Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
I’d like to make contact with anyone who has information regarding William Brown and Sheldrake Brown Jr., the sons of Sheldrake/Shelldrake/Sheldrick Brown Sr. The following deed abstracts are found in Barbara Brown Eakley’s book, “The Browns of Bedford County, Virginia: 1748-1840.”
On July 19, 1777 Sheldrake Brown “of Henrico County, Virginia” and Robert Brown were conveyed a deed for 400 acres on Mollys Creek, then a part of Bedford County. The deed was conveyed by Thomas and Martha Hayth, and William and Elizabeth Manly. The property is described as being near Thomas Hayth, James Millwood, John Simon (Simmons), and John Fitzpatrick. Witnesses were John Fitzpatrick, William Brown, John Simmons, Sheldrake Brown Jr. and Henry Brown. [Bedford Co. Deed Book 5, p. 498].
The William mentioned above as a witness was not the son of Sheldrake Sr., but someone referred to in deed records that soon followed as Vineyard Brown and “William the Viny.” I do not know if Sheldrake was related to this William, or to Henry Brown. The latter had been living in the area of Mollys Creek since at least 1767 [Bedford DB 3, p. 100]. Nor do I know what Sheldrake’s relationship to Robert Brown was; he may have been another son.
On Jan 1, 1778 “William Brown of Augusta County, Virginia” was conveyed a deed from Joel and Eleander Burgess for 200 acres on Mollys Creek. The property was near James Millwood, Shelldrake Brown, Thomas Hayth, William Brown, Ruffen and Joel Burgess. Witnesses: Shelldrake Brown, R Brown, Townzen Horton and Shelldrake Brown Jr. [Bedford DB 6, pp. 73-74].
On Sep 21, 1778 William Brown paid off his mortgage to Joel Burgess. Because there was then four men of legal age in that area named William Brown (both William, s/o Sheldrake and Vineyard Brown had sons named William Jr.), he was indentified for the record as “William Brown, son of Shildrake.” [Bedford DB 6, p. 109].
On Sep 1, 1780 William Brown was granted three patents in what was then Bedford County, totaling 7,681 acres: 250 acres on both sides of Gills Creek [now Franklin Co.]; 381 acres on Kates Creek [present-day Bedford Co]; and 7,050 on both sides of Whipping Creek, Little Whipping Creek and Lick Creek [now Suck Creek], including their heads on the east side of Seneca Creek and on the branches of Mollys Creek. [Bedford Patent Books D, p. 355; E, p. 744 and E, p. 718, respectively].
The latter patent formed a large circular area in the southeast quadrant of what is now Campbell County. That the patentee was the son of Sheldrake is born out by three 1781 deed records, by an 1802 Campbell Co. will, a will recorded in Greene Co., GA in the year 1801, and a Campbell Co. deed from 1812.
Recorded Feb 10, 1781: William and Mary Brown “of Locust Thicket” conveyed a deed to John Traylor for 1,430 acres near William Brown of Locust Thicket, Josiah Bullock, “William the Viny,” Thomas Hayth, Edmund Butler, Richard Stith, William McCloud of Blair’s Order and Benjamin Gilbert. Witnesses: William Brown, Hubbard Brown and John Phaplin. [Bedford DB 7, p. 70].
Recorded Aug. 27, 1781: William and Mary Brown conveyed a deed to Patterson Bullock for 1,900 acres on the north side of Whipping Creek, both sides of Little Whipping Creek and on Lick Creek. [Bedford DB 7, p. 71].
Recorded Aug. 27, 1781: William and Mary Brown conveyed a deed to Josias Bullock for 1,000 acres near Lick Creek, part of the land William Brown purchased from Ruffin. [Bedford DB 7, p. 72].
In 1782 Campbell County was set off from Bedford, which included the Mollys Creek area. I’ve not been able to gain access to Campbell deeds, and have no further records for this group until 1802.
In R.H. Early’s “Campbell Chronicles and Family Sketches,” a will abstract for this William Brown appears on p. 351. Early misidentified this William as the same man who married Elizabeth Dale in 1788 (the marriage of his daughter Mary predates the Brown-Dale marriage by two years. William Jr. may have married Elizabeth Dale). The will book in which it is recorded was not stated.
William Brown: 1802 will.
Wife: Mary.
Sons: John, William, Henry, Hubbard, Byrd, Edmond.
Daughters. Lucy Simmons, Mary Alford, Jenny Butler.
An 1812 Campbell Co., VA deed abstract (found on this website) agrees with the above names:
1812 Jan. 13 Recorded:
“Lucy Simmond of Jones Co., John Brown of Baldwin Co., Hubbard Brown of Putnam Co., John Alford and his wife Mary Alford late Mary Brown of Greene Co., Edmund Buther and his wife Jincy late Jincey Brown of Hancock Co. State of Ga, heirs and legatees of William Brown (LT) of Campbell Co. Va. sold to Robert Alexander 1800 acres on Seneca Creek, Whipping Creek nd Buckhorn Branch pursuant to Mar 1804 court decree, Witnessed by John Alexander, Henry Brown, Corbin Lewis and Jeremiah Keen. Desc. Where William Brown and his wife Mary Brown resided in their lifetime, bounded by Clifton Campbell Co. Virginia Deed Book 9 Page 334.”
http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?will,1802,campbell,va::brown::33350.html
My notes on the children of William and Mary:
Lucy Brown – A marriage record for Lucy has not been found. She may have married into the family group of the John and Elizabeth Simmons mentioned in three Bedford deeds pertaining to Shelldrake Sr. between 1777-1780, showing the Simmons family to be neighbors. [Eakley, pp. 125-126].
Mary Brown – Marriage to John Alford. Bond dated July 28, 1786. Surety, “Will Brown.” [Lucy H.M. Baber & Hazel L. Williamson’s “Marriages of Campbell County, Virginia: 1782-1810, p. 7].
William Brown – Marriage to Elizabeth Dale; bond dated Sep 22, 1788; surety John Dale [Marriages of Campbell Co., p. 14]. Not proven that he is the son of William and Mary.
Hubbard Brown – Revolutionary War pension record states he was born 1760 in Brunswick Co., VA; enlisted in Bedford Co., 1781, was pensioned in Gibson Co., TN, 1834. [National Archives: Reel R365 of M804]. Witnessed deed from William Brown and wife Mary (his parents) to John Traylor; recorded Feb 10, 1781 [Bedford Deed Book 7, p. 70]. Hubbard married Mary Black, bond dated Jan 24, 1791; surety, John Black. [Marriages of Campbell Co., p. 14].
Henry Brown – Born Oct 25, 1759 in Prince William Co., VA. Enlisted for Revolutionary War in Bedford Co., VA. Pension file states that at age 72 (1831-32) he received a pension while residing in Campbell Co.; he married Elizabeth Jones on Aug 29, 1827 in Buckingham Co., VA. His brother was Edward Brown of Campbell Co., VA. [National Archives: Reel R363 of M804]. He is not the same Henry who witnessed the 1777 deed of Sheldrake Sr.
John Brown – 35 acres on the north side of Staunton River near Canefase, Denny’s road, Alford, Thomas Vest and James Martin. Survey dated Mar 15, 1780 [Bedford Surveyor’s Record: 1, p. 240].
Jenny Brown – No marriage record found. Edmund Butler is listed as a neighbor, 1781.
[Bedford Deed Book 7, p. 70].
I’ve been able to find very little information about Sheldrake Brown Jr. He appeared in several Bedford deed records, but only as a witness. I’ve not been able to access Campbell Co. records and do not know if he appears there.
In 1780 “Shildrake Brown was recommended and qualified to be an ensign in the Bedford militia. Recorded Aug 28, 1780.” [Bedford Order Book 6, 293]. Although he is not specified as the junior of that name, this could not have been his father. Sheldrake Jr. was at least twenty-one years of age when he witnessed a deed for his father in 1777, putting the year of his birth as 1756 or before. William appears to be an older brother judging from the 1786 marriage of his daughter, Mary. The year of his birth can be estimated conservatively as 1745-1750. Sheldrake Senior’s year of birth was probably between 1720-1730, making him as much as sixty years of age in 1780.
The Revolutionary War pension application of Charles Walker, a Bedford County volunteer, states that in 1781 he served under an Ensign Shadrack Brown.
“The said Walker saith that he entered the service of the United States as a private in Militia of Bedford, now Campbell County Va, in the year 1780 as a volunteer under Capt. Robert Adams; that he joined his company at a place called Pruets near the mouth of Falling River, in s’d county.” “And on the first of May 1781 I was again called to Maj’r [John] Wards. I entered the service again under Capt Adam Clements Robert Cobb Lieutenant and Shadrack Brown Ensign. . . .” http://www.southerncampaign.org/pen/s7802.pdf
The last record I can find for him is a 1782 marriage bond. “John Traylor married Lucy Brown; ‘Shadrick’ Brown, surety.” [Encyclopedia of American Quaker Oct. 13, 1782 Genealogy. Vol. VI, Virginia, p. 860]. The will of Shelldrake Sr. confirms that Lucy is his sister.
“1801 May 16 date of will Shelldrake Browne of Greene Co., Georgia … to Thomas Shelldrake Broaddus … to daughter Rhoda Brown my land … if she dies without heirs, then to my daughter Lucy Traylor during her widowhood and after that money divided between her three sons, viz: (something omitted) Edward Traylor and Lucy Traylor Exors. /s/ Shelldrake Brown. wit: Zachr Roberson, Susanna Robertson. Proved 24 June 1803. [Greene Co. GA Wills 1796-1806, page 50-51 Lucas] LSS note: Putname Co. GA Tax List for 1813: Lucy Traylor and her sons William, John and Edward.” http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lksstarr/TraylorFiles/JOHN.htm
If anyone has information on this family group, especially Campbell County records from 1782 onward, I’d be very grateful to hear from you. I am particularly interested in William Jr., the son of William and Mary. I am trying to learn if he was the William Brown residing on Kates Creek of Bedford County during the 1790s and into the early 1800s. A number of transactions were made there by one ore more William Brown during that time period, some of which are referenced as “William Brown and wife Elizabeth,” whom I believe may be the former Elizabeth Dale mentioned in the 1788 Campbell marriage bond.
Many thanks,
Justin Sanders.
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:
|
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/brown/messages/41405.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|