Family of Thomas Brown

(This person can be viewed within the Melton/Sharp Ancestry Chart by clicking here)

 

 

1.  THOMAS2 BROWN  (NICHOLAS1) was born 1628 in England1, and died August 28, 1693 in Lynn, Essex County, MA.  He married MARY NEWHALL Bet. 1652 - 1653 in Lynn, Essex County, MA, daughter of THOMAS NEWHALL and MARY UNKNOWN.  She was born 1637 in Lynn, Essex Co., MA1.

 

Notes for THOMAS BROWN:

THOMAS BROWN’S WILL

 

The following is a copy of the orally declared last will and testament of Thomas Brown, senior, of Lynn, Mass.:

The following was taken down in writing this day, being ye 7th of October, 1693:

Memorandum - About two years since: though in ye last sickness of Thomas Brown, hereinafter named, he declared the following sentences as his last will and testament, who died about six weeks ago.

Thomas Brown, of Lynn, Sen., being of proper memory and good understanding, declared what his last will and testament should be, in the presence of Jeremiah Shepard, John Newhall senior, and Mary Shepard. After some serious discourse with Mr. Shepard about his spiritual condition, he earnestly desired Mr. Shepard to be helpful to him in settling his temporal estate, and said he was very apprehensive of the decay of nature, be reason of many bodily informities that did weaken him, and therefore could not put long continuance in this world. So he thought it meet to take the present opportunity of expressing his mind concerning his last will and testament; and desired Mr. Shepard to draw it up that he might read it and subscribe to the same. And having committed his spirit to God, and his body to the dust, wishing a decent interment thereof, suitable to his rank and quality, he did thus, fearlessly, freely, and voluntarily and deliverately express himself:

My will is, that after my honest debts and funeral charges are paid my home and homestead, with all my land in Lynn, as also my cattle and moveables, with doors, I give and bequeath to my son Ebenezer, who hath been very careful of me and my family, and whom I have betrusted with the management of my outward affairs, only my will is that my son Ebenezer provide for my wife, that she be comfortably maintained out of my estate.

I give and bequeath to my wife all my moveables within doors, pewter, brass, bedding, &c., to be at her absolute disposal.

I give to my eldest son Thomas, my long gun, which I value at forty shillings.

I give to my son Joseph twenty shillings, having already bestowed some lands upon him.

I give to my son Johyn twenty shillings.

I give to my son Daniel five pounds.

I give to my daughter Norwood twenty shillings.

My will is that my loving wife should be executrix, and my son Ebenezer executor.

To this, my last will and testament, I constitue my brother John Newhall, and Robert Potter, senior, to be my overseers.

Thomas Brown did thus express his mind, in reference to his last will and testament, in presence of us.

 

JEREMIAH SHEPARD,

 

MARY SHEPARD,

 

JOHN NEWHALL, SEN.

 

Before ye Honored Bartho Gedney, Esq., October 9th, 1693, Mr. Jeremiah Shepard and Mary his wife, and John Newhall, Sen., made oath that what is within as above contained in this paper was expressed by said Thomas Brown as his last will and testament; and that said John Newhall and Mary Shepard, add that he also gave to his son Eleazer five pounds.

Sworn to ye day aforesaid.

 

Attes: STEPHEN SEWALL, Register

 

Extract from the Narragansett Weekly, May 22, 1884

 

The names of many of the early settlers who came to Stonington, Conn. from Massachusetts, are herewith given and will be of interest to many.

The Rev. Jeremiah Shepard, who wrote the aforesaid nuncupative will of Mr. Thomas Brown, Seniour, of Lynn, Mass., was at that time a settled pastor of a church of that town.

He was the youngest son of the famous Rev. Thomas Shepard, of Boston, Mass., by his third wife, Mrs. Margaret Borodel. The Re. Jeremish Shepard married Miss Mary Wainwright, and they became the parents of a large family of children, one of whom, Mary Shepard, married Isaac Wheeler, of Stonington, and settled with her husband on the north range of Taugwonk.

They erected a double house, two stories in front and one in the rear. The west part, next the road, was used for a store. There Madam Wheeler, as she was called, engaged in trade, purchasing a large part of the surplus butter, cheese, poultry, beef, and pork that the farmers in this region had to sell, and then shipping it all to Boston by water. She also kept a stock of dry goods to exchange with farmers for their products. These goods she usually purchased herself in Boston, when she sold her farm products. her trips to Boston were made on horseback and alone, occupying, in going and coming, about four days. She was one of the most energetic, capable, and accomplished busness characters of her day, accumulating, for the time, a fortune, which was inherited by her son Thomas Wheeler, which made him at the time of his death, 1755, the richest man of Stonington.

The occupation of Thomas Brown, Senior, of Lynn, was that of a “dish-turner;” that of his son Thomas was a joiner, whose brother John was a carpenter, and built a large number of houses in Stonington. Eleazer was engaged in farming and stock-raising.

Alarge number of the early planters of old Stonington came here from Massachusetts. Wm. Chesebrough, our first planter, settled first in Boston, removed to Braintree, then to Rehoboth, and, in 1649, came here. Thomas Miner first settled in Charlestown, Mass., then removed to Stoonington; from there he went to New London, and from New London came here. Capt. John Gallup settled first with his father in Boston; from there he removed to New London, and from there came here. John Breed came directly here from Lynn, Mass. Thomas Wheeler and his son Isaac Wheeler came here from Lynn, Mass. Capt. George Denison first settled in Roxbury, Mass.; from there went to New London, and from there came here.

Robert Park and son Thomas Park, John Williams, Ebenezer Wiliams and Eleazer Williams came here from Roxbury, mass. William Billings came here from Dorchester, Mass. Amos Richardson came here from Boston. James York came here from Braintree, Mass. Thomas Hewett came here from Hingham, Mass. {Wheeler }

 

These names are common in Stonington and North Stonington at the present day.

 

from THE BROWN GENEALOGY, Cyrus Henry Brown, 1907, Boston, The Everett Press

 

 

More About THOMAS BROWN and MARY NEWHALL:

Marriage: Bet. 1652 - 1653, Lynn, Essex County, MA

     

Children of THOMAS BROWN and MARY NEWHALL are:

              i.   JOHN3 BROWN, b. Abt. 1664, Lynn, Essex Co., MA; d. 1733; m. ELIZABETH MINOR2, October 1692, Stonington, New London Co., CT; b. April 30, 1674, Stonington, New London Co., Connecticut.

 

Notes for JOHN BROWN:

JOHN BROWN, son of Thomas Brown and Mary Newhall his wife, b.,Lynn, 1664; m. Stonington, Oct 1692, Elizabeth Miner, b. Apr.1674; dau. of Ephraim and Hannah (Avery) Miner, and granddau. of Lieut. Thomas and Grace (Palmer) Miner.

John Brown, who was a carpenter, built his house on the western portion of the lands purchased by the three Brown brothers. The well is still to be seen, about one hundred rods south of the George Wheeler farm, owned later by Charles L. Brown, now (1914) by George A. Pendleton, where the compiler of there records was born on Nov. 29, 1929

 

Notes for ELIZABETH MINOR:

THE GROTON AVERY CLAN, Vol. I, pg 80.

 

Researching this line is Margie Strang at mstrang@penn.com

 

   Source: B.G.

   BG: Elizabeth Miner, born April 1674, daughter of Ephraim and Hannah (Avery)

Miner and grand-daughter of Lt. Thomas and Grace (Palmer) Miner.

 

 

More About ELIZABETH MINOR:

Christening: November 15, 1674, 1st Church of Stonington, Stonington, New London Co., Connecticut

 

More About JOHN BROWN and ELIZABETH MINOR:

Marriage: October 1692, Stonington, New London Co., CT

 

              ii.   ELEAZER BROWN, b. August 04, 1670, Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts3; d. November 30, 1734, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut3; m. ANN PENDLETON, October 18, 1693, Stonington, New London Co., CT3; b. November 12, 1667, Portsmouth,Rockingham Co.,New Hampshire; d. 1727, North Stonington, New London, CT.