The branch of the Brown family herein recorded traces its origin to the year 1538, when Henry VIII. gave to Sir Anthony Brown, Knight, divers manors in Sussex and the priory of St. Mary Overy in Southwark. He died in 1568. His eldest son, Anthony, who was created Viscount Montague in 1554, died before his father, in 1562, leaving children by two wives. By his first wife, Jane, daughter of the Earl of Sussex, he had one son, Anthony, who succeeded his father to the title of viscount, and later to his grandfather's manors and priory, died in 1592 without leaving legal heirs, and the estate and title then passed to the children of his father by his second marriage with Margaret, daughter of Lord Dacre. Although there were several sons by this marriage, strange to say none ever appeared to claim the estate and title, and all attempts to trace them in England signally failed.
It is believed in England that the heirs of the two younger sons, George and William, emigrated to America about the year 1680, and that the heir of the latter, William Brown, settled in Pennsylvania.
(I) The first Brown of record to settle in the state of New York was Henry Brown, one of the first settlers, who purchased a tract of land, part of which was in Mapletown, but on account of threats of the Tories, who had their ammunition near the White House bridge, and after the burning of his house, he changed his place of residence to Albany, accompanied by all his family with the exception of Nathaniel. He was the father of several sons and daughters, among whom was Nathaniel, see forward, Nicholas, Peter. In the documentary history of New York [i.e., Documentary History of the State of New-York] there is record of a grant of land to Henry Brown's wife that was confiscated. She was related to the late President Rutherford B. Hayes.
(II) Nathaniel, son of Henry Brown, was born in Hoosick, New York. He was a farmer and large land owner, possessing four farms, on one of which were fine quarries of slate, which he opened and operated; these quarries were on the road leading from Hoosick village to Hoosick Falls and were considered of great importance. He was a member of the Baptist church and otherwise prominent in the town. He married Margaret, daughter of Nicholas and Margaret Powers, who came from Livingston Manor to Hoosick, one of the first settlers, whose farm joined that of Henry Brown. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Powers: Eve, born December 6, 1773; Catherine, November 1, 1775; Margaret, April 15, 1779; Hannah, July 1, 1781. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Brown:
- Adelia, married Jesse L. Raymer; she died about 1890; children: Allen and Almon; grandchildren: Adelia, Mary, Nellie, Amelia.
- Albert, of whom further.
- Amelia, married Hiram Knapp, who was a prosperous farmer, owning an estate in North Bennington, Vermont, where his wife died about 1835, which is now owned and cultivated by his only son,
- Charles Knapp, who married Mary Helen ———— and has a son Edward.
- Nicholas P., born May 29, 1809, died July 24, 1893; he was a farmer of the town of Hoosick; married, October 18, 1838, Minerva Lamb, of Pittstown, born September 22, 1818, died March 14, 1897, who bore him six children, three sons and three daughters, two are deceased, Caroline L., the eldest, and Amelia E., a graduate of Lansingburg Female Seminary; the remainder, Mary Jane, Willard, Hayner and George Edward, reside on the old homestead on the Hill road to Hoosick Falls, where their father and grandfather Powers lived.
- Abigail, married Harvey Russell; children: Two sons in civil war; George, deceased; Joseph, living; she died about 1850 and is buried in Mapletown cemetery.
(III) Colonel Albert Brown, son of Nathaniel and Margaret (Powers) Brown, was born at Hoosick in August, 1806; died December 22, 1883. He started out in life when quite young with little capital, but with an energy and ambition that nothing could daunt. He became a farmer, accumulated a goodly estate, attained a prominent position in the town, reared a large family, and died universally respected. He was active in military life, beginning in the ranks and rising to the rank of colonel of the regiment, in which capacity he served ten years, holding the same until his resignation. He served as justice of the peace, being repeatedly elected, and there was no more active or useful citizen in the town than Colonel Brown. He was a regular attendant of the Baptist church, and an ardent Democrat. He married, September 8, 1830, Millissa D. Covell, born March 4, 1810, died March 19, 1872. Children:
- George Washington, of whom further.
- Adelia M., born May 18, 1833; married, September 22, 1852, Addison H. Armstrong; lives in Marcellus, Onondaga county, New York; children: two deceased;
- Lewis;
- Lyman;
- Albert;
- Florence, married ———— Gilbert; has three children;
- May.
- Priscilla L., born April 27, 1835, died September 9, 1870; married, October 1, 1855, G. Edward Armstrong; children:
- Charles, married, one child;
- Moses, married, has Fremont, Charles, Sarah, Dora, Julia.
- Charles A., born May 7, 1837; married (first) June 10, 1863, Mary A. Babcock; (second) Marion A. Babcock; children:
- Charles Albert, resides in Jacksonville, Florida, engaged in the real estate business and prominent as a citizen; married and has two children;
- Alice, married Charles Fischer; one child,
- Albert; resides in Rochester, New York, where he is a successful plumber;
- Katharine, married Harry Greene; two children, Charles and Marian; resides in Plainfield, New Jersey;
- Henrietta, married Raymond Greene in 1910; resides in Brooklyn, New York;
- Almond, married and has a son and daughter; resides in New York City;
- Harry, married and has three children, two daughters and a son; resides in Brooklyn.
- Richard C., born April 22, 1839, of whom further.
- Julia Francis, born July 26, 1841; married (first) John H. Armstrong, January 9, 1866; (second) C. H. Plant; now living in Syracuse, New York.
- Mary M., born December 25, 1843, died September 21, 1845.
- Henry Marcus, born March 29, 1846, died 1905.
- Ethel D., born September 3, 1849, died July 24, 1880; married C. H. Plant (his first wife), April 17, 1873; children:
- Mabel, married Marx Haswell, 1910, one son; resides in Hoosick, New York;
- Ethel, lives in Syracuse, New York.
- Florence, born May 19, 1852; married Dr. J. W. Joslyn, one son Whitman; resides in Johnstown, New York, a successful physician.
- Mary Melissa, born August 21, 1855; married, September 12, 1876, Royal Bosworth; children: Grace and Alfred; resides in Hoosick village.
(IV) George Washington, son of Colonel Albert and Millissa D. (Covell) Brown, was born in the town of Hoosick, New York, June 28, 1831. In 1852, at the age of twenty-one, he married Mary J. Wallace and settled on what is known as the Wallace farm, on the River road, between Hoosick and Hoosick Falls, living there all their lives; his wife died March 6, 1910. Mr. Brown dealt in general produce, fertilizer, coal, feed, etc., at one time, while living in Hoosick village. He held important town offices, was justice of the peace several terms and poor commissioner for three terms. He has always been an ardent Democrat, and during the civil war was firm in his support of the Union. He was a member of the choir of the Hoosick Baptist Church, having sung with that musical organization for twenty-two years. During a period of nearly fifty years the entire choir was composed mostly of the Browns and their relatives. Children of George W. and Mary J. (Wallace) Brown:
- Mary Elizabeth, married J. M. Haswell; children:
- William W., married Gertrude Richmond and has son, Joseph;
- Albert, an osteopath physician in Springfield, Massachusetts;
- King, residing at home at present (1911);
- Kenneth, residing at home; Mr. Haswell died in 1910.
- Georgianna M., married Frederic Pickering, September, 1910.
(IV) Richard Covell, son of Colonel Albert and Millissa D. (Covell) Brown, was born on the old Hoosick homestead of the Brown family, April 22, 1839. He purchased a farm in Cattaraugus county, New York, on which he lived for several years, and in 1885 returned to Hoosick and purchased the old homestead, consisting of one hundred and eighty-five acres, where he resides at the present time. Mr. Brown, his wife, during her lifetime, and seven of their children are members of the Baptist church in Hoosick, in which he filled the office of trustee for eighteen consecutive years. He is a Democrat in politics, highly respected for his sterling qualities. He married, May 16, 1865, Mary Crandall, born April 5, 1845, died January 6, 1901, daughter of Lewis and Amanda (Gleason) Crandall. Children:
- Clarence C., born October, 1866; resides in state of Washington, real estate dealer; water power; married Jennie Dorn, of Sloansville, New York; has a son Dorn Brown; he is a Blue Lodge Mason.
- Lewis C., born April 2, 1868; resident of the city of New York; principal owner of the New York Tin Roof Painting Company; ran for state senator, congress, etc., on the Prohibition ticket; member of Baptist church; a Shrine Mason.
- George E., born March 7, 1870: resident of Jacksonville, Florida, engaged in building and real estate; married Lela Grogan; children: Dorothy, Mildred and Richard.
- Frank M., born April 19, 1872; a resident of Greensboro, North Carolina; married Alice Harris and has a daughter,
- Elizabeth, born in 1910.
- Ellen A., married Dr. M. W. Stearns, of Schenectady; daughter,
- Mary Ellen, born in 1909.
- Albert, born February 19, 1877; married Minnie Burton and has a son Burton, born 1905, lives in Lansingburg; laundryman.
- Marcus H., born 1879; a resident of the state of Oregon, real estate dealer and property owner.
- Arthur R., born 1884; engaged in business with brother, Marcus H., in Oregon.
- De Witt, born September 18, 1885; married Emma Sweet in 1910.