Elizabeth (Legg) Browne (abt. 1668 - aft. 1724)

Born about 1668 in Marblehead, Essex, Massachusetts Bay [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of John Browne — married 28 May 1686 in Marblehead, Essex, Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died after 1724 after about age 56 in Marblehead, Essex, Massachusetts Bay [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Terri Crowell-Laney [send private message]

Biography

Elizabeth Legg, likely born about 1668, married Capt. John Browne on 28 May 1686 at Marblehead, Massachusetts Bay. She was the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Peach) Legg. [Named as daughter Elizabeth Brown in John Legg's will]

The 1911 Holyoke Diaries (see Sources) note that Capt. Browne "came from Exeter, England, to Marblehead", and give the date shown above from the Marblehead record for his marriage to Elizabeth; they also note that, in addition to his title as a sea captain, he was like others of that title also "a merchant", and they give the date of his death (and thus Elizabeth's widowhood): May 7, 1707, "aged 47 years, leaving an estate of £1342.11.9. His wife continued to carry on his store and was known as 'Madam Browne.' She was alive in 1724."

No date of Elizabeth (Legg) Browne's passing has, however, been found at this writing (Oct. 2021).

The Diaries list the ten children of this couple:

(1) Deborah, bp. Apr. 15, 1688; m. Mar. 28, 1711, John Oulton, merchant, of Boston; d. July 14, 1732.

(2) John, bp. Jan. 19, 1689-90; d. Feb. 17, 1702-3.

(3) Elizabeth, bp. Feb. 21, 1691-2; m. Aug. 8, 1717, Rev. Edward Holyoke, minister at Marblehead, and d. Aug. 15, 1719.

(4) Mary, bp. Oct 29, 1693, m. Jan. 4, 1712-13, Stephen Minott, jr., merchant of Boston; d. Dec. 25, 1768.

(5) Legg, bp. Jan. 26, 1695-6; d. Mar., 1695-6.

(6) Giles, bp. Jan. 31, 1696-7; d, Dec. 21, 1707.

(7) Jane, bp. Feb. 19, 1698-9; m. Apr. 7, 1720, John Legg, merchant of Boston; d. Sept. 16, 1726. (8) Ann, bp. Feb. 19, 1700-1; d. Jan. 6, 1719.

(9) Hannah, bp. Feb. 14, 1702-3; m. July 30, 1727, Capt. David LeGallais; d. Feb. 7, 1750-1.

(10) Sarah, bp. Apr. 16, 1704.

Note: this profile originally included the statement, "After she died John married twice more: Rebecca Ingersoll about 1692 and after her death to Elizabeth Robinson on 3 Apr 1713". These marriages belong to a different John Brown; please see comment below. The error of connecting Elizabeth Legg as the wife of that John Brown occurs elsewhere on the Internet; a significant and, unfortunately, influential, example can be found on the website, "Steve Condarcure's New England Genealogy"; see: www.genealogyofnewengland.com/f_8b4.htm#8 .

Research Notes

Although it would mean a christening long after her birth, it seems likely that the Elizabeth of this profile -- whose 1686 marriage was at Marblehead -- is the Elizabeth Legg baptized there on 6 January 1677/8.^[1] The oblique evidence for a late baptism is the simultaneous christening of a sister, Mary, that same day^[2], suggesting -- unless the two are twins, but there's no indication of that -- that this is one of the occasional instances when parents defer baptism, and at some later date, bring siblings to a church together for the sacrament. In this case, as Elizabeth's marriage to Capt. John Browne was recorded at Marblehead in late May of 1686 -- about eight and a half years after the christening -- she would have had to have been a bit more than nine years old by January of 1677/8 in order to have reached age eighteen by the time of the marriage.

The mystery deepens a little given the absence of the name of either parent in the case of either girl, Elizabeth or Mary, christened on 6 January 1677/8.

Sources

1. ↑ NEHGS; image of printed record: "LEGG... Elizabeth, d.____, of Marblehead, bp. Jan. 6, 1677-8. C. R. 1." -- Salem VRs, Vol. 1, p. 521; Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016); https://ekt.americanancestors.org/DB190/i/7791/521/140891595 (by subscription
2. ↑ NEHGS; image of printed record: "LEGG... Mary, d.____, of Marblehead, bp. Jan. 6, 1677-8. C. R. 1." -- Salem VRs, Vol. 1, p.521; Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016); https://ekt.americanancestors.org/DB190/i/7791/521/140892851 (by subscription

• Marriage 28 May 1686 at Marblehead MA: "LEGG Elizabeth, and John Browne of Exeter, Eng., May 28, 1686." -- Massachusetts Vital Records Project, John Slaughter, Owner/Administrator; https://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Marblehead/aMarriagesL.shtml

• Marriage, offspring, and biographical notes: The Holyoke Diaries, 1709-1856; Rev. Edward Holyoke, Marblehead and Cambridge, 1709-1768, Edward Augustus Holyoke, M.D., Cambridge, 1742-1747, John Holyoke, Cambridge, 1748, Mrs. Mary (Vial) Holyoke, Salem, 1760-1800, Margaret Holyoke, Salem, 1801-1823, Mrs. Susanna (Holyoke) Ward, Salem, 1793-1856, "The Holyoke Family", Salem, Mass. : The Essex Institute, 1911, p. xiii (footnote); https://archive.org/details/holyokediaries00dowg/page/n19/mode/2up

Acknowledgments

• This profile was originally created on 22 September 2010 through the import of Crowell1_2010-09-21_01.ged.