Brown Family Surname Genealogy

 

 

 

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     Our Brown family line is another example of those restless Scotch-Irish pioneers who settled the newly open lands beyond the Appalachian Mountains during the early years of the Republic.   Prior to the American Revolutionary War the Brown family lived in that area of Washington County, Virginia now in Russell County.

     Although not fully proven we believe that James Brown is the father of our 3rd great-grandfather Robert Brown.  This is due to the fact that Russell County tax records show James Brown and Robert Brown listed together beginning in 1790.  Also James Brown appears to be age appropriate as county records show him as an active adult at the time when the county was formed in 1785.

     Robert Brown was born in Washington County, Virginia in 1772.  He probably married his first wife Sarah whose maiden name is unknown, around 1793.  To this union at least 5 children were born between c.1794 and 1809.    Robert Brown appears on the Russell County tax lists between 1790 and 1796.  As such it is probable that he migrated to Kentucky around 1797.   This premise is supported by Russell County Deed Book #1 showing Robert Brown purchasing 80 acres of land in Russell County on the Clinch River near Little Cedar Creek in July of 1794. Deed Book #2 shows that he and wife Sarah sold this property on October 24, 1797.  Around 1797 Robert and Sarah along with at least two of their children migrated across the mountains into Kentucky and settled in an area of eastern Mason County that would eventually become Floyd County in 1800.  At least three more children were born to Robert and Sarah between 1801 and 1809.       After Sarah died in Kentucky sometime around 1813 Robert married Jemima Walker, daughter of William and Sarah Walker, on February 18, 1816 in Floyd County, Kentucky.  Robert was 44 years old at this time and was probably residing in the locality of Floyd County where the Beaver Creek joins the Levisa River*.  Four children were born to Robert and Jemima in Floyd County between 1871 and 1824.     Around 1826 Robert moved his family from Kentucky to Edgar County, Illinois where he is recognized as one of the original settlers of Paris Township. While living in Edgar County Robert and Jemima produced six more children between 1828 and 1837.  In 1848 Robert Brown obtained land in that part of Osage County, Missouri which would become Maries County in 1855.  It appears that Robert did not move west from Edgar County, Illinois until the early part of 1851.  Robert Brown died at his homestead now located in Johnson Township of Maries County, and was laid to rest in the nearby Pinnell Cemetery. 

     Our family lineage continues through Robert and Jemima’s daughter Lydia Ann Brown, born 1834.  Lydia Ann married John P. Moreland in 1853 at Crawford County, Missouri.  She and her husband resided in Maries County for 50 years, where four known children were born between 1855 and 1866.  One these children was Jeremiah Moreland (1858-1901) from whom we are descended.     Sometime in 1907 John and Lydia Ann moved from Maries County, Missouri along with the families of their grandson John Alton Jones and granddaughter Martha O. (Jones) Cox.  They settled in the Voorhees Township area of Stevens County, Kansas with plans to farm and grow watermelons to sell the seed.  During the winter of 1913 Lydia Ann contracted pneumonia fever.  Several weeks later, in March, she passed away at the home of her granddaughter Martha O. (Jones) Cox.  According to her obituary a large crowd attended her burial at the Barden Memorial Cemetery in nearby Texas County, Oklahoma.  Apparently Lydia was loved and respected by all who knew her, ever doing a kindness where she could.  Had she lived until May, 1913 she would have been 79 years old.


* The Levisa River is also known as the west branch of the Big Sandy River.  Early deeds usually refer to the Big Sandy River rather than the Levisa River.

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Direct ancestors

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Ancestral Lineage

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Additional information about the persons in our database  as   well  as   a   complete  listing   of

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individuals with this surname may be reviewed by clicking on this LINK.

 

 

 

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DESCENDANT REGISTER

Generation 1

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ROBERT1 BROWN was born on 30 Dec 1772 in Washington County, Virginia. He died on 29 Dec 1852 in Osage County, Missouri. He married (1) JEMIMA WALKER, daughter of William Walker and Sarah Walker (nee?) on 18 Feb 1816 in Floyd County, Kentucky. She was born on 29 Jun 1791 in Montgomery County, Virginia. She died on 08 May 1871 in Johnson Twp., Maries Co., Missouri. He married (2) SARAH BROWN (NEE?) about 1793 in Russell County, Virginia. She died about 1813 in Floyd County, Kentucky.

 

Robert Brown and Jemima Walker had the following children:

 

i. SOLOMON WALKER2 BROWN was born on 19 Sep 1817 in Floyd County, Kentucky. He died on 28 Oct 1879 in Johnson Twp., Maries Co., Missouri. He married Hannah R. James, daughter of John James and First Nm. Unk.? Moreland on 01 Mar 1849 in Crawford County, Missouri. She was born on 18 Sep 1823 in Tennessee. She died on 26 Jan 1893 in Missouri.

 

ii. ELIZABETH BROWN was born on 19 Jun 1819 in Floyd County, Kentucky. She died on 03 Jul 1883 in Galena, Cherokee Co., Kansas. She married James Skelton Bradshaw on 17 Nov 1836.

 

III.  DAVID BROWN was born about 1820 in Floyd County, Kentucky. He died about 1847.

 

iv. SARAH REBECCA BROWN was born about 1824 in Floyd County, Kentucky. She died between 1880-1900 in Baxter County, Arkansas. She married James A. Deatherage on 03 Jan 1858 in Phelps County, Missouri. He was born about 1825 in Tennessee.

 

v.    NANCY BROWN was born on 19 Jan 1828 in Edgar County, Illinois. She died on 28 Feb 1852 in Maries County, Missouri. She married James M. Bradshaw on 19 Jan 1851 in Edgar County, Illinois.

 

vi.    TANDY B. BROWN was born about 1830 in Edgar County, Illinois. She died about 1847 in Mexico ?.

 

vii. ROBERT WALKER BROWN was born in 1833 in Edgar County., Illinois. He died Feburary 1885 in Paris, Lamar Co., Texas. He married (1) AMANDA SMITH on 12 Jul 1868 in Osage County, Missouri. She was born about 1843 in Tennessee. She died between 1871-1876 in Jefferson Twp., Maries Co., Missouri.  He married (2) MARIAH ELIZABETH TUBB on 13 July 1877 in Lamar County, Texas.

 

viii. LYDIA ANN BROWN was born in May 1834 in Paris Twp., Edgar County, Illinois. She died on 15 Mar 1913 in Voorhees Twp., Stevens Co., Kansas. She married John P. Moreland, son of John Moreland and Sarah Bennett on 24 Apr 1853 in Crawford County, Missouri. He was born on 08 Dec 1832 in McMinn County, Tennessee. He died on 28 Jun 1917 in Jefferson Twp., Maries Co., Missouri.

 

ix. RHODA S. BROWN was born about 1835 in Edgar County, Illinois. She died on 18 Sep 1910 in Phelps County, Missouri. She married (1) THOMAS KNIGHT about 1867 in Missouri. He died between 1870-1880 in Johnson Twp., Maries Co., Missouri ?. She married (2) NATHANIEL M. MONTGOMERY on 01 Dec 1885 in Phelps County, Missouri.

 

x.      CAROLINA BROWN was born about 1837 in Edgar County, Illinois. She married THOMAS PARKER.

 

Robert Brown and Sarah Brown (nee?) had the following children:

 

xi.   JOHN BROWN ? was born about 1794 in Russell County, Virginia

 

xii.   JENNY BROWN ? was born about 1796 in Russell County, Virginia.

 

xiii.  SECOND DAUGHTER BROWN was born between 1801-1810 in Floyd County, Kentucky.

 

xiv. SECOND SON BROWN was born between 1801-1810 in Floyd County, Kentucky.

 

xv.   THIRD SON BROWN was born between 1801-1810 in Floyd County, Kentucky.

Generation 2

LYDIA ANN2 BROWN (Robert1) was born in May 1834 in Paris Twp., Edgar County, Illinois. She died on 15 Mar 1913 in Voorhees Twp., Stevens Co., Kansas. She married John P. Moreland, son of John Moreland and Sarah Bennett on 24 Apr 1853 in Crawford County, Missouri. He was born on Dec 1832 in McMinn County, Tennessee. He died on 28 Jun 1917 in Jefferson Twp., Maries Co., Missouri.

 

John P. Moreland and Lydia Ann Brown had the following children:

 

i.           WILLIAM ROBERT3 MORELAND was born in 1855 in Maries County, Missouri. He died between 1920-1930 in Logan Twp. Beaver Co., Oklahoma?. He married (1) JOSEPHINE KINSEY, daughter of Stephen Kinsey and Elizabeth LaFollette on 18 Apr 1880 in Maries County, Missouri. She was born on 23 Nov 1858 in Missouri. She died on 04 Oct 1881 in Jefferson Twp., Maries Co., Missouri. He married (2) FRANCES P ARTHINA TIPTON on 04 Sep 1884 in Phelps County, Missouri. She was born on 13 May 1862 in Missouri. She died on 16 Mar 1946 in Santa Clara County, California.

 

ii.      JEREMIAH E. MORELAND was born on 30 Aug 1858 in Lanes Prairie, Jefferson Twp., Maries Co., Missouri. He died on 20 Nov 1901 in Woodward County, Oklahoma. He married (1) MARY ETTA PINNELL, daughter of William Lewis Pinnell and Mary Vinnell Johnson on 31 Jan 1883 in Lanes Prairie, Maries Co., Missouri. She was born on 26 Apr 1863 in Jefferson Twp., Maries Co., Missouri. She died on 16 Mar 1929 in Tulare County, California. He married (2) LAURA A. KINSEY, daughter of Stephen Kinsey and Elizabeth LaFollette on 16 May 1880 in Maries County, Missouri. She was born on 10 Nov 1860 in Missouri. She died on 29 Mar 1882 in Jefferson Twp., Maries Co., Missouri.

 

iii.     RHODA ELIZA MORELAND was born in Nov 1860 in Maries County, Missouri. She died about 1918 in Claremore, Rogers Co., Oklahoma. She married Elijah Jones, son of Russell Jones in 1878 in Missouri. He was born about 1858 in Missouri. He died after 1930 in Claremore, Rogers Co., Oklahoma.

 

iv.      JOHN GILBERT MORELAND was born on 31 Oct 1866 in Maries County, Missouri. He died on 12 Feb 1883 in Jefferson Twp., Maries County, Missouri.

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Resources 22

Source documents

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Source
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The documents contained within this “Source Documents Archives” have been located during our research of this family, and used as evidence to prove many of the facts contained within the database of this family’s record.   We have source documents related to the following persons within our database with this surname.

 

·       Brown - History of Maries Co.,MO (Chapter 24)

·       Brown - Surname Records, Russell Co., VA

·       Jemima WALKER Brown (1791-1871)

·       Lydia Ann BROWN Moreland (1834-1913)

·       Nancy BROWN Bradshaw (1828-1852)

·       Rhoda BROWN Knight (c.1815-1910)

·       Robert Brown (1771-1852)

·       Robert Walker Brown (1833-1885

·       Samuel F. Brown (1871-1957)

·       Sarah R. BROWN Deatherege (c.1824-c.1885)

·       Solomon W. Brown (1817-1879)

·      Tandy B. Brown (1857-1940)

 

This Link will take you to our

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archive of source documents.  

You are welcome to download any of the documents contained within this archive that does not cite a copyright.  Should you encounter a problem obtaining a copy you may get in touch with us via the contact information found at the end of this web-page.

     Most of these documents can be considered as primary or secondary evidence.  Primary evidence is usually defined as the best available to prove the fact in question, usually in an original document or record.  Secondary evidence is in essence all that evidence which is inferior in its origin to primary evidence. That does not mean secondary evidence is always in error, but there is a greater chance of error.  Examples of this type of evidence would be a copy of an original record, or oral testimony of a record’s contents.  Published genealogies and family histories are also secondary evidence.

     Classifying evidence as either primary or secondary does not tell anything about its accuracy or ultimate value.  This is especially true of secondary evidence.  Thus it is always a good idea to ask the following questions: (1) How far removed from the original is it, (when it is a copy)?; (2) What was the reason for the creation of the source which contains this evidence?; and (3) Who was responsible for creating this secondary evidence and what interest did they have in its accuracy?

SOURCE: Greenwood, Val D., The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, 2nd edition, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD 21202, 1990, pgs. 62-63

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Migration routes

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Migrations of the
American Family

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       Tracing our own family’s paths of migration can prove crucial in identifying previous generations and eventually, figuring out where and how they arrived in the “New World” as well as where they eventually settled.  Knowing the network of trails American pioneers traveled can help you guess where to start looking.  The trail map(s) provided below may assist you in understanding the routes that our direct ancestors of this family may have taken to find new homes and opportunities in the vast area now encompassed by the United States.

      During the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries hundreds of thousands of Europeans made the perilous ocean voyage to America.  For many it was an escape from economic hardship and religious persecution.  For most it was an opportunity to start over, own their own land, and make a better future for their descendents.

Immigration records show a number of people bearing the name of BROWN, or one of its variants, as arriving in North America between the 17th and 20th centuries.  Some of these immigrants were: Christopher Browne is recorded as being one of the very first settlers in the new American colonies. In the very first listing of the colonists of New England he is shown to be "living in Virginea, on February 16th 1623".  Other first American settlers of this name or some of its variants were: Abigail Brown, who settled in Maryland in 1668; Alex Brown, who immigrated to Boston in 1763; Richard Brown, who came to Maryland in 1774; Hugh Brown and his wife Margory, who emigrated from Scotland to Philadelphia in 1775.

Use the following links to find more early immigrants with this surname:

$ Search Ancestry.com Immigration Records; or Free Ship’s Passenger lists at OliveTreeGenealogy.com

     It is believed that sometime around 1797 Robert Brown moved his family a distance of about 90 miles over the Appalachian Mountains and into Kentucky. Most likely he traveled from Russell County, Virginia west along the Levisa River to what is now Floyd County, Kentucky.  Today much of this can be driven on what is now U.S. Route 460 and U.S. Route 23. Robert settled near Allen City where Beaver Creek joins with the Levisa River. Robert Brown continued to live in Floyd County until 1826. 

     Robert and his second wife Jemima set off for Illinois, in 1826, with their four eldest children and possibly a child or two from his first marriage.  Several of Jemima’s siblings

Robert Brown Migration 1797-98

Click on thumbnail for full image of the route to Floyd County

also accompanied the Brown’s on this migratory move. Such as her brother Moses Walker, sisters Jane Walker and husband Richard F. Giddens, Rhoda Walker and husband Milton Lesley. To accomplish this move they may have floated down the Levisa and Big Sandy Rivers to Catlettsburg where they would come upon the Ohio River. Once on the Ohio River they could float downstream to mouth of the Wabash River. From Here they would travel upstream for about 165 miles to Edgar County, Illinois whose eastern boundary lies on the Wabash.  An overland route would be more direct but also more strenuous.  If this type of route was taken by the Brown family they would certainly have traveled west from Floyd County, Kentucky to Louisville, Kentucky located on the Ohio River.  Here they would

Brown Ancestors Migrations 1797-1907

Click on thumbnail for full image of the Brown Ancestral Migration Routes between 1797-1907

cross over into southern Indiana and take a trail that would that would approximate present day U.S. Route 150. The journey of at least 650 miles eventually ended in  Edgar County, Illinois.

     Around 1851 Robert Brown and his family would move further west into Missouri along with seven of their ten children.  The journey was about 270 miles long and they most likely traveled along the National Road from in Edgar County, Illinois to St. Louis, Missouri.  From there they would follow today’s U.S. Route 50 to Rosebud, Missouri then MO State Route 28 to where they settled in a part of Osage County that  would  become  Maries County  in  1855.  The

property was located just east of Bloomington on Lanes Prairie, and the Dry Fork Creek.

     The final leg of our Brown Family migration west began in 1907 when Robert and Jemima’s daughter Lydia Ann Brown and her husband John P. Moreland moved from Maries County, Missouri along with the families of their grandson John Alton Jones and granddaughter Martha O. (Jones) Cox.  They settled in the Voorhees Township area of Stevens County, Kansas.  This distance of this journey was approximately 600 miles.  From Jefferson City, Missouri they could travel to Stevens County either along the road that is now U.S. Route 50 or on the railroad which also follows this route.

The Development of an Historical Migration Route

It is understood that in many if not all cases we do not know exactly what routes our ancestors took as they migrated throughout the United States.   As such certain assumptions have been utilized to re-create the migration path presented above.  With regard to 18th and 19th century land routes we assume that they travelled along few trails and roads that were in existence at the time.  Research shows that a great many of these old paths and trails are today designated as U.S. Highway Routes.  For example, a major east-west route of migration known as the National Road is now U.S. Route 40, and a primary north-south migration route of the 18th century followed the Great Indian War and Trading Path is now U.S. Route 11.  In some situations the re-created migration route may travel along state routes that connect or run through the seat of a county as that populated place is probably the oldest settlement in the area. The use of water as a migration route is also likely.  For example, during the late 18th and early 19th centuries many families travelled west on the Ohio River as they moved on the new lands in Missouri or the Old Northwest Territory.  As such when applicable water routes have been included as the possible migration route.   

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Family Images
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During our research we have collected images and photographs that are of general interest to a particular family.  Some of them are presented on this website because we believe they tend to provide the reader with additional information which may aid in the understanding of our ancestors past lives.  We have images related to the following persons within our database with this surname.

 

·      Gillie Burdine BROWN (1881-1964)

·      Lydia Ann BROWN Moreland (1834-1913)

·      Mrytle J. BROWN Baugh (1883-1934)

·      Robert BROWN (1772-1852)

·      Robert Walker BROWN (1833-1885)

·      Samuel F. BROWN (1871-1857)

 

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Ancestral locations

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Researching the locations where our ancestors lived has provided us with valuable evidence needed to fill in the gaps in our family trees.  It has also led us to many interesting facts that enhance the overall picture of each family group.

Locations of

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Locational Distribution

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Locations of Our Direct Ancestors

 

The names of states and counties on the following list were derived from the known places where the Direct Ancestors in the “Ancestral Lineage” (see above) were born, married, and / or died.

COUNTRY

STATE

COUNTY / SUBDIVISION

UNITED STATES

 

ILLINOIS

Edgar

KANSAS

Stevens

KENTUCKY

Floyd

MISSOURI

Crawford, Osage

VIRGINIA

Washington (Russell)

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Locational distribution of Surname

Locational Distribution of This Surname

Knowing the geographical areas where the surname you are researching is clustered and distributed is an indispensable tool in deciding where to focus your research.  We believe that the “Public Profiler” website will open up to you a wide range of solutions which implement current research in spatial analysis.  This site provides an array of local spatial information tools useful to the genealogist. 

The information presented herein shows where the BROWN surname is distributed within North America as well as in United Kingdom the probable country of origin of this family.      Statistics show that there are approximately 5,853 persons per million of population with this surname, within the United Kingdom, and 4,761 persons per million of population within the United States.  Australia is found to be the country in the world where this surname is the second most highly clustered having approximately 5,881 persons per million of population.  The top region in Germany where this surname is the most highly clustered is  the  Ruapehu  District,  New  Zeeland  with

NORTH AMERICA

UNITED KINGDOM

BROWN - Surname Dist. NA

BROWN - Surname Dist. UK

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10,053 persons per million, and Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom is the top city where this surname is found.

Click on the LINK to the right to see more information about the World distribution of a surname.  You can get

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Resources which enhance our knowledge of the places inhabited by our ancestors are almost as important as their names. The LINK to the right will take you to Maps, Gazetteers,   and  other  helpful   resources 

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that will assist in discovering Ancestral Locations.  These web sites comprise only a small portion of what is available for researchers interested in learning more about where their ancestors lived.

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Origins of the surname

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Origins of the Surname

An Introduction

to the Surname

Source/Meaning

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History of

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More About

Surnames

 

An Introduction to the Surname

     The practice of inherited family surnames began in England and France during the late part of the 11th century.   Surnames were first utilized in the Germanic region of central Europe during the second half of the 12th century.  The custom of taking on surnames began in the southern areas of Germany, and gradually spread northward during the Middle Ages.  It took about three hundred years for this tradition to apply to most families and become a constant part of one’s identity.        With the passing of generations and the movement of families from place to place many of the original identifying names were altered into some of the versions that we are familiar with today.  Over the centuries, most of our European ancestors accepted their surname as an unchangeable part of their lives.  Thus people rarely changed their surname.  Variations of most surnames were usually the result of an involuntary act such as when a government official wrote a name phonetically or made an error in transcription. 

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Map of European Languages

 

Research into the record of this BROWN family line indicates that the variations, meanings and history of this surname are most likely linked to that area of Europe where English, Scots, and/or Irish linguistic traditions are commonly found. 

 

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Source(s) & Meaning(s) of the Surname

     Most of the modern family names throughout Great Britain have originated as a result of the following circumstances: patronym or matronym, names based on the name of one's father, mother or ancestor, (Johnson, Wilson). Each is a means of conveying lineage; occupation (i.e., Carpenter, Cooper, Brewer, Mason); habitational (Middleton, Sidney, or Ireland) or topographical (i.e. Hill, Brook, Forrest, Dale); nicknames (i.e., Moody Freeholder, Wise, Armstrong); status (i.e. Freeman, Bond, Knight); and acquired ornamental names that were simply made up.

The BROWN surname is English, Scottish, and Irish in origin.  Originally this name would probably have been a nationlistic or tribal nickname for a person with a brown complexion or hair, although it may also have referred to someone who habitually wore brown clothing, such as a monk or cleric. 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.   Recorded in many spellings this ancient and prolific surname derives, from a pre 7th century Germanic and Anglo-Saxon word "brun" or the Olde Norse personal name "Bruni". The baptismal name as Brun or the latinized Brunus, was a popular name in the period up to the introduction of surnames in the 12th century. 

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History of the Surname

Surnames as we know them today were first assumed in Europe from the 11th to the 15th century. They were not in use in England or Scotland, before the Norman Conquest of 1066, and were first found in the Domesday Book of 1086. The employment in the use of a second name was a custom that was first introduced from the Normans who had adopted the custom just prior to this time.    Soon thereafter it became a mark of a generally higher socio-economic status and thus seen as disgraceful for a well-bred man to have only one name.  It was not until the middle of the 14th century that surnames became general practice among all people in the British Isles.

     The BROWN surname is first found in the English shires of Cumberland and Northumberland, where this family was seated from very early times, having been granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. 

     Early recordings of the English name/surname are: Brun, Brunus in 1066; Conan filius Brun in 1209; Richard Brun, le Brun le mercer in 1111–38; William le Brun in 1169; William Brun 1182–1205; Hugh Bron of Stafford, England in 1274; Agnes Broun in 1296; and John le Browne in 1318.   Another of the earliest recorded Browns is John Brown of Stamford, Lincolnshire in 1312 and Hugo Brun of Erfurt, Germany, in 1407.  The first recorded spelling of the family name anywhere in the world is probably that of William le Brun, which was dated 1169, in the Pipe Rolls of the county of Northumberland, England. Irish name holders derive from 12th century Norman sources. In the west the Browne's are the descendants of a knight called " Hugo le Brun", and form one of the ancient "Tribes of Galway", as recorded in the "Annals of the nine kings".  The Browne's of Killarney form a separate branch and are descended from a later Elizabethan settler.

     BROWN is the fourth most common surname in the United Kingdom.  According to the 1990 United States Census, Brown is the fifth most common family name in the United States at 0.621% of the sample population, essentially identical in frequency to Jones.

     Some notable persons with this surname or close variant spellings of it are: H. Rap Brown, American civil rights activist;  John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American abolitionist;  Oliver Brown (civil rights), plaintiff of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case concerning school segregationJoe Brown (judge) (born 1947), television judge on the Judge Joe Brown show;  Joe E. Brown (1892–1973), American actor and comedian;  Dee Brown (writer), American novelist and historian;  Helen Gurley Brown (1922–2012), author, publisher, and businesswoman;  Bobby Brown (born 1969), American rhythm and blues singer; and Clifford Brown, American jazz trumpeter.  See a list of links to biographies of people who share this common surname.

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More About Surname Meanings & Origins

British Surnames

Although the Domesday Book compiled by William the Conqueror required surnames, the use of them in the British Isles did not become fixed until the time period between 1250 and 1450.  The broad range of ethnic and linguistic roots for British surnames reflects the history of Britain as an oft-invaded land. These roots include, but are not limited to, Old English, Middle English, Old French, Old Norse, Irish, Gaelic, Celtic, Pictish, Welsh, Gaulish, Germanic, Latin, Greek and Hebrew.  Throughout the British Isles, there are basically five types of native surnames. Some surnames were derived from a man's occupation (Carpenter, Taylor, Brewer, Mason), a practice that was commonplace by the end of the 14th century.  Place names reflected a location of residence and were also commonly used (Hill, Brook, Forrest, Dale) as a basis for the surname, for reasons that can be easily understood.  Nicknames that stuck also became surnames.  About one-third of all surnames in the United Kingdom are patronymic in origin, and identified the first bearer of the name by his father (or grandfather in the case of some Irish names). When the coast of England was invaded by William The Conqueror in the year 1066, the Normans brought with them a store of French personal names, which soon, more or less, entirely replaced the traditional more varied Old English personal names, at least among the upper and middle classes. A century of so later, given names of the principal saints of the Christian church began to be used. It is from these two types of given name that the majority of the English patronymic surnames are derived and used to this day.  Acquired ornamental names were simply made up, and had no specific reflection on the first who bore the name. They simply sounded nice, or were made up as a means of identification, generally much later than most surnames were adopted.

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Variations of the surname

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Variations of
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Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to unfold and expand often leading to an overwhelming number of variants.  As such one can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames because in early times, spelling in general and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized.  Later on spellings would change with the branching and movement of families. 

Spelling variations of the family name include: Brown, Broune, De Bruyn, Brauner, Bruni, Brunet, and many more.

 

The complexity of researching records is compounded by the fact that in many cases an ancestors surname may also have been misspelled.  This is especially true when searching census documents.   The Soundex Indexing System was developed in an effort to assist with identifying spelling variations for a given surname.  Soundex is a method of indexing names in the 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 US Census, and can aid genealogists in their research. 

The Soundex Code for Brown is B650. Other surnames sharing this Soundex Code are:  BARHAM | BARNEY | BARON | BARONE | BARRON | BERNA | BIRNEY | BIRNIE | BOOROM | BOREN | BORN | BOURN | BOURNE | BOWRON | BRAIN | BRAME | BRANN | BRAUN | BREEN | BRIEN | BRIM | BRIMM | BRINN | BRION | BROOM | BROOME | BROWN | BROWNE | BRUEN | BRUHN | BRUIN | BRUMM | BRUN | BRUNO | BRYAN | BURIAN | BURN | BURNEY | BYRAM | BYRNE | BYRON | BYRUM.

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Armorial bearings, symbols and mottoes

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Armorial Bearings, Mottoes & Symbols

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In the Middle Ages heraldry came into use as a practical matter. It originated in the devices used to distinguish the armored warriors in tournament and war, and was also placed on seals as marks of identity. As far as records show, true heraldry began in the middle of the 12th century, and appeared almost simultaneously in several countries of Western Europe.  In the British Isles the College of Arms, (founded in 1483), is the Royal corporation of heralds who record proved pedigrees and grant armorial bearings

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Descriptions of the

Armorial Bearings

Motto(es) of

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More About Heraldic Bearings

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Gallery of Images

Browne Ireland, 1614

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Browne - Kenmare, Ireland

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Brown- Fordell, co. Perth2

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Brown - Newhall, co. Edinburgh

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Browne - Wales

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Browne - Camus and Clanmorris, co. Limerick

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Clan Broun crest

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ARMORIAL BEARINGS

Descriptions of the Armorial Bearings

The associated armorial bearings for this surname and close variant spellings are recorded in Burke’s General Armoire and Rietstap’s Armorial General.  The additional information, presented below, is offered with regard to the armorial bearings depicted above:

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FIGURE 1: Browne of County Down

In 1614 this coat-of-arms was bestowed upon Stephen Browne of Ballyrennell, County Down, the brother of John Browne, of Bradley, Derbyshire.  The armorial bearings are described as having an ermine shield that contains a a black fesse that is embattled counter embattled.  Within the fesse are three white scallop shells*.  The crest features a stork’s head and neck of ermine and a blue beak coming out of a mural crown of red. * This heraldic symbol represents a traveller to far places or victorious naval commander.

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FIGURE 2: Browne of County Wexford

These arms have been attributed to a Brown of Mulrankin, County Wexford. The silver shield contains a black two-headed eagle* with red beak and talons. The crest (not shown) is of a silver stag's head covered with drops (guttè de sang) of gold.  Similar arms that include a crescent were granted to Edward Browne in 1724.   Edward was the son of Andrew Brown, the 5th son of Edward Brown. This Brown lineage is descended from Browns of Clanmorris. *This heraldic symbol represents the conjoining of two forces.

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FIGURE 3: Browne of County Mayo

These arms belong to a Browne of Braeffy, Raheen, and Ellistown, in County Mayo. A black* shield shows three lions passant in a bend between two double white cotises.  The crest (not shown) features a green eagle displayed. The motto of this Browne is “Suivez raison.” * The heraldic utilization of the color black represents constancy or grief.

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FIGURE 4: Browne of Hospital, Co. Limerick

This coat-of-arms has been attributed to Sir Thomas Browne of Hospital, in County Limerick, who died in 1640.  Records show that he was third son of Sir Valentine Brown a Knight of Croft in Lincolnshire.   His descendants were the Browns of Hospital, who terminated in an heiress, Helen daughter of Thomas Browne, who married her kinsman Nicholas, 2nd Viscount Kenmare who represented the senior line of the same family.  These armorial bearings show a silver shield containing three black martlets* in the pale between two flaunches each charged with a lion.  The similar armorial bearings of the Browne’s of Kenmare  differ with regard to the  crest that is a silver dragon's head between two black wings expanded. The motto associated with this lineage is “Loyal en tout.”  * A martlet is footless sparrow and the symbol of the fourth son; it may also signify one who has to subsist by virtue and merit, not inheritance.

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FIGURE 5: Brown of Scotland

These arms have been attributed to a Brown of Balquharn in

Clackmannanshire, Scotland. The red shield contains a gold chevron between three golden fleurs-de-lis*.  *This heraldic symbol represents purity; light; floral badge of France; represents sixth son as mark of difference.

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FIGURE 6: Brown of Perthshire, Scotland

These armorial bearings were bestowed upon a Brown of Fordell, in Perthshire, Scotland.  These arms are best described as having a blue* shield containing a gold chevron between three golden fleurs-de-lis.  Brown of Finmount, in Fife ,Scotland  added a black crescent on the chevron for difference. The crest shows a demi lion holding in his dexter paw a golden fleur-de-lis.  The motto associated with these armorial bearings is “Floreat majestas.”  * The heraldic utilization of the color blue represents truth and loyalty.

 

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FIGURE 7: Brown of Edinburgh, Scotland

This coat-of-arms was granted to a Brown of Newhall, in Edinburgh, Scotland. The arms feature a red shield containing a gold chevron with a green wheat-sheaf * (garb) between three fleurs-de-lis. The crest features a ship in the sea firing the signal for “Bailing.”  The motto of this Brown is “Deus adesto”.  * This heraldic symbol signifies that the harvest of one's hopes has been secured.

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FIGURE 8: Browne of Wales

These armorial bearings have been recognized by Sir Bernard Burke as belonging to a Browne possible of Wales.  The arms show a white shield containing a black fesse and three black stars. The crest features a stork's head* couped at the neck, between two white wings.  *This heraldic symbol represents filial duty; close parental bond; If holding a rock, symbolizes vigilance.

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FIGURE 9: Browne of Galway, Ireland

This coat-of-arms belonged to a Browne of Smith's Ordinary in County Galway, Ireland. The gold* shield contains a black eagle with two necks.  The crest features two black eagles' heads couped and conjoined. The motto of this Browne was, “  Fortiter et fideliter.”  *The heraldic utilization of the color gold represents generosity and elevation of the mind.

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FIGURE 10: Browne of Camus, Co. Limerick

This coat-of-arms belonged to Maximilian Ulysses Browne of Camus and Clanmorris, in County Limerick.  This Browne was a descendent of a Anglo-Norman family who settled in Ireland from the 12th century.  The shield contains pales* of white and black with a black eagle displayed with two heads armed and beaked in red. The crest shows an armored arm holding a sword.  The motto associated with these armorial bearings is “Fidem servabo genusque”.  *The heraldic utilization of a pale respresents military strength.

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FIGURE 11: Broun (Brown) Clan Tartan

This is an example of the Broun (Brown) Dress Tartan*. Dress tartans are based on the earasaid tartans worn by Highland women in the 17th and 18th centuries. Dress tartans tend to be made by replacing a prominent color with the color white. They are commonly used today in Highland dancing.  *It is generally regarded that "clan tartans" date no earlier than the beginning of the 19th century. The naming and registration of official clan tartans was begun in 1815 by the Highland Society of London. Today almost all Scottish clans have several tartans attributed to their name. Although it is possible for anyone to create a tartan and name it any name they wish, the only person with the authority to make a clan's tartan "official" is the recognized chief of the clan.

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FIGURE 12: Broun (Brown) Clan Badge

This is an image of the Broun (Brown) Clan Badge*.  It features the clan crest of a lion holding a fleurs-de-lis, as well as the clan motto, “Floreat Magestas” which translates as, “Let majesty flourish.”  *A Scottish crest badge is a heraldic badge worn to show allegiance to an individual or membership in a specific Scottish clan.

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MOTTO(ES)  

Motto(es) of this Surname

     A motto is a word or sentence usually written upon a scroll and generally placed below the shield, but sometimes, especially in Scotland, above the crest.    Many ancient mottoes were war-cries such as the Douglas motto of “Forward.”    Many mottoes refer to the name of the bearer, for example “cole regem” for Coleridge.   In general most mottoes convey a sentiment, hope, or determination, such as the Cotter motto “Dum spiro spero” where the meaning is “While I have breath I hope“.     Mottoes are often used by several successive generations, but may be changed at any time by the grantee. The languages most in use are Latin, French, and English.  Exceptions are seen in Scotland where they are often in the old Lowland dialect, and in Wales, often in the language of the principality.   

     There are several mottoes attributed to BROWN or BROWNE of Great Britain.  Many have been noted within the descriptions of the previous coats-of-arms.   For more information about mottoes associated with this surname see the ARMORIAL GOLD link below.

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Heraldic bearings

More about Heraldic Bearings

The art of designing, displaying, describing, and recording arms is called heraldry. The use of coats of arms by countries, states, provinces, towns and villages is called civic heraldry.   A Coat of Arms is defined as a group of emblems and figures (heraldic bearings) usually arranged on and around a shield and serving as the special insignia of some person, family, or institution.  Except for a few cases, there is really no such thing as a standard "coat of arms" for a surname.  A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, is a design usually granted only to a single person not to an entire family or to a particular surname.  Coats of arms are inheritable property, and they generally descend to male lineal descendents of the original arms grantee.  The rules and traditions regarding Coats of Arms vary from country to country. Therefore a Coat of Arms for an English family would differ from that of a German family even when the surname is the same. 

Some of the more prominent elements incorporated into a  coat of arms are :

Crest - The word crest is often mistakenly applied to a coat of arms.  The crest was a later development arising from the love of pageantry.  Initially the crest consisted of charges painted onto a ridge on top of the helmet.

Wreath or Torse – The torse is a twist of cloth or wreath underneath and part of a crest. Always shown as six twists, the first tincture being the tincture of the field, the second the tincture of the metal, and so on.

Mantling – The mantling is a drapery tied to the helmet above the shield. It forms a backdrop for the shield.

Helm or Helmet - The helmet or helm is situated above the shield and bears the torse and crest. The style of helmet displayed varies according to rank and social status, and these styles developed over time, in step with the development of actual military helmets.

Shield or Arms - The basis of all coats of arms.  At their simplest, arms consist of a shield with a plain field on which appears a geometrical shape or object.  The items appearing on the shield are known as charges.

Motto - The motto was originally a war cry, but later mottoes often expressed some worthy sentiment. It may appear at the top or bottom of a family coat of arms.

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