My Two Descents from George Brown

Page down to read the history of the Brown line,
or select one of the following names to go directly to that person.

First Line   Second Line
George Brown - Christian Hibbert   George Brown - Christian Hibbert
William Brown - Elizabeth Murford   Henry Brown - Abigail -----
Ephraim Brown - Sarah -----   Abigail Brown - Samuel French
Abner Brown - Mary Morse   Joseph French - Hannah -----
Mary Brown - John True, Jr.   Samuel French - Mary Collins
Thomas True - Sarah Clough   Moses French - Mary Dearborn
Edward True-Molly French
Edward True, Jr.-Olive King Payson
Eugene Payson True-Annie Elizabeth Milnes
Edward Payson True-Laura Keene Darling
Edward Keene True-Mildred Louise Richenburg
James Duncan True

We are descended from George Brown through two of his sons, William and Henry Brown. William's great-great-great grandson, Edward True, married Henry's great-great-great granddaughter, Molly French, which brought the two lines together again.

Next Page Index of surnames The Brown Bibliography Other sites of interest Home Page

George and Christian (Hibbert) Brown

Husband:
George Brown

of Salisbury, England
Born: in England, date unknown.
Died: in England 8 November 1633.
Parents: Unknown.
Wife:
Christian Hibbert
Born: Date and place unknown.
Died: in Salisbury, MA 28 December 1641.
Parents: Unknown.
Married: in the Church of St. Edmund, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England on 30 September 1611.

George Brown's widow, Christian (Hibbert) Brown came to America about 1640 with their three sons and received land in Salisbury, MA in the "first division" in 1640 and 1641.

George and his wife Christian (Hibbert) Brown had at least three sons, all born in England.

  • Henry, b. ca. 1615.
  • William, b. ca. 1622; m. Elizabeth Murford.
  • George, b. ca. 1623; m. Ann Eaton.
William Brown Henry Brown Line of Descent Pedigree Chart
(through William)
Pedigree Chart
(through Henry)
Index of surnames The Brown Bibliography Other sites of interest Home Page

Henry and Abigail Brown

Husband:
Henry Brown
Born: in England, circa 1615.
Died: in Salisbury MA 6 August 1701.
Parents: George and Christian (Hibbert) Brown.
Wife:
Abigail,

last name unknown
Born: Place and date unknown.
Died: probably in Salisbury, MA 23 August 1702.
Parents: Unknown.
Married: in Salisbury, MA.

Henry was a shoemaker by trade and received land in Salisbury, MA, in 1640, 1641, and 1642. He was made a "freeman" in 1649 and became a member of the Salisbury, MA church where he was a deacon.

Henry and his wife, Abigail Brown, had seven children, all born in Salisbury, MA:

  • Nathaniel, b. 30 Jan. 1642; m. Hannah Fellows.
  • Abigail, b. 23 Feb. 1643/4; m. Samuel French.
  • Jonathan, b. 25 Nov. 1646; probably died young.
  • Philip, b. Dec. 1648; m. Mary Buswell.
  • Abraham, b. 1 Jan. 1649/50; m. Elizabeth Shepherd.
  • Sarah, b. 6 Dec. 1654; m. Andrew Greeley.
  • Henry, b. 8 Feb. 1658/9; m. Hannah Putnam.
Next Page Prior Page Line of Descent Pedigree Chart Index of surnames The Brown Bibliography Other sites of interest Home Page

Abigail Brown

Wife:
Abigail Brown
Born: in Salisbury, MA 23 February 1643/4.
Died: in Salisbury, MA 11 January 1679/80.
Parents: Henry and Abigail Brown.
Husband:
Samuel French
Born: in England circa 1633.
Died: in Salisbury, MA 26 July 1692.
Parents: Edward and Ann French.
Married: in Salisbury, MA 1 June 1664.
Samuel had a second wife, Esther (Jackman) Muzzey, who survived him.

Please see the entry on Samuel French for details of this family.

Samuel French Prior Page Line of Descent Pedigree Chart Index of surnames The Brown Bibliography Other sites of interest Home Page

William and Elizabeth (Murford) Brown

Husband:
William Brown
Born: in England, circa 1622.
Died: in Salisbury, MA 24 August 1706.
Parents: George and Christian (Hibbert) Brown.
Wife:
Elizabeth Murford
We do not have any more information about Elizabeth or the Murford Family.
Married: in Salisbury, MA 25 June 1645.

William and Elizabeth lived in Salisbury, MA, where he was a proprietor in 1639. They were members of the Salisbury church, but, apparently Elizabeth Brown was "cancelled" from the church list of 1687. This may have had something to do with her being "bewitched" by Susanna Martin, as explained in the following deposition made by William Brown at the Salem witchtrials of 1692:

"The Deposion of william Browne of salsbury aged: 70 years or ther about who testifying sayth. That about on or to and thirty years ago Elizabeth his wif being a very rasional woman & sober & on that feard God as was well know to all that knew her & as prudently Carfull in her famly which woman going upon a time from her owne house towords the mille in salsbury did ther meett with susana martin the then wif of Georg martin of Amsbury Just as thay came to gather s'd susana martin vanisht a way out of her sight w'ch put the s'd Elizabeth into a great fright after which time the said martin did many tims afterward appere to her at her house and did much troubl her in any of her occasions and this continued till about feb: following: and then when shee did com it was as birds peking her Legs or priking her with the mosion of thayr wings and then it woold rise up into her stumak with priking payn as nayls & pinns of w'ch shee did bitterly complain and cry out Lik a woman in travil and after that it woold rise up to her throt in a bunch Lik a pulletts egg: and then she woold turn back her head & say: wich ye shant chok me In the time of this extremity the church appointed a day of [humilling] to seek God on her behalf & therupon her trouble seased and shee saw goodwif martin no more: for a considerible time for w'ch the church in stead of the day of humiliasion gave thanks for her deliveranc & she came to meetting & went about her busnes as before this continued till Aprill following: at w'ch time somense wear sent to the s'd Elizabeth brown & Good wif Osgood by the Court to give thayr evidences concerning the s'd martin and thay did before the Gran Jury gave a full accompt
"After w'ch time the s'd Elizabeth told this deponent that as shee was milking of her cow the s'd susana martin came behind her and told her that shee woold make hir the miserablest creatur for defaming her name at the Court & wep greevously as shee told it to this deponent.
"Aboute 2 month after this deponent came hom from hampton & his s'd wif woold not owne him but s'd thay wear devorst and Asked him whether he did not mett with on mr Bent of Abey in England by whom he was divorst And from that time to this very day have ben under a strang kind of distemper & frensy uncapibl of any rasional action though strong and healthy of body he farther testifyeth that when she came into that condition this deponent porcured Docter fuller & Crosby to com to her for her releas but thay did both say that her distemper was supernatural & no siknes of body but that some evil person had bewiched her Sworne the eleventh day of May Anno Dom: 1692
before me *Robt Pike Asst
"W'm Browne made Oath that the above is a true relajon according to his wifes Complaint in the day of it concerning the truth of w't is sworne by william Browne concerning his wif with respect to her being a Rasional woman before shee was so handled and of her now present condision & her so long continuance all that then knew her and now know her can testafy to the truth of it for shee yet remaines a miserabl creetr of w'ch myself is on as wittnes my hand: 16: 3: 1692
*Robert Pike"

William and his wife Elizabeth (Murford) Brown had six children, all born in Salisbury, MA:

  • Mary, b. 17 June 1647; m. Thomas Hoyt.
  • William, b. 24 Feb. 1648; d. 11 Nov. 1669.
  • Ephraim, b. 24 June 1650; m. Sarah -----.
  • Martha, b. 5 May or July 1654; m. John Toppan.
  • Elizabeth, b. 6 Aug. 1656; m. Samuel Clough.
  • Sarah, b. 12 April 1658; m. Benjamin Brown, possibly of Hampton, NH.
Next Page Prior Page Line of Descent Pedigree Chart Index of surnames The Brown Bibliography Other sites of interest Home Page

Ephraim and Sarah Brown

Husband:
Ephraim Brown
Born: in Salisbury, MA 24 June 1650.
Died: in Salisbury, MA 7 June 1693.
Parents: William and Elizabeth (Murford) Brown.
Wife:
Sarah,

last name unknown.
We have no further information about Sarah or her family.
Married: in Salisbury, MA circa 1675.

Ephraim and his family were residents of Salisbury, MA. He was made a freeman in 1690 and was a soldier in the militia, ca. 1688.

Ephraim and his wife Sarah Brown had six children, all born in Salisbury, MA:

  • Ephraim, b. 3 Sept. 1680; m. (1) Lydia Eastman; m. (2) Ann Morrill.
  • William, b. 23 March 1684; m. Eleanor -----.
  • Sarah, b. 5 March 1686; m. Joseph Currier.
  • Mary, b. 22 Jan. 1688/9; m. Philip Morse.
  • Abner, b. 28 Feb. 1690/1; m. Mary Morse.
  • Jacob, b. 23 June 1693; m. Mary Woodman.
Next Page Prior Page Line of Descent Pedigree Chart Index of surnames The Brown Bibliography Other sites of interest Home Page

Abner Brown

Husband:
Abner Brown
Born: in Salisbury, MA 28 February 1690/1.
Died: in North Yarmouth, ME 27 April 1741.
Parents: Ephraim and Sarah Brown.
Wife:
Mary Morse
Born: in Newbury, MA, 29 January 1693.
Died: probably in North Yarmouth, ME after 1737.
Father: Benjamin Morse III.
Mother: Susanna -----.
Married: 23 or 28 September 1713.

Abner and Mary lived for a while in Amesbury, MA, and later moved to No. Yarmouth, ME.

Abner and his wife Mary (Morse) Brown had seven children:

  • Mary, b. in Salisbury, MA 19 Sept. 1714; m. John True, Jr.
  • Joseph, b. in Newbury, MA 15 Sept. 1716.
  • Mercy, b. in Newbury, MA 26 Dec. 1718.
  • Susanna, b. in Newbury, MA 16 Nov. 1720.
  • Abner, b. in No. Yarmouth, ME 12 Nov. 1729.
  • Ephraim, b. in No. Yarmouth, ME 4 Jan. 1731.
  • Sarah, b. in No. Yarmouth, ME 28 April 1724.

It is possible that other children were born during the years of 1721 through 1728, but we have not been able to find their birth records.

Next Page Prior Page Line of Descent Pedigree Chart Index of surnames The Brown Bibliography Other sites of interest Home Page

Mary Brown

Wife:
Mary Brown
Born: in Salisbury, MA 19 September 1714, according to the Salisbury Vital Records.
Died: probably in Salisbury, MA.
Father: Abner Brown.
Mother: Mary Morse.
Husband:
John True, Jr
Born: in Salisbury, MA 12 January 1703/4.
Died: in Salisbury, MA 31 December 1769.
Father: John True.
Mother: Martha Merrill.
Married: in Salisbury, MA 4 September 1730.

See the entry on John True, Jr. for details of this family.

John True, Jr. Prior Page Line of Descent Pedigree Chart Index of surnames The Brown Bibliography Other sites of interest Home Page

The Brown Family Bibliography

Boyer, Paul, and Stephen Nissenbaum, ed., The Salem Witchcraft Papers, Vol. II, New York: DaCapo Press, 1977.

Dow, Ruth, Article in Downeast Ancestry, Vol. 10, No. 4, of December 1986.

Hoyt, David W., The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1982).

Morse, J. Howard, and Emily W. Leavitt, Morse Genealogy.

Pike, Rev. James, The New Puritan, pp. 173-175.

True, Charles Wesley, Some Henry True Descendants on the Frontier, San Antonio, Texas, Charles W. True, Jr., publisher, 1991.


Links to Sites of Interest

The New England Historic Genealogical Society
Home page for the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS).
Brown Family Genealogy Forum
Web site for posting queries about the Brown Genealogy.
Susanna North Martin
Complete details about the witchcraft trial of Susanna Martin, including the deposition by William Brown.

This page is maintained by
James D. True
jimsancestry@hotmail.com

© Edward K. & Mildred True, and James D. True
Last Update October 22, 1999

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If you are related to this family, I would love to hear from you. If you maintain your own genealogy or family history site related to this family, please let me know and I will provide a link to your site in exchange for your providing a link to this site.

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