Brown Surname

This Brown family has an unknown origin. The earliest members of the family were living in Kentucky in the late 1700s. More research is needed.

This Brown family settled in what is now Garrard County, Kentucky during the 1780s. The family came from somewhere in Virginia or Maryland, but we have so far been unable to connect them to earlier generations. Based on many different clues, we know that they were somehow related to the "B Browns of Brown's Cove" (i.e. the family of Benjamin Brown (c. 1695-1762) who lived in Hanover county, Virginia settled at Brown's Cove in Albemarle County, Virginia). In addition to that connection, there are various clues that suggest that the Browns of Garrard County might have come from northern Virginia (general area of Fairfax, Loudoun, Fauquier and Prince William Counties).

Frederick Brown was on October 29, 1753 ⁴, probably in Virginia or Maryland. He died on January 19, 1829 ⁴ in Madison Twp., Clark Co., Ohio. He is buried in the Greenlawn Cemetery, South Charleston, Clark Co., Ohio.

Frederick's origins are unknown. He was probably born in Virginia, yet some clues suggest he or his family might have been from Maryland. Frederick was probably related to other Browns that lived in Garrard County, Kentucky but we have so far been unable to connect any of these families. Details on many of these other Browns are listed at the bottom of this page. My guess is that Frederick was somehow related to Absolem Brown (c. 1740-1830), Joseph Brown (c. 1740s-1820), and Benjamin Brown (c. 1740s-c. 1805).

Frederick probably married somewhere in Virginia in the 1770s, yet the name of his wife is unknown (see below). Other than his son Rowland, his children's birth dates are unknown. They are listed below in the order that they appeared in his will (except for daughter Fanny, who was not in the will; I have her listed second because she married after her sister Martha). Frederick is said to have served in the American Revolution, yet so far no record has been located to corroborate any military service. Sometime during the mid-1780s, Frederick moved west to Kentucky. The first documentation of him there was in 1787. But, years later (in 1807) he submitted a deposition that he had first purchased (or attempted to purchase) property in Kentucky in 1785. If accurate, it implies that he was in Kentucky at the time; although it's entirely possible he made an agreement to purchase land before he even moved there. Frederick settled in a part of Madison County, Kentucky that became Garrard County in 1797. There he lived on a 127-acre farm on Gilberts Creek and Sugar Creek (rural area east of Lancaster), which he had acquired in February 1792. Frederick lived on land adjoining William Jennings. Between at least 1796 and 1803, he also owned land nearby in the part of Clark County that is now Montgomery County, Kentucky; but he never lived there. Frederick also had connections to neighboring Lincoln County, Kentucky; his daughter Martha's marriage bond was issued there in 1792, and other relatives also lived there.

Frederick was primarily a farmer, but also apparently some kind of carpenter. In one contemporary record, he was described as paying off a debt with "cabinet work"; and in another record he was paid for making a coffin. He was described in one record as owning a "horse mill". In another record, he purchased a "still" from an estate, which suggests he also made some kind of spirit/liquor. In about 1804, Frederick became a slave owner. Throughout his adulthood in Garrard County, he often served in civic capacities: serving on juries, road viewing/surveying, inventorying and appraising estates, and providing securities for various bonds. In 1827, Frederick mortgaged his property in Garrard County, Kentucky and moved to Clark County, Ohio to live with his son Rowland. Frederick wrote his will in Clark County on January 13, 1829, in which he named his children as: Martha Gibbs, Charles Brown decd., Polly Brown, Susan Martin, Roland Brown, Nancy Martin, and Burrell Brown. His will also mentioned unnamed grandchildren; children of his children Martha, Charles, Polly, Susan, Roland and Nancy. His will was proven on February 9, 1829.

Possible origin?:

Between 1775 and 1784, there was a Frederick Brown documented in Cumberland County, Virginia; part of a family that had settled in that county sometime by 1761. Legal records from that county document that his wife was named Milly Brown, his father was John Brown, Cooper, his mother (or stepmother) was Sarah "Sary" Brown, and other inferred relatives included Benjamin Brown, Matthew Brown, James Brown, Joseph Brown, Alice Brown, Davis Brown and Davis' wife Ellen Brown. In August 1784, that Frederick Brown sold his land in that county and presumably moved away. It is currently unknown what happened to this Frederick Brown after he moved away. But because "our" Frederick Brown was first found in Kentucky in 1785 (or 1787), it is plausible that they were the same person. One detail that might support the theory is that in 1788, Sarah Brown (daughter of Benjamin, below) was married to John Bryant in Cumberland County, Virginia. Many online family trees incorrectly combine the Frederick Brown of Cumberland County with other Frederick Browns, including a Frederick Brown (c. 1746-1814) who married Mary Haley and lived in Lunenburg, Halifax, and Pittsylvania Counties, Virginia and Hardin County, Kentucky.

In the spring of 1785, a Frederick Brown was involved in some lawsuits in Frederick County, Virginia (including one for selling spirits/liquor without a license); but otherwise left no other evidence in that county. Note the reference about selling liquor without a license. Later "our" Frederick Brown was documented as purchasing a still (used for making/distilling spirits) and his son Rowland Brown had a tavern license while living in Kentucky. Could the Frederick Brown in Frederick County, Virginia in 1785 have been the same one who was in Cumberland County, Virginia through 1784 and also the same one who first showed up in Kentucky in 1785 or 1787?

There are as yet no known records that include the name of Frederick Brown's wife. She had probably died sometime between the 1820 census enumeration and when her husband wrote his will in January 1829.

Many online family trees that identify her as Rachel Pace (1735-1820), daughter of William Pace and Hannah Booten. However that was not correct. There certainly was a Rachel Pace, but she was married to John Martin and settled in Clark County, Kentucky. Not to mention that she was born too early to have been the wife of Frederick Brown and mother of the below children.

If her husband was the same Frederick Brown who lived in Cumberland County, Virginia between 1775 and 1784 (see above), then her first name was Milly. Note that this Frederick Brown had one granddaughter named Milly. In 1819 in Garrard County, Kentucky, a "Milly Brown" was paid for midwife services, but the record does not provide any other details about who she was or who she was related to. It is worth noting that there is an undocumented story that their daughter Polly Brown (see below) was a midwife in her adulthood.

Another guess is that her name was Martha. In 1792, when Frederick Brown gave his consent for his daughter Martha Brown to be married, one of the witnesses was "Martha Brown". It seems odd that the daughter would sign her own marriage consent as a witness, so perhaps Martha Brown was her mother.

1	Martha Brown was probably born in the mid-to-late 1770s, in Virginia. She died after 1829, possibly in Indiana. She married Ezekiel Gibbs on or after October 1, 1792 in Lincoln Co., Kentucky. He was born circa 1764 in South Carolina and died in or before May 1818 in Garrard Co., Kentucky. They had one known child: Thomas P. Gibbs (1804-1867) md. 1st Margaret Tresner md. 2nd Sarah Ruth Garvin Martha's birth year is unknown. Her father provided his consent to her marriage in 1792, which suggests that she was under 21 and thus born sometime between 1771 and 1780. However I'm guessing that she was considerably younger than that, and possibly born towards the late 1770s. She was named first in her father's will, which suggests she was the oldest child. Martha's husband Ezekiel Gibbs had died by May 1818, when Jeremiah Gibbs (probably his brother) was appointed as the administrator of his estate. She was alive when her father wrote his will in 1829. Her son Thomas Gibbs was living in Garrard County, Kentucky until 1829, and then moved away by 1830, before eventually moving to Putnam County, Indiana before 1836. Perhaps Martha moved with him there and probably died before 1840. It is possible that she had died before 1831, when she did not participate with the rest of her siblings in the sale of their father's property; however her sister Nancy was also not listed in that deed and she was definitely still alive. Ezekiel Gibbs was the probable brother of Jeremiah Gibbs, who married Barbara Brown (daughter of Joseph and Mary Brown - see below). Ezekiel and Jeremiah were likely brothers, or uncles, of Susannah Gibbs who was married to Bazaleel Brown (another child of Joseph and Mary Brown).
2	Frances "Fanny" Brown was probably born in the mid-to-late 1770s, in Virginia. She probably died in 1820 in Garrard Co., Kentucky. She married James Clark on January 17, 1793 in Madison (now Garrard) Co., Kentucky. He died before January 7, 1794 in Madison (now Garrard) Co., Kentucky. They had no known children. There is a lot of mystery about this person. In 1820, a woman named Fanny Clark was murdered in Garrard County, Kentucky; and her body was found on the property of Frederick Brown. Two slaves were convicted of her murder and were executed. Other than those facts, it seems that everything else about the story is rumor and legend. The inference from different stories was that Fanny Clark was a daughter of Frederick Brown. Then other stories are that years later, Fanny's sister Polly Brown (who lived nearby) confessed to the murder. Many stories list her name as "Frances Clara Brown", however that's probably just because her last name was mistranscribed as "Clary" in one version, and then someone made the leap that "Clary" was a nickname for "Clara". There is otherwise nothing to suggest that she had any middle name. On January 17, 1793 in Madison County, Kentucky, a James Clark was married to a Frances Brown. That James Clark died just under a year later. On January 7, 1794, in Madison County, Francis Clark was appointed as administrator of the estate of her deceased husband, James Clark; and Frederick Brown was the security for her bond. Given this, and the later stories that Frederick had a daughter named "Fanny", she was likely the same person. There are no known records of what happened to the widow Francis/Frances/Fanny Clark after 1794. In both the 1810 and 1820 census enumerations, there is an additional unaccounted for adult woman in Frederick Brown's household. All of this suggests that after her husband's death in 1793-1794, Frances probably never remarried and lived in her parents' household until her death.
3	Charles L. Brown was born circa 1781* in Virginia. He died before October 1817 in Garrard Co., Kentucky. He married Margaret "Peggy" Harris on February 1, 1809 in Garrard Co., Kentucky. She was born circa 1795 in Surry Co., North Carolina and died circa 1869, possibly in Clinton Co., Missouri. They had two children: Aristippus Brown (c. 1810-aft. 1880) md. Elizabeth Crawford Arathusa Brown (1811-1860) md. James Duncan Watkins In March 1810, Charles and his wife participated in the sale of the estate of his wife's father, Robert Harris. Charles died before October 1817, when his widow Margaret Brown remarried to William R. Powe. In February 1818, his father Frederick was appointed guardian of his two orphaned children ("Arathusa" and "Artippus"). In reality though, the children likely lived with their mother and stepfather and moved with them to Missouri in about 1825. In October 1827, William R. Powe was the guardian of Arathusa when she married in Clay County, Missouri. * Charles birth year is unknown. But 1781 is likely because of annual tax lists which suggest he probably turned 16 sometime between 1796 and 1797, and that he likely turned 21 sometime between 1802 and 1803. Note that he is sometimes confused with a different Charles Brown who lived in Garrard County, Kentucky in the same time period; that Charles Brown was married to Jane Pond.
4	Mary "Polly" Brown was born circa 1780s, in Virginia or Kentucky. She died after 1831, probably in Garrard Co., Kentucky. There is a lot of uncertainty about this person. She was named in her father's 1829 will as "Polly Brown" and then in 1831, her name "Polly Brown" appears in a deed transferring title to their father's interest property in Kentucky. Because her last name was listed as Brown, and because there is no evidence of any marriage record for her, the assumption has been that Polly was unmarried. However in her father's 1829 will, it also includes reference to her having children (who were unnamed): "I will and bequeath unto my daughter Polly Brown five dollars and to her children, grandchildren of mine, one equal share of my estate with my other grandchildren". Perhaps Polly had married to someone with the same last name, Brown. Or, perhaps she had children out of wedlock. If she did in fact have children, she was possibly the Polly Brown who died in Garrard County in 1837. On July 27, 1837, someone named Robert D. Lush was appointed as the administrator of Polly Brown's estate in Garrard County. Then two months later, in September 1837, George M. Brown of Clarke Co., Ohio and Monroe E. Brown of St. Louis, Missouri, described as the "children and only heirs of Polly Brown deceased", sold 1.5 acres of land that she owned on Sugar Creek in Garrard County (this was in the same part of the county where Frederick Brown had lived). Polly Brown had purchased that 1.5 acre property in May 1828 (which was not long after Frederick Brown had moved to Ohio). Because George Brown was in Clark County, Ohio where Polly's father lived before his death and where his brother Rowland Brown (1791-1850) lived with his family between the 1820s and 1840s, it's likely then that it was the same Polly. In the 1820 census of Frederick Brown's family in Garrard County, it includes two males aged 0-10 who otherwise cannot be accounted for (perhaps they were Polly's sons George and Monroe?) Aside from the above, there are many other legends and sensational stories about Polly Brown. Although the details of the numerous stories vary, most agree that Polly Brown remained in Garrard County after her family moved away. She made a living working as a "herb doctor" and midwife. She apparently went insane in her later life (usually described as sometime between the 1820s-1840s) and was cared for by different neighbors; stories are that she had to be chained up. Towards the end of her life she confessed to having murdered her sister Fanny (whose murder was documented in 1820, see above). Note too that there were multiple Mary/Polly Brown's in Garrard County during her lifetime (including Mary, wife of Joseph Brown who died in 1820 - see below), so it is challenging to differentiate between people with this common name.
5	Susannah "Sukey" Brown
6	Rowland Brown was born on or about May 3, 1791 3 in Madison (now Garrard) Co., Kentucky. He died on November 12, 1850 3 in Platte Co., Missouri. He is buried in the Noland Cemetery, Weatherby Lake, Platte Co., Missouri. He married Phebe V. Grisson on June 13, 1810 in Garrard Co., Kentucky. She was born circa 1785 in Virginia and died sometime between 1860 and 1870 in Platte Co., Missouri. They had the following known children: Anchises G. Brown (c. 1811-1869) md. Ruth Ann Simpkins William Harrison Brown (c. 1813-1849) md. Sarah Plaist Milton Brown (1815-1904) md. Christina Ferres Frances Brown (1819-1891) md. Robert Robinson America Brown (c. 1825-1846) md. Elsberry Martin Emily Brown (c. 1828-aft. 1866) md. 1st William S. Mason md. 2nd James Hartley md. 3rd Henry Johnson Rowland Brown (c. 1831-aft 1850) His name was usually spelled Roland or Rowland in contemporary records. After his marriage, he lived with his family in Knox County, Kentucky (where his sister Susannah was living). While there, he served in the War of 1812. He was issued a tavern license in 1814 in Barbourville, Kentucky. In 1818, he was a security for the Sheriff of Knox County. Sometime between 1824 and 1828, he moved with his family to Clark County, Ohio, where they lived for about 15 years. There, they lived near South Charleston in Madison Township. Eventually, Roland decided to move out west to Missouri where several of his siblings were already living. Sometime during the early 1840s, he moved with his family to Platte County, Missouri, where they settled in Pettis Township. Roland is referred to in records as a lawyer, a judge and a captain; although it is acknowledged that he had "little education" 1. When his son-in-law Elsberry Martin died in 1847 and his son William Harrison Brown died in 1849, he served as administrator of both estates. He had not closed both estates by the time he died in 1850. His son Anchises Brown then served as administrator of all three.
7	Nancy Brown was born circa 1793 in Madison (now Garrard) Co., Kentucky. She died sometime between 1837 and 1840, probably in Platte Co., Missouri. She married Joseph Martin on September 8, 1810 in Garrard Co., Kentucky. He was born circa 1787 in North Carolina and died before August 9, 1852 in Platte Co., Missouri. They had the following children: Brightberry Martin (1811-1890) md. Elizabeth Willis Greenberry T. Martin (1813-1858) md. Elizabeth Bones Sarah Martin (c. 1816-1884) md. 1st Jonas Sutton md. 2nd Thomas Harrington Elsberry Martin (1820-1847) md. America Brown Franklin Martin (1824-1882) md. Anna May Burnett Malinda Martin (c. 1824-1850s) md. Robert C. C. Gray Rhoda Green Martin (1827-1861) md. Franklin Young Flannery Elizabeth Ann Martin (1829-1887) md. Alvin A. Ross Isaac Martin (c. 1833-aft. 1880) md. Jane Bell Amanda Martin (c. 1835-1850s) Stephen Martin (c. 1840-aft. 1863) After their marriage, Joseph and Nancy lived in Garrard County, Kentucky. They moved out west to Missouri in the 1810s with Joseph's brothers Isaac and Zadock. They settled in what is now Clay County, Missouri. In November 1837, they moved to nearby Platte County, Missouri, where Nancy died soon after. One source provides her birthdate as May 1781 and her marriage in 1800. Since the marriage year was 10 years off, perhaps the birth year was off as well. Perhaps then she was a twin of Rowland Brown, whose birth was documented in May 1791.
7	Burwell L. Brown was born circa 1797 in Garrard Co., Kentucky. He died after 1831. He married Mary Holcombe on July 24, 1824 in Garrard Co., Kentucky. He probably had no children. Burwell was a blacksmith. In January 1822 while living in Garrard County, he mortgaged some of his personal property, including his blacksmith tools, to his father. In October 1828, he enlisted in the military at Newport (Virginia?). In October 1829, he was discharged at "Cant Leavenworth" [Cantonment Leavenworth, renamed Fort Leavenworth in 1832]. This suggests that he might have moved out west with his sisters Susannah and Nancy, who were both in northwest Missouri and close to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Burwell was alive in 1831 when he was named in a record about his father's estate, although it did not indicate where he was living.

Susannah Brown was born in the 1780s in Virginia. She died after 1862.

Father: Frederick Brown
Mother: Unknown

Susannah's birth year is unknown, but was probably sometime during the 1780s. The 1810 census records her age as between 16 and 26, suggesting she was born between 1784 and 1794. The 1850 census provides her age as 68, which suggests that she was born in 1781 or 1782. Her husband was born in 1789 (although is entirely possible that she was at least 8 years older than her husband, it is more likely that she was closer to his age.) Because later census sources indicate that she was born in Virginia, she was probably born before 1787, when her father was already living in Kentucky. Or, perhaps born before 1785, when records suggest her father first attempted to purchase land in Kentucky. Although it is certainly possible that her father moved to Kentucky first, and his wife and children joined him later. Finally, the order that Susannah was listed in her father's will suggest she was born sometime between about 1781 (when her brother Charles was probably born, per tax records) and 1791 (when her brother Rowland was born).

Susannah was born in an unknown location in Virginia. She was a young child when she moved with her family to Kentucky. They settled east of Lancaster in what is now Garrard County. Susannah was married to Zadock Martin on August 13, 1807 in Knox County, Kentucky. At the time of the marriage, Zadock was 18 years old and Susannah was probably older than him. After the marriage, Zadock and Susannah lived together in Knox County, Kentucky; where they began to raise a family. Susannah had 9 children: Green, Hardin, Franklin, Gill, William, Milly, James, Josephine and Elizabeth.

In about 1816, Susannah moved with her family out west to what is now Clay County, Missouri. They remained there for several years until about 1828, when they moved to what is now Platte County, Missouri. There, her husband operated ferries over nearby rivers. The family also farmed and operated mills, and a tavern and a hotel out of their home. In 1846, the family moved out west once again and traversed the Oregon Trail. The family settled in rural Yamhill County, Oregon. Susannah was living there when Zadock died suddenly in 1849. Afterwards, Susannah lived with her son Hardin and his wife in Yamhill County. In 1856, Hardin and his wife sold their land and moved to California. After that, Susannah probably remained in Yamhill County and lived with her son Franklin.

In October 1858, she was listed as a resident of Yamhill County, Oregon, when she was named as the legal heir of her deceased grandson William Martin who died in Douglas County, Oregon. Susannah was also listed on tax lists for Yamhill County in 1857 and 1859. Then in April 1862 she was alive and described as "old and forgetful" in a record about her son Franklin's estate. She was probably living with her son Franklin when he died in July 1860. This might explain why neither she or her son's widow Lucretia Martin (both of whom were still alive) have been located in the 1860 census enumeration a few months later. Susannah was not found buried in her family's burial plot in McMinnville, Oregon; which would have been likely if she died in that area. My guess is that after her son Franklin died in 1860, she left to live with one of her other children. At that time, her daughter Elizabeth was closest in St. Helens, Oregon (and during the 1860s also lived in Vancouver, WA; The Dalles, Oregon; and Boise, Idaho); her son William was in Roseburg, Oregon (and during the 1860s also lived in Myrtle Creek, Oregon and Galesville, Oregon); her son Hardin moved frequently and during the 1860s was in California, Yamhill Co., Oregon, Washington Co., Oregon, and possibly in Idaho and Washington; her son Green was in California; and her daughter Milly was in Missouri. It would be wise to check newspapers and cemeteries in those other areas see if there is evidence of Susannah moving to or dying in one of those locations. She had most likely died prior to 1870.

Susannah used the pet name "Sooky" or "Sukey". Her name was sometimes also shortened to Susan. She was described as "a quiet, domestic lady" ⁵

For information on their children, see his page.

Unknown Connections

The below Brown families all lived in Garrard County, Kentucky during the same time as Frederick Brown and must have been related in some way, especially considering the frequent sources connecting them. My guess is that Frederick Brown (died 1829), Absolem Brown (died 1830), Joseph Brown (died 1820) and Benjamin Brown (died c. 1805) were likely brothers - or otherwise close relatives.

Joseph Brown was born circa 1740s, possibly in Virginia. He died before October 1820 in Garrard Co., Kentucky.

He married Mary circa 1760s. She died after 1815, probably in Garrard Co., Kentucky.

They had the following children:

Jerusha Brown (c. 1767-aft. 1824) md. William Powe

Beverly Brown (1769-1857) md. 1st Margaret "Peggy" Adams md. 2nd Fanny Fletcher

Barbara "Barbary" Brown (c. 1772-aft. 1818) md. Jeremiah Gibbs

Bazaleel Brown (c. 1776-c. 1828) md. Susannah Gibbs

Joseph Brown moved to what is now Garrard County, Kentucky sometime before 1787. He lived on Sugar Creek in Garrard County. Joseph wrote his will on January 10, 1815, in which he described his wife Mary, his son Beverly Brown, his son Bezaliel Brown, his daughter Jerusha Poe, his daughter Barbary Gibbs and his grandson Elisha Brown. He will was proven in October 1820. His wife Mary was probably still alive in July 1826, when a deed from her son Beverly Brown to A.J. (Arabia J.) Brown described that a "Mary Brown" was then living on the property.

Absolem Brown was probably born on January 4, 1741, probably in Virginia. He died before December 31, 1830 in Garrard Co., Kentucky.

He married Anna (maiden name possibly Willis). She died after 1824.

They definitely had these children:

Elizabeth Brown (c. 1765-1850) md. John Arnold in 1787 Elizabeth Brown was explicitly described as Absolem's daughter in one record, and the names of some of her children (Absolem, Lucy, Willis and Anna) tie her to this family. In 1828, Absolem Brown deeded land to John Arnold (her husband).

Benajah Brown (???-c. 1806/1807) md. Judith "Judy" Brown in 1791 Benajah's wife Judith was the daughter of Benjamin Brown of Garrard County (see below). In a 1785 court record, Benajah was described as the son of Absolem. In October 1808, Benajah's son Nathan Brown was "bound out" to Absolem Brown.

Anna Brown (c. 1776-aft. 1833) md. Thomas Routon in 1796

Lucy Brown (c. 1782-1860) md. Francis Sasseen in 1800

Absolem Brown Jr. md. 1st Cile Kyler in 1800 md. 2nd ??? in 1818

They possibly had these children:

Bartlett Brown (1760s-1846) md. Ann Bryant in 1789 Bartlett's parents are unknown, but he was probably the son of either Absolem or Benjamin. Bartlett was first found living in Kentucky in 1784, when he was a witness to a land survey in Lincoln County, Kentucky along with Absolem Brown. In 1787, he was a bondsman for the marriage of John Arnold to Elizabeth Brown (daughter of Absolem). In 1789, he was a bondsman for the marriage of Jeremiah Gibbs to Barbara Brown (daughter of Joseph, see above). In 1789, he married Ann Bryant and Jeremiah Gibbs was one of the bondsman. Reuben Arnold (described as the guardian of Ann Bryant) gave his consent for the marriage, he was probably a relative of John Arnold. Ann Bryant was probably a relative of John Bryant who married Sarah Brown, daughter of Benjamin (see below). Sometime between 1810 and 1820, Bartlett moved to Ripley County, Indiana; which is also where Benjamin Brown Jr. (see below) had moved.

Matthew Brown (1770s-c. 1841) md. Sarah Simpson in 1792 Matthew's parents are unknown, but Absolem is a guess. He was documented in what is now Garrard County, Kentucky between 1791 and 1797. He then moved to Pulaski County, Kentucky by 1799. Then in about 1806, he moved to what is now Rockcastle County, Kentucky, and remained there. He named one of his sons Absolem.

Willis Brown Many online family trees describe a son named Willis, yet I have not been able to find any contemporary record identifying any Willis Brown in Garrard County with any connections to any of the people on this page. There was a Willis Brown in neighboring Lincoln County, yet he was apparently unrelated.

Absolem Brown was a Revolutionary War veteran, probably the private who served in the 11th Virginia Regiment. According to later depositions of his, he moved to Kentucky in 1780. Between 1780 and 1783, he lived at English Station, in what is now Lincoln County, Kentucky. Then between 1783 and 1786, he lived at Craig Station in what is now Garrard County, Kentucky. Then in 1786, he moved to land on Sugar Creek in what is now Garrard County, and remained there. Absolem was described as a wheelwright. In his deposition dated June 29, 1827, he stated "I was 86 years old on Jan 4 last", which would calculate to a birth date of January 4, 1741. Absolem wrote his will on December 22, 1824, in which he only named his wife Anne and his daughter Lucy Sasseen. He described having 8 total children, but did not name the other seven; although he did name his son-in-law as Thomas Routon, who was executor. His will was proven sometime in 1830 (month and day was not recorded). A sale bill from his estate was dated on December 31, 1830.

Benjamin Brown was born at an unknown date and location (circa 1740s) and died circa 1806 in Garrard Co., Kentucky.

He married to unknown. (Many family trees provide her name as Elizabeth Ross, yet the marriage between Benjamin Brown and Elizabeth Ross was in 1785, which was after all of Benjamin's known children were born. Perhaps Benjamin's first wife had died and he remarried to Elizabeth Ross - thus she would have been the stepmother to the below children. However I think that there were actually two different Benjamin Browns in that area and the one that married Elizabeth Ross was someone else.)

He had these known children:

Sarah "Sally" Brown (c. 1770-1846) md. John Bryant in 1788

Judith "Judy" Brown (c. 1774-aft. 1820) md. Benajah Brown in 1791 (Benajah was the son of Absolem Brown, above)

Lucy Brown (c. 1775-aft. 1792) md. James Haggard in 1792

Benjamin Brown Jr. (1778-1860) md. Mary "Polly" Powe in 1800

Peyton Brown (1780-1835) md. Betsy Slatten in 1805 In March 1802, Benjamin Brown Sr. deeded land to both Benjamin Brown Jr. and Peyton Brown and the assumption is that they were both his sons. In 1808, Peyton sold his land in Garrard County and moved away. He lived in Casey County, Kentucky and then Adair County, Kentucky before moving to Morgan County, Illinois before 1830.

There was a Benjamin Brown documented in Lincoln County, Kentucky between 1785 and 1787. He married Elizabeth Ross in August 1785. After 1787, he disappears from records there, and a Benjamin Brown does not appear again in the area until 1791. In November 1793 in Lincoln County, Elizabeth Brown made an agreement with Stephen Langford; where he deeded her various pieces of personal property, use of his real property, and money for "her services". Later records describe her as his "concubine" and that they were living together. After both Stephen and Elizabeth were dead, a lawsuit from the administrators of their estates disputed the agreement. The lawsuit makes clear that Elizabeth was the same person who married Benjamin Brown in 1785. However, one affidavit indicates that her husband Benjamin Brown was still alive when she made the agreement in 1793 (thus it would have been null and void). Another affidavit though refuted that and indicated that Benjamin Brown had died before she made the agreement in 1793. All things considered, it seems likely to me that Benjamin had either a) died sometime between 1787 or 1793, or b) had left the area (and his wife) entirely. Perhaps the fact that there was another Benjamin Brown in the same county (see below) could account for the confusion?

In 1791, Benjamin Brown appears again on Lincoln County, Kentucky records. I think he was different than the one described in the paragraph above. I think that he was the Benjamin Brown who lived in Cumberland County, Virginia until selling his land there in September 1789. Note that his daughter Sarah's marriage in February 1788 was documented in Cumberland County, Virginia. That Benjamin Brown was documented continuously in Cumberland County between 1782 and 1789. Between 1791 and 1794, Benjamin was in Lincoln County, Kentucky; then in 1794 or 1795, he had moved to neighboring Madison County, Kentucky, where he apparently remained (in the part that became Garrard County in 1797). He first purchased land there in July 1800. In March 1802, Benjamin Brown Sr. deeded away all of his real estate in three separate transactions. He deeded adjoining lands to both Benjamin Brown Jr. and Peyton Brown and the assumption is that they were both his sons. In another record, Benjamin Jr. was explicitly described as his son. At the same time, Benjamin also deeded the last piece of his property to Samuel Whitney. Could Samuel Whitney (or his wife Lydia) have been a relative? Benjamin Brown Sr. appeared on tax lists in Garrard County through 1804, and then disappears from tax lists starting in 1805. However he was alive in June 1806, when he submitted an affidavit regarding a lawsuit. He probably died sometime not long after that.

Note that many online family trees provide both him and his son Benjamin with the middle name Davidson. Although he did have a grandson named Benjamin Davidson Brown, there is no known contemporary record that provides any middle initial or name for Benjamin Brown or his son Benjamin Brown Jr.

Thomas Brown was an early resident of Garrard County, Kentucky. He was married to "Annie" (also listed as "An", "Ankey" and "Aisley") Harris in 1807. Annie was the sister of Margaret Harris (who married Charles Brown, son of Frederick Brown) and also Sally Harris (who married William Powe, son of Jerusha Brown Powe). There was also a Thomas Brown who married Caty Adams, yet that was a different person. Interestingly though, that Caty Adams was the sister of Margaret Adams who married Beverly Brown (son of Joseph and Mary, above).

Elizabeth "Betty" Brown (c. 1770-1837) was also an early resident of Garrard County, Kentucky. She married Ozias Jennings in 1792; Joseph Brown was one of the bondsman. She later settled in Jefferson Co., Indiana (not far from where Bartlett Brown and Benjamin Brown Jr. settled). She was probably the "Elizabeth Jennings" described as a daughter of John Brown of Garrard County, Kentucky in his will of December 10, 1802. Other family members of John were his wife Margaret, and other children David Brown, William Brown, John Brown, Jean Riggs, Mary Pheris, Maigret Marett, Joseph Brown, Robert Brown and Charles Brown.

Arabia Jackson Brown (1755-1844) was also one of the early settlers of Garrard County, Kentucky. He married Elizabeth Dooley and had a large family of children. Although they lived in the same part of Garrard County and often had legal or land dealings with other Browns, there are no other clues that he had any familial relationship to any of the above Browns, it might just be a coincidence that they had the same common last name.

Other Related Families

The Browns of Garrard County, Kentucky were likely related to other families that they frequently intermarried with and/or had legal dealings with. These other families might hold some clues to the origins of the Browns.

"B" Browns of Brown's Cove

As stated in the intro of this page above, our Brown family was probably related in some way to the "B" Browns of Brown's Cove. Specifically, this was Benjamin Brown (c. 1695-1762) who lived in Hanover County before settling at Brown's Cove in Albemarle County in the early 1750s. He married twice and his children were named: Bartlett, William, Elizabeth, Lucinda, Agnes, Benjamin, Lucretia, Benajah, Bernard, Bernis, Barzillai, Bazaleel, and Brightberry.

The primary reason for assuming the connection is the use of some of these peculiar names between the multiple families, notably: Bazaleel, Benajah, Bartlett, Beverly, and Brightberry (as well as the more common "Benjamin" and some other random "B" names that show up in our family: Barbara and Burwell; also other names repeated in both families: Sarah, Lucinda/Lucy, Elizabeth, Milly, etc.) In addition, some of our Garrard County Browns were related to this family through a maternal line. Specifically Benjamin Brown Sr.'s daughter Lucretia Brown who married Robert Harris. Several of her children moved to Garrard County, Kentucky and three of her grandchildren married into the Brown family: Margaret "Peggy" Harris married Charles Brown (son of Frederick Brown), Sarah "Sally" Harris married William Powe (son of Jerusha Brown Powe), and "Ankey" Harris married Thomas Brown (not yet identified). Was it just a coincidence that Lucretia Harris' descendants married into "our" Brown line? Or were they following a tradition of marrying into the same families?

It seems that many researchers in the past have also come to the same conclusions, as there are various family trees that identify the Garrard County Brown family progenitors (Frederick, Absolem, Joseph and Benjamin) as being grandchildren of Benjamin Brown Sr. (c. 1695-1762), variously through his sons Bartlett, William or Benjamin Jr. Unfortunately the family of Benjamin Brown Sr. is well documented and none of our Browns were his direct descendants. In addition, there is zero evidence of our Browns in Albemarle County, Virginia during the time that Benjamin Brown Sr.'s family was living there. Instead, my guess is that we were less closely related to them. Perhaps Benjamin Brown Sr. had brother(s) or cousin(s) that we descend from?

Harris

Robert Harris was one of the earlier settlers of Garrard County, Kentucky, where he died in about 1804. Three of his children married into the extended Brown family: daughter "Ankey" married Thomas Brown (identity unknown), daughter Peggy married Charles Brown (son of Frederick) and daughter Sally married William Powe (son of Jerusha Brown Powe). Robert had previously lived in Surry County, North Carolina before moving to Kentucky. He was the son of Robert Harris Sr. and Lucretia Brown. Lucretia was a documented member of the "B Brown" family of Brown's Cove in Albemarle County, Virginia. She was the daughter of Benjamin Brown Sr. who died there in 1762.

Adams

Feathergail/Feathergill Adams was one of the original settlers of Garrard County, Kentucky. Two of his children married into the extended Brown family: daughter Margaret married Beverly Brown (son of Joseph and Mary) and daughter Catherine "Caty" married Thomas Brown (identity unknown). Feathergill's father and brother were both named Absolem (the same unusual name of Absolem Brown). Within the Adams family, there was also an Absolem B. Adams (perhaps Absolem Brown Adams?) The Adams family was originally from Fauquier County, Virginia; they apparently lived briefly in Culpeper, then Montgomery and then Russell Counties, Virginia before moving to Kentucky by 1789.

Powe

There was a Powe family that was among the early settlers of Garrard County, Kentucky; several of them married into the Brown family: William Powe married Jerusha Brown (daughter of Joseph) in 1789; Polly Powe married Benjamin Brown Jr. in 1800; and William R. Powe married Margaret Harris Brown (widow of Charles Brown) in 1817. There were later connections as well, including the marriage of William Powe to Sally Harris (related to the Browns) and Rice Powe to Harriet Brown (This William and Rice were sons of William Powe and Jerusha Brown).

Gibbs

There was a Gibbs family that was among the early settlers of Garrard County, Kentucky. Three of them married into the Brown family: Ezekiel Gibbs married Martha Brown (daughter of Frederick), Jeremiah Gibbs married Barbary Brown (daughter of Joseph) and Susannah Gibbs married Bazaleel Brown (son of Joseph). In 1792, Jeremiah and Ezekiel were both witnesses to the marriage bond between Matthew Brown (son of Absolem) and Sarah Simpson. In 1791, Jeremiah Gibbs was a witness to the marriage bond between Benajah Brown (probable son of Absolem) and Judy Brown (daughter of Benjamin). In 1789, Jeremiah Gibbs was a bondsman for the marriage between Jerusha Brown (daughter of Joseph) and William Powe.

Various sources seem to confirm that the Gibbs family lived in South Carolina before moving to Kentucky; so they probably had no earlier connection to the Browns. (Although some of the Browns of Brown's Cove did move to South Carolina).

Jennings

William Jennings was an early settler of Garrard County, Kentucky. There, he was the neighbor of Frederick Brown. They lived on adjoining farms and often had legal/land dealings with each other. In 1815, Frederick's grandson William Jennings Martin was named in his honor. Were they just honoring a friend/neighbor? Or was the family actually related? William Jennings' family originally lived in Fauquier County, Virginia before moving to Kentucky.

In Garrard County, there was an Elizabeth Brown who married an Ozias Jennings in 1792 (see above). Yet that Elizabeth was probably the daughter of John Brown (died circa 1802) and his wife Margaret who we had no known connection to. In addition, when Lucy Brown (daughter of Absolem) married Francis Sasseen in 1800, Augustine Jennings served as one of the bondsmen. The "Browns of Brown's Cove" family also had connections to a Jennings family. Many family trees indicate that Benjamin Sr.'s son William Brown married to a Sarah Jennings. There have also been myths that Benjamin Sr.'s second wife was also descended from a Jennings family, yet that seems to have been debunked.

1. Paxton, W. M. Annals of Platte County, Missouri. Hudson Kimberly Publishing Co., 1897.
2. History of Clay and Platte Counties, Missouri. National Historical Co., St. Louis, MO, 1885.
3. Tombstone inscriptions, Noland Cemetery, Platte Co., Missouri.
4. Tombstone inscriptions, Greenlawn Cemetery, South Charleston, Clark Co., Ohio
5. Newspaper article, Liberty Tribune [Liberty, MO], Apr. 7, 1876, Pg. 1