1679 The birthplace of Preserve Brown has been reported to be Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey [undocumented].
1701 Edward Andrews deeded to Preserve Brown, son of Abraham Brown, both yeomen of Burlington County, a plantation of 200 acres in Mansfield Township, Burlington County, inherited from his father, Samuel Andrews, and deeded by his brother, Mordecai Andrews, April 17, 1699, and 40 acres of upland and meadow, (bordered by) West: George Parker, East: Joshua Newbould, South: John Calow, North: William Ellis. Dated April 24. [1] [2] [3] [4]
1705 Preserve Brown served on the "Traverse Jury" with Judge Thomas Revell for a case involving a horse shooting. [5]
1707 Abraham Brown deeded 125 acres, part of 1/40th of a proprietary share of East Jersey, to William White. Witnesses: Hugh Hutchin and Preserve Brown. Dated March 18. [6] [7]
1710 Preserve Brown and his wife were granted a certificate to move from the Chesterfield Friends Meeting to the Burlington Monthly Friends meeting on 3rd day 6th month. [8] [9] [10]
1710 Preserve Brown, yeoman, of Burlington, West New Jersey sold land to Caleb Brown [his brother], yeomen, of same, for £200. Signed Preserve Brown. Wit: Isaac Marriot, Peter Frotwel & Thomas Rapier. Dated November 4. [11]
1711 Preserve Brown had land bordering that of Peter Fretwell in Burlington Town. [12]
1711 Abraham Brown, of Welinborow Twp, Burlington County, married Hannah Adams [single woman] on 20 of month 1 [March], in Chester Twp, Burlington County. Witnessed by Preserve and Mary Brown and others. [13]
1712 Preserve Brown witnessed the will of Edward Andrews of Little Egg harbor, Burlington County. [14]
1712 Abraham Brown, son of Abraham, married Phebe Addams on July 17, at Springfield meeting, Burlington County. Witnessed by Preserve Brown, and others. [15]
1713 Preserve Brown, of Mayfield Twp, Burlington County, West New Jersey sold to Solomon Smith, carpenter, of Burlington, West New Jersey, for £235, house & lot in Burlington. Signed Preserve Brown. Wit: Thomas Raper, Thomas Brian, William Pancoast & Benjamin Brian. Dated May 8. [16]
1714 Preserve Brown was named as a son in the will of his father Abraham Brown. [17]
1718 Preserve Brown, yeoman of Mansfield Twp, Burlington County, New Jersey sold land to Robert Stork, tailor, for 60 pounds. Dated May 22. The land had been purchased from brother Abraham Brown, who inherited it from father Abraham Brown. [18]
1720 Preserve Brown purchased, from Isaac Ivins, both of Mansfield Twp, Burlington County, 16 acres of land partly in Mansfield and partly in Chesterfield Twps, Burlington County. There were buildings and orchards on the land. The land was part of the 100 acres of land Isaac Ivins had purchased from Abraham Brown on June 13, 1719. Dated February 21. [19]
1724 Preserve Brown Jr. and Mary French were married on October 15. Witnessed by Preserve Brown and others. No female Brown was listed as a witness, so perhaps Preserve was widowed at this time. [20] [21] [22]
1728 Quaker members of the grand jury of West New Jersey, held at Burlington, including Preserve Brown (perhaps this one or his son), signed a letter to the King of England expressing support, especially with regard to the conflict against Spain. Dated May 7. [23]
1729 Benjamin Shreeve and Rebecca French were married on April 23, in Upper Springfield, Burlington County. Witnessed by Preserve Brown and Preserve Brown Jr and others. [24]
There are several entries for Preserve Brown in the New Jersey records. Since Preserve had a son and a grandson named Preserve, who lived in New Jersey, they are not easily distinguished here: 1724 two Preserve Brown's were listed in Mansfield [25] [26], 1733 (election returns) [27], 1739 (election returns) [28].
1732 Preserve Brown and Samuel Curtis made the inventory for the estate of Mary Fox, widow of New Hanover Twp, Burlington County. [29]
1736 Preserve Brown provided the rum and sugar at the funeral of Joanna Smith, daughter of Mary Smith of Mansfield Twp, Burlington County, who died 1727. [30]
1739 Preserve Brown, Sr voted in an election in Burlington County, New Jersey. [31]
1742 Preserve Brown married Mary Dawson, both of Burlington on November 3. [32] [33]
1744 Preserve Brown was buried in the Bordentown, NJ Friends burying ground with a gravestone inscription: "In memory of Preserve Brown, who died the 26th day of the 4th month, 1744, age 65." [34] [35] [36] [37] [38]
1745 George Steel, malster and brewer to Mr Preserve Brown of Bordentown, fell overboard and drowned while going thither from Philadelphia. [39]
1749 The inventory of the personal estate of Preserve Brown was dated February 5, 1749, in Hanover Twp, Burlington County, with value £68.0.3; made by John Monrow and Henry Cooper, included bonds of Thomas Stevenson and Samuel Gaskill. On February 6, Mary Brown, widow and administratrix, affirmed to above. [40]
1749 Daughter Mary Brown died on August 19 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [41]
1752 The account for Preserve Brown, dated January 29, 1752, at Burlington County, New Jersey, listed the account of the estate, £68.0.3., by the Adm'x, Mary Brown, who had spent £82.8.7; in paying for the funeral, £5.0.10, and debts due to William Folwell, Marcus Hedding, Daniel Stockden, Richard Bowker, John Monrow, Joseph Scattergood, Josiah White, George Briggs, Jacob Gaskell, William Sorsby, Susannah Tool and Exrs. of Benjamin Jones. [42]
Research Notes:
Preserve Brown may have married more than once. Preserve and Mary Brown witnessed the 1711 wedding of brother Abraham Brown to Hannah Adams. Mary Brown was named as widow and executrix in 1749 and 1752. However, widow Mary may have been a second wife, as suggested by the 1742 marriage of Preserve Brown and Mary Dawson. Mary Nathan Kite has been named as the mother of daughter Lydia by a few sources, but I have found no supporting evidence. [43] Since Preserve has descendants named Abia, and no other Brown descendants have that name, perhaps his wife was Elizabeth Edwards, daughter of Abiah Edwards, who named grand-daughter Neomy Brown, daughter of his daughter Elizabeth in his will. [44] [45] [46]
1730 Neomy Brown, of the town and county of Burlington, married James Killgore, of Burlington, on December 14. The marriage license did not name the parents of Neomy Brown and no other marriage record has been found. She might be the grand-daughter named in the will of Abiah Edwards, the father of of Elizabeth Edwards Brown. [47] [48]
Notes in the Vineland Historical Magazine concerning the Brown family named Abraham Brown, his son Preserve, his son Preserve, and several subsequent descendants. [49] Other researchers show grandson Abiah Brown, named as a descendant of son Richard in the notes below, to be instead a son of son William. We show Abiah as a son of William, but seek further evidence about this uncertain relationship.
The following records are from papers given by Joseph Fourestier Simpson to the Historical Society in June 1730 and are published with but few additions and only such slight changes or omissions as help to clarify or condense.
Nicholas Brown of England, was a resident of Portsmouth, R. I., in 1638, m. Frances, (widow of George Parker who d. 1656;) she d. after 1669. His son Abraham, of Shrewsbury, N. J. from 1665 to 1699, then of Mansfield, Burlington Co., m. (as his second wife) Mary Potter; his son Preserve Brown d. in 1744.
"In 1710 Preserve Brown removed to Burlington, Nathan Kite speaks of him and his wife Mary as residing in Mansfield, Burlington County and as being a valuable Friend. He died 26th day 4th month 1744, aged 65 years. He was special honored by the Friends by having a tombstone erected over his grave. His son Preserve Brown Jr. of Mansfield, married Mary, daughter of Richard French, the 15th of the 8th month 1724. He took an active part in building the Friends Meeting House in Bourdingtown being appointed on several committees in connexion with it. The only Township office he ever held was Overseer of the Poor -- he had a charitable and kind heart. He was a very large landholder owning many hundreds of acres in the neighborhood of Sandhills, N. J. He built & operated Lawries Mill on Doctor 's Creek, and it was said was a thorough business man. In the fall of 1745 he removed to Philadelphia with his family. Soon after lost his wife, who was buried in the Friends burying ground, Corner of Fourth and Arch. On the 21st of 8th mo. 1749 was married to Mary daughter of John Sykes, and two years after removed to Burlington county. Frequently we find through the C. M. R. mentioned his name on various important committees & appears to be an active and reliable man among Friends. Nathan Kite in his sketches of Public Friends, says of him, His parents being valuable Friends endeavoured to train him up in the nurture and admonition to the Lord, and the good effects thereof were in him very apparent. As he grew up he was brought through the baptism of the Holy Ghost, into a preparation for usefulness in the church. He was diligent in his attendance to all religious duties, was exemplary in plainness, both of respect & apparel and was of a kind and hospitable disposition. He was an elder in Chesterfield Monthly Meeting. He deceased fifth month 23rd 1760. The children of Preserve Brown Jr. & Mary French Brown were; Preserve, born 6th mo. 26th 1729. Richard, born 11 th mo. 10th 1732. Mary, born 3rd mo. 10th 1735. Sarah, born 10th mo. 2nd 1737. William, born 1st mo. 3rd 1740. Abia, born 9th mo. 28th 1743. Of Richard we find in the C. M. R. " Whereas Richard Brown of Nottingham in Burlington county. " and Sarah Taylor of Chesterfield in the county aforesaid etc. were married 5th mo. 15th 1755. Richard like his father was a Miller, and one time owned Waln 's Mills on the Crosswicks. During the Revolution he embarked extensively in the manufacture of Salt, but the war coming to a close, he was financially ruined. His daughter Susan married Mr. Stokes, a Flour Merchant of Philadelphia, whose children are now living in this (now 1884) city. William married Rebecca Jones sister of Governor Jones of Delaware & a cousin of General Cadwalader. He became a leading shipping merchant of Philadelphia, but lost all of his money during the Revolutionary War by the capture of his ships. He established an extensive ship bakery in 4th near Race, and such high reputation did his ship bread obtain among the captains that upon his death his brand was sold for 500 dollars. During the occupation of the city by the British, a soldier bade him take off his hat to the Crown. This was a sever test of his religious principles. For his declining to comply he received a severe wound on his head from which he never recovered. He was universally known as the Honest Quaker. Family tradition represents him a most pure Christian; possessed of a kind, considerate & charitable disposition. His son Abia Brown married Margaret Monroe, who was a cousin of President Monroe. Abia lived in Mt. Holly, N. J. His daughter Hannah Cadwallader Brown, born March 6th 1768. She married William De la Montaigne a Huguenot, August 30 1792, by Dr. Pillmore. Dolly Payne afterwards the wife of James Madison and Mrs. Dundas, nee Platt were her bridesmaids. He died March 2nd 1807 and she January 20th 1817. Their daughter Margaret De la M. married Joseph Asson the founder of Cheraw, North Carolina, who left one son, Major William T. Asson of Philadelphia. Another daughter Mary De 34 The Vineland Historical Magazine la M. married James Woodward and now lives near San Bernardino, California. Another daughter, Rebecca Ann De la M. married James Vogdes of Chesterfield and Philadelphia, who were parents of the author. James Brown, born 6th mo. 1679 married Honora Clayton at Burlington; the same year they removed to Marcus Hook or Chester. His fatherinlaw William Clayton followed them and from them sprang Henry Armitt Brown, a member of the Philadelphia Bar who delivered the centennial address at Burlington, December 6th 1877, and the late distinguished senator, John M. Clayton from Delaware."
Copied from the Bordentown Register April 12 th 1873.The following is a COPY of a RECORD in possession of a family who in 1890 lived on Spruce Street above 40th Street, West Philadelphia, the household of which consisted of relatives Beaumont, Vogdes and Woodward. The residence was as I (J. F. S.) remember, in the name of Beaumont. The copy from which this was made was made by Sophia M. Brognard, daughter of John Smith Brognard and granddaughter of John Baptiste Brognard. S. M. B. died in Vineland, N. J. in 1911, in her 89th year.
Preserve Brown, 1710, married Mary Nathan Kite, Mansfield, Burlington County, New Jersey. (Friends) died the 26th, 4th month, 1744, aged 65 years.
Preserve Brown, Jur: of Mansfield, married Mary French, daughter of Richard French, the 15th of 8th month, 1724. Mary French Brown died -- & was buried in the Friends Burying Ground at 4th and Arch Streets, Philadelphia.
Second marriage to Mary Sykes of Burlington County, New Jersey, 21st of 8th month, 1749. Preserve Brown, Jur: died 23rd day, 5th month, 1760.
The children of Preserve Brown, Jur: and Mary French were, -- Preserve Brown, (3rd) born 6th month, 26th, (1729). Richard Brown, born 11 th month, 10th, 1732. Mary Brown, born 3rd month 10th, 1735. Sarah Brown, born 10th month 2nd, 1737. William Brown, born 1st month, 3rd, 1740 (m. Rebecca Jones) Abiah Brown, born 9th month, 28th, 1743.
Richard Brown of Nottingham, Burlington County, N. J., son of Preserve Brown, (2nd) married Sarah Taylor of Chesterfield, Burlington County, N.J., 5th month 15th, 1755.
Had 12 children, only 5 living to any age.
Mary, the eldest married Hudson Burr of Burlington County, N. J. No. 19 Burr record).
Ann married Robert Pidgeon, a lawyer.
Sarah married Moses Fitz Randolph.
Richard married and moved to Ohio. A lawyer and Judge of a Court.
Susan married William F. Stokes of Philadelphia, a Flour Merchant.
Abiah married Margaret Monroe.
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[46] Janet and Robert Wolfe, Genealogy Page for Abiah Edwards, [JRWolfeGenealogy].
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[49] The Vineland Historical Magazine, 1931, Volume XVI, page 33, DGS 007951846, image 730, [FamilySearchImage].