Browns from Cumberland to Buckingham, VA in 18th Century

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Virginia, United States
Surname/tag: Brown

This is focused on the Browns who presumably migrated from the current Cumberland County to the Bent Creek area of present-day Appomattox County in the 1770's. Courthouse records perished in Appomattox before 1892 and Buckingham before 1869.

Three generations are revealed in a Deed of Trust executed by Littleberry G. Brown dated May 21, 1834 in Prince Edward County mentions lands of his "father Joseph Brown" and grandfather "John C. Brown late of Buckingham County".^[1]

Littleberry Brown's birth date was included in the family record of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Brown) Day.^[2] Elizabeth is too old to have been Littleberry's sister because of his parents' ages. It's presumed they might be first cousins (she the daughter of John (cooper) Brown and his wife Mary) and he had come to work on the Day farm. It's also presumed that the John C. Brown mentioned as Littleberry Brown's grandfather in the Deed of Trust from 1834 may be the one who married Elizabeth Atkins in Prince Edward County in 1756. However, John (cooper) Brown seems to have been born before 1756 if he's the same John (cooper) Brown who disposed of tracts in Cumberland in the 1770's and 1780's.

James Brown left a will in Cumberland County in 1777, and he referred to a John Brown as his eldest son. He also listed sons Isham and Wilson Brown.^[3]

James Brown present in Buckingham in 1773 seems to be in eastern part, not Bent Creek (William Cannon's list)^[4] In 1774 there is a cluster of Browns which had been absent the previous year:

John Brown Jr

Isham Brown (with Wilson Brown under his roof)

John Brown, Sr.

John Brown (son of John Sr.)

James Brown

Allen Brown Sr.

A Joseph Brown was listed separately.

Each had one tithable except Isham and Wilson together, so no slaves were present (Charles Patteson's list, seems to be Bent Creek and west end of county. John Johns' list seemed to overlap or was immediately to the east)^[4]

Since there are several men named John in this probable group of kinsmen, and his grandson Littleberry Brown's Deed of Trust in Prince Edward, it's likely that John Brown Jr. is Isham's son and Isham could be a brother of John Sr (alias John C. Brown). It's also possble that Isham could be Allen Sr's son. Since James appeared the year before and the rest appeared as grown men it's doubtful he's the patriarch. Few of these relationships can be definitely proven due to the loss of pre-1869 records from the Buckingham Clerk's Office.

"Cooper" was used to distinguish one of the John Browns in most years, however in 1790, several others were described this way: Joseph Brown (estate), Stephen Brown, and William Brown. They were likely related and occupied with barrel-making. The town of Diuguidsville (later known as "Bent Creek") was established close to where these Brown men lived in 1792. ^[5]

The only deed below from Cumberland County after 1782 (year that Land and Personal Property Tax records commence) is one in 1784 which Frederick and wife Milly Brown sell land whereon they and John Brown (cooper) reside. Frederick doesn't make an appearance in Buckingham records, and two John Browns appear in Buckingham Personal Property Tax records from 1782 through 1790, when John Brown (cuttober) is listed as his estate. Therefore, it might be a different John Brown (cooper) in the 1784 Cumberland deed.

Contents 1 Land Patents 2 Deeds, Cumberland 3 Personal Property Tax Lists, Buckingham 4 Sources

Land Patents

• 24 Mar 1740, John Brown Jr., 450 acres in Goochland County between Great Guinea and Angola Creeks adjoining John Pleasants^[6]

• 20 Aug 1747, John Brown, 150 acres in Goochland County between Angola and Green Creeks of Appomattox River.^[7]

Deeds, Cumberland

• 11 Nov 1761, rec. 22 Nov 1761, Thomas Merryman to John Brown, all of Cumberland, £200, 200 acres, "upper portion" granted to George Freeman in Goochland, 17 Aug 1733, bound by Randolph Johnson, William Hobson, Francis, Allen^[8]

• 5 Oct 1769, rec. 23 Oct 1769, John Brown to William Walker, all of Cumberland, £78, 150 acres on branches of Green Creek, bound by John Watkins, Richard Witt, James Brown, and Beverly Randolph^[9]

• 28 May 1770, rec. 28 May 1770, John Brown "Cooper" to William Lee, all of Cumberland, £80, 190 acres "more or less", Branches of Angola Creek, North Side of Guinea Road, bordering John & James Brown, Francis Epperson, John Pleasants, Mayo's, Davis Brown^[10]

• 28 May 1770, rec. 28 May 1770, John Brown "Cooper" to Davis Brown, all of Cumberland, £40, 100 acres "more or less" on branches of Great Guinea and Angola Creeks, bordering James Brown^[11]

• 7 May 1770, rec. 22 Apr 1771, John Brown to Joseph Calland, all of Cumberland, £220, 200 acres, part of patent of 400 acres to George Freeman in Goochland: 17 Aug 1733, bound by Randolph Johnson, Bartlett Thomson, William Hobson, Francis Allen, Richard Parker "upper end of tract".^[12]

• 9 May 1775, rec. 23 Oct 1775, John Brown of Littleton Parish, Cumberland to Matthew Cox of Essex County, £65, 100 acres on branches of Great Guinea Creek, bound by Brown; witnesses: Davis Brown, Frederick Brown, Griffin Wright^[13]

• 17 Mar 1778, rec. 23 Mar 1778, John Brown Sr. of Cumberland to Benjamin Brown of the same, £50, 100 acres on Great Guinea Creek, part of tract where John now lives, adjacent to Robert Johns, Charles Lee, William Lee, and Abraham Charlton^[14]

• 23 Aug 1784, rec. 23 Aug 1784, Frederick Brown & wife Milly to Charles Lee, £89, 160 acres, land that Frederick and John (Cooper) Brown now live on, adjacent to Charles Lee, Guinea Road; witnesses: William Hendrick, John & Richard Lee; Court 23 Aug 1784: Milly Brown relinquishes dower right.^[15]

Personal Property Tax Lists, Buckingham

Main Index page:^[16]
Number in parentheses following name indicates more than one adult male in household.

1782: Henry Bell's list:
Jennings Brown
Stephen Brown
John Brown (cooper)
Joseph Brown (cooper)
John Brown (C)
Isham Brown

1783: William Diuguid's list:
Isham Brown

1783: John Johns' list:
Wilson Brown
Joseph Brown

1784: (alphabetized, no dates)
James Brown
Joanna Brown
Isham Brown
Joseph Brown
John Brown
Wilson Brown
John Brown

1785:
Lewis Brown
James Brown
Joanna Brown
William Brown
Isham Brown
Joseph Brown
S. John Brown (2)
Stephen Brown (0): not counted if under age 21 this year
John Brown (cooper)
William Brown
Jennings Brown

1786:
James Brown
Joseph Brown
John Brown (cooper)
John Brown
Wilson Brown
Joseph Brown

1787 A:
21 Apr:
Robert Brown
17 Apr:
Lucy Brown
James Brown
12 May:
Lewis Brown (non-resident?)

1787 B:
3 May:
John Brown (cooper)
John Brown (cuttober)
4 May:
William Brown
Wilson Brown
Stephen Brown
5 May:
Isham Brown

1788 B:
12 May:
Joseph Brown
18 May:
Isham Brown
7 Jun:
Wilson Brown
John Brown (cooper)
Stephen Brown
William Brown
John Brown (cuttober)

1789 B:
2 Apr: William Brown
John Brown (cooper)
Stephen Brown
Wilson Brown
Isham Brown
2 May:
Jennings Brown
6 Jun:
Joseph Brown

1790 B:
10 May:
Wilson Brown
11 May:
Isham Brown
14 Jul:
Joseph Brown
24 Aug:
John Brown (cooper)
Joseph Brown (cooper) est.
Stephen Brown (cooper)
William Brown
John Brown (cuttober) est.

1791 B:
6 Aug:
John Brown (cooper)
Joseph Brown (non-resin.)
Stephen Brown
12 Sep:
Joseph Brown

1792 B:
30 Apr:
Wilson Brown
9 Jun:
John Brown
Joseph Brown
William Brown, Jr.
21 Jul:
John Brown (cooper)
William Brown
Stephen Brown
John Brown (exempt)

1793 B:
16 Mar:
William Brown
James Brown
30 Mar:
Lewis Brown
18 Apr:
John Brown (cooper)
Stephen Brown
Joseph Brown, Jr.
Isham Brown
24 May:
Wilson Brown est.
8 Jul
Joseph Brown

1794 B:
12 May:
Joseph Brown (2)
19 Jul:
William Brown
John Brown (cooper)
Stephen Brown
John Brown
Isham Brown
Edmond Brown

1800: 14 Apr William Brown (coop)

Stephen Brown (son of William)

Note: There is a Jennings Brown, born before 1765, who resided in Franklin County, Virginia by 1810 (absent in Buckingham after 1789).^[17]

Sources

1. ↑ Deeds, 1754-1866, Prince Edward County (Virginia). County Clerk, Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 1949, (DB21:180) film 33232 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSYD-CLPF?i=106&cat=362164
2. ↑ Family Record (Church of England Book of Common Prayer, Edinburgh, 1761) kept by John and Frances Day, Benjamin and Elizabeth Day
3. ↑ Will books, with inventories and accounts, 1749-1887, Virginia. County Court (Cumberland County), Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 1949 (WB 2:236) film 30738 https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9TH-G3VG-Z
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Lists of tithables, 1773-1774, Virginia. County Court (Buckingham County), Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 1947, film 30684 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSL6-4RBY?i=12&cat=274745: William Cannon's list, 1773
   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSL6-4R13?i=21&cat=274745: Charles Patteson's list, 1774
   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSL6-4R1J?i=22&cat=274745: John Johns List, 1774
5. ↑ Henning's Statutes vol. 19, p. 587 https://vagenweb.org/hening/vol13-25.htm#page_587
6. ↑ Virginia Land Office Patents No. 19, 1739-1741, p. 924 (Reel 17). https://lva.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01LVA_INST/altrmk/alma990007285700205756
7. ↑ Virginia Land Office Patents No. 26, 1747-1748 (v.1 & 2 p.1-730), p. 96 (Reel 24). https://lva.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01LVA_INST/altrmk/alma990007284990205756
8. ↑ Deed books, 1749-1903, Virginia. County Court (Cumberland County), Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 1949, (Cumberland DB3:237) film 30746 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4H-CQ8W-L?i=129&cat=406147
9. ↑ Deed books, 1749-1903, Virginia. County Court (Cumberland County), Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 1949, (Cumberland DB4:359) film 30746 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4H-CQDB-V?i=493&cat=406147
10. ↑ Deed books, 1749-1903, Virginia. County Court (Cumberland County), Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 1949, (Cumberland DB4:396) film 30746 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4H-CQ82-3?i=512&cat=406147
11. ↑ Deed books, 1749-1903, Virginia. County Court (Cumberland County), Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 1949, (Cumberland DB4:398) film 30746 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4H-CQD8-Z?i=513&cat=406147
12. ↑ Deed books, 1749-1903, Virginia. County Court (Cumberland County), Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 1949, (Cumberland DB4:468) film 30746 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4H-CQZT-Y?i=548&cat=406147
13. ↑ Deed books, 1749-1903, Virginia. County Court (Cumberland County), Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 1949, (Cumberland DB5:378) film 30747 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4H-8VKJ?i=198&cat=406147
14. ↑ Deed books, 1749-1903, Virginia. County Court (Cumberland County), Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 1949, (Cumberland DB5:523) film 30747 https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4H-8VNZ?i=288&cat=406147
15. ↑ Deed books, 1749-1903, Virginia. County Court (Cumberland County), Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 1949, (Cumberland DB6:215) film 30747 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4H-8JBR?i=421&cat=406147
16. ↑ Personal property tax lists, 1782-1863, Virginia. Commissioner of the Revenue (Buckingham County), Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 1947. https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/406616?availability=Family%20History%20Library
17. ↑ "United States Census, 1810", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2R-9JW : Thu Jul 20 18:37:51 UTC 2023), Entry for Jenings Brown, 1810.