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WILLIAM and MARGARET BROWN FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY and CENTER
1700s’ Home in Rowan County, North Carolina
Main Entrance
In the mid-1700s, William and Margaret BROWN lived in Rowan County, North Carolina, with some of their 9 children: 3 sons and 6 daughters. Family records indicate that William was of Scottish descent, and that his wife, Margaret, was possibly of Portuguese descent. They owned property and lived in the Flat Swamp Creek and Lick Creek area of what is now the southeastern part of Davidson County, North Carolina, just east of the Yadkin River, near the what is now the town of Denton. See Photo Gallery and Maps. This growing, comprehensive Brown Family History Library and Center was created for two basic purposes: 1) to better identify and honor William and Margaret BROWN, their numerous descendants, ancestors, siblings, and collateral relatives, and 2) to provide a focal point for the collection, preservation, and sharing of accurate family history information. The Brown Family History Library/Center is for our family, and was established to be inclusive of every family member and to promote and facilitate these objectives. The Library houses all documents, photographs and items relating to the genealogies and histories of the extended family. The Center contains all current identified family groups and organizations, their activities, events, reunions, and information of special interest to all descendents of the extended family. Use the Library/Center, enjoy it, be blessed by it, and contribute to its success!
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Their Lives
Their Children
Their Descendents
Their Parents and Ancestors
Their Siblings
Family records state that our William BROWN was of Scottish descent, and that either his mother (unknown) or possibly his wife, Margaret, was of Portuguese and/or of "Portigee" descent. One record states that, "Tradition traces the genealogy of Captain James BROWN [who is James BROWN (2), a grandson of William BROWN] back to his great grandfather [who would be the father (unknown) of William BROWN] who was a Scotchman by the name of BROWN, and who was allied in marriage with a woman who was a native of Portugal; they being the grand-parents of James Brown [son of William BROWN] who served in the [Revolutionary] war. . . ." See History of Captain James Brown, by his grandson, Moroni F. Brown, page 88. Another record states that William's and Margaret's son, "James BROWN was of Portigee and English Descent." See James Stephens Brown - Parent's Genealogies, page 2. As of yet, we do not have any hard evidence verifying or clarifying these important issues. Any one having any oral or written clues that verify, clarify or even mention the origins of William and Margaret are requested to provide such information immediately to our Library/Center at librarian.brownhistory@gmail.com . Thank you.
Our William BROWN, b. 17??, d. 1772, signed his Will on 19 February 1772 in Rowan County, NC, naming his wife, Margaret, and his 9 children, and 1 granddaughter. See the Annotated 1772 Rowan County, NC, Will of William BROWN. The Will was filed for probate August 5, 1772, so William died between February 19, and August 5, 1772. His children and granddaughter named in his Will are as follows:
1. Charity BROWN ROBSON, bc. 1749, wife of _______ ROBSON or ROBESON or ROBISON?
2. Hannah BROWN ELLIOTT, bc. 1751, wife of Joseph ELLIOTT, whom she married 4 June 1767 in Rowan County
3. William BROWN, bc. 1753, possibly married Diana DAVIS on 6 May 1772 in Rowan County?
4. John BROWN, bc. 1755, married ______________?
5. James BROWN, b. 1757, d. 1823, husband of Mary (Polly) WILLIAMS EMMERSON
6. Constant BROWN WYNN, bc. 1758, wife of John WYNN or WINN
7. Susannah BROWN, bc. 1760, wife of _________ BROWN?
and her daughter, Margaret BROWN
8. Elizabeth (Betty) BROWN HENDRIX, bc. 1762, wife of ________ HENDRIX or HENDRICKS?
9. Margaret (Peggie) BROWN STILLWELL ROBERTS, bc. 1763 or earlier, married Thomas STILLWELL in Rowan County in about 1778, and they has a son named Thomas STILLWELL. In the late 1770s or early 1780s, they moved to Johnston County, North Carolina, where Margaret later married a __________ ROBERTS?
Confirmation of the fact that these BROWNs are our BROWNs is found in the 1819 Randolph County, NC, Estate Papers of Thomas STILLWELL. This case names all of them except John BROWN. See the Abstract of 1819 Randolph County, NC, Estate Papers of Thomas STILLWELL.
William BROWN first appears on the 1768 Rowan County, NC, Tax List of John Ford, which area is now in Davidson County, NC. This List is important because it identifies our William BROWN living in what is now southern Davidson County. This is the same area where the land deeds are for his son James BROWN, and surrounding neighbors, which is the Flat Swamp Creek and Lick Creek area. It is also important because it contains a number of individuals whose surnames match those of men who either married 3 of William's daughters (ROBISON, ELLIOTT and HENDRICKS), or who appear to be related to some of his descendents through James BROWN (DAVIS, FELPS, HUGHES and WILLIAMS). See the 1768 Rowan County, NC, Tax List of John Ford.
It appears from analysis of information of his children and grandchildren that William Brown may also have had some connection with the present-day areas of Randolph County and Johnston County, North Carolina.
To date, the most comprehensive treatment of the William and Margaret BROWN family is found in Erold C. Wiscombe's 700 page book, The Brown Family, Descendants of Daniel Brown and Elizabeth Stephens, 1986. The first 60 pages of Erold's book, which treat the entire early BROWN and STEPHENS families, is filed in the Library under Wiscombe's Book. While eventually, each early BROWN relative will have his/her own Ancestral Surname File in the Library, see Ancestral Surname Files, the links to the early BROWN relatives identified below take you to Wiscombe's fine treatment of each linked person in his Brown Book.
Unfortunately, we know very little about the children of William and Margaret, except for their son James. We would like to learn as much as we can about each one of them, and also find out if any of them left any oral or written clues that verify, clarify or even mention the origins of William and Margaret.
1. Charity BROWN ROBSON (#1): Born abt
1749. We have no information yet on their daughter, Charity, wife of _______ ROBSON or ROBESON or ROBISON.
2. Hannah BROWN ELLIOTT (#2): Born abt 1751. The only information we have on their daughter, Hannah,
wife of
Joseph ELLIOTT, is the Rowan County marriage bond of this couple dated June 4,
1767, and the fact that both Hannah BROWN and Joseph ELLIOTT each appear in
separate sections in Moroni Brown's 1891 Record Book of Brown and Stephens
Families Logan Temple Ordinances. This Joseph ELLIOTT appears also to
have owned land along Flat Swamp Creek, Rowan and now Davidson County, next to
James BROWN and William BROWN, Hannah's brothers, with land entries showing up
1778 - 1779.
3. William BROWN (#3): Born abt 1753. William appears to own land in the Flat Swamp Creek
area in the late 1700s and early 1800s, near his brother James BROWN (#5).
He may have married Dianna DAVIS 6 May 1772 in Rowan County. William BROWN
does appear with other BROWN relatives in Moroni Brown's 1891 Record Book,
but Dianna DAVIS does not. There are, however, a number of known BROWN
relatives who also do not appear in this record book.
4. John BROWN (#4): Born abt 1755. We have no information on their son John, except that his
name appears with other BROWN relatives in Moroni Brown's 1891 Record Book.
5. James BROWN (#5):
Born 1757 in Rowan County; Died 1823 in Davidson County. He and his wife,
Mary (Polly)
WILLIAMS EMMERSON, lived in the same Rowan County area as his parents, and joined the Jersey Baptist Church
in 1797, and subsequently the Tom's Creek Baptist Church about 1807. James and
Mary were married some time before 1787, the birth year of their first child.
Mary had two children prior to marrying James.
James’ and Mary’s 9 children are (See Photo Gallery for some pictures):
1. Jane
BROWN HUGHES, b. 1787, married Michael
HUGHES
2. Mary (Polly)
BROWN, b. 1790, married James Stephens BROWN
3. Nancy BROWN,
b. 1792, married 1) James NEWBERRY, 2) William CRITCHLOW
4. Susan BROWN
JACKSON, b. 1793, married Sion (Siren) JACKSON
5. Martha (Patsy)
BROWN BOSS, b. 1794, married David BOSS
6. Williams
BROWN, b. 1796, married Frances (Fanny) WARREN
7. Obedience
BROWN BOSS, b. 1799, married Philip BOSS
8. [Captain] James BROWN (2), b. 1801,
married Martha STEPHENS
9. Daniel BROWN, b. 1804,
married
Elizabeth STEPHENS
Mary's two prior children are Margaret EMMERSON, bc. 1780, and John COMSTOCK, bc. 1783. Mary WILLIAMS was married before to John EMMERSON who was killed during the Revolutionary War, and they are the parents of Margaret EMMERSON, bc. 1780. Mary WILLIAMS EMMERSON also had an illegitimate son, John COMSTOCK, bc. 1783, before marrying James BROWN in approximately 1786.
6. Constant BROWN WYNN (#6): Born abt
1759. We have no information on their daughter, Constant
or Constance, wife of John WYNN or WINN, except that both Constant BROWN and John
WINN each appear in separate sections in Moroni Brown's 1891 Record Book.
7. Susannah BROWN (#7): Born abt 1761. We have no information yet on their daughter, Susannah, wife of _________ BROWN? and her daughter, Margaret BROWN.
8. Elizabeth BROWN HENDRIX (#8): Born abt 1763. Their daughter, Elizabeth, is mentioned as being
single in her father's 1772 Will, and married after that date to ____________ HENDRIX or
HENDRICKS, which husband we learn about in the Abstract
of 1819 Randolph County, NC, Estate Papers of Thomas STILLWELL.
9. Margaret BROWN STILLWELL ROBERTS (#9): Born abt 1765, or earlier. The only information
we have had on their daughter, Margaret, is that her name appears with other BROWN relatives in Moroni
Brown's 1891 Record Book. In addition, however, a careful analysis of
the Abstract
of 1819 Randolph County, NC, Estate Papers of Thomas STILLWELL shows
that this Margaret, sister to James #5 above, is the mother of the
Thomas STILLWELL born in the mid-1770s, and who is the subject of the disputed
Estate. Margaret apparently married Thomas STILLWELL, father, in Rowan
County. Then they moved to Johnston County, North Carolina,
"during the Revolutionary War, & several years before its
termination" when Thomas, son, was a "small boy from between three and five
years of age." There Margaret later "married a man by the name
of ROBERTS". The Revolutionary War was from April 1775 through
November 1783, so the midpoint of the War would have been 1779, and this move
may have occurred around that time. Margaret may also have used the
nickname "Peggy".
Their descendents that we know of are the children of James BROWN (#5) and his wife, Mary (Polly) WILLIAMS EMMERSON.
See Their Children
We do not yet know who the parents of William and Margaret are.
We do not yet know who their siblings are.
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Center!
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Acknowledgment: Gratitude is expressed to the Lord who inspired this work, and to my dear wife, Karen, and to our eternal family for their wonderful support of it. I love them all forever.
Dedication: This Web
site is dedicated to God and to His holy
purposes
and works in our individual lives and families, and in all the families of the
earth.
We are all His children.