Biography

Joseph Brown Family

This file is only the basic information known about this family. On some of the descendants, specific dates and additional data is known, while on others, very little has surfaced. ~Submitted by Joan Grippo, 2006

The following is taken from "The Nelson County Pioneer," Vol. 8, No. 1. Some information has been updated as it is documented:

Joseph Brown (b.1795), Bardstown Merchant, died on 15 Aug 1868, leaving a considerable estate. His wife, Ruth V. (Bealmear) Brown, predeceased him on 26 Feb 1866. They do not appear to have left any children, as none are mentioned in Joseph Brown's will and there are none in their plot in the Bardstown Cemetery. After specific bequests, Joseph Brown provided that the rest of his estate be divided between the descendants of three uncles, Benjamin, William and Thomas Brown.

Brown's executor was able to determine a list of 130 descendants of these uncles, which appears in an executor's settlement reported to the court in 1872. This list was found in the miscellaneous debris of the 1973 Bardstown Courthouse fire, partially burned, with some names illegible. This is a remarkable list of descendants of one BROWN family. Keep in mind that this list will not include any descendants who have died before 1868 without heirs.

I. William Brown (Uncle of Joseph Brown)

1. Grace Brown m a Morris
2. Mary Brown m a Hamilton

1. William B. Brown
2. James H. Brown
3. John L. Brown
4. Nanny Brown m a Fenton
5. Fanny Brown m a Morris
: a. John L. Morris; b. Mary F. Morris

1. Warren Sparrow
2. Clifford Sparrow
3. Samuel Sparrow
4. Thomas Sparrow

1. William Brown
2. Alfred Brown
3. Elizabeth Brown m Jessie Chesser
4. Benjamin F. Brown
5. Nancy Brown m John H. West
6. Mary Brown m Richard Crady
7. Elizabeth Brown m a York: a. Alfred York; b. Lucretia York m a Price; c. Fanny York m a Jenkins
8. George Brown

E. Ruth Brown m an Adams (not found)

F. Nancy Brown

G. Mary Brown m a Richardson

II. Benjamin Brown (Uncle of Joseph Brown) m Nancy Beall, d/o Andrew Beall

A. Ruth Brown m Raphael Bolds (Boulds)

1. Joe Ben Brown (1826-) m Bettie Hays
2. Mary Jane Brown (1829-1881) m Clement A. Hamilton (1825-1901)
3. Harriet M. Brown (1832-) m Edwin R. Ray
4. Fanny (Frances M.) (1835-) m Cecil Scott McElroy
5. Peter W. Brown (1844-)
6. Napoleon B. Brown (1831-)

7. Nancy Brown (1823-1854) m Richard Beall: a. Peter Beall (1843-); b. Leticia Beall (1847-) m a Field; c. W. H. Beall (1849-); d. Joe Ben Beall
8. Elizabeth D. (Betsy) Brown (1828-) m Dennis M. Fields: a. Susan M. Fields; b. Fletcher B. Fields; c. Fanny R. Fields; d. Napoleon B. Fields; e. Ann L. Fields

1. Benjamin Brown (1819-)
2. Peter Brown (1825-)
3. Andrew Brown
4. Mary Brown (1826-) m Milton F. Williams
5. John Brown (1839-)
6. Gilly Brown m Columbus Hahn
7. Elizabeth Brown (1811-) m Zephariah (Zephaniah) Offutt (s): a. William Offut (1835-); b. Zephariah (Zehpaniah) Offut (1836-); c. Andrew Offut (1838-); d. Margaret Offutt (1839-) m Benjamin Harris; e. Susan Offutt (1844-) m Jonathan Corn; f. Nancy Offut (1846-); g. Catherine Offut (1832-) m Martin N. Wright
8. Nancy Brown (1815-) m Henry Moran: a. Susan Moran (1837-) m Wm. Goforth; b. Charles F. Moran (1840-); c. William Moran (1842-); d. Martha Moran (1846-); e. Lewis F. Moran; f. Elizabeth Moran
9. Fanny Brown m Joshua Philips: a. James B. Philips (1846-); b. Martha J. Philips (1844-) m a Honeywell
10. Ruth Brown (1818-) m John Greenwell: a. Peter Greenwell (1842-); b. Susan Greenwell (1838-); c. Napolean B. Greenwell (1844-); d. Gilly Greenwell (1846-) m a Hall; e. Isabella Greenwell (1852-); f. Ruth E. Greenwell (1854-); g. Young C. Greenwell (1846-); h. Andrew Greenwell (1860-); i. Mary Greenwell (1848-)
11. William Brown (1831-): a. Sarah C. Brown (1860-); b. ?; c. Mary C. Brown
12. Susan Brown m William Overshiner: a. James W. Overshiner (1852-); b. Mary E. Overshiner (1856-); c. Ellen Overshiner (1854-)

III. Thomas Brown (1765-1830) (Uncle of Joseph Brown)--m 1st Eleanor Boone

1. Ellen (Eleanor) Brown (1819-1911) m Celestine Sylvester Simpson
2. Jane (Mary Jane) Brown (1835-1901) m John B. Riney
3. Maria Brown (1838-) m Wm. Lucas
4. Harriet (Henrietta) Brown (1842-1881) m Benjamin Leo Simpson
5. Mina (Ann) Brown (1826-) m George Isadore Manning: a. Timon Manning; b. Ann Manning; c. Henry Manning
6. Peter Brown (1830-1860) m Emily Catherine Manning: a. Francis Patrick Brown (1859-); b. Julia A. Brown (1852-1912)

III. Thomas Brown(1765-1830) (Uncle of Joseph Brown)-m 2nd Jemina Peake

1. Jemima Cain (1831-) m John Downs
2. Thomas Cain (1833-)
3. John Cain (1835-1877)
4. Mary Jane Cain (1840-)
5. Ladoska Cain (1844-) m a McGrew
6. James Cain (1838-)
7. Charles Cain (1842-)
8. Nancy Cain (1849-) m a Hahn

1. Jemima Prunty (1833-) m Joseph Beatty (2nd husband)
2. James Prunty (1834-)
3. Mary Jane Prunty (1836-) m Tompkin/Thompson Watkins
4. Mariah Prunty (1843-) m Owen Bruner
5. Eliza Prunty (1840-) m Ben McReady
6. Margaret Prunty (1845-) m Joseph A Haycraft

1. Jemima Williams (1834-) m Thomas G. Scaggs
2. Elizabeth Williams (1835-)
3. Mary Ellen Williams (1837-) m Miles Scaggs
4. Daniel Williams (1840-)

The residuary clause of Joseph Brown's will read in part as follows:
"The rest and residue of my estate I will and bequeath to the descendants of my three uncles: Benjamin Brown, William Brown and Thomas Brown. My three uncles above named are all dead and their children and descendants are unknown to me, at least some of them . . ."

In the first draft of Joseph Brown's will, written 4 Mar 1865, bequests #4 thru 11 went to descendants of Peter Brown who m 1781 in Prince Georges Co, MD to Elizabeth Beall, daughter of Andrew Beall. It is believed that Joseph named them specifically, because they lived in Nelson County and he knew them. Peter Brown is assumed to be a brother of Benjamin, William and Thomas Brown, mentioned in the residuary clause. His descendants are as follows:

Peter Brown (1748-1830) m Elizabeth Beall

1. Susanna S. Ray (1804-1878) m Peter Brown, Colonel (see II B above)
2. James Washington Ray m Elizabeth McGill
3. Peter Ray
4. Joseph Ray
5. Fannie Maria Ray m Dr. Alfred Bodine
6. Isabella Ray
7. Anna Ray

B. Elizabeth Magruder Brown (1783-1855) m Stephen Gray (no known children)

1. James Morrison

1. Elizabeth Muir (1812-) m Jonathan Wood Wilson
2. Alexander Muir, Doctor (1816-) m Mary J. Hackley then Eliza Miller
3. Anne Muir (1821-) never married
4. Peter Brown Muir, Lawyer (1823-) m Sophronia Rizer
5. William Muir (-1850)
6. Jasper Muir
7. Margaret Muir m Josiah Marshall

Another brother of William, Benjamin, Thomas and Peter is assumed to be Joseph Brown, on the 1850 Nelson Co, KY census, 83 yrs., b MD, living in the house of Peter Brown's daughter, Elizabeth (Brown) Gray and her husband, Stephen Gray. The age shown on the census would have him born ca. 1767. It is not known if Joseph married and had children. Some speculation has it that he might be the father of Joseph Brown, testator of the 1865 will.

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