Thomas Browne  

1609  - 1688


      THOMAS BROWNE was b. abt. 1609, probably in Lavenham or Somerton, Suffolk, Eng., d. 3 Nov. 1688 Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Ma. at the home of his daughter Mary Woodward Gove. Thomas was apparently in Watertown, MA. prior to 1638, an original proprietor of Sudbury, Middlesex Co., MA. in 1638, and was of Concord, Middlesex Co., MA. as early as 1640; m. Bridget _____ who was prob. b. England, d. 5 March 1680/81 Concord, MA. Shortly after her death Thomas removed to Cambridge.

[Note: An undocumented source indicates that Bridget's maiden surname was Bateman, does anyone know if this is true and what the source is?].

Thomas was not the Thomas Brown who served in King Phillip's War, that was his son, Thomas Brown Jr.

The primary question with Thomas Browne is "was he the brother of Rev. Edmund and William Browne of Sudbury?" In Burke's  "Landed Gentry of Great Britain" in the American section "American Families with British Ancestry", p. 2584, pub. 1939, Burke's indicates Thomas was brother to these two proven sons of Edmund Browne Sr. of Somerton and Lavenham, Suffolk. This assertion by Burke's is countered by Mary-Agnes Brown-Groover, in "From Concord, Massachusetts, to the Wilderness; The Brown Family Letters, 1792-1852" published in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 132, in which she makes a good case for Thomas Brown actually being the son of  one Thomas Brown of Somerton, Suffolk and thus a cousin, not a brother, to Rev. Edmund and William of Sudbury, Middlesex Co., MA..    Dr. Frederick Weis, noted genealogist and a descendant of Thomas Browne, in his  ms. "Early Generations of the Browne Family of Sudbury, Massachusetts", dated 1931. NEHGS, would only venture Thomas "was probably a brother".           

CHILDREN:

1. Boaz Brown was born in 1641 or 1642 at Concord, Middlesex Co., MA. and died in Concord at the age of 83 on 9 April 1724. He married (1) Mary Winship, he married (2) Mary Richards and married (3)

Admitted Freeman Concord, Oct. 15, 1673. One of the founders of Stow, Mass. in 1683. Chosen as one of the first selectmen and for several terms thereafterl Removed to Dedham where he was called ensign in the tax records of 1695. Some time after 1715 he returned to Concord,

2. Jabez Brown Sr., was born in 1644 at Concord, Middlesex Co., MA. and died in Stow, Middlesex Co., MA on 17 July 1692. He married (1) Hannah Blanford at Sudburn, Middlesex Co. Children: Thomas, Hannah, Jabez Jr., and Mary. He married (2) Deborah Haynes at Sudbury. Children: Sarah and Josiah. Jabez Sr. was admitted Freeman in Sudbury on 19 May 1680. Thereafter he served as a Constable and Tythingman, was selectman 1684 and several terms subsequently. Was chosen Representative under the new Charter in 1692.[4]

3. MARY BROWN

4. Eleazer Brown Sr. was born in 1649 at Concord, Middlesex Co., MA. and died at Canterbury, CT. on 22 Jan 1720. He married as his frist wife Dinah Spalding of Chelmsford, Middlesex Co., MA. Dinah was the mother of all of his children. Jabez married (2) Rebecca Adams. She was the widow of John Waldo.[4] Jabez was admitted freeman in Chelmsford on 11 March 1673/74. He served several terms in that town as a town clerk and selectman. He served during King Phillip's war in the company of mounted troupers commanded by Capt. Thomas Wheeler. At about the age of 55 he removed to Canterbury, Ct. There he served as a Deacon in the church. Children from first marriage: Eleazer, Dinah, Thomas, Benjamin, Bridget, Deliverance.[4]

5. Thomas Brown Jr. was born in 1651 at Concord, Middlesex Co., MA. and died at Concord at the age of 67 on 4 April 1716.  He married Ruth Wheeler at Concord. She was the widow of Ephraim Jones. Thomas was made Freeman in Concord on 11 Oct. 1682. He served as a selectman as as the town clerk. He was a proprietor of the town of Concord Village which later becane Acton, MA. and served from 1710-1715 as clerk for the proprietors. He served in King Phillip's war and was wounded during the taking of Narragansett Fort. In 1702 he appears in the Concord records as and Ensign in the Concord company. How long he had held that commission prior to this mention is unknown. Children: Ruty, Mary, Rebecca, Thomas III, Ephraim, Elizabeth.[4]


    Browne, Mary b. 27 May 1646 Concord, Middlesex Co., Ma., d. 11 Sep. 1700 Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Ma.; m. bef. 1674 (1) WILLIAM WOODWARD alias Woodhead of Chelmsford, Middlesex Co., MA.

     William d. April 21, 1676 and Mary married John Gove Jr. of Cambridge on 15 March 1680. It was the second marriage for both.  John Gove was he son of John Gove and Mary Shard of Charleston, MA.[6]

CHILDREN:

1. ELIZABETH WOODWARD was born on 28 Dec 1674 in Chelmsford, Middlesex Co., MA. She married (1) JONATHAN MOOERS JR. on 14 Aug. 1701 at Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA. He was born on 3 Apr 1681 at Newbury, Essex Co., MA. and died before August of 1714. He was the son of JONATHAN MOOERS SR. and CONSTANCE LANGHORNE. Children: Richard, JOHATHAN III, Sarah

     After the death Jonathan Mooers Elizabeth married Thomas Chase on 2 Aug. 1714. It was the second marriage for both. He was born on 25 Jul 1654 in Newbury, Essex Co., MA, and died on 25 Feb 1732/33. He was the son of Aquila Chase and Ann Wheeler of Newbury. Children? Thomas had previously been married to Rebecca Follansbee.[5]


SOURCES:
  1. Mass. Bay Colony Records, V. I, p. 238, 307

  2. Savage, Vol. 1, p. 276

  3. Henry Bond, History of Watertown, Mass."

  4. Capt. Keith F. Brown, USN Ret., "Thomas Brown Of  Sudbury, Concord and Cambridge, Massachusetts", 1984, San Diego. An 8 page typewritten document on file at the LDS Family History Center, San Diego, CA.

  5. "Descendants of Aquila and Thomas Chase"

  6. Wheeler, Richard S., "A Note on the Antecedents of John and Mary (Shard) Gove, of London and Charlestown," N.E.H.G.R., Oct 1887), pg. 174

Sources:


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