Marty and Karla Grant
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Henry Brown (c1690s-1757) and 1) Unknown and 2) Esther (—) of Salem Co., NJ and Augusta Co., VA
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Henry Brown and his first wife are my 9 times Great Grandparents, assuming that their son Daniel Brown is my Daniel Brown. I’m certain he is, but others disagree.
First, I must acknowledge the book Mead Relations - Mead - Brown - Powell - Keyser - Kelly - Trumbo - Austin - Toler - Prichard, Virginia - Kentucky, A. M. Prichard, Staunton, VA, 1938. Mr. Prichard’s book contains some very good information on Henry Brown and some of his children. However, he has Henry’s son Daniel as a different Daniel from mine, but he was wrong about that as I’ll explain later. Prichard’s book is available for free on familysearch.org.
In the book, Mr. Prichard refers to a manuscript Sketch of the Brown Family, dating from 1755, Augusta, Rockbridge and Bedford, undated, written by John Thompson Brown, a great grandson of Henry Brown (Sr). John T. Brown (1802-1836) was a son of Henry Brown (1760) who was a son of Henry Brown (Jr) (c1714) who was a son of Henry Sr. I wasn’t able to find the full text of actual manuscript anywhere online.
Henry Brown was probably born sometime between ca 1690 and 1710, either in New Jersey, or perhaps in England. We do know he was in Salem County, New Jersey in the 1710s and 1720s.
Salem is a southwestern county with the Delaware River as it’s western border, thus it’s across the river from Delaware, and just a few miles downstream from Wilmington, DE, and a few more miles from Chester, PA.
Henry Brown may have married in Salem Co., NJ, likely before ca 1714. I have not found any record of his wife’s name, other than Esther. Prichard shows Esther as Henry’s 2nd wife, but I don’t know if that is correct or not. I believe he bases that on Samuel Brown’s 1749 Will. He was one of Henry’s older sons, and in his Will, he didn’t name any of his siblings who are supposedly Esther’s children. This could be because they were half siblings, which would mean Esther was a 2nd wife, or maybe he didn’t name them because they aren’t his siblings at all. More on that later.
I checked the available online records for Salem Co., NJ and found practically nothing for Henry Brown(e). There is an entry for him on a 1715 reconstructed census for Salem Co., NJ. I don’t know what the source was for his entry since it wasn’t an actual census. There was also a John Brown and William Brown on that 1715 “census.”
There is this interesting entry in the paper in 1720:
Broke out of Custody at Salem in West Jersey Sunday the 28 of August last Henry Brown a lusty Tall Man aged 30 years light brown shot curled Hair; quick of speech, he had before broke open the house of Benjamin Holm’s of Salem, and took feloniously from thence upwards of 200 pounds in Cash, which he carried with him, and is supposed to be gone to Maryland,
Whoever secures him so that he may be brought to Justice shall have Five Pounds Reward paid by Benjamin Holm’s aforesaid with Reasonable Charges - The American Weekly Mercury, September 8th, 1720
From: Archives of the State of New Jersey - First Series. Vol. XI. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, Edited by William Nelson, Volume XI ... 1894, p. 53.
I wonder if that was our Henry Brown? The name and age and location are right.
Alexander Grant made his Will on 20 Jan 1726/27 in Salem Co., NJ and died in February 1726/27. His widow Ann Grant, as Executrix, filed a list of debtors to the estate dated 6 Jul 1734 which included Henry Brown, “runaway.” Which meant he was no longer in the county, not necessarily that he fled because of the debt, though of course perhaps that is why he left. Regardless, he left without paying it. This is interesting when you compare it to the 1720 newspaper article above. Is that our Henry Brown in 1720? We do know this is our Henry Brown in 1727 and 1734, because Ann Grant apparently found him later in Augusta Co., VA in 1753 and went after the debt which made it to court in Augusta in March 1756:
Nicholas Gibbons, Esq, assignee of Ann Grant, complains of Henry Brown, otherwise lately called I Henry Brown of Mannington in the County of Salem, in the Western Division of the Province of New Jersey, Yeoman.
Bond to Ann Grant, dated 1729, 5th June.
Process issued 3d Nov 1753 and returned executed and Henry Brown Jr and Isaac Taylor, Bail.
This court action shows us that Henry Brown (Sr) of Augusta Co., VA was formerly of Salem, NJ, specifically of Mannington, having been there in 1729 when he made the bond in question. From the 1734 estate record listing him as a runaway, it shows he apparently left Salem between 1729 and 1734. Did he go directly to Augusta Co., VA or tarry somewhere else awhile?
There was no Augusta County yet in 1734, that region still being mostly unsettled. Later that same year, Orange County was formed which covered all of that area that later became Augusta and many other counties. In 1738, Augusta was formed from Orange, itself nearly as large as Orange had been. Augusta had no government for awhile, so deeds and court actions were still recorded in Orange for a few years until Augusta was organized.
Henry Brown and Samuel Brown were listed as members of the militia of “Roan Oak” (Roanoke) in 1742. It isn’t clear whether this is Henry Sr or his son Henry Jr.
In Orange County court 23 Aug 1744:
On the motion of James Patton Gent its ordered that George Robinson, James Davis, Henry Brown Junr, Tarphias Tash or any three or more of the (sic) Do View and lay of a road from the Center of the inhabitance on the South side of James River and Roan Oak to the verge of Brunswick or Amelia County and make retn to next Court of their proceedings
The above is clearly Henry Jr, not Sr, but it shows them in the region.
Col. James Patton was a huge landowner in Augusta Co., VA and was responsible for drawing in many settlers to that region with the promise of affordable tracts of land.
On 10 Aug 1748, an inventory and sale of the estate of Daniel Monnahan of Augusta was recorded. Among the purchasers were: Henry Brown Senor and Henry Brown Jr.
On 3 Nov 1750, Henry Brown Sr received a 50 acre land patent on Lick Run of Roanoke River. The description mentioned James Burke’s corner.
Lick Run is entirely within the city of Roanoke now, rising at the I-81 and I-581 interchange south and west of the highways, then flowing basically with I-581 all the way into downtown Roanoke before flowing in the Roanoke River. This area was part of Augusta County until 1770 when Botetourt County was formed. It was part of Botetourt until 1838 when Roanoke County was formed. In 1902, Roanoke was made an independent city, so it was no longer part of the surrounding Roanoke County.
Henry Brown (Sr) was killed during an Indian raid in the Fall of 1757. This is described in detail in Prichard’s book, citing John Thompson Brown’s account of the incident (p. 98). It is an interesting story. I won’t repeat it here, except to note the story also says that Henry’s wife was also killed, but that isn’t correct as his widow Esther survived him.
On 17 Sep 1757, Esther Brown, Robert Moody and James Moody signed an Administration bond for Esther Brown to administer the estate of Henry Brown, deceased. Esther signed, Robert Moody made his mark, James Moody signed.
On 16 Nov 1757, Esther Brown qualified before the court as Administratrix for her deceased father Henry Brown. Esther Brown the widow, having refused. (Augusta Co., VA Court Order Book VI, p. 39.)
Esther Brown, the widow, died before 24 May 1762, for on that date a court case, her against John Dailey, was abated due to her death.
Henry Brown didn’t leave a Will, but we can put his family together fairly well thanks to estate records, deeds and a manuscript prepared by his great grandson.
His estate records prove that he had a daughter named Esther Brown Carleton. Henry Brown (Jr) sold land inherited from Henry (Sr) so that proves he is Henry’s oldest son, or the oldest surviving son. Samuel Brown left a Will in 1749 naming his brother Henry Brown, and his “youngest” brothers Daniel and David Brown. Samuel didn’t mention his sister Esther Brown, though she is a proven child of Henry via his estate records. By listing Daniel and David as his youngest brothers, that seems to exclude Robert and Thomas Brown who would be his youngest, if they are in fact his brothers. They are supposedly sons of Esther, Henry’s 2nd wife, making them Samuel’s half brothers. I say “supposedly” because I’ve seen no proof they are actually part of this family other than John Thompson Brown’s manuscript. Henry Brown (Jr) did sell property to Robert Brown, so that does show they were acquainted at least. It is certainly possible they aren’t siblings at all, but cousins or nephews. Maybe they are Esther’s children from a prior marriage to another Mr. Brown. That is assuming they are her sons at all, of which no proof has yet come to light.
John T. Brown’s writeup of the family, as cited by Prichard, is quite interesting. He mentions Henry Sr had two sons by his first marriage, Henry (his grandfather) and Samuel, and two sons and a daughter, Thomas, Robert and Esther, by his second marriage. He didn’t mention sons Daniel and David, who were named in Samuel’s 1749 Will as his youngest brothers. He may have left them out since they moved to North Carolina early on and he didn’t know about them. John T. Brown died in 1836, so his manuscript pre-dates that, though probably not by much.
1. Henry Brown (Jr), born ca 1714, likely in New Jersey, married first to Ann Richardson (per Prichard) on 22 Jan 1735. She died before 1757, for on 20 Feb 1757, Henry married his second wife Alce (Alcy) Beard in Bedford Co., VA. Henry (Jr) was named in his brother Samuel’s 1749 Will.
2. Samuel Brown, born ca 1717 (rough estimate), probably in New Jersey. He married Mary (—) before 1749. He made his Will in 1749 in Augusta Co., VA naming his wife Mary, and their sons Adam and Henry. (Apparently another son, Samuel Jr, was born after his father’s death). Samuel (Sr)’s Will also named his brothers Henry Brown, Daniel Brown and David Brown. He did not mention his half sister Esther nor his half brothers Thomas and Robert.
3. Daniel Brown, born ca 1720, probably in New Jersey, was named in Samuel Brown’s 1749 Will as his “youngest brothers” Daniel and David Brown. Daniel married 1st to someone unknown ca 1739, and 2nd to Grace Thompson in Salem Co., NJ in 1750, while still a resident of Virginia. He may have gone back there to visit relatives or deal with some family matters (or both). Daniel moved to North Carolina by 1760. While I believe this is my Daniel Brown (c1720-1791), Mr. Prichard thought it was the Daniel Brown who died in Bedford Co., VA in 1797. He based that on not finding any other Daniel Brown’s of appropriate age in the region. The reason he didn’t find him is that Daniel had gone to North Carolina, as proven by a 1767 deed in Augusta Co., VA referring to him as a resident of Orange Co., NC. Prichard was aware of that deed, but assumed (for some reason) that Daniel returned to Virginia to live since he acknowledged the deed in person in Augusta. Regardless, there is sufficient evidence that my Daniel Brown is the one in question.
Pros:
1. My Daniel is the Right age. My Daniel was born ca 1720, which is perfect match for what Henry’s son Daniel’s birth date should be.
2. My Daniel was in the Right places at the right times. My Daniel, while a resident of VA, married in Salem Co., NJ, which is where Henry and family were from.
3. My Daniel was in the Right places another time at the right time. My Daniel owned land in Augusta Co., VA, which he sold as a resident of Orange Co., NC in 1767. In 1767 my Daniel Brown (c1720-1791) was a resident of Orange Co., NC where he remained. His section became Guilford County in 1771 and Randolph County in 1779. (See Cons also).
4. My Daniel used the Right names in his family. My Daniel had sons named Henry and Samuel, and possibly a David.
Cons:
1. There were two Daniel Browns in Orange Co., NC in 1767 when that deed was made. Mine, who lived on Deep River in what is now Randolph Co., NC, and another Daniel (wife Lucy), who lived on Bear Creek in what is now Chatham Co., NC. Daniel/Lucy didn’t name any of their children Henry, Samuel, etc.
2. My Daniel (c1720-1791) was a Quaker, whereas Henry and family were not. This is easily explained. Daniel became a Quaker in 1760 after his move to North Carolina. He wasn’t raised one.
2. Daniel Brown of Bedford Co., VA was also the right age and in the right area since Henry Jr also moved to Bedford. However, Henry Jr was there by 1757, this Daniel didn’t arrived there until the 1770s. I’m reasonably sure Daniel of Bedford moved there from Chesterfield Co., VA and had lived there since it was still part of Henrico County, a proven son of William Brown who died there after 1736.
The pros far outweigh the cons in my opinion. Pending discovery of evidence to the contrary, I’m rather certain my Daniel Brown (c1720-1791), who married Grace Thompson, is the son of Henry Brown (Sr) of Augusta Co., VA.
4. David Brown was probably born ca 1722. He was named in his brother Samuel’s 1749 Will. Prichard had no information on David. John Thompson Brown didn’t even mention him (nor did he mention Daniel). I suspect the reason for that is that David also went to North Carolina and was thus forgotten by the Browns that remained in Virginia within a generation or two.
I’m not 100% sure David went to North Carolina, but in 1774, when Daniel Brown’s daughter Sarah married John Bedsaul at Cane Creek Monthly Meeting (Quaker), there was a David Brown in attendance. That could be David son of Henry, but I’m not certain of that. It could also be a namesake son of Daniel that died before Daniel made his Will in 1788.
So, at present, I have no additional data on David Brown except he was alive in 1749 (in Virginia) and possibly alive in 1774 in North Carolina.
5. Esther Brown was born before ca 1736, assuming she was at least 21 when she became Administratrix of her father Henry’s estate in 1757. Those estate records clearly list her as his daughter. She was still Esther Brown until she married William Carleton in 1762 in Augusta Co., VA. They were still alive in 1781.
6. Thomas Brown wasn’t named on any official records as an heir to Henry Brown as far as I’ve seen, but John Thompson Brown (1802-1836) did include him among Henry’s children by his second wife. In 1760, Henry Brown and wife Alce, residents of Bedford Co., VA, deeded land to Thomas Brown in Augusta Co., VA. No relationship was stated in that record.
This may be the same Thomas Brown who made his Will on 6 Jun 1822 in Botetourt Co., VA naming wife and many children. That Thomas was married to Mary Terry daughter of William Terry. I don’t know if there is proof this is the same Thomas Brown, but they were in the right area. He did name one of his daughters Esther.
7. Robert Brown wasn’t named on any official records as an heir to Henry Brown as far as I’ve seen, but John Thompson Brown (1802-1836) did include him among Henry’s children by his second wife, but provided no data on him except that he was present when Henry Brown Sr was killed during an Indian attack (1757). Prichard had no information on Robert except he acquired land on Peters Branch of Roanoke River in 1754.
For Family Group Sheet and other notes see my database pages for Henry Brown (Sr) and 1) Unknown first wife and 2) Esther (—)
Revised: February 10, 2025
Copyright © 1996-2025 Marvin A. Grant, Jr. All Rights Reserved.
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