 1902.
Ray V. W. Brown, born April 11, 1903.
Yerm A. Brown, born July 5, 1905.
Richard C. Brown, Jr., son of John A. M.
Brown, married Maggie Greene. (She was bom
July 14, 1890.) To this union two children were
bom:
Craige A. C. Brown, born March 26, 1912.
Thayer J. L. Brown, born August 29, 1913.
Jacob H. Brown, son of John A. M. Brown,
married Annie h. Kluttz. (She was bom March
27, 1891.) To this union two children were born :
164 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Sidney Floid Brown, born May 19, 1912.
Peami i\L J. Brown, bom August 16, 1914.
Charley M. Brown, son of John A. M. Brown,
married Mittie J. Lefler. (She was born Sep-
tember 2, 1883.) To this union four children
were born :
Raman P. Brown, bom November 19, 1906.
Lola G. Brown, bom September 20, 1910.
Anna M. J. Brown, bom September 24, 1914.
Annia L. L. Brown, born September 24, 1914.
Bessie Brown, daughter of John A. M. Brown,
married George J. Bost. (He was born Septem-
ber 10, 1880.) To this union three children were
born:
Essie Maie Bost, bom March 4, 1903.
John A. L. Bost, born March 30, 1910.
Lenie B. Bost, bom April 16, 1913.
LeUa J. Brown (born March 26, 1891) was a
daughter of John A. M. Brown and married
Charley B. Fisher. (He was bom November 26,
1891.) To this union two children were born:
Hazel J. Lee Fisher, bom August 31, 1913.
Thealma A. Fisher, born September 7, 1915.
Lawson W. Brown, son of Richard C. Brown
and grandson of Michael Brown, Jr., married
Frances M. Rinehart. (She was born May 1,
1869.) To this union three children were born:
Clarance E. Brown, born November 13, 1892.
Rowal R. Brown, born May 12, 1900.
George H. Brown, born November 10, 1905.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 1C5
George E. Brown, son of Richard C. Brown
and grandson of Michael Brown, Jr., married
Clara R. Kluttz. (She was born May 9, 1873.)
To this union four children were born :
Lester L. Brown, born November 30, 1893.
Rodell C. Brown, born October 25, 1895.
Lucious W. Brown, born July 29, 1900.
Myrtle M. L. Brown, born September 22, 1902.
Lillie S. C. Brown, daughter of Richard C.
Brown and granddaughter of Michael Brown, Jr.,
married H. W. Bost. (He was bom July 14,
1861.) To this union five children were born :
Richard G. Bost, born January 9, 1885.
Martha D. Bost, born June 26, 1887.
Clarance A. Bost, born August 26, 1891.
Trula M. Bost, born August 24, 1900.
Minnie L. Bost, born September 11, 1904.
Richard G. Bost married Lizzie M. Goodman.
To this union one child was born, Zelma B. Bost.
Martha D. Bost married Wilburn R. Riden-
hour. To this union one child was born, Ralph
R. Ridenhour, on April 17, 1907.
Clarance A. Bost married Pearle H. Fisher.
To this union one child was born, Myron Koons
Bost, on September 21, 1913.
As Moses Brown's posterity seems to be the
most complicated of all the Stone House family,
we will give the following history gathered from
John Bass Brown, of Charlotte :
2vIoses Brown, a son of ISIichael Brown, mar-
166 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
ried Catharine Swink. Of this union there were
nine children: Michael S.,- David, Moses L., Peter,
Sophia, Mumford, Sarah, Alfred and Henry W.
SECTION III
Peter Brown, son of Moses Brown, was born
November 21, 1802. On January 3, 1828, he
married Elizabeth Poole. (She was born June
1, 1807.) They had three children: John Lewis
Brown, Margaret C. Brown and Mary Elizabeth
Brown. Mary probably died in childhood, or re-
mained unmarried, as there is no further account
of her. All three of these children were by his
first wife; although he was married three times,
he had no children except by his first wife.
John Lewis Brown, son of Peter Brown, was
born January 8, 1829. On August 23, 1853, he
married Nannie Jane Kerr. They had two chil-
dren. One died when a boy, and the other, Peter
Marshall Brown (born November 12, 1859) mar-
ried Jennie Beacher Bass, of Columbus, Ga. Jen-
nie was born June 27, 1864. They were married
May 14, 1884, and had four children: Carrie
Marshall Brown, born July 11, 1885. She is now
Mrs. Gastin Gilbert Gallaway. They were mar-
ried October 30, 1905, but have no children.
The second child is John Bass Brown, boni
November 27, 1886. He married Mildred Suth-
erland, of Cohoes, N. Y. They were married
September 29, 1910.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 167
The third child is Nancy Kerr Brown, born
October 10, 1888. On April 17, 1912, she mar-
ried D. M. Young. They have one child, a
daughter, Carrie Marshall Young, bom Decem-
ber 3, 1913.
The fourth child was William Jennings Brown,
born July 21, 1892. On October 29, 1914, he
married Mary Wriston Durham.
John Bass Brown has two children, John Bass
Brown, Jr., born September 4, 1911, and Millard
Sutherland, born August 7, 1914.
William J. Brown has no children.
Margaret C. Brown, daughter of Peter Brown,
married Dr. Billiard. (We have made several
efforts to hear from IMargaret's family through
Mrs. Penn Watson and others, but have never
been able to gather any information as to the
posterity of the same. We regret that part of
this family must be left out of this history.)
SECTION rv
Alfred Brown, another son of Moses Brown,
settled in Concord and had two daughters, Sophia
and Sally. He and his brother, Moses L. Brown,
of Salisbury, were both tanners by trade, and
through their energy and skill, and large patron-
age, laid a foundation of wealth for their children.
CHAPTER VI
PETER BROWN, THE FOURTH BRANCH OF THE
BROWN TREE
Peter Brown, the fourth son of Michael Brown
of the Stone House, has not left us a long line of
children. Peter Brown's wife's first name was
Susannah; he died October 31, 1812, aged 56
years. She died November 14, 1816, aged 56
years. To them was born one daughter, Sarah
M., who married Horace B. Satterwhite ; she died
July 10, 1832, aged 40 years, 11 months and 23
days, and is buried with her parents in the Old
Lutheran Cemetery at Salisbury. The above in-
formation was given by Mrs. Rebecca C. Rich-
wine and was obtained from the tombstones in
the above named cemeter}\
168
CHAPTER VII '
JEREMIAH BROWN, THE FIFTH BRANCH OF THE
BROWN TREE
The youngest son of Michael Brown (Braun)
of the Stone House was Jeremiah, who married
the widow of Tobias Furr. By this union three
children were born: Margaret, who married
Thomas 'Dickson ; Delia, who married John
Coughenour, and Col. Jeremiah Michael Brown.
Col. Jeremiah Michael Brown was born in Sal-
isbury, N. C, May 18, 1808, and died March 22,
1868. He is buried in the Lutheran cemetery at
Salisbury. Col. Brown was married four times :
1. His first wife, Margaret (family name un-
known), was born January 8, 1813; died May 2,
1833, and is buried in the Lutheran cemetery at
Salisbury. By this union one child was born,
Margaret Ann, who died in infancy.
2. His second wife, Margaret Laura Fraley,
was born November 2, 1814; died April 23, 1842,
and is buried in the Lutheran cemetery at Salis-
bury. By this union four children were born:
a. William Tobias Brown, the first child, was
bom December 6, 1834, died, and is buried in the
Lutheran cemetery. He married Elizabeth Allen
and by this union six children were born.
IGO
170 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
( 1 ) Annie, who is buried in the Lutheran ceme-
tery, (unmarried).
(2) John, who now lives in Charlotte, N. C,
(unmarried).
(3) Charhe, who is buried in the Lutheran
cemetery, ( unmarried ) .
(4) Jefferson, who is buried in the Lutheran
cemetery, (unmarried).
(5) Fannie, who is buried in the Lutheran
cemetery, (unmarried).
(6) Thomas, who now lives in Salisbury,
(married).
b. Mary Ann Brown, the second child, was
bom November 8, 1836, died August 10, 1908,
and is buried in the Lutheran cemetery (un-
married).
c. Amanda F. Brown, the third child, was born
October 17, 1838, died Januar>^ 11, 1901, and is
buried in the Lutheran cemetery. She married
Frank D. Irvin and by this union two children
were born: (1) Walter, who is buried in the
Lutheran cemetery, and (2) Frank B. Irvin, of
Salisbury, N. C.
d. Henryetta Louisa Brown, the fourth child,
was born September 9, 1840, died August 11,
1904, and is buried at Chester, S. C. She mar-
ried Moses Murr and by this union three children
were bom : William, Magp:ie and Thomas, who
now reside in Chester, S. C.
3. His third wife, Mary Elisa Lucas, was born
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 171
February 22, 1824, died March 4, 1846, and is
buried in the Lutheran cemetery at Salisbury,
N. C.
4. His fourth wife, Charlotte Verble, was born
February 1, 1823, died December 9, 1891, and is
buried in the Lutheran cemetery at SaHsbury. By
this union six boys were born: Charles IMichael,
Jeremiah IMoses, John Lillington, Joseph Pink-
ney, Thomas Franklin and Robert Lee.
a. Charles Michael Brown, the first son, was
born in Salisbury, October 15, 1848, and died in
Washington, N. C, March 3, 1919. When quite
a young man Charles moved to Washington, N.
C, where he became one of her most sterling and
worthy citizens. In 1871 he married Mary Mar-
tin, daughter of Edwin ]Martin, of the same city.
By this union there were three children : Dr. E.
M. Brown, Charlotte Brown (^Irs. F. C. Kug-
ler) and Charles M. Brown, Jr. These three now
live in Washington, N. C.
h. Jeremiah Moses Brown, the second son, was
bom in Salisbury, August 7, 1850, and is the only
surviving child of this union. Jeremiah has been
twice married :
First, on November 1, 1876, to Virginia Alex-
andria James, daughter of Thomas S. James, of
Virginia. By this union two children were born:
Lucy Virginia (Mrs. Walter A. Goodman, of
Salisbury) and Jeremiah Alexander Brown, who
died in infancy.
1T2 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Second, on March 25, 1885, to Catherine Clem-
entine Krider, daughter of the late Charles C.
Krider. By this union five children were bom:
Marguerite McKinnon and Charles Krider, who
died in infancy, and Francis Kenneth, Bessie
Brandt and Charlotte McNair, who now reside in
Salisbury, N. C.
c. John Lillington, the third son, was bom July
16, 1852, died September 13, 1898, and is buried
in the Chestnut Hill cemetery at Salisbury. He
married Mary Susan Hauser. One child was
bom, the late D. S. Brown, of Salisbur>% who
died September 9, 1914.
d. Joseph Pinkney, the fourth son, was born
July 30, 1854, at Salisbury, N. C, and died No-
vember 19, 1897, at Washington, N. C. In 1884
he married Lydia Bonner, of Washington, N. C,
who lived only a few years after their marriage.
e. Thomas Franklin, the fifth son, was bom
May 23, 1857, and died January 9, 1902. In 1872
he also moved to Washington, where he lived
until his death.
/. Robert Lee, the sixth son, was born Septem-
ber 19, 1866, and died April 2, 1892. He is buried
in the Lutheran cemetery at Salisbury, N. C.
CHAPTER VIII
THE SIXTH BRANCH 01? THE BROWN TREE
Michael Brown does not mention his sixth son
in his will ; in all probability he was dead at that
time. It is generally conceded that the three
daughters, children by his first wife, died in in-
fancy and there is a strong possibility that one
son also died early in life. That Michael and
Margareta Brown had six sons is indicated from
his wife's tombstone in the old family graveyard,
but their names are not given. In his will he
gives the names of five. Some say that his sixth
son was named John, and that he was called
" Continental John," because of his heroic service
in the Continental Army during the Revolution-
ary War. This may be, and possibly he lost his
life in battle or died while in the service of his
country. In either case this would account for
his name being omitted from his father's will,
dated 1807.
173
;:."i
CHAPTER IX
CLKMKNTINE BROWN, THE) SEVENTH BRANCH OF
THE BROWN TREE (DAUGHTER BY SECOND WIFE)
Grandpa Braun's second wife was a widow,
Mrs. Reaves, a Maryland lady, whose maiden
name was Wakefield. By her first husband she
had four children : Thomas, Samuel, Sally and
Nancy. Samuel was the late Samuel Reaves,
who was the father of Dr. Samuel Reaves and
Mrs, Sarah Johnson. Nancy and Sally were with
her when she married Michael Braun of the
Stone House. For these two girls he made ample
provision in his last will. Nancy Reaves married
a Mr. Kestler, and was the mother of Mrs. Jane
Price, and the grandmother of Robert Wakefield
Price, and others of Salisbury.
One child, named Clementine, was bom to
Michael Braun by his second wife. She married
Charles Verble. They had a daughter, Eleanora,
who married Thomas E. Brown, and was the
mother of Lewis V. Brown, of Texas, and Frank
Brown, of Salisbury.
174
CHAPTER X
A RESUME OF THE MICHAEI^ BROWN FAMII^Y
HISTORY
As the genealogy of the sons of Michael Braun
of the Stone House is more or less confusing, we
give a brief history in order to bring out more
clearly the branches of the original tree, and here-
with give the limbs by number.
Michael Braun was a native of Pennsylvania
who first settled in Salisbury. After living there
for a time, and accumulating considerable prop-
erty, he built a substantial house in the country
about three miles from Salisbury, which has been
known for more than one hundred and fifty years
as the *' Old Stone House." His first wife was
Margareta, her maiden name is lost. She had
nine children, six sons and three daughters, and
died when about thirty-seven years of age. The
names of the sons as given in his last will and
testament are David, Jeremiah, Moses, Peter and
James. We have no record of the three daugh-
ters and one son. His second wife was a Mrs.
Reaves, a native of Maryland ; her maiden name
was Wakefield. To this last union one daughter
was born, her name was Clementine.
The children by his first wife are referred to
as follows:
175
176 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMIIvY
David Brown and his children, viz.: Michael,
Jacob, SolomonJDavid, Daniel, Henry, Jeremiah,
Andrew, George, Mary Ann and Christina,
Christina Brown married a Mr. Kluttz and
moved to Illinois, in the neighborhood of Don-
gola, but we have never been able to get any trace
of her or her posterity. Jeremiah died young.
Andrew married and had two sons, but of these
two boys no information is obtainable. Of the
remaining children we have a line of their poster-
ity down to the great-grandchildren of old Mich-
ael Braun. We could go further, but think this
is a fair description in this brief history.
Michael Brown, son of David Brown ^nd
grandson of Michael Braun of the Stone House,
had the following children : Elizabeth Commilla
Brown, Mary A. L. Brown, John D. A. Brown,
Sophia Mariah Brown, Isabella C. Brown and
Simeon Jeremiah M. Brown. Jeremiah is a min-
ister of the Gospel, and Isabella and Sophia
Mariah died unmarried.
Jacob Brown, son of David Brown and grand-
son of Michael Braun of the Stone House, had
the following children: Sarah L. Brown, Mary
Clementine Brown, David Brown, Margaret
Brown, Jeremiah Brown, Julia Ann Brown,
Joseph Brown, Jacob C. Brown, Jr., Thomas L.
Brown, Martha J. Brown, and Theophilus Brown.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 177
Of these, Sarah L., Mary Clementine, David,
Jeremiah, Joseph and Theophilus died unmarried.
David Brown, Jr., son of David Brown, Sr.,
and grandson of Michael Brown of the Stone
House, had the following children : Peter Brown,
Elizabeth Mariah Brown, Henry Monroe Brown,
Rosa Ann Brown, Laurance Brown, David Wil-
son Brown, and Mary Jane Brown. Of Rosa
Ann, David Wilson and Mary Jane we have been
unable to get a full history because of death or
removal.
Solomon_Brown, son of David Brown and
grandson of old Michael Braun of the Stone
House, had the following children: Nathan
Brown, Sarah Louise Brown, Calvin L. Brown,
Richard L. Brown, Karamiah Brown, Henry
Maxwell Brown, David L. Brown, Rebecca
Brown, and Martha Ann Brown. Of these,
Sarah Louise, Rebecca, Karamiah and Martha
Ann died young or unmarried. Richard L.
Brown and Henry Maxwell entered the Gospel
ministry; P. D. Brown, a son of Nathan
Brown, also entered the ministry and is at pres-
ent the President of the Michael Brown Family
Association.
Daniel Brown, a son of David Brown and
grandson of old ^Michael Braun, had the follow-
ing children: Allen Brown, Joseph Brown, and
Margaret Brown. Allen Brown died in the Con-
federate Army, leaving no family.
178 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEI, BROWN FAMILY
Mary Ann Brown, daughter of David Brown,
and granddaughter of old Michael Braun, mar-
ried J. J. Miller and had the following children :
Boyden A. R. Miller, Luther E. Miller, Carson C.
Miller. Luther E. Miller and Carson C. Miller
died while young.
Henry Brown, son of David Brown and grand-
son of Michael Braun, had the following chil-
dren: Crawford Luther Brown, Peter Brown,
Manda Currena Brown, Carson Alexander
Brown, Caleb Huston Brown, Andrew Lewis
Brown and Margaret Catharine Brown. Of these
Peter, Crawford, Caleb and Andrew died young,
some of them while children,
George Brown, son of David Brown and grand-
son of old Michael Braun of the Stone House,
had the following children: Nathaniel Boyden
Brown, Mary Jane Brown. This ends the chil-
dren and grandchildren of David Brown, the first
son of Michael Braun of the Stone House.
II
The second limb from the original trunk is
James Brown. His children are as follows:
James Brown, Allen Brown, Alexander Brown,
Jeremiah Brown, William Brown, George Brown,
Polly Brown, Lisa Brown, Euchey Brown, Sally
Brown and Margaret Brown; eleven in all.
James Brown, Jr., son of James Brown, Sr.,
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 179
and grandson of Michael Brown of the Stone
House, had but one child, Laura Mariah Brown.
Alexander Brown, son of James Brown, Sr.,
and grandson of IMichael Braun, had the follow-
ing children: Adam Brown, Henry M. Brown,
Mariah Brown, Jennie Brown, Catharine Brown
and Laura S. Brown.
Jeremiah Brown, son of James Brown, Sr., and
grandson of Michael Braun, had five children:
Margaret Brown, Sarah Brown, Clementine
Brown, Elizabeth Brown and Mary Brown.
William Brown, son of James Brown, Sr., and
grandson of Michael Braun, had several children,
but their names are not obtainable.
Elisa Brown, daughter of James BrowTi, Sr.,
and granddaughter of T^Iichael Braun, married
Paul Miller and had the following children:
George A. ^Miller, Henr>^ Miller, Laura C. Miller,
Mary L. :Miller, John R. Miller and J. Allen Mil-
ler. We have but little information of the re-
maining children of James Brown, Sr., but give
the following: George Brown, of this family,
never married. Polly married Felty Pence.
Suchey Brown married Noah Reaves. Sally
Brown married Michael Heilig. Margaret Brown
married George HoUobough.
Ill
The third limb from the original trunk is
Moses Brown, who had the following children:
ISO HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Michael S. Brown, Moses L. Brown, David
Brown, Peter Brown, Sophia Brown, Mumford
Brown, Sarah Brown, Alfred Brown and Henry
W. Brown. About his children we have the fol-
lowing: Peter Brown had three children — John
Lewis BrowTi, Margaret C. Brown and Mary
Elizabeth Brown. Mary must have died in child-
hood, or unmarried, because we cannot find any
further trace of her. John Lewis Brown, son of
Peter Brown and great-grandson of old Michael
Braun, had two children. One died when a child,
the other was Peter Marshall Brown.
While Peter Brown moved to Charlotte, his
brother Alfred moved to Concord and went into
the tanning business. His children are John
Brown, Rufus Brown, George W. Brown, Mon-
roe Brown and Moses Luther Brown.
Michael S. Brown, son of Moses Brown, and
grandson of Michael Brown, Sr., had the fol-
lowing children: Richard C. Brown, Mariah
Brown, Isabella Brown, Moses Brown, Sarah
Brown, Maxwell Brown, William Brown and
Jane Brown.
Moses L. Brown, Jr., son of Moses Brown, Sr.,
and a grandson of old Michael Brown, had the
following children: Mariah Brown, Harriet
Brown, Laura L. Brown, Rebecca C. Brown,
Henrietta Brown, Sarah A. Brown, Laura A.
Brown and JuHa A. Brown.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 181
IV
Peter Brown, the fourth son of Michael Braun
of the Stone House, has not left us a long line of
children. The most we can gather about him is
that his wife's name was Susanna, w^ho died No-
vember 14, 1816, aged 55 years, and buried in the
Lutheran graveyard in Salisbury, N. C. He died
October 31, 1812, and was buried in the same
graveyard. They had one daughter, Sarah
Brown, who married Horace Satterwhite, but
after a few years of married life, died July 10,
1832, and was buried in the same plot with her
parents.
The reason that the family history of this
Peter Brown, son of Michael Braun, is so compli-
cated is due to the fact that there were several
Peter Browns, and a nephew of his, a son of
Moses Brown, who was also called Peter, moved
to Charlotte, and supposed by some to be the old
Peter Brown of the Stone House ; but the Char-
lotte Peter Brown is a grandson of Michael
Braun instead of being his son.
The fifth son of old Michael Braun was Jere-
miah Brown, who had the following children:
Margaret Brown, Delia Brown and Jeremiah M.
Brown, who was known as CoL Jeremiah Brown.
182 HISTORY OF THE MlCHAEIy BROWN FAMILY
VI
The name of the sixth son is not given. Two
theories have been advanced concerning him ; one
is that he died in infancy and the other is that his
name was John, who became known later as
" Continental John," and that he probably lost
his life in the Revolutionary War. Either theory
would account for his name being omitted from
his father's will, written in 1807. Perhaps like
that of his three sisters, who doubtless died in
infancy, his life will forever remain a closed
chapter.
VII
The seventh branch of Michael Brown of the
Stone House is his daughter Clementine, by his
second wife, born after his will was written. She
married Charles Verble and was the mother of
Eleanor, who married Thomas E. Brown.
I
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CHAPTER XI
The following statements recently received
from Rev. B. S. Brown, are given in full as re-
ceived from him, as we think they will be valu-
able information to many readers of this history.
It does us good to know that we are so nearly
related, and it brings into the Brown relation
many other names not thought of as being a part
of our family. We are so interwoven by mar-
riage and kindred relation that the great majority
of native born citizens of this County and nearby
Counties, are, in some way, related to this great
Brown Family of the Stone House.
SOME EXTRACTS FROM MEMORABILIA AND MUSINGS
By B. S. Brozvfi
I was bom and raised in the County of Rowan,
State of North Carolina. My great-grandfather,
Abraham Brown, came from Pennsylvania to
Rowan County, N. C, not far from the begin-
ning of the Revolutionary War. He settled seven
miles nearly east of Salisbury. He had a farm,
and on it, near the dwelling, was a custom grain-
mill, on a small creek, running towards the Yad-
kin River, only a few miles away. His son Jacob
lived and died at this place. Also a son of Jacob
1S3
184 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEI< BROWN FAMILY
Brown, namely, Jacob Brown, Jr., lived and died
here. Both the Jacob Brown, Sr., and Jacob
Brown, Jr., were buried in the graveyard of
Union Lutheran Church, six miles nearly east of
Salisbury.
Other sons of Jacob Brown, Sr., were : George
Henry, Alexander, and Lewis Tobias. Names of
daughters were: Elizabeth, Nancy, Maria, Cath-
erine and Rachel.
Elizabeth became the first wife of John Rendle-
man, and Nancy was his second wife. A daughter
of this John Rendleman, Maria, became the wife
of a son of Rev. Henry Graeber. Rev. Graeber
was a minister in the Lutheran Synod of North
Carolina from 1828 to 1843.
Maria Brown became the wife of Henry Bar-
ringer. Catherine Brown was married to Moses
Barringer. I think these brothers-in-law were of
little relation to each other, if any. Rachel
Brown's husband was Jacob Holshouser. The
above aunts of myself all lived and died in Rowan
County, North Carolina.
Of my father's brothers, Lewis Tobias was the
youngest. He lived and died in Iredell County,
N. C. One of his daughters, Susan, was mar-
ried to Robert Brown (not a relative). She be-
came the mother of Rev. C. L. Brown, D.D., Dean
of Kyushu Gakuin, the college of the United
Synod South, in the empire of Japan. {Note —
Dr. Brown is now, 1920, a Secretary of the For-
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 185
eign Missions Board of The United Lutheran
Church in America.)
The remaining one of my father's brothers,
Rev. George Henry Brown, received full educa-
tion for the Lutheran ministry. Most of his min-
isterial labors were in the State of Mississippi.
Alexander Brown married a daughter of John
Kistler, To them were bom five sons and two
daughters who lived to maturity. I was the
youngest of tlieir offspring. My birth was No-
vember 19, 1854. The parental home was four-
teen miles west of Salisbury, N. C.
My wife, Mary Catherine Brown, was bom and
raised in the southwestern part of the State of
Virginia, County of Wythe. My wife's ancestors,
both paternal and maternal, were immigrants
from Germany to Pennsylvania in the eighteenth
century. In the latter part of the same century
her great-grandfather, Christopher Brown, came
from Pennsylvania to Wythe County, Virginia.
My wife's grandfather was Michael Brown.
Her father was Josiah Brown. Her mother was
the sister of Rev. L. C. Groseclose, a Lutheran
minister who labored in the Synod of North
Carolina for a period of years. Among near rela-
tives of my wife's father were a number of Luth-
eran ministers: as Rev. James A. Brown, Rev.
John C. Repass, Rev. Stephen A. Repass, D.D.,
Rev. W. R. Brown, and a number of others.
186 HISTO'RY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Prof. Floyd B. Brown, living at Enochville, N.
C, is first cousin to my wife.
A tradition among- some of the Brown family
of Wythe County, Virginia, is to the effect that a
brother of Christopher Brown, who migrated
with him from Pennsylvania, journeyed on to
North Carolina and made his home in the latter
State. It may be that this was a Michael Brown,
known to have settled southeast from SaHsbury,
and to have built and occupied a large stone resi-
dence before the Revolutionary War. And this
North Carolina Michael Brown may have been an
uncle to the Virginia Michael Brown, the latter
having been my wife's grandfather.
The above mentioned North Carolina Michael
Brown was a relative to my great-grandfather,
Abraham Brown. These two relatives settled in
the same vicinity, in the eastern part of Rowan
County.
{Note — The above are extracts from records
made by myself several years ago. Present date
is A. D. 1920.)
Bachman S. Brown, Sr.
Brountville, Tennessee,
July 23, 1920.
The foregoing historical facts given by Rev. B.
S. Brown throws considerable light on some of
the data recorded in another part of this history.
HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY 187
It has been generally agreed that a brother of the
Michael Braun of the Stone House came with
him from Pennsylvania as far as Virginia, and
settled there, and in Rowan it was thought that
this brother^s name was Jacob, but the recorded
history of Virginia is that his name was Christ-
opher Brown, and this must be correct. It has
also been the opinion of the Carolina Browns that
they were in some way intimately related to the
Browns of Virginia. This historical information
connects the ancestors of Mrs. B. S. Brown, of
Virginia, and the descendants of Michael Braun
of the Stone House. We wish we had the whole
line of ancestry of this family back to Christopher
Brown, IVIichael Brown's brother. That would
make this book as interesting to the Browns of
Virginia as it is to us in North Carolina. While
Abraham Brown, the great-grandfather of Rev.
B. S. Brown, came from Pennsylvania about the
same time or a little later, he must have been a
relative of these Browns in Pennsylvania or Ger-
many, so there is a place back there where all
these Browns originally came from the same
family.
The Jacob Brown, of Rowan, referred to as
having a custom mill was well known here in past
years, and it was thought that mill was renewed
and finally became the Kistler mill, but we are
told that is not correct ; that some parts of the
Jacob Brown mill still remain, as also the Jacob
188 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
Brown house. These houses, with one or two
near there, were built with shop, or hand-made
nails, as those used in the Stone House. This
httle information makes clear the family relation-
ship of this old Jacob Brown, an ancestor of Rev.
B. S. Brown, and shows that we all come together
somewhere in our ancestry.
CHAPTER XII '
SOME SUGGESTIONS
The writer has experienced much trouble and
expense in getting up this history of the Brown
Family, and yet it is not perfect, because the
records of our forefathers, and that of the
present generation, are ver>' much hmited, and
the children not posted as to the line of their
descent. Some are hardly able to tell who their
grandparents w^ere, and but few, as a rule, are
able to name their great-grandparents, or tell
where they lived. We would therefore suggest
that all who read this book keep a record of their
family relations. For instance, the writer is a
son of Solomon Brown, who was a son of David
Brown, Sr., and David Brown was a son of
Michael Braun of the Stone House. To illus-
trate, the writer is the father of seven children,
their names should be given, the names and dates
of their marriage, names and dates of birth of
their children, and so on as posterity increases.
Such a record would not only be interesting but
valuable. Nearly all of the Brown families can
now take this history and trace their line of
lineage back to the Stone House, and if made a
practice can be easily kept from now on, from one
generation to another.
1S9
190 HISTORY OF THE MICHAEL BROWN FAMILY
A copy of this history should be kept by each
family, together with the records of the Brown
Family Association, as sacred relics and refer-
ences. Many of the old landmarks have already
fallen, and for that reason considerable informa-
tion was unobtainable at this time; the few that
remain are rapidly passing away, even the writer
would never be able to reproduce all the infor-
mation this book contains.
With these things in mind, the book becomes
almost of incalculable value, and those who fail
to keep a book, or a line of their posterity from
now on, will soon lose their line of connection
with the Stone House family and be Hke lost
sheep from this fold.
We make these suggestions for the benefit of
the coming generations. Then it is Biblical, when
the captives came back from Babylon some of
them were put to great inconvenience because
they could not trace their line of descent. iVIay
we ever rejoice in our blessed ancestors, strive to
emulate them in their virtues, build upon their
eternal principles, and never forget the rock from
whence we were hewn.
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