William Brown (abt. 1729 - aft. 1791)

Descendants

Died after 1791 after about age 62 in North Carolina, USA [uncertain]

Biography

William Brown is the son of Thomas Brown, an Indian trader, and a Catawba (Eastern Sioux) woman. He is mentioned in his father's 1745 will when he was 15 years old. In 1748 he was abducted by "Northern Indians" - most likely Six Nations Haudenosaunee - but later returned to the Catawba.
"George Haig [b. 1712] was of Scottish descent, and died before 30 Oct. 1749, presumably somewhere along the Ohio River, in Indian lands. One story said George Haig was kidnapped by the Senneca [Seneca], and killed by Nottewea [Nottoway] Indians. He lived next to Thomas Brown, and they traded out of the same trading post store. Capt. George Haig was abducted from the store & Trading Post of Thomas Brown at Fort Congaree, SC, & held for nearly a year. Then he was sold to the Nottewea [Nottoway] Indians. But during a forced march, George Haig became so weak that he demanded that the Indians kill him immediately because he could walk no further. This evoked such great respect that the Nottewea Indians killed him quickly as a brave and noble man. Thomas Brown’s half Indian son William Brown was captured on the same occasion as George Haig, but this young man was able to eventually escape his capturers, while George apparently grew too weak. Other stories about his death give differing details.
"William Brown himself was probably half-Seneca, or Nottawea (Nottoway) through his mother, because nearly twenty years before (c 1728?), his father Thomas Brown had also been captured and carried off to the northern Ohio Indian lands, whereby two years later the Carolina militia, or Rangers, tracked him down and found him living contentedly among the Indians having two young sons. Thomas Brown and his two half-breed sons, probably William & Edward Brown. They all returned to the Congaree with the militia rangers.
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" Richard (Alias: George R?) Haig & William Brown were both captured near Keowee in February 1748 by a Nottaway band of Iroquois Indians from New York. (See also Edmund Carroll, William Brown, James Butler) The Cherokee made no attempt to rescue them, and Skiagunsta of Keowee could not even be paid a reward to go after them. He was just not interested. (SC Commons Journal of 18 March, & 20 June 1748)
"April 14th 1748 Issue of the South Carolina Gazette gave notice of the death of George Haig.
"The Cherokees of Tugaloo wanted to pursue them and rescue Haig & Brown, but Skiagunsta and the Keowee warriors warned them not to. (SC Commons Journal of 25 June 1748)
"Richard (alias: George R?) Haig was apparently killed. His widow Elizabeth filed for Indian Expenses in May 1749. (SC Commons Journal of 10 May 1748)
"In 1748 Herman Gyger (Geiger) of Sax Gotha succeeded George Haig as Indian Agent."
George Haig - Biography

• US Census

1790 NC Iredell: William Brown 1M +16 2M -16 3F (also Thomas Bell)

Sources

• Bell Tribe (family site)