Gr-Gr-Gr-Great Grandfather Richard Brown

About Richard Brown's ancestry I have found very little. How or when he came to Burlington, or where he came from seems impossible to ascertain due to the common name of Brown. Estella Kimble said that he came from Scotland. There is no mention of Richard's birth in the Meeting Minutes, so he may have emigrated in the 18th century. But, there is a marriage of Richard Brown and Mary Elizabeth Jones in the 1788 Burlington Meeting Minutes, so Richard could have married into the Jones family, which would explain the closeness of the two gentlemen. (source: ancestry.com; HinshawÕs Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy: Vol. 2)

Richard and Benjamin

Richard journeyed with Benjamin Jones, his new son-in-law, to Fishing Creek Township, leaving behind his life in New Jersey also. He helped in establishing the village of Jonestown, built the grist and sawmills, and then after 1820, left to move a short distance to Greenwood Township in Fishing Creek. In the 1820 census he's listed in Forks, Fishing Creek, Columbia, Pa, on page 9: _ 1 _ _ _ 1 _ _ 1_ 1 _ 2 p.1; There would be Richard 53, Philip 15; aand his wife Mary Elizabeth 51, but there are 3 others unaccounted for. Could be more of Richard's children, or some grandchildren come home to live.

Census Reports

1793 NJ Tax Lists Index Burlington Cty, Nottingham
1810 Census he's listed in Northumberland County , Pa. p.2b Fishing Creek: Brown, Richard; M: 1 1 _ _ 1 (Richard); F: 1 1 1 _ 1 _ (Columbia then was part of Northumberland and townships were not identified) (fishingcreek:7 members present: Richard Sr. 45+, Mary 45+, Philip -10; another son 10-15, daughter -10, daughter 10-15, daughter 10-25 1820 census listed Columbia County, Fishing Creek 6 members present: Wife 45+, Richard Sr. 45+, 1M 10-16 (prob. Philip), 1 F 16-26)
1820 Census: p. 9: _ 1(Male 10-16) _ _ _ 1(male 45+) _ _ 1_ 1(F 16-26) _ 2 (F 45+) p.1
There are 7 members in household: Richard Sr. 45+, Nancy 45+, a male (son Philip) under 10; a male 10-15, a female under 10, a female 10-15, a female 15-25. These people could have been children or grandchildren.

Possible Brown Descendants

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Richard's Wife

Mary Elizabeth Jones may have been Richard Brown's wife, may have been in some way related to Benjamin Jones, but we don't know for sure if that is who he was still married to when he moved to Pennsylvania. Since household members were not named individually until the 1850 census, that will remain a mystery.

Some possible references to Richard Brown

1840 no Browns at all in Greenwood Township
1840 Fishing Creek Township: Philip Brown 1 Male 0-5, 1 Male 5-10, 1 Male 10-15,1 Male 20-30 Philip; 1 F 0-5, 1 F 5-10, 1 F 10-15,1 Female 20-30 (his wife) p. 1
1850 Census for Cumberland, Adams, Pa: Poorhouse and County Prison a Richard Brown age 86,(source: ancestry.com roll M432_743; page 112;image 224. Seems unlikely, since his daughter was still alive in Fishing Creek, but it could be that they were estranged.
Name: Richard Brown; Birth Date: 1770; Birthplace: New Jersey, Pennsylvania Insurrection
Volume 20, Page 281; Reference: Records of the officers and men of NJ. In wars 1791-1815. Trenton, NJ. 1909. (369p.):30
1830 Source Citation: Year: 1830; Census Place: Mifflin, Columbia, Pennsylvania; Roll: 165; Page: 62. mifflin, Columbia, Pa p. 1 Samuel and Robert Brown next door; an Elizabeth Brown 50-60, 1 F 10-15 on same page
no Browns in Fishing Creek 1830
1830 Greenwood: William Brown 1 M 0-5; 1 M 5-10; 1 M 15-20; 1 M 20-30; 1 F 10-15; 1 F 20-30
1840 a Richard Brown in Northampton, Burlington NJ 2 (M 0-5),2 (M 15-20), 1(M 20-30) 1(M 30-40),1(1 M 50-60); 2F (10-15), 2F (15-20), 1 F (30-40) Roll: 248; Page: 255.
1840 q Luthar M. Brown 1840; Census Place: Briar Creek, Columbia, Pennsylvania; Roll: 449; Page: 195. 1 M 10-15; 1 M 20-30; 1 F 0-5; 1 F 20-30
1850 Briar Creek, Columbia, Pa: Mary Brown 78 (Head); Robert Brown 43 (no occ.- insane); Augustus B. Pearce24 Labourer

Brown Surname Meaning

English, Scottish, and Irish: generally a nickname referring to the color of the hair or complexion, Middle English br(o)un, from Old English brun or Old French brun. This word is occasionally found in Old English and Old Norse as a personal name or byname. Brun- was also a Germanic name-forming element. Some instances of Old English Brun as a personal name may therefore be short forms of compound names such as Brungar, Brunwine, etc. As a Scottish and Irish name, it sometimes represents a translation of Gaelic Donn. As an American family name, it has absorbed numerous surnames from other languages with the same meaning.(source: ancestry.com)