Chad Brown (bef. 1605 - bef. 1663)

Born before 1605 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England [uncertain]

Husband of Elizabeth (Sharparowe) Brown — married 11 Sep 1626 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England

Descendants

Died before 1663 at about age 58 in Providence, Providence Plantations, Colony of England

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message] and Claudia del Valle [send private message]

Chad Brown migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 44) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disputed Birth and Parents

• "Chad Browne ... His parentage and the date and place of his birth have not been discovered, but he married at High Wycombe ... 1626.^[1]
• According to the Ancestry.com Millennium File, Chad was born around 1600 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. He was the child of Dorothy and Arthur Brown.^[2]Millennium File, however, is not a reliable source, so his place of birth is conjecture. US and International Marriage Records (another unreliable source) has his date of birth as 1603.^[3]
• I believe the "perpetrator" of this father, Arthur, comes from an apprenticeship deed. "Chadde Browne the sone of Arthure Browne of Melcheborne in the Countie of Bedford yoman hathe put himself ap'rentice wth Leonrd Omston of North'ton Curriar ... eight yeares." The big problem with this is that it took place in the 12th year of Elizabeth's reign, 1570, thirty years before the immigrant was born.^[4]

Biography

Chad Brown was the first permanent pastor of the First Baptist Church in America, and co-founder of the city of Providence, Rhode Island.

Birth

Born: Before 1605.

Estimate based on marriage in 1626.

He was possibly born in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England where he was married, but this is not known to be true. His actual baptism and parents have not been found.

Immigration to America

Chad arrived at Boston in the ship "Martin" in early July of 1638 with his wife Elizabeth and son John. ^[5][6]

Move to Providence, Rhode Island

Later in 1638, Chad moved to Rhode Island, where he acted as a close assistant to minister Roger Williams. Upon Williams return to England in 1643, Brown took over the reins as Pastor of the church becoming first (or by some accounts second) Pastor of the Baptist Church in America.^[7]

The home lot of Chad Brown was at the corner of the present Market Square and College Street in Providence, and Brown University now occupies part of that lot. He was buried on his own ground (a spot now occupied by the Court House), whence his remains were removed in 1792 to the North Burial Ground, where the gravestone then erected may still be seen.

Marriage and Children

Married: Elizabeth Sharparowe on 11 September 1626 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England.^[8][9]

Children of Chad Brown and Elizabeth Sharparowe:

Please see the detailed analysis published in The American Genealogist.^[10]

• John, born about 1629-1630^[7][11][5]
• James^[7][11][5]
• Jeremiah^[7][11][5]
• Judah^[7][5]
• Daniel NOTE: Unproved per TAG1987^[11][5]

Austin^[5] includes Mary and Deborah as children of Chad, but other sources have them as the children of Chad's eldest son John.^[7]

Death

Chad Brown passed away in or before 1663 in Providence, Rhode Island, when he was mentioned as deceased in a deed from William Field.^[1] Others indicate an earlier date of death based on his wife Elizabeth being cited as a widow on a tax list from Sept 2, 1650.^[6][5] However this simply Widow Brown taxed there is no indication that she was widow of Chad and there were plenty of other Browns in the area at the time.^[1]. Thomas Armitage, in "A History of the Baptists" [1], quotes a 1738 sermon of Rev. John Callender on "The History of Rhode Island" that implies Chad Browne was living "about the year 1653" when "there was a division in the Baptist Church at Providence about the rite of 'laying on of hands'", Browne being one of the leaders of those who believed this tradition "essentially necessary to church communion".

The memorial stone erected in 1792 in the North Burying Ground suggests a death year of about 1665.^[11]

Legacy

For a brief summary of Chad Browne's character one can do no better than to quote the remarks of Hague in his 'Historical Discourse' : 'Contemporary with Roger Williams, he possessed a cooler temperament, and was happily adapted to sustain the interests of religion just where that great man failed. . . We know only enough of his character to excite the wish to know more; but from that little it is clear that he was highly esteemed as a man of sound judgment and of a Christian spirit. Often referred to as the arbitrator of existing differences, in a state of society where individual influence was needed as a substitute for well digested laws, he won that commendation which the Savior pronounced when he said, "blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God."'^[7]

Common Errors to Avoid

Disproved son: Chad Brown: Chad and Elizabeth Brown are commonly given a son Chad Brown. This has been shown to be an error resulting from misinterpretation of land distribution in Providence.^[10] After the death of Chad Brown, distributions of land continued to made in the name of Chad Brown. A son Chad Brown was created to explain these records; however, it can be shown that Providence continued to set off land in the names of the original proprietors even after their death. There is no other evidence or reason to suppose a son Chad.

Disproved daughter: Phebe Brown: Virkus in his Compendium of American Genealogy made Phebe Brown, wife of Thomas Lee, a daughter of Chad Browne.^[12] This is incorrect. She is a proven daughter of William Brown.^[10]

Sources

Footnotes and citations:

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Browne, William Bradford. "Chad Browne and his descendants." New England Historical and Genealogical Register 80:74 (1926) Link at AmericanAncestors ($)
2. ↑ Heritage Consulting. Millennium File [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2003, Ancestry Record millind #10565043 Birth date: 1600, Birth place: High Wycombe, Bucks, England, Death date: 1663, Death place: Providence, Providence, Rhode Island,
3. ↑ Yates Publishing, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 (The Generations Network, Inc., Provo, UT, USA, 2004) Ancestry Record 7836 #164185 User submitted Family Group Sheet
4. ↑ "Genealogical Gleanings in England," in New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 47:266 (1893) Link at AmericanAncestors ($)
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7} John Osborne Austin, The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island : comprising three generations of settlers who came before 1690 (Albany, New York: Joel Munsells Sons, 1887), p. 258-262, digital images, https://archive.org/stream/genealogicaldict00aust#page/n535/mode/2up. Google Books (http://books.google.com : accessed 23 January 2015).
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Abby Isabel (Brown) Bulkley, The Chad Brown Memorial (Brooklyn: Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1888), p. xx, digital images, https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=ew8aAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA9. Google Books (http://books.google.com : accessed 23 January 2015).
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6} William Bradford Browne, "Chad Browne of Providence, R. I., and Four Generations of His Descendants," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 80 (1926): 73-86, 170-85. Link at AmericanAncestors.org
8. ↑ NEHGR, vol. 65 no. 1 (January 1911): page 84.
9. ↑ Phillimore.Buckinghamshire Parish Registers, vol. 6: Marriages. (1910): page 11.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} MacGunnigal, Bruce C., "The children of Chad Browne of Providence, Rhode Island - Proved, Disproved and Unproven" The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) Volume 62 (1987) pages 193-201 via $American Ancestors
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4} Find-A-Grave Cemetery memorial #13701066 in North Burial Ground, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
12. ↑ Virkus, Frederick Adams. ed. Compendium of American Genealogy; ... v.5 (1933): pages 56, 97.

Source list:

• New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. 65 no. 1 (January 1911): page 84. "Notes: King, Brown", by The Editors. Marriage of Chad Brown. Books.google.com Link

• Phillimore, W.P.W. ed. Buckinghamshire Parish Registers, vol. 6: Marriages. (London: 1910): page 11. Archive.org Link

• New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. 80 no. 1 (January 1926): pages 73-86 and 170-185, see page 74. AmericanAncestors.org ($) Link "Chad Browne of Providence, Rhode Island and Four Generations of His Descendants", by William Bradford Browne.

• The American Genealogist, vol. 62 no. 4 (October 1987): 193-201. "The Children of Chad Browne of Providence, RI: Proved, Disproved and Unproved, " by Bruce C. MacGunnigle. AmericanAncestors.org ($) Link

• Find A Grave: Memorial #161744276 for Elizabeth Sharparowe Brown

• Virkus, Frederick Adams. ed. Compendium of American Genealogy; ... v.5 (1933): pages 56, 97. Note:incorrectly makes Phebe Brown a daughter of Chad Browne.

• Wikipedia article: Chad Brown (minister)

• Marriage: Buckinghamshire Parish Registers, Vol. 6; High Wycombe Marriages, p. 11; by Phillimore, W. P. W. (William Phillimore Watts), 1853-1913, ed; Ragg, Frederick William, 1845, joint ed; Gurney, Thomas, joint ed; Bale, Ronald Frank, joint ed; London, Phillimore & Co., 1902; Collection allen_county; americana; Digitizing sponsor MSN; Contributor Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center; [2]

• http://www.thesorensens.net (unsourced family tree)

• Knight Genealogy, https://web.archive.org/web/20140109043217/http://knight-france.com/geneal/names/991.htm [Archived site, 9 Jan 2014], family tree with sources:

Thomas BROWNE, Jr (Abt 1535-1600) m. Elizabeth LETTLYE (1540-1630) bore Arthur BROWNE (1567/1574-1603) Nicholis ALCHURCH (1545-) m. Margery (Abt 1550-). They bore Dorothy ALCHURCH (1576-1650) Arthur BROWNE and Dorothy ALCHURCH bore Rev. Chad BROWNE (Abt 1600-Bef 1650).

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/changelog/LZZ4-LMV Name: ARTHUR BROWN OR BROUNE OR BROWNE Birth: BET 1567 AND 1574 in MELCHBOURNE OR HIGH WYCOMBE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND ALIAS: ARTHUR BROUNE OR BROWN Death: BET 1603 AND 1604 in MELCHBOURNE OR HIGH WYCOMBE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND. Father: THOMAS (L) BROWNE b: BET 1531 AND 1535 in BEACONSFIELD, BUCKS, ENGLAND Mother: ELIZABETH LETTLYE b: 1540 in DUNCHURCH, WARWICKSHIRE, ENGLAND Marriage 1 DOROTHY ALCHURCH b: 1579 in HIGH WYCOMBE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND Married: 1604 in HIGH WYCOMBE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND Children CHAD OR CHADDUS (NOTES)(MAR) BROWN OR BROWNE b: BET 1575 AND 1607 in HIGH WYCOMBE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND

Arthur Browne Birth circa 1573 High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England Death: Died 1603 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, , England Immediate Family:Son of Sir Thomas Browne and Elizabeth Browne Father of Rev. Chadd Browne and Rev John Browne Brother of Margret Browne and Hacheliah Brown