My dear Aunt Alice, a dedicated historian, has spent over 50 years meticulously documenting The Brown Family history. Her passion is infectious, and even family vacations with Uncle Milner often included fascinating detours to cemeteries, courthouses, and libraries. During a recent visit, she shared a quirky observation, “Did you know most old towns have a street named Cemetery Street?” I was surprised to learn I hadn’t! That visit was filled with such nuggets of information, including the charming story of how she met her husband, Milner Brown. With a twinkle in her eye, she recounted, “I got picked up! I was walking down the street with my girlfriend, and Milner drove by in a car.” I suspect there’s more to the tale, but she kept the rest delightfully vague.
Aunt Alice’s home is a treasure trove of Brown family history, overflowing with boxes of photographs, folders of documents, insightful opinions, and captivating stories. It was during our afternoon together that she reminded me of several key family documents, which form the basis of this narrative.
What follows is an abridged version of these documents, peppered with my own reflections and comments. If any facts have become tangled in my retelling, please feel free to leave a comment below, and I’ll gladly make corrections. Consider this just the beginning of the Brown Family story, and I warmly invite others to join the conversation and contribute their own pieces to this family history puzzle.
Country of Origin: Puddington, England
The quaint village of Puddington in Northamptonshire, England, appears to be the ancestral home of the Browns. It was there that William and James Brown, who later immigrated to the United States, lived with their father, also named William Brown. James, the son from whom the Albert Brown Family lineage is traced, journeyed to America before 1680 as a single man, arriving several years prior to his brother William. William faced a bit more resistance, particularly from his wife, who was reluctant to leave England. In 1680, just 40 years after the Mayflower’s voyage, the apprehension is understandable. Tales of the New World and its inhabitants, including Native Americans, were likely circulating. Sadly, William’s wife passed away at sea during their journey. It’s a stark reminder of the challenges faced by early immigrants!
The elder William Brown, James’s father, was, interestingly, a friend of William Dewsbury, a prominent Quaker. It seems William Dewsbury’s fervent religious beliefs weren’t universally welcomed, even within the Brown household. Family lore recounts William’s wife questioning, “wherefore have you brought that madman to our house,” to which William Dewsbury replied, “why woman he hath brought the Eternal Truth of God to us.” This anecdote highlights the early Brown family’s connection to the Quaker movement.
Brown Family Lineage in America
James Brown, William’s son who immigrated, married Honor Clayton. Honor arrived in the United States in 1677 with her father. James and Honor Brown started a large family, and among their children was Jeremiah Brown. Jeremiah continued the lineage by marrying Mary Goale in 1710, and they too had a substantial family. Their third child, Joshua Brown, born in 1717, married Hanah Gatchel, and predictably, they also had a large family. For our specific family line, we focus on Isaiah Brown, born in 1754, who married Miriam Churchman (remarkably, this was before the American Revolutionary War!). Isaiah and Miriam had a son, William Brown, who married Rachel Milner.
We’re getting closer to some fascinating Brown Family photographs, I promise!
The Covered-Wagon Journey West
In 1828, William and Rachel Brown embarked on an ambitious overland journey from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to Tazewell County, Illinois, in a covered wagon. To finance this westward move, they sold all their possessions, including 112 acres of land and two horses, to William’s cousin, Jeremiah Brown, for $2,700.00. They packed their family of seven children, including my Great-Great-Great Grandfather Joshua Brown, along with two servants, into two covered wagons and set off west in late August. Imagine that road trip – it took them five weeks!
One wonders, in those days, how did people navigate westward across such vast distances? Did they simply head west and hope for the best? William and Rachel, it turns out, had a specific destination: the home of Rachel’s sister, Kitty Wilson.
Letters from William to his cousin Jeremiah Brown provide glimpses into their lives after arrival. We know that William purchased a cabin from a Mr. Orndorff upon reaching Tazewell County. However, the cabin was too small for the entire family, so during their first winter, the “men” braved the elements and slept in the wagons.
By 1835, William Brown had prospered enough to purchase an 80-acre farm from Ebenezer Wright (what a great name!). He and Rachel lived there until his passing in 1852. This farm later became the site of the “Family Meeting,” likely held around 1930, a story for another time.
William Brown was also a man of civic engagement, serving in the Illinois State Legislature in 1834. Remarkably, 1834 was also the year Abraham Lincoln was elected to the Illinois State House of Representatives! This isn’t just family lore; it’s documented in the History of McLean County. A letter dated December 4th, 1834, from William to his cousin, Jeremiah, reveals, “I am in Vandalia at this time and shall remain here until the first of March. I should like if you would write to me as soon as thee receives this and send me a statement of how your canals and railroads are coming on. I was elected to the legislature at the last election and as our state seems wild to follow the eastern states improvements…” (Vandalia was the state capital at the time).
So, the next time someone boasts about their ancestor’s achievements, remember William Brown, legislator and pioneer!
The Brown Family History describes William Brown as a “quiet man, tall, a little stooped, smooth shaven, and of a genial disposition.” In his own words, at 64, he felt “the old man creeping on pretty fast.” Of Rachel, he noted, “Rachel stands it pretty well, but begins to look older and not as stout as she has been.”
A quick note to anyone like Chuck Marshall: regardless of age, never comment on someone’s appearance!
Aunt Alice believes she has a photograph of William Brown. If anyone can scan and send it, it would be a wonderful addition to our family archive.
Joshua Brown: Pioneer of the Prairies
Joshua Brown was nineteen when he arrived in Tazewell County in 1828 with his parents, William and Rachel. He played a crucial role in helping his parents establish their new life. “Helping” in this context meant working tirelessly to clear land and, yes, sleeping in a wagon through an Illinois winter. A quote perfectly captures his spirit: “he was a most useful ally, but realizing that the advantages of prairie land were much greater than of those the former, moved out to the prairies during the summer of 1829.” Perhaps he simply had enough of chopping trees and sharing a wagon with other men and decided prairie life was for him! Joshua Brown’s first wife was Hannah Russel, who sadly passed away in 1855.
Finally, a photograph! According to Aunt Alice, this is one of Albert’s brothers with their Grandfather.
Here is Joshua Brown:
Joshua Brown, grandfather of Albert Brown's brothers, pictured in Bloomington, Illinois.
In 1856, Joshua Brown remarried to Julia A. Cook.
And, it turns out, Joshua Brown became quite prosperous. He acquired 1600 acres of farmland. He maintained two residences: one in town for Julia and the girls, and another on the farm itself. They had four children: Allen, Milner, Charles, and Susan. (And yes, there is a “Charlie Brown” in the family tree!)
Milner Brown and His Growing Family
Aunt Alice points out, “Milner Brown is the large man on the right” in this photograph.
Milner Brown, Albert's father, pictured on the right side of the image.
Milner Brown married Martha Devore Dixon, and together they had a large family of seven children: Norvile Dixon Brown, Julia Brown, Albert Frances Brown, Milner Brown, Edgar Charles Brown, Ruthee Brown, and Dorothy Brown.
The Milner and Martha Devore Brown Family, including Grandmother Devore and Aunt Em.
The children pictured are: Norvile Dixon, Julia, Albert, Milner, and Edgar. It’s noted on the back of the photo that Martha Devore is holding Edgar, and also mentions Grandmother Devore and Aunt Em. Grandmother Devore was married to William Andrew Dixon, and that is a fascinating story for another time!
Albert Brown and Lulu King: Continuing the Lineage
Albert Brown married Lulu King in 1917.
Albert and Lulu Brown Family portrait.
They had four children: Thomas, Milner, William, and Elizabeth, further expanding the Brown Family legacy.
