This week in #52Ancestors I wanted to work on the Brown family, a branch that I discovered, in part due to the family bible digitized by another descendant. That bible gave me just enough information to go back to census and church records and allowed me to build out this biography. Along the way, I came across what I think may be 19th century vanity.
John Dusenbury Brown was born 26 August 1788, one of four children born to John (1760-1836) and Jane Dusenbury (1770-1845) Brown: William Henry Brown (?-1881), Sarah Brown (1785-1807), John D. Brown (1788-1875), and Charles I. Brown (1790-1860).
Although the name John D. Brown appears in numerous military and militia records, I do not believe that this John served in any military unit. On 24 July 1812, he married Mary “Polly” Sleght at the First Presbyterian Church, Pleasant Valley, NY. They had six children together:
- John Sleght Brown (1813-1893)
- Caroline Brown (1818-1878)
- Martha Jane Brown (1819-1911)
- Eliza Brown (1821-1875)
- Ann Brown (twin 1825-1928)
- Rachel Brown (twin 1825-1911)
In 1827, John D. Brown along with eight other men established the Presbyterian Church of Freedom Plains. He remained active in this congregation until his death and is buried in the church burial ground.
In 1850, John D. Brown, age 62, is enumerated in LaGrange NY with Mary age 62, John S. age 36, Jane, age 26 and Eliza age 24. I think John S. is mislocated because his wife Fanny and daughter Mary E are next door. Jane and Eliza have the correct ages here but not on the next two Census.
In 1860, John Brown age 71, appears in the Census as a Farmer on $21,000 worth of real estate. He is living with Jane age 26 and Eliza, age 25. Living next door is John S. Brown with wife Frances, children Mary E. 10, Ruth 9, and George 7. And yes, I too wondered how Jane and Eliza could be the same age they had been ten years before. But wait, there’s more!
An 1862 deed shows that John D. sold the farm to his son in 1862 with the condition that he could live there until the end of his life, profiting from the produce and livestock raised there.
John D. Brown married for the second time on 31 January 1865 to Hannah Maria Van Dyne (1804-1874), herself a widow of James Dates. In the 1865 NY census, taken on 7 June 1865, John and Hannah (age 56) and his two daughters Martha Jane (46) and Eliza (44) are living with John S. Brown Jr. in La Grange. However, five years later in the 1870 US Census, John D. Brown appeared living in LaGrange with wife Hannah and two young women Jane, aged 26 and Eliza aged 24! I know it is the right family because he is living next to John Brown age 50 who with wife Fanny is raising Mary, Ruth, George and Nellie. But how did his two unmarried daughters suddenly lose 25 years off their lives? It’s a miracle!
31 Jan 1865 m. Hannah Maria Van Dyne b. 11 June 1804 to Daughter of Garret and Maria (Montfoort) Van Dyne Hannah was the widow of James Dates. whom she married on 18 Jan 1832. She died 5 Aug 1874
John D. Brown died 20 March 1875, but I am not sure if this happened at La Grange or Poughkeepsie. He is buried in Freedom Plains Presbyterian Church, Pleasant Valley.
In his will, written on 10 August 1874, he makes bequests to each of his children, but not to his second wife as she died 5 August 1874. Clearly this is a new will but it has several interesting points: one must be careful not to read between the lines but I would give much to be a bug on the wall of his lawyer’s office during that discussion! He leaves $1500 to Martha Jane, Eliza, Anne Brown Haviland and Rachel Brown Velie. A condition then states that if there is not enough to pay these amounts, then what there is is to be divided evenly amongst these four. Then he states that if there is anything left over it is to be divided between these four and Caroline Brown Tompkins. He then appoints his son in law, James Haviland and his grandson Samuel D. Tompkins executors.
I understand why John S. Brown is not mentioned, as the farm and all that property have already been sold to John S. Brown. But why leave Caroline so little? Was the relationship between the two broken or was there perhaps an earlier transaction? This is an area where more research needs to happen!
Telling My Story 