John Browne, gentleman, of Plymouth, (and one branch of descendants to the 12th generation) assistant, commissioner, magistrate, pioneer in New England colonial life ..

JOHN BR^W'm^.Gmkman,

OF PLYMOUTH

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John Browne, Gentleman,

OF PLYMOUTH

(and one branch of descendants to the izth generation)

ASSISTANT, COMMISSIONER, MAGISTRATE,

PIONEER IN NEW ENGLAND COLONIAL LIFE.

He commanded the confidence and

esteem of the Whites and Indians alike.

By GEORGE TILD£N BROWN,

JUSTICE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT
OF RHODE ISLAND.

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To the author s mother^ whose maiden name was
ROXELLANA POTTER,

this volume is dedicated in fond remembrance^

and keen appreciation of maternal devotion^ , .

that cannot be excelled. %^\.

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Foreword

In the preparation of this abridged genea-
logical sketch it has not been the purpose to
recount any considerable portion of the events
of the active and useful life of John Browne,
Gentleman, of Plymouth, in Colonial affairs,
nor to follow the several branches of his
descendants. To do either would require
more time than the author has at his disposal.
The aim has been to present an exhaustive
and accurate account of that branch in which
the author traces his descent. It is hoped
that a fair degree of success has been attained.

.Sprp'^ important events- in the career of
Jon;. ^^ne which tend to indicate Jiis

activity and usefulness in public ctiiairc^,
incidents which reflect his traits of character,
the esteem and confidence in which he was
held by his contemporaries are mentioned,
and incidentally some of the lateral descend-
ants.

Reference to several conveyances is made
for the purpose of establishing relationship
of the persons mentioned with the line of
descent under consideration. Such references,
when not otherwise indicated, are to the
record of Bristol County at Taunton.

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Starting with John Browne, as the First
Generation, a Roman numeral in brackets
placed after a name indicates that the author
traces his descent through such person in the
generation corresponding. Other numerals in
parenthesis in the text corresponding to
numerals in the appended list of references,
indicate the authority on which reliance is
placed for the incident or fact there recorded.

If the persons who connect with this line
of descent from John Browne derive satis-
faction from such information of their ances-
tors as is compiled in this volume the author
will feel compensated for the time and labor
bestowed in its preparation.

Providence, R. I.

November 13, 1919.

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Photographic reproduction of Letter from
John Browne to John Winthrop.

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Legible reproduction of Letter from
John Browne to John Winthrop (i)

Cohaimett, the 3th of November 1640.

Worthy Sr. — Your letter to James Cole I
have delivered, but have noe hope of getting
any money of him: he saith he did owe you
62 li, but three munthes since Wm. Paddy
gave him order to pay 30 li of it to Daniell
Cole of Duxbury, pt whereof he hath already
payed. For the 32 li he saith he hath hope
to get you to spare him yet a year longer.
He saith he hath payed for goods had of
Luxford, by Mr. Paddyes appointment, near
100 li, soe that if Mr. Paddy should seeme to
you that hee would give mee satisfaction, he
is worthy blame for he never spake word to
mee, tending to such an end, worth receiving
an answer from mee. I thought fit to certify
hereof, having soe fit an opportunity as this
bearer, by whome I desyre to heare from you,
if you'' occasions will permit. Soe resting
your loving friend. John Browne. . ^

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John Browne's

ARMORIAL Seal

(As it appears on a deed made by

his son James Browne in 1668)

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^ John Browne, Gentleman [i]

of PLYMOUTH

There were several Johns Browne in and
about Plymouth contemporaneous, or nearly
so, with the early arrival of John Browne,
Gentleman, who is here under consideration.
Among them was John Browne who came in
the ship Lion with Captain Mason in 1632.
He settled at Watertown. His first wife was
Dorothy and his second Mary. He died in
1636 aged 36 (2) (3) ; also John Browne, the
Duxbury weaver, brother of Peter Browne, a
Mayflower passenger; and John Browne,
lawyer, brother of Samuel Browne, both of
whom came in March, 1628, and on October
29th of the following year were sent back.
Neither returned to this country (4) (5) (6) (7) ;
there was also a John Brown who married
Phebe Harding March 26, 1634 (8).

Neither of these is the John Browne, Gentle-
man, here under consideration. Care should
be taken n^t to confound them.

Nothing definite is known of the ancestors,
and little of the early life of John Browne,
Gentleman, of Plymouth. The date and place
of his birth are unknown. He is believed to be
of English descent, and to have been born
about 1583.

11

The names of Mr. John Browne, and his
two sons, John [II] and James, are on the list
of males in Taunton in 1643 between the ages
of sixteen and sixty, subject to military duty
(9); thus it appears that the eldest of the
three could not have been born before 1583,
nor the youngest after 1627.

In his younger years John Browne traveled
extensively into the low countries, and while
so traveling became, says Morton, "acquainted
with, and took good liking to the reverend
pastor of the Church at Leyden, also to sundry
of the brethren of that church, which ancient
amity induced him upon his coming over to
New England to seat himself in the jurisdic-
tion of New Plimouth" (10) (11) (12) (13).

The date of his arrival in America is not
known, but it must have been before September
3, 1634, because at a General Court holden at
Plymouth on that date he was made a fre'^^aan .
of the Colony (14). That the person laade^
freeman as above is the John Browne unc'er
consideration is sufficiently established by ther
following: "John Browne was a freeman of
Massachusetts in 1634, and chosen an Assist-^
ant" (15) (16). In the years 1633 and 16|t
the name of John Browne appears in th^ st
of persons rated for assessment of tax (17)

It is probable, though not definitely estab-
lished, that the John Browne so rated in the
years 1633 and 1634 is the person of that
name here considered.

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The John Browne under consideration was
an English shipbuilder, and came to this
country when about fifty years old with his
wife Dorothy, daughter Mary, and at least
two sons, John and James, bringing a fair
property with him (4) (12).

It seems to be pretty well established from
the foregoing, that he was born about the
year 1583 and arrived in Plymouth in 1633
or possibly shortly before.

His wife, Dorothy, as will be shown further
along, was bom in 1583. That he was a man
of high rank in England appears from the
titles of distinction he received, and by which
he was recognized in New England, to wit,
Mr, Gent, or Gentleman — the highest title
conferred on any of the colonial Pilgrims
(12) (18). Among the degrees of honor
existing in England, which were noble, in the
time of John Browne, was included that of
"Gentleman" (19).

From the beginning he took high rank
among the Pilgrims. He was first chosen
Assistant, January 5, 1635 (20).

Some confusion will be avoided if it is
constantly borne in mind that the new year
at that time began March 25, and that this
continued to be the case until 1752.

After the first General Court holden October
19, 1631, none had voice in the election of officers

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but freemen, none were admitted freemen but
such as were first admitted members of some
church, and out of the more eminent sort of
such the magistrates were chosen (21). The
time when John Browne became a members
of the Church is not known, but it must have
been before he was made a freeman in 1634.
S"; From the time he was first chosen to the last,

he held the office of Assistant continuously,
except in the years 1637 and 1646. In these
years he was not chosen (22). He was last © |

chosen to the office of Assistant in 1655 (23). :n ^

. He held the office longer than any other

person. The office of Assistant was second to f ^
that of Governor, corresponding in our day
somewhat to that of Lieutenant Governor,
and involved also judicial duties, as the Gen-
eral Court of Assistants (18).

John Browne about 1638 removed from
1^ Plymouth to Cohannet. Cohannet was incor-

l» porated by the name of Taunton March 3,

1639 (24). From Taunton he removed to
==^ Rehoboth, where he became a great proprietor

of Wannamoisett included in the ancient
Swansea (16)* At a session of the Grand
Inquest holden March 2, 1640, a present-
ment was returned against George Bowers
"for a defamation against Mr. John Browne,
Assistant" (25). In 1640 the bounds of
Taunton were ranged and fixed by Myles
Standish and John Browne (26).

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John Browne and Myles Standrefi -with
^ others were appointed June 1, 1641, to^^f

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the bounds of Barnstable and Yarmouth (27) .
2 ^_ ^ In 1642 inteUigence of a general conspiracy

intended by the natives to cut off all the
I "^<nghsh in the land reached the colonists,

Whereupon they deemed it necessary to make a

"defensive and offensive war against them
the natives) as if they were presently to be |.

ent forth." To this end on the twenty- |*. |«

-seventh day of September of that year at a ■' s?

General Court a Council of War was raised.

Mr. John Browne was appointed a member of "' -^ *

this Council. Again June 2, 1646, he was ^ § I ?

chosen a member of the Council of War. The

General Court at a session holden April 6, 1653, ^ « c-

decided it was advisable to raise a Council
of War, "In regard of the many appear-
ances of danger towards the country by
enemies and the great necessity of counsel
and advice in that respect." Mr. John

Browne was chosen a member of this Council u j i | «>

(28) (29) (30). -.iir^-

In the year 1643 the Colonies of Massa- '" .^^*^

chusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut and t^a,b«fll

New Haven united into a confederacy for " ' "^ '

their own mutual safety and welfare against 'til*' ^

the Dutch and Indians, and called themselves wcV^ 1

the United Colonies of New England. Each »^|*

colony was authorized to send two Com- .s-u':

missioners to meet annually in September, "^ ^' ^ •

first at Boston, then at Hartford and Ply- | ? K -
mouth (31).

Mr. John Browne was one of the first

Commissioners chosen. He was chosen for "at

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Plymouth and held the office from his fi^^
appointment in 1644 for twelve years i32;)v

In 1645 the government of New Plymouth
"sent Mr. John Brown, one of the magis^
trates, to Aquiday (Aquidnick, Rhode Island)
to forbid Mr. Williams from exercising any
authority there, and laying claim to th^
island" (33).

Mr. John Browne was appointed, June 4,
1646, a member of a commission to prepare
a law for redress of present abuses and for
preventing of future (34). Mr. Browne and
Stephen Paine, July 12, 1649, ''were chosen
to make diligent search to find the most
convenient way between Rehoboth and Ded-
ham" and *lt was agreed that Peter Hunt
should accompany Mr. Browne to Plymouth
to make agreement about the Indian Com-
plaints" (35).

At the General Court holden June 5, 1651,
the following entry was made on the record,
"whereas a petition was formerly preferred
unto this Court by Mr. Hanbery against Mr.
Browne wherein the said Mr. Browne was
much wronged it is ordered that if the said
petition can be found on any of the files it
shall be delivered to him."

The following entry appears on the record
immediately after:

"It was afterwards found, delivered to him
and burned" (36).

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He was deputed, March 1, 1652, to inquire
into the complaint of the neighboring Indians
of Rehoboth, and, *'Mr. John Browne is also
deputed to make inquiry about the man that
seleth strong waters at Providence" (30).

At the General Court holden at Plymouth
June 4, 1652, Mr. John Browne complained
agaiftst Mr. Samuel Newman in an action
of defamation.

The Jury awarded Mr. Browne a verdict
in the sum of £100 damages and charges of
court.

Mr. Browne immediately remitted all of the
verdict except the costs of court.

Mr. Goodwin says of the above incident:
'The independent ways of the old ship-
wright called down some high-handed censure
from his stern and sturdy pastor Newman.
Browne sued the minister for slander, and the
General Court gave him a verdict for 100
pounds damages and 23s costs.

Browne at once arose in court, and like
Holmes, remitted the 100 pounds; vindica-
tion was all he wanted" (4).

He opposed the adoption of rigorous meas-
ures against the Quakers, and entertained
scruples as to the expediency of coercing the
people to support the ministry, although he
was willing to contribute his proportion (37).

John Browne is said to have entertained
tolerant views in religious matters, though

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Roger Williams, in a letter written from
Narragansett, February 24, 1649, to John
Winthrop, Jr., says of him, "Mr. Browne hath
often professed liberty of conscience, but
now the way of new baptism spreads at
Seekonk as well as at Providence and the
Island, I have been so bold as to tell him
that he persecutes his son and the people,
and on the other side Mr. Newman also"
(38).

In 1655 John Browne was deputed to take
the proof of Wills at Taunton. He is said to
have been the first Judge of Probate of
Taunton (18). He was often employed in
settling questions between the Whites and
the Indians, who had great confidence in
him (4).

Only a few isolated instances in the very
active and useful life of John Browne in
colonial affairs are above recorded.

There is much evidence in the^ colonial
records of his time of his activity in both
public and private affairs.

Some interesting information in this regard
may be had by perusal of a little book in
the Rhode Island Historical Society of Provi-
dence, entitled ''^John Browne, Gentleman, of
England and Plymouth Colony,"; also b
reference to 36 New England Histori^^a
Genealogical Register 368.

Mr. Thomas W. Bicknell affords some
very interesting information of John Browne.

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He credits Mr. Browne with the establish-v
ment of a board of tr^da; with being'' llie
founder and purchaser of Stonington, Corin.; . "| ^
and with the estabUshme^t of a government \ ' j
at Kennebeck, Me. ": i

-s Mr. Bicknell further says: '%? -^1^^ ^ "X^-

^ of Henry Vane, the father of "Sil | :^.|if 5^'

Vane, in 1656, Mr. John Browne of vSj-sA'^^ms ^§^

«-t . was sent to take charge of the large e%taie6'
t " of the son, including Raby Castle, in Dur- t

^ : ham, of which Leland says, *It is the largest

I ^ Castel for loggings in all the North Country.'

^ 'f ' Mr. Browne obeyed the call of his English
'^ Patriot-friend, and from 1656 to 1660, made

his home at Raby Castle or at Belleau (22),

another castle in Lincolnshire. His work

was the relief of Sir Harry from financial ,

bankruptcy, acting as he did, as Stewart of

Vane's estate until the return of Charles II

to the throne" (18).

Mr. Bicknell, in another work, says: "The
career of Mr. Brown was of great moment
to Plymouth Colony." "He was a grand
pioneer in the settlement of the towns west
of Plymouth." "He was a wise and faithful
magistrate, liberal in religious views, objecting
T^ to the law that compelled taxation of the
people to support the Gospel" (39).

{ Morton referring to John Browne, says: f

Upon coming to Plymouth, "he was chosen .' j|

a magistrate, in which place he served God

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ai$d the Country several '^ears, he was accorti-
piisherf5"*nth abilities t<> I o^i civil and religious
concernment" (10).

Goodwin says of John Browne: **In all
generations the posterity of the great pioneer
has done credit to its ancestry" (4). i

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He died at-Swansea April 10, 1662 (40) (MJ^^l
Baylies says: He was a man of great piety,
highly esteemed in the colony, and being so; ^ |
near the Indians, by whom he was greatly
regarded, his death was a serious loss" (40).
His wife Dorothy survived him. • ^ I ' »

The following entry appears upon the

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record, "Mistres Dorrithy Browne, the wife a

of Mr. John Browne sen r. deceased Jan. 27, , ^
being in the 90th year of her age or there- •§ t

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abouts, and was buried on the 29th of January,

1673." ^|r jIiJIh r

From this record we lean^nfe was born in k

1583.

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Samuel Gorton, in his defence to the charges
against him, related in Morton's Memorial,
in a communication dated, Warwick, June
30, 1669, referring to a certain book, says:
"I saw it in London, but read little of it; |

and when I came over into these parts, my
ancient acquaintance and friend, Mr. John > ~~m
Browne, discoursing with me about those
affairs in England, told me he had read ^

such a book, printed or put forth by Mr.

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Winslow; I told him I had seen it but read

very little of it. Mr. Browne you know was

a man approved of among you, an Assistant

in your government, a Commissioner for the

: United Colonies etc. who thus spoke unto

me in our discourse (I will not pervert nor

alter a word of the will or words of the dead)

:^ I say, he affirmed unto me That he would

— maintain that there were 40 lies printed in

"" that book'" (43).

^ . ^'t)n one occasion his son James, bearing a p.

~ letter filled with friendly professions dis- s-g^

patched by the government to Philip, arrived ^^^"^

as a war dance was closing. The young men
were anxious to kill James, but Philip pre-

to >i

i^ vented them, saying his father had charged . . '-p

^ him to show kindness to Mr. Browne (44) (45) . ^. ; ?^ s *"^

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James Walker in a letter to Governor
^.. Prince, September 1, 1671, speaking of this
incident says: "Cousin James went down to
Mount Hope, and the dance being broken up
Philip and the most of his chief men were
much in drink so that Philip could not then
give any answer. Only there passed some
words betwixt Philip and cousin James, and
Philip struck off cousin James Browne's
hat" (46).

In John Browne's will dated April 7, 1662,
which is published at length together with
the inventory of his effects (47), of which
he makes his wife, and son, James Browne,
executors, he mentions his children Mary and

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James; and his grandchildren, John, Joseph,
Nathaniel, Lydia and Hannah, all children • i ^
of his son John Browne, Jr.; and also his
granddaughter, Martha Saffin, wife of John
Baffin.

To his daughter Mary, wife of Thomas
Willett, he gives "the sum of twelve pence to
bee payed at the end of every year during
her life for a memorial unto her: and it shall
bee in full of all fillial portion which shee or
any in her behalf shall claim." This will
was admitted to probate at Plymouth,
October 3, 1662.

The provision for his daughter Mary, above
quoted, was so strange that the court was led
to order the following indorsement to be
made on the will :

* 'Least any thinge mentioned in this will
in reference to Mistris Mary Willett the
wife of Capt. Thomas Willett might bee by
any mis construed to the prejudice ol ' the
said Mistris Willett, we think it mee. ^o
declare that out of the longe experienc^i of
her dutiful and tender respect to her said
father from time to time expressed there
hath never appeared to us the least ground
of any such thinge to this present."

John Browne was buried in Little Neck
Cemetery at Barrington, R. L, now East
Providence.

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In 1913 the Rhode Island Citizens Historical
Association of Providence addressed a Mem-
orial to The General Court of the Common-
wealth of Massachusetts, calling attention
to some of the activities of Mr. John Browne in
colonial affairs and the long and valued public
services he had rendered in Plymouth Colony,
the lack even of a simple marker at his grave,
suggesting the desirability of the erection of a
suitable monument at his grave to commemo-
rate his distinguished services, and asking
that a commission of three persons be named
to consider and advise as to the erection of
such a momument. Thereafter by authority
of resolution approved May 7, 1914, Chapter
62, Resolves of 1914, (House No. 801), a
commission. On The John Browne Memorial
was appointed by the Governor of Massa-
chusetts which made a report in which some
of the conspicuous events of his Colonial
activities were mentioned and recommending
as follows:

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RECOMMENDATIONS

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We respectfully recommend that a monu-
ment in the form of an old style tomb be
erected at or near the grave of John Browne,
composed of brick, stone or cement, of
approximate dimensions above the ground
as follows: 6 feet, 2 inches long; 3 feet, 2
inches high; 2 feet, 6)4 inches wide; with a
bronze tablet 2 feet, 5 inches wide; 2 feet,

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'^^ri£u?^ inches high; inserted 3 >^ inches deep in the
front face thereof; and suitably and appro-
priately inscribed.

Also that a bronze tablet, suitably mounted
and bearing the same inscription, be placed
in the Goff Memorial Hall at Rehoboth
Village, Mass., the form and style of said
monument and tablets to be subject to the
approval of the Massachusetts Art Com-
mission.

That a commission be appointed by His
Excellency the Governor, ^^posed of the
three members of the commission created
under the resolve of the General Court,
Chapter 62 of the year 1914, and two others, to
erect said monument and provide said tablets.

That there be allowed and paid out of the
treasury of the Commonwealth to the com-
mission thus authorized to erect at Little Neck
Cemetery at Harrington, R. I., and in the
Goff Memorial Hall at Rehoboth, Mass.,
memorials in honor of John Browne, a sum
not exceeding $1000 toward defraying the
cost and expenses of said memorials.

Frederic W. Bliss,
Geo. N. Goff,
Walter Gilman Page,

Commission of John Browne Memorial.

It may be added that, up to the present
time,, nothing has been done in the matter in

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consequence probably of the breaking out of
the war.

John Browne and Dorothy his wife, whose
maiden name is not known, had the following
children, all born before coming to this
country, viz.:

1. Mary, 2. John [II], and 3. James.

It has been suggested that there may have
been another son, William, but the recf.<H'd
affords no sufficient evidence to warrant
such conclusion (4) (45). -^

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4

Mary Browne, daughter of Mr. John Browne,
was bom in 1614, and was probably oldest of
the children. She married July 6, 1636,
Thomas Willett (48), and died January 8, 1669.

She was buried **by her father Mr. John
Browne, and other relations upon a little hill
in Swansey" in Little Neck Cemetery, River-
side. Her husband survived her, married a
second time, died in August 1674, and was
buried by her side.

At the graves of Thomas Willett and Mary
Willett are stones inscribed as follows :

1674
Here lyeth ye body of ye
Wor. Thomas Willett,
esqr., who died Aug. 4,
in ye 64th year of his
anno.

1669
Here lyeth ye body of ye
virtuous Mary Willett,
wife of Thomas Willett,
esqr., who died, January
ye 8th, about ye 55th
year of her anno.

Footstone Footstone

Who was the first May. daughter to Worf. John

of New York and twice Browne Esq. deceased,
did sustain ye place.

(49) (50)

The date of Mary Willett's death is clearly
inscribed on the stone as 1669, but the figure
in place of tens indicating her age at the
time of death is not so clear. Some one has
attempted to make the figure legible by
cutting it over, and in so doing has left a figure
which resembles the figure 8. If that is
correct she must have been in her 85th year

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at the time of her death, as the last figure is
clearly a 5. This would bring her birth
in 1584, when her mother was only one year
old. A close inspection of the figure leads
me to the belief that it was originally a 5, and
that she was in her 55th year at the time of her
death.

Thomas Willett was a noted and highly
respected man. He held the office of Assistant
for several years (51). A historian says:

"Capt. Thomas Willett, a magistrate and a
man of great ability and enterprise having
large possessions at Narragancett, nearby,
came and settled here" in Swansea (52).

Thomas Willett and his wife Mary, had
the following children, all boxn in Plymouth:
1. Mary, November 10, 1637; 2. Martha,
August 6, 1639; 3. John, August^. 1641;
4. Sarah, May 4, 1643; 5. Rebekah, ll.lember
2, 1644; 6. Thomas, October 1, ib^x.'s 7". Esther,
July 10, 1648; 8. James, November ^"^^ 1649;
9. Hezekiah, November 2, 165 j7 it* David,
November 1,1654; 11. Andre y, ^Ot ^^r 5,
1656; 12. Samuel, the youngest, Octboer 24,
1658 (41) (53).

Sarah Willett married Rev. John Eliot, the
apostle to the Indians (54) .

Hezekiah Willett married, January 7, 1675,
Andia Brown, his cousin (42). He was a
public favorite and a young man of great
promise. During Philip's War, while there

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28

was no thought of danger, on the first day of
July, 1676, having ventured a short distance
beyond his door in Swansea, he was shot dead
with three balls by some prowling Indians, his
head cut off, and carried away, and his body
left on the ground.

This outrage exasperated the whole colony,
more especially in view of the uniform kind-
ness of the Willett family to the Indians, and
caused the English to take vigorous action
against the Indians. In all offers of pardon
and amnesty these assassins were excepted;
and when Grossman, their leader, was taken
he was hanged. Even the hostile Wam-
_ oags lamented young Willett's death, and
P^' n the head was recovered, it was found
they had tenderly combed the hair and
.; , . ^orated it with beads (49) (55).

Martha Willett married December 2, 1658,
John Saffin (53) (56) a lawyer of Bristol (57).
She bore him nine children. In his Diary is
the following entry:

**1678. On Wednesday about midnight
the h' th day of December, 1678, my thrice
dearly beloved consort departed this life after
eleven days sickness of that dread disease of
ye smallpox, all which hath tended to my
almost insupportable grief after the enjoy-
ment of her, my sweet Martha, twenty years."

John Saffin seems to have held his mother
in-law in high esteem, as indicated by the
following poetic effusion entered in his Diary . , ;,

^1

^ to . "'

4 "

"Epitaph on Mrs. Marie Willett"

"Here lies the peerless Parragon of Fame, ^ ^^

Mary, the Virtuous Willett is her name,
Whose true deserts to show, requires a straine, .
Proceeding from a Helliconian Braine. ^= ; r*

Both grace and beauty in her face did shine, ,, ' k
Enthroned in magesty, almost divine; ^

Which mixt with mildness did the more advance
The lovely splendor of her countenance.
Had she lived in the days of yore, when such
Who ne'r exceld in virture, half so much,
She would have been above them set on high.
And been adored as A Deitie;
Yea Venus, Pallas and the Graces,
Compared with her should all have lost their

places;
And all these Temples for them richly stated,
Should to her honor, have been dedicated.
But now she's Paradised Triumphantly
Where she shall lie unto eternity."

After the death of his wife, Martha, John:
Saffin married twice. He died at Bristol^.
July 29, 1710 (58). "

•■9 Mi

is
U) a.

: w- p.-r

29

-1^
^j • — I

. a t

ft

3 I tB to «

» ^ ^^ In a deed made July 12, 1682, by James
^^ ^ Browne (62), he refers to his brother John as,
"my dearly beloved elder brother, Mr. John
Brown," and further, after stating that John
Browne Jr. died March 31, 1662, says **my
said brother together with myself did to that
time help and assist our said father in the
management and support of his estate without
any other consideration than that he was our
natural father, and we his undoubted heirs."

James Browne and his wife Lydia had the
following children, all born at Rehoboth:

1. James (Jr.); 2. Jabez, and 3. Dorothy.

30

<»

a

- Major James Browne, son of John Browne,
Sr., was born in 1623. In his will executed
October 25, 1694, he mentions his age as
about seventy-one. He was the youngest of
John Browne's children. He married Lydia,
daughter of John and EHzabeth (Tilley) ? 1|

Howland, who were Mayflower passengers, -■ t

and died at Swansea, October 29, 1710, aged -^ i ^

87. He makes his wife Lydia executrix of his T"^'

will (59). Dr. King says of him, "James "'
Browne came of especially good stock, as is |

well known" (60). In 1665 he was elected „ 2"

Assistant, and with the exception of the year '• • f

1667, held the office continuously until 1684. ^^"

^g Like his father, he opposed the adoption of

Ir^^^^. rigorous measures against the Quakers (37)

i£.r 5,.^ «. (61). He was regarded as his father's succes-
' --'5 '<^ S'l sor; that he was major see (45).

1 .X. .'f'.

f^ James Browne, Jr., was bom May 4, 1655,
il^), married Margaret Dennison, died at Barring-
on

Sli

p

bjtst-t

In his will, made June 28, 1717, and pro-
bated May 4, 1719, he mentions his wife
Margaret, his eldest son James, other sons,
William, Benjamin and Isaac; his daughters,
Mary Angell, Alice Hill, Margaret Carpenter,
Dorothy and Mercy Brown (63) .

Margaret Brown, widow of James Brown,
Jr., in her will made February 6, 1733, and
probated May 18, 1742, mentions their sons,
James, William and Isaac, as deceased. These
two wills are published at length.

Jabez Browne married 1. Jane, 2. Abiah.

In his will he mentions his son John,
daughter Jane, wife of Nathaniel Bosworth,
his son Oliver's daughter Rebecca, and Ann
at age of eighteen, daughter Rebecca Peck's
children, Jerusha, and Winchester at age of
eighteen and son Hezekiah (63).

Dorothy Browne married November 12,
1690, Joseph Kent, Jr. Jabez Browne was a
house carpenter. This appears by an instru-
ment executed May 13, 1716, by Jabez
Brown, "house carpenter," and his wife
Jane, of Swansea (64). Jabez Brown and
James Brown (Jr.), as heirs of James Brown's
est. late of Swansey, deceased, and Samuel
Brown and Daniel Brown as heirs of Capt.
John Brown [III], late of Swansey, convey

31

tHR.

j^lSOISsu^

land January 27, 1723, which they have as
heirs of James Brown, Esq., and Capt. John
Brown (65) . Jabez Brown yeoman of Barring-
ton conveys, December 6, 1730, to Benjamin
Brown and Isaac Brown, one half tract
belonging '*to my father James Brown Esq.,
dec'd" (66). James Brown conveys property
August 10, 1702, to his son Jabez Brown. His
wife Lydia signs the deed (67) . Jabez Brown
and his wife Jane, August 4, 1715, execute an
instrument (68). By deed made May 30,
1740, John Brown [IV] conveys land that
Jabez Brown gave to his son Oliver Brown
(69).

32

ENSIGN JOHN BROWN [II]

Ensign John Browne was the elder son of
John Browne, Gentleman [I] and his wife
Dorothy (70).

The date of his birth is not definitely-
known. It must have been before 1623, as
his younger brother James was born that
year, and after 1614, as Mary, his sister,
who was undoubtedly the oldest of the
children, was born that year.

He died the last day of March, 1662, ten
days before his father's death (40) (41) (45).

He was twice married. This fact is estab-
lished by a statement of his brother James
Browne in which he refers to John's oldest
child, "as my loving nephew, John Brown"
[III] * 'eldest son of my brother John by his
first wife" (62).

The name of the first wife is not known,
nor the date of his marriage to her, nor the
date of her death. For his second wife he
married Lydia Buckland, daughter of William
Buckland. The date of his second marriage
is not definitely known. Land was granted
to William Buckland by the town of Hing-
ham in 1636. William Buckland was buried
in Bingham September 1, 1679 (71) (72) (73).

In the little book previously mentioned,
reference is made to a deed in which the
following language appears in reference to

33

John Browne Jr., ''John Jr. had 2 sons by
his first wife of which John was the eldest."

John Browne Jr.'s second son was Joseph;

he was born April 9, 1658. Therefore his

marriage to his second wife, Lydia Buck-

iand, must have occurred subsequent to April

^ 3. 9, 1658.

John Browne Jr., in his will, made last

£ <• of Malch, 1662, and published at length (47)

ZTtnakes the following provision; * 'Whereas my

a] \ » c father-in-law, William Buckland, standeth

"? \ p engaged unto me in the sum of three score

^ pounds which was to be for the portion he

was to give me in marriage with my wife

and was to be payed me in the year 1660;

this sum which is now in my father-in-law,

his hands I do give unto my wife," etc.

It is highly probable that if the marriage
portion was to be paid in 1660, the marriage
was celebrated not long before that time.

It is certain that the eldest child John
Browne [III] was by the first wife, and it is
highly probable that the next three children
werel>y the first wife. John Browne, Jr., was
first appointed Ensign March 20, 1653, and
was again appointed in 1654 (74). John
Browne, Jr. had the following children, all
born at Rehoboth :

1. John [III], born last Friday 27th of
September 1650; 2. Lydia, born August 5,
1656; 3. Anna (or Hannah, or Andia), born

34

s o

y

4

m

.Vki

January 29, 1657; 4. Joseph born April 9, 1658;

5. Nathaniel, bom June 9, 1661, Nathaniel the

cffWH last was by Lydia Buckland, his second wife.

; y^"v if"

Bearing in mind that the new year began
March 25, it will be seen that Lyd'- "-^
seventeen months old when ^^Bl^'-
Lydia Browne married \Villiam F^''»^4
Anna Browne married January 7, lb?-
Hezekiah Willett, her cousin (42). Joseph,
Brown married November 10, 1680, Hannah
Fitch (75). Nathaniel Browne married, firsts
Sarah Jencks. She died in 1708, and, second
Hannah Matthews. She died in Swansea,
November 13, 1739 (41) (45) (76). In the
little book previously mentioned, it is stated
that Joseph Browne, second son of John
Browne, Jr., removed to Attleboro in 1699,
became prominent in town affairs, was captain
of the Attleboro Military Company, was
elected Representative to the General Court
several years, was moderator and selectman
several years and died May 5, 1731; his wife
Hannah died October 14, 1739, and that both
were buried in what is now known as Knowles
Cemetery, and that a stone is there erected
to the memory of both. In the old pro-
prietor's records of the town of Attleboro, in
an exchange of lands between Joseph Brown
and William Carpenter, Jr., under date of
March 13, 1698, Joseph in describing the
boundary mentions, "Ten acres purchased
of my brother Nathaniel Brown." This
record is in the City Clerk's office of the

35

'4%

'^

r?

n> 05 /-\ /^

KM K ^ j]

Cit> "^ :ytleboro. , i i a History ^'H "^ ttle-
boro, Capt. Joseph Brown is sak . have
been Representative ' the years 1712, 1726,
1727, 1728. In a root-note it is stated that
Capt. Joseph Brown was "son of Mr. John
Browne of Rehobot.., well known in the
history nf t- . ,^]ri colony" (77). Some dates
given iil that foot-note are manifestly wrong.
The foregoing seems to be sufhcient to identify
him as son of John Brown, Jr. Joseph Brown
and his wife Hannah had ten children, among
whom were Jabez, born December 30, 1683;
John, born March 13, 1685; Joseph, born
August 28, 1688.

John Brown 3, son of John Brown, Jr.,
of Swansey by deed dated May 16,1692, "for the
brotherly love and natural affection he hath
and beareth to his brother Nathaniel Brown of
the town of Rehoboth" makes conveyance of
land (78) . John Brown 3 of Swansey (his wife
Ann also signs) by deed dated July 12, 1682,
conveys to "my honored uncle James Brown
of Swansey aforesaid, Gent," all such estate,
etc., which I ever had in and to that one
moyety or half of estate which was given
"unto him by the last will and testament of
my honored grandfather, Mr. John Brown,
dated the seventh day of April, 1662" (79).
James Brown, Esq. of Swansey by deed dated
June 30, 1685, conveys land to "Joseph
Brown his nephew of Rehoboth" (80).

1^ ■

.^_ %'^'% 36

CAPTAIN JOHN BROWN [III]

John Brown [III] was the eldest son of
John Brown, Jr., by his first wife. He was
born the last Friday 27th of September 1650,
married November 8, 1672, at Saybrook,
Conn., Ann Mason, and died November 24,
1709 (41). His father, John Brown, Jr., refers
to him as his eldest son (81) . Ann Mason, wife
of John Brown 3, born at Saybrook, Conn.,
June, 1650, was the daughter of Major John
and Ann (Peck) Mason. She survived her
husband. Major John Mason was con-
queror of the Pequots, and is referred to as
'Tequot John." (41) (73) (82).

The children of John Brown 3, and his
wife Ann (Mason) Brown, all born at Swans^^,

(42) were: „ . -^i^"? ^^

1. Ann, SeptemB'ei^l'^; 1673; 2. John [IV],
April 28, 1675; 3. Samuel, January 31, 1677;
4. Lydia and 4- Rachel, (twins), May 16,
1679; 6. Martha, November 20, 1681; 7.
Daniel, October 29, 1683, died in infancy; 8.
Ebenezer, June 15, 1685; 9. Daniel 2d,
September 26, 1686; 10. Stephen, January
29, 1688; 11, Joseph, May 19, 1690; 12.
Elizabeth, December 12, 1691 ; she died in the
same year (73) ^T 1. f^r

Ebenezer Brown 'marned February 25,
1714, Sarah, daughter of the second Samuel
Hyde, and died in Lebanon in 1755. His wife
died in Windham, March 1, 1797, aged
ninety-nine years and two months (63) (84).

37

or ^q

xjvjrjqaiu MOLiiJOi
.('U- oi lunaiG ffvq ifa a., .

' ' JO T9S3 '

>*

I

^^ John Brown 3, was appointed LieuterijantSol

^^f, ^ Military Co. at Swansea, July 4, 1673, ar

,W Captain of the Guard at Mt. Hope, October

^^^^^^m. ^^^^1675 (85). ^^ 71:=

John Brown [IV] of Swanzey conveyed to
"his three brothers, namely, Samuel Brown
' of Rehoboth, Daniel Brown and Joseph

J Brown of Swanzey, all that tract of land

where said brothers now dwell and where
our honored father Capt. John Brown 3,
late of Swanzey deceased in ye possession
of lying and being as a place called Wanna-
moisett partly in said Swanzey but mostly
in ye township of Rehoboth," by deed dated
September 11, 1716 (86).

' ^ i

••f*p*^

38

vO

. t'

3. to ** a 3

^ 5 B ■• >S^9fT

to a r '-

• * C i> -•

» S 5^ fC ^ ' ■■• ^ ~ . & -^ J-

CAPTAIN JOHN BROWN [IV]

John Brown [IV] was born in Swansea,
April 28, 1675, and died April 23, 1752, aged

77 (42).

He married first, July 2, 1696, Abigail Cole,
daughter of James and Mary Cole.

They had the following children : 1. Mary,
born November 21, 1697; 2. Ann, born April
1, 1700; 3. Elizabeth, born October 4, 1702; 4.
John, born March 19, 1704; 5. James [V]
born January 2, 1706; 6. Jeremiah, born June
26, 1710.

Mary married Daniel Gould. Ann mar-
ried March 14, 1725, Walter Chaloner. The
latter was sheriff of Newport County in 1769
(88). Elizabeth married September 3, 1732,
John Hudson. She died June 3, 1756. John
married first, November 5, 1724, Lydia Mason,
and second, September 7, 1748 Bertha Stafford. 1 1

He died March 18, 1754. James married Ruth
Pierce. Jeremiah married January 10, 1731,
Elizabeth Session. He died May 1, 1776.

Capt. John Brown [IV] married second,
February 24, 1715, Mary Pierce Burgain (87).

Upon what is believed to be reliable infor-
mation, John Brown had by the second mar-
riage the following children:

1. Benjamin; 2. Rachel, born August 2,
1716; 3. David, born February 22, 1718;

39

L ku. I *****

?> ±5 H if

> T^ Z,^ ^"

«

4. Seth, born April 28, 1720; 5. Lydia, born
September 5, 1725; 6. Martha, born July 21,
1729.

James Cole and Mary, his wife, of Swansea,
by deed dated October 22, 1696, made con-
veyance to John Brown Jun^ [IV] of Swansea,
wherein is the following recital, "whereas a
marriage was solemnized on the second day
of July last past between John Brown Jun^
of Swanseay, and our dear and only and
dutiful daughter Abigail Cole to our good
liking and great satisfaction," etc. (89).

Capt. John Brown [IV] of Swansey by
deed dated February 22, 1734, also by deed
dated February 8, 1741, conveyed land to his
"son James Brown" [V] (90).

He also conveyed to his "son Jeremiah
Brown" of Swansey, land in Swansey by deed
dated May 12, 1735 (91). John Brown 4, of
Swanzey by deed dated August 29, 1724, signed
also by Mary (his second wife), conveyed
land to his "eldest son John Brown" of
Swanzey (92). Capt. John Brown 4, con-
veyed to his "son John Brown" land by deed
dated May 23, 1728 (93).

Capt. John Brown 3, father of Capt. John
Brown 4, "was a man of positive nature,
unflinching in the discharge of everything
he deemed a duty. It is said of him that he
was so enraged at his son John [IV], when
he joined the Baptist Church that supposing
the latter's residence to be partially on his

40

99 U

i

^-

X,

land, he was going to pull the part to which
he laid claim away from the other, thus
aiming to destroy the house, but a survey
made to ascertain the fact showed no portion
of the house touched his land."

The incident * 'tells the character of the
men of that perilous pioneer period — ^athletic,
strong-minded, and positive in character,
they were well fitted to develop civilization
from the unpromising and savage surrounding?,
and to contend ably with its foes. Amo.%
these settlers the Browns were leaders and
their different generations were prominent in
church and local matters" (11) (94).

^

«

aj ©-5

A> ■■*■

-•as

ta t

■a «'
• a © -

JAMES BROWN [V]

They had the following children all born in
Swansea:

Abigail Brown married Dec. 9, 1744, Heze-
kiah Chace. James Brown, married in 1753,
Mary Anthony, born in Providence in 1737.
Aaron Brown married April 17, 1755, Cathe-
rine Bell. David Brown, married March 25,
1759, Elizabeth Hill. He died April 18, 1822,
aged 82.

Aaron Brown of Swanzey, second son of
James Brown of Swanzey, by deed dated
March 4, 1762, also by deed dated May 15,
1770, both of which are signed by Katherine
Brown, his wife, made conveyances of land to
"my honored father, James Brown of Swan-
zey" (95). James Brown of Swanzey by deed
dated March 16, 1765, signed also by his
wife Ruth, conveyed land in Swanzey to
Seth Wood (96).

>'^.S

~S1

James Brown second son of Capt. John
Brown [IV] by his first wife Abigail (Cole)
Brown, was born January 2, 1706, married
Ruth Pierce, daughter of Ephraim and Mary
(Low) Pierce of Glocester, R. I., and died in
Swansea, May 4, 1777. .^^i

%.

1. Abigail, December 30, 1729; 2. James, ■%.-.

September 3, 1731; 3. Aaron [VI], April 6, ^-1

1734; 4. David, February 11, 1740. ^''^

%

42 X

T! 5^ *

AARON BROWN [VI]

h »Q

C

Aaron Brown was born April 6, 1734, r*.

married April 17, 1755, Catherine Bell. His
will was allowed March 5, 1799. It is not ^^

known who Catherine Bell was. It is said
she was English. There is a hazy tradition
that Aaron Brown was a sea-faring man;
ft met Miss Bell in an English port and married

her; that her parents raising some objection,
she came with her husband to Swansea, and
spent her life there.

Aaron Brown and his wife Catherine, had
the following children, all born in Swansea:
1. Elisha, born November 2, 1755; 2. Abigail,
born December 9, 1757; 3. Obadiah [VII],
born March 20, 1761; 4. Rebekah, born April

30, 1763; 5. William, born September 2, 1765;
6. A son born May 17, 1768, who died two
days later.

Elisha Brown married March 26, 1788,

X J Ann Kinnicutt, daughter of Daniel and Han-

^fe nah (Kent) Kinnicutt, and died Sept. 24,

Jr. 1846, aged 90 years and 10 months. Abigail .^

b;<^ Brown married May 21, 1778, John Brown,

ox. son of Jarvis and Ann (Kinnicutt) Brown.

*" §S Obadiah Brown married Esther Wood. -

~ cw Rebekah Brown married April 15, 1789,

Ti > : Samuel Luther of Swansea. -

, a' f^ ^ • .■'

*■ I

43

rf *> 's ' t»

i?.^ '-

^"-*^^i ^^'OBADIAH BROWN [VI Ji

Obadiah Brown was born*' j^)lSwarisda,^*^^■i'*
viMarch 20, 1761, marrie4 ^August 28, 1783,'^ "^'i^'
Esther Wood, daughter of Seth and Roby
(Rounds) Wood of Swansea.

So far as has been discovered they had
only one child, namely, .%th W. Brown
[VIII]. He'Kvas born in Swansea, July 19,
1787. ih

A diligent search of the Records, inquiry
of and correspence with many persons, fail
to afford information of what finally became
of Obadiah Brown and his wife Esther.

No will, or record of administration upon
his estate has been discovered. In the will of
Aaron Brown, his father, which was admitted
to probate March 5, 1799, Obadiah and his
brother Elisha, are named as joint executors.
Obadiah alone qualified, filing a bond in
which he is described of Swansea. Obadiah
Brown was made a freeman of the town
of Sterling, Conn., April 10, 1791.

October 11, 1796, by deed in which he is
described of Swansea, he conveyed land located
in Swansea, to Samuel Luther, February
6, 1804, by deed in which he is described of
Sterling, Conn., he conveyed other land located
in Swansea, to the same Samuel Luther.
His wife Esther signed both deeds. From 1805
to 1812, he engaged in numerous transactions

44

V<l

.»Q all X

in Sterling, as shown by the records of that
town. Among these transactions is a sale
made August 1, 1811 to Seth W. Brown of
Sterling of an interest in American Cotton
Mfg. Co.; also a sale made May 23, 1812, to
Walter Paine of Providence, R. I., of an
interest in American Cotton Mfg. Co. of
Sterling.

"Obadiah Brown of Hope in ye county of
Lincoln, yeoman, and Esther Brown his wife
in her righf'quit claim by two deeds dated
Nov. 21, 1815 "in right of ye sd Esther" in
one of said deeds to John Wood etc., "one
undivided ninth part of all ye estate etc., which
Seth Wood late of Swansey yeoman died
seized of etc., the sd one undivided ninth
part of ye said estate fell to ye said Esther
Brown in her right as one of ye children etc., of
Seth Wood"; in the other of said deeds they
quit claim "All title to 'undivided ninth part
of a ninth part fell to Miller Wood, son and
heir to said Seth Wood' " (97).

No trace of Obadiah Brown or his wife
Esther has been found subsequent to the two
conveyances last above mentioned.

3

45

..&

LIEUT. SETH W. BROWN [VIII]

Seth W. Brown, son of Obadiah Brown and
his wife Esther, was born in Swansea July 19,
1787, died in Somerset Mass., June 20, 1877,
and was buried in Gibbs Cemetery in Somer-
oir set. He married, first, in Sterling, Conn.,

March 19, 1807, Margaret Burlingame, daugh-

.2

I
t
Xi I,.

Zi a.

^ — '^^t<» ter of Peter and Elizabeth (Montgomery)
Burlingame; second. May 1, 1844, Bethany.
' She died January 18, 1863. There is no public

record of the birth of Seth W. Brown in Swan-
sea. His birth as above given is recorded in his
old family Bible, now in possession of Wiliam
Alden Brown, of Providence, his great grand-
son. The record of his death in Somerset
affords the information that Seth W. Brown
was born in Swansea, Mass., his father's
name as Obadiah Brown, his mother's maiden
name as Esther Wood, his death in Somerset,
June 20, 1877, "age 89 years, 11 months, 1
day." He had no children by his second wife.

Margaret Burlingame, his first wife was
bom in Sterling, April 4, 1790, and died Jan.
2, 1842.

Seth W. Brown and Margaret (Burlingame)
Brown had the following children:

1. Roxellana Brown, bom in Sterling,
October 16, 1807, married William McCann,
anddied January 2, 1895. Their children were: . ,
1. Daniel A., 2. Mary E., 3. William, 4. H g
Minnie. g

46

G

f1

sn

2. Peter Tilden Brown [IX], bom in Ster-
ling March 30, 1810, died in West Greenwich,
R. I., February 25, 1853.

3. Esther Brown, bom April 5, 1813, mar-
ried, first. May 12, 1833, WiUiam Reynolds,
second, Bamum Pierce. She had no children
by either husband. She died December 1,
1893.

4. Alden Montgomery Brown, born October

4, 1815, and died October 20, 1905. He mar-
ried Eliza Pierce. She was born May 6, 1820,
and died July 26, 1899. Their only child
was Asahel Pierce Brown, born September 6,
1846, and died August 3, 1898. All three are
buried in Gibbs Cemetery. Asahel Pierce
Brown married October 2, 1872, Mary Adelaide
Brown.

Their only child was William Alden Brown,
bom in Providence, March 15, 1877. He has
never married.

5. Elizabeth Burlingame Brown, born May
15, 1818, married, first, Charles Burdick. They,
had only one child, namely Elmily C. Bur-
dick, born May 9, 1840; second, November
17, 1842, James Freeman Foster. They had
the following children: 1. Massena L., born
December 29, 1843, died May 17, 1903. 2.
Philena M., born September 8, 1845, died
January 12, 1859. 3. Roxellana M., born July

5, 1848. 4. Justina L., bom September 3,
1850, died September 3, 1869. 5. Margaret A.,
bom August 12, 1852, died May 17, 1915.

47

i lI;r^e

6. Seth J., bom January 9, 1855, died October
1, 1884. :;' Elizabeth Burlingame (Brown)
Foster died January 15, 1899.

6. Margaret Brown, born September 2,
1820, married September 15, 1842, Julius
Corydon Smith. They had the following chil-
dren, namely: 1. Lydia Eliza, born August 27,
1843. She married May 29, 1860, Augustus H.
Beecher, and died March 11, 1866. 2. Esther
Lodiski, born September 30, 1846, married
January 15, 1865, Albert D. Lynch. 3. Seth
Julius born October 13, 1852, and died March
13, 1853. 4. Nellie Frances, born January 22,
1855, married December 13, 1876, Clarence
W. Finch. 5. Margaret Phidelia, born January
31, 1857, married October 15, 1881, Peter L.
Burlingame. Margaret (Brown) Smith died
January 7, 1888.

7. Seth Brown, 'born January 25, 1823,
went to California and was lost sight of.

8. Hervey Sullens Brown, bom June 26,
1825, died Febmary 28, 1858. He never
married.

9. Cordelia JJtne Brown born June 22, 1830,
died June 9, 1832.

10. John Rhinaldo Brown, born July 17,
1834, went to California, was last heard from
in a letter written from San Francisco, May
22, 1894. It is believed he never married.

Seth W. Brown [VIII] was appointed
Lieutenant of the 6th Company, 21st Reg.
Militia, Conn., and duly commissioned May
9, 1816 by Gov. John Cotton Smith of that
state.

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5

PETER TILDEN BROWN [IX]

Peter Tilden Brown was bom in Sterling, \^r^

March 30, 1810. He married in West Green-
wich, R. I., June 15, 1837, Roxellana Potter, | £
daughter of Allen and Lydia (Spink) Potter,
and died in West Greenwich, February 25, 1853.

They had the following children, all born in
West Greenwich: 1. Charles, born August 10,
1838, died when three weeks old; 2. George
Washington, born February 22, 1840, died
when 3}^ years old; 3. Angelina Margaret,
born March 4, 1841, never married; 4. Ann
Eliza, born September 4, 1842, died in June,
1866, never married; 5. Mary Elizabeth, born
i October 8, 1843; 6. Harriet Malissa, born July
7, 1846, died February 1, 1863, never married;
7. George Tilden [X] bom June 29, 1848; i
^^' 8. Delana Remington, born March 26, 1850.- I

^ = Mary EHzabeth Brown married in West

-^ Greenwich, April 15, 1865, George W. Whit-

1^" ^man. They had the following children: 1.

■ £Lewell Marion; 2. Henry Clay and 3. Annie

■^Elizabeth. Delana Remington Brown mar-

^ried in Exeter, R. I., Febmary 13, 1867, Jesse

Carr. They had the following children: 1.

Jesse Tilden and 2. Annie Eliza.

Peter Tilden Brown kept a grocery store
and carried on farming near Congdon's Mills
in West Greenwich. He was elected a
member of the so-called Dorr Legislature
from West Greenwich in 1842 (98). He
favored the extension of the right of suffrage
* " in Rhode Island as advocated by Mr. Dorr.

49

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T

I- G <^ ^

5^ '^

GEORGE TILDEN BROWN [X]

\ George Tilden Brown was born in West
Gr^ijnwich, June 29, 1848. He married in
Pro>)idence, August 29, 1876, Ida Rebekah
Williams, daughter of Charles and Hannah
W. (Wheeler) Williams.

They had two children, both born in
Providence, namely: 1. Gertrude Tilden, born
May 17, 1877, and 2. Bertha, born April 10,
1884.

Gertrude Tilden Brown married in Provi-
dence, January 1, 1913, Frank Fenner Mason
of Pawtucket, R. I. They had two children,
both bom in Pawtucket, namely: 1. Tilden
Brown Mason, bom December 18, 1913, and
2. Gertmde Mason, bom August 5, 1915.

Bertha Brown married in Providence,
Febmary 5, 1908, Henry James Fisk of
Providence. They had the following children:
1. Rebekah, born in Providence November
13, 1908, 2. James Brown, bom iri Warwick,
R. I. August 30, 1910. 3. George Tilden,
bom in Cranston, R. I., July 28, 1913.

ft

Henry James Fisk removed with his family
to Tacoma, Washington,, in 1916, where he
now resides. Bertha Brown entered Vassar
College in 1902, and graduated from that
institution in 1906. George Tilden Brown
entered Brown University in 1869 and gradu-
ated in 1873; also graduated from Albany

50

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" TOD (^

i

■^ ,i

2;; Law School in 1875 and was admitted to the a

0. ^

S,„-bar in Rhode Island in October of the same j « b g

' "y6ar. He practiced law in Providence until he ^ « ^ *
was elected a Justice of the Superior Court, in
May, 1905. He entered upon the duties of
the office July 17, 1905.

He was a member of the Rhode Island '}, ?*
House of Representatives from West Green-
wich in 1877, and from Providence in the
years 1887 and 1893, and was state senator
from Providence in the years 1889 to 1891.

In politics he is a Democrat. Was a mem-
ber of the Democratic State Central Com-
mittee for several years and chairman of the
Democratic City Committee of Providence
for several years. He was a delegate from
Rhode Island to the Democratic National
Convention holden at St. Louis in 1888.

51

• v.;

%

SUPPLEMENT

Ebenezer Perkins and Abigail Bates were
married at Coventry, R. I., March 22, 1742.
Their daughter Martha was born November
10, 1746.

Martha Perkins of Coventry married at
Sterling, September 3, 1767, Capt. Asa
Montgomery of Voluntown, Conn.
Their daughter Elizabeth was born at
Voluntown, April 4, 1778.

Elizabeth Montgomery of Voluntown mar-
ried at Sterling, April 23, 1789, Peter
Burlingame. Their daughter Margaret was
born in Sterling, April 4, 1790.

Margaret Burlingame of Sterling, married
at Sterling, March 19, 1807, Seth W.
Brown of Sterling.

For further particulars see Lieut. Seth W.
Brown (VIII).

52

References

(1) 1 Coll. of the Mass. Hist. Soc. 5th series
311; (2) 1 Mass. Hist. Coll. 4th series 94;
(3) Geneal. and Hist, of Watertown 124; (4)
The Pilgrim Republic (Goodwin) 517; (5)
1 Rec. of Mass. Bay Co. 408; (6) The
Pilgrim Fathers of New England and Their
Puritan Successors (John Brown) 287; (7)
Barry's Hist, of Mass. 1st Period 172; (8)

1 Plym. Col. Rec. 26; (9) 2 Baylie's Hist.
Mem. of Plym. 267; (10) New England's
Mem. (Morton) 295; (11) Wright's Hist,
of Swansea; (12) 1 Geneal. Die. (Savage)
269; (13) 36 Hist. & Geneal. Reg. 368;
(14) 1 Rec. of Mass. Bay Co. 369; (15) 2
New Plym. pt. 2 (Francis Baylies) 269; (16)

2 New Plym. 200 & 201; (17) 1 Plym. Col.
Rec. 9 & 36; (18) Monograph on John
Browne (Thos. W. Bicknell) in R. I. Hist.
Soc; (19) 1 Hist. & Geneal. Reg. 225; (20)
1 Plym. Col. Rec. 36; (21) 1 Hutchin's Hist,
of Mass. Bay 27, 28 & 42 ; (22) New England's
Mem. 181 to 259; (23) 3 Plym. Col. Rec.
77; (24) 1 New Plym. pt. 1, 289; (25) 2 Plym.
Col. Rec. 11; (26) 2 New Plym. pt. 2, 266;
(27) 2 Rec. of Mass. Bay 19; (28) 1 Plym.
Col. Rec— Order of Courts— 46 & 47; (29)
1 Plym. Col. Rec 100; (30) 3 Plym. Col.
Rec. 21; (31) Conn. Hist. Coll. 17; (32)

53

2 Baylies' Hist. Mem. of Plym. 192; (33)
2 New Plym. pt. 2, 9; (34) 1 Plym. Col. Rec.
85; (35) 2 New Plym. pt. 2, 204; (36) 1 Plym.
Col. Rec. 169; (37) 2 Baylies Hist. Mem. of
Plym. 63 & 205; (38) 6 Letters of Roger
Williams in R. I. Hist. Soc. 192; (39) Sowams;
(40) 2 Baylies Hist. Mem. of Plym. 54; (41)
Austin's Manuscript Notes in R. I. Hist.
Soc. 401; (42) 8 Plym. Col. Rec. 48 & 61;
(43) 1 Hutchinson's Hist, of the Col. of Mass.
Bay, 490, Appendix 11 ; (44) 2 Baylies' Hist.
Mem. of Plym. pt. 3, 31; (45) 4 "Genealogy
Connecticut" 1954; (46) 6 Mass. Hist. Coll.
197; (47) 18 Mayflower Des. 14 & 18; (48)
1 Plym. Col. Rec. 43; (49) Wright's Hist
of Swansea; (50) 10 Hist. & Genealog. Reg
181; (51) Daggett's Hist, of Attleboro 51

(52) Hurd's Hist, of Bristol Co. Mass. 652

(53) John Saffin's Diary in R. I. Hist. Soc.

(54) John Myles by Dr. King, 36, footnote

(55) 2 Baylies Hist. Mem. of Plym. pt. 3, 140

(56) 9 Hist. & Genealog. Reg. 314; (57)
Pierce's Colonial Lists; (58) 2 Hut. Hist, of
Mass. Bay Col. 290; (59) 7 Mayflower Des.
163; (60) John Myles 26; (61) 2 Baylies'
Hist. Mem. of Plym. pt. 4, 18; (62) 3 Book
281; (63) 5 R. I Hist. Soc. Quart. 191; (64)
10 Book 561; (65) 17 Book 218; (66) 22 Book
160; (67) 4 Book 231; (68) 9 Book 447; (69) 28
Book 183; (70) 2 Baylies' Hist. Mem. of
Plym. pt. 4, 54; (71) 2 Hist. & Genealog.
Reg. 251; (72) 8 Plym. Col. Rec. 88; (73)
Caulkins's Hist, of Norwich, Conn., 146 & 147;
(74) 2 Baylies' Hist. Mem. of Plym. 204; (75)

54

9 Hist. & Genealog. Reg. 316; (76) 1 Rehoboth
Vital Rec. 14; (77) Hist, of Attleborough by
John Daggett, pub. in 1834 p. 98; (78) 1 Book
177; (79) 3 Book 275; (80) 9 Book 116; (81)
6 Hist. & Genealog. Reg. 9; (82) Boston
Transcript, July 8, 1914 *4085; (83) 15 Hist.
& Genealog. Reg. 117 & 119; (84) Hist, of
Windham County, by Caulkins, 224; (85)
5 Plym. Col. Rec. 130 & 175; (86) 39 Book
90; (87) The Descendants of James Cole of
Plym. 42; (88) 6 R. I. Col. Rec. 582; (89)
2 Book 17; (90) 22 Book 156 & 30 Book 429;
(91) 24 Book 314; (92) 17 Book 368; (93) 22
Book 2; (94) Hurd's Hist, of Bristol Co.
Mass. 676; (95) 46 Book 272; (96) 54 Book
498; (97) 99 Book 110 & 111; (98) The Life
and Times of Thomas Wilson Dorr, by King,
102.

55

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