James Brown's Property

Profile manager: Lynn Dunlap [send private message]

This page has been created to document the extensive land transactions of James Brown (1656-1716; Brown-2470 on WikiTree), partly in an effort to learn more about his descendants. Many of the earliest land transactions of this family do not appear to have been recorded, or the records did not survive, and later documents are used to reconstruct the history.

Please note: Documentation for some of the transactions below has not been organized for posting to this page; please contact the profile manager(s) for further information.

Background

Born in England to Quaker parents, James Brown and his brother William emigrated to America as young men. James, who was two years older, came first and William arrived several years later. (Based on the dates and locations of their marriages, James must have arrived shortly before 1679, and William between 1682 and 1684.)

James married Honour Clayton in New Jersey in 1679. They settled in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania,^[1] where they lived for over 20 years before moving to Nottingham around 1702.

A weaver^[2] by trade, James also engaged in land dealing.

Children: James and Honor had eight children, seven of whom lived to adulthood--four sons and three daughters. Most of these children appear to be fairly well documented, but two, James and Daniel, inexplicably disappear from Nottingham property tax records after 1725. Son James in particular is a mystery, a major reason for this investigation (and others).

Summary

James appears to have been an active land trader, if not a land speculator, especially up to 1700. From 1683 to 1686, he acquired 752 acres of land in seven transactions in and around Chichester (that includes Rambo Rook for which the exact location and acquisition date are unknown).

We believe all acquisitions listed below are by the same James Brown, Brown-2470 (1656-1716).  The acquisition of the Nottingham Lots is well documented, and James's brother William acquired land there at the same time.  Poddington was later deeded to James's son William, so we can be confident of this transaction as well.  Except for the Nottingham Lots and possibly Rambo Rook, all the acquisitions took place in a small geographic area from 1683 to 1685/6.  The Rawson to Brown deed describes James Brown(e) as "of Chichester in the County of Chester in the Province of Pensilvania."  It was the same Rawson, who was a neighbor of James's as can be seen on the map, who sold Rambo Rook to James.  No other James Brown who has been mentioned in the various discussions on the Brown Family Issues page or the preceding G2G discussion was born early enough to be this person, and we do not know of any other James Brown that this man could have been confused with. 

Although we have done an extensive review of James Brown's land transactions, there is much that is not known. Not all of his early land transactions were documented, or if they were, the records have not survived.

James transferred land to his sons William and Jeremiah during his lifetime, and left Nottingham land to sons James and Daniel in his will. There do not appear to be any surviving records that document exactly what happened to the land that James and Daniel inherited. Both men disappear from the Nottingham tax records after 1724/5. As noted in the Nottingham Lots section below, at least part of Lot 14 ended up in Jeremiah's possession. Given the requirement in their father's will that Jeremiah must approve disposal of the land, it is a reasonable theory that James and Daniel transferred their land to Jeremiah.

History of land transactions (chronological)

1683 - 200 acres in Concord Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania from William Penn; to John Simcock in 1685; later Simcock to Morgan Jones. Concord Township is northwest of Upper Chichester; see map.

1683 - 115 acres Poddington in Upper Chichester from William Penn. See map at right; also ★ 3 on the annotated map. We believe James likely made his home here until he moved to Nottingham. He deeded the land to his son William in 1705. William later sold the land to Frances Bowater (as noted below).

1684 - 60 acres Middleton in Upper Chichester from Walter Martin, sold in 1691 to Robert Jeffries (★ 2 on the annotated map below). The purchase record is found in Chester County, Pennsylvania Deed Book A, page 122 (see deed book.)^[3] The following entry in the deed book is the 1691 assignment to Robert Jeffries (or Jeferis).

1685 - 100 acres in Upper Chichester from Thomas Garrett, later sold to John and Jane Chandler (★ 1 on the annotated map below).

1685 - 100 acres in Upper Chichester from Thomas Clifton; sold to James Swafford in 1705 (★ 4 on the annotated map below). (Note: Details of this transaction uncertain and subject to change; two acres apparently donated to Quakers for Chichester meeting house.)

1685/6 - 117 acres made up of four parcels in Lower Chichester from Wolla Rawson, subdivided and sold off in small parcels from 1688 to 1704 (★ 5-8 on the annotated map below). James's purchase is recorded in Rawson to Brown; see original here.^[4] See section below for sales.

1695 - 600 acres on Ould Man's Creek in Salem County, New Jersey from Thomas Pile,^[5] sold to Thomas Thompson in 1703.^[6] (Salem County is just across the Delaware River from Pennsylvania where James lived; see map.)

Rambo Rook - 60 acres, details unknown, later deeded to Wolla (or "Wooley") Rawson some time before 2 April 1696.

1701 - Nottingham Lots nos. 14 and 27; James and his brother William were among the 20 families sharing a grant of 20,000 acres which became the 37 Nottingham Lots; James got Lots 14 and 27, William 23 and 33 (see map attached to this page). Note: On the map, William Brown's name is also on Lot 28, but the lot's original owner was Robert Williams. He died in 1716, and left the lot to "my friend William Brown Senr" in his will.

1705 - James Brown to William Brown (his son); 115 acres Podington; William sold in 1708 to Frances Bowater; record in Chester County, Pennsylvania Deed Book B, page 205 (see deed book ^[7] and transcription).

c. 1710 - 200 acres in Talbot (Susquehanna) Manor from John Hanson Steelman, apparently conveyed to son William who added 300 acres and sold the parcel to a Mr. Jones.^[8] (Talbot Manor is just to the south of the Nottingham Lots.)

1714 - Part of Nottingham Lot 27 deeded to son Jeremiah.^[9]

1715 - Writes will, leaving land to sons Daniel and James; his two other living sons had already been given land in 1705 and 1714 as noted just above.

1716/17 - "Two lotts and two acres of wood" sold by Sheriff as a result of the Flower v. Brown lawsuit; John Piggott buys it^[10] (not on Piggott's WikiTree profile).

Subdivision and sale of 117 acres

Sales of the lots and land within the 117 acres purchased from Wolla Rawson are listed here due to their large number and so as not to interrupt the chronology above.

1688 - 2 acres in Chichester sold to William Clayton and others.

1690 - Parcel including building in Chichester to Amey Harding.

1696 - About 5 acres to William Flower; record in Chester County, Pennsylvania Deed Book A, page 216 (see deed book.)^[11]

1699 - Two lots in Chichester to John Howell; record in Chester County, Pennsylvania Deed Book A, page 257 (see deed book.)^[12]

1699 - Land for Broad Street, sold by James Brown and William Clayton to Town of Chichester; record in Chester County, Pennsylvania Deed Book A, page 244 (see deed book.)^[13]

1699 - One lot and 2 acres woods to James Swaffer.

1699 - About 46 acres to Peter Boss; documented in Brown to Boss^[14] and Boss to Grubb.

1699 - Two lots and 4 acres woods to James Cloud.

1699 - Two lots and 4 acres woods to James Clemson; record in Chester County, Pennsylvania Deed Book A, page 239 (see deed book.)^[15]

1699 - Nine lots and 1 acre cleared land in Chichester to Walter Martin.

1699 - One lot in Chichester and 3 1/2 acres to William Thompson.

1700 - Two lots in Chichester plus woods to Thomas Baldwin.

1700 - Two streets and a road to Walter Martin.

1700 - Lot in Chichester to Walter Martin.

1700 - Two lots in Chichester plus 4 acres woods to Oliver Matthews; record in Chester County, Pennsylvania Deed Book Q, page 394 (see deed book.)^[16]

1700 - Two lots plus 2 acres land in Chichester to Roger Jackson.

1700 - Lot in Chichester to William Chandler; record in Chester County, Pennsylvania Deed Book A, page 258 (see deed book.)^[17]

1701 - Two lots in Chichester to Thomas Baldwin; record in Chester County, Pennsylvania Deed Book A, page 254 (see deed book.)^[18]

1704 - Ten lots in Chichester to John Grubb; record in Chester County, Pennsylvania Deed Book Q, page 397 (see deed book.)^[19]

The Nottingham Lots

James owned two lots, Nos. 14 and 27. We know he deeded part of Lot 27 to his son Jeremiah in 1714, and have assumed that the remainder of Lot 27 and all of Lot 14 were left to his sons James and Daniel, although his will does not mention lot numbers.

According to James's will, he left son Daniel "ye Lott of Land lying between Dorsons and Robert Williams Containing five hundred acres"; this appears to be Lot 27 of the Nottingham Lots, or part of it. In 1725 Daniel sold 200 acres to James Allin, as described later in "Lacy Rowles to his Son Hezekiah Rowles."^[20]

James's provision for his son James was "I give & bequeath into my wellbeloved wife Honor Brown 
& unto my son James Brown all and singular my Goods Chattles & Estate whatsoever & where soever To Hold to them their heirs and assigns for ever ..."
 He also made James and Honor his executors, instructed James to help Daniel with his farm, and provided that James not dispose of the land without the consent of Mercer Brown and Jeremiah Brown.^[21]

Subsequent records show that James's son Jeremiah built a house on part of Lot 14. The Jeremiah Brown House and Mill Site still exists and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is owned by Edward C. Plumstead.^[22][23]

Thus one theory is that when James and Daniel disappeared from the Nottingham tax records after 1725, they sold their land to their brother Jeremiah. This certainly makes sense given the provisions of their father's will. It is unfortunate that we also lack records of Honor Clayton Brown after she is mentioned in the will. The only clue comes from a marriage record. When her youngest daughter Mary married in 1731, the minutes show that the couple had "the Consent of Parents" which suggests Honor was still alive then, although she is not on the list of wedding attendees.

By 1787, Lot 14 was owned by Roger Kirk ("Stoney Grove") and Levi Kirk.^[24] Lot 27 was divided among Elisha Brown ("Brown's Possession"), Abner Kirk ("Friendship"), Mary Kirk ("Widows Crooked Lot"), John Lewden ("Lewden's Reserve"), and Joseph Reynolds ("Reynolds Mill Seat").

Map notes

Chichester. There are two maps of Chichester at right. The annotated map is an excerpt from the larger map which shows a larger area including a clearer illustration of the location of the Delaware River. On both maps, Upper Chichester is the green-bordered area and Lower Chichester is the red-bordered area. Note that the maps are on a slight tilt (i.e., north is not straight up).

Partly because of that tilt, in the maps on this page the Delaware River appears to run east-west, but it actually runs from northeast to southwest, as can be seen in this Wikipedia map. Thus, Chichester is on the west side of the river.

On the annotated map, there are eight stars (★), numbered 1 through 8. Here is how the stars correspond to the property summary on this page (above):

★ 1 - 100 acres purchased in 1685 from Thomas Garrett.

★ 2 - 60 acres called Middleton purchased in 1684.

★ 3 - 115 acres called Podington purchased in 1683 and where James likely lived until he moved to Nottingham; this is also shown on the larger map.

★ 4 - 100 acres purchased in 1685 from Thomas Clifton.

★ 5-8 - Total of 117 acres purchased from Wolla Rawson in 1685/6 in four parcels. ★ 5 is 15 acres, the second item listed in the Rawson to Brown deed. ★ 6 is 87 acres, the first item in the deed. ★ 7 is 7 acres, the third item in the deed. The property is actually west of Chichester Creek, but the star was placed so as not to obscure the name. ★ 8 is 8 acres and the last of the four parcels described in the deed. The two smaller parcels are marsh land along the Delaware River.

Nottingham Lots. The map is oriented with west at the top. The division between West Nottingham and East Nottingham is around Lot 14.

Sources

1. ↑ Now in Pennsylvania (which was not founded until 1681), Marcus Hook was first settled by New Sweden colonists in the 1640s. An interesting Wikipedia article notes that in the early 1700s, the lower Delaware River was plagued by pirates for whom Marcus Hook was a haven.
2. ↑ James Brown is described as a weaver in multiple documents, including these: • His Quaker marriage record and declarations of marriage intentions (see his profile) • Patents and Deeds and Other Early Records of New Jersey 1664-1703, Salem Deeds, No. 5 (Ancestry.com, image 621 of 782): "1695 June 15. Deed. Thomas Pile of Pile Grove, Salem Co., gentleman, to James Browne of Chittester, Penna., weaver, for 600 acres on Ould Man's Creek, said Co." • Carol Bryant, Abstracts of Chester County Pennsylvania Land Records Volume 1 page 51 re 1696 transaction in which "James Brown of Chichester, weaver grants to William Flower..." • Patents and Deeds and Other Early Records of New Jersey 1664-1703, Salem Deeds, No. 7 (Ancestry.com, image 652 of 782): "1703 Dec. 8. Deed. James Browne of Chester Co., Penna., weaver, to Thomas Thompson of Ann's Grove, Salem Co., W.J., yeoman, for 600 acres on Ouldman's Creek, Salem Co." • Rawle v. Brown (1721) document
3. ↑ FamilySearch.org, United States, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Deeds, 1683-1903, Deed books, A; film no. 008035083, image 195 of 505.
4. ↑ FamilySearch.org, United States, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Deeds, 1683-1903, Deed books, A; film no. 008035083, image 213 of 505.
5. ↑ Patents and Deeds and Other Early Records of New Jersey 1664-1703, Salem Deeds, No. 5 (Ancestry.com, image 621 of 782): "1695 June 15. Deed. Thomas Pile of Pile Grove, Salem Co., gentleman, to James Browne of Chittester, Penna., weaver, for 600 acres on Ould Man's Creek, said Co." image
6. ↑ Patents and Deeds and Other Early Records of New Jersey 1664-1703, Salem Deeds, No. 7 (Ancestry.com, image 652 of 782): "1703 Dec. 8. Deed. James Browne of Chester Co., Penna., weaver, to Thomas Thompson of Ann's Grove, Salem Co., W.J., yeoman, for 600 acres on Ouldman's Creek, Salem Co." image
7. ↑ FamilySearch.org, United States, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Deeds, 1683-1903, Deed books, B; film no. 008035083, image 420 of 505.
8. ↑ This is from a series of 1748 depositions published by the Archives of Maryland Online in a case in which Joseph England claimed the property under Pennsylvania law and evicted the inhabitants. The property had been sold by William Brown to Jones the Welshman but Brown did not make a deed as promised; the property was later sold by Jones to John Lackland, Lackland to Henry Baker, and Baker to Robert McLeary. Transaction date is estimated from ages of deponents; see image and downloaded PDF.
9. ↑ Noted in the 1789 patent request for "Brown's Possession" (at right or use link).
10. ↑ See transcription of the fragmentary record surviving at Flower v. Brown.
11. ↑ FamilySearch.org, United States, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Deeds, 1683-1903, Deed books, A; film no. 008035083, image 242 of 505.
12. ↑ FamilySearch.org, United States, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Deeds, 1683-1903, Deed books, A; film no. 008035083, image 262 of 505.
13. ↑ FamilySearch.org, United States, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Deeds, 1683-1903, Deed books, A; film no. 008035083, image 256 of 505.
14. ↑ FamilySearch.org, United States, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Deeds, 1683-1903, Deed books, G; film no. 007856903, image 44 of 867. image
15. ↑ FamilySearch.org, United States, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Deeds, 1683-1903, Deed books, A; film no. 008035083, image 253 of 505.
16. ↑ FamilySearch.org, United States, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Deeds, 1683-1903, Deed books, Q; film no. 007856902, image 217 of 605.
17. ↑ FamilySearch.org, United States, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Deeds, 1683-1903, Deed books, A; film no. 008035083, image 263 of 505.
18. ↑ FamilySearch.org, United States, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Deeds, 1683-1903, Deed books, A; film no. 008035083, image 261 of 505.
19. ↑ FamilySearch.org, United States, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Deeds, 1683-1903, Deed books, Q; film no. 007856902, image 219 of 605.
20. ↑ FamilySearch.org, United States, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Deeds, 1683-1903, Deed books, IJ; film no. 007856903, image 677 of 867. image
21. ↑ James Brown will (attached to this page)
22. ↑ Jeremiah Brown House and Mill Site on Wikipedia
23. ↑ National Register of Historic Places (PDF)
24. ↑ Daniel Brown's wife was named Elizabeth Kirk, but there appear to have been three separate Kirk lines (Alphonsus, Roger, and Samuel) in Nottingham, and the landowners named here do not appear to be descendants of Elizabeth's (close) relatives.

See also

• Nottingham Browns
• Which James Brown was the father of John Brown?
• James Brown's Religion
• Space:Brown_Family_Issues
• James Brown Theories

Note to readers

I will be happy to discuss anything included on this page and make corrections if necessary. I have depended on other researchers for some of the information, in particular a distant Brown cousin who has spent years studying the Browns, the land records of Nottingham and Chichester, and Pennsylvania history. My own role is mainly that of an editor. - Julie Kelts, October 2019