Family Study of William Browning
Dear Browning Cousins,
This is an attempt to share original records with my Browning cousins in hope that some one out may be able to help understand my William Browning families.
Back in the days before the computer I Jim Burgess burgess@surnames.com wrote a book entitled Burgess, Mullins, Browning, Brown and Allied Families. With just a little research and help from Sigfus Olafson I was able to determine that my earliest Browning ancestor was William BROWNING who married Catherine ANGLIN 24 August 1797 in Caswell County, North Carolina.
In the 1790 Caswell County North Carolina Census William Anglin is listed in the Saint David District along with James Browning and John Browning. (I believe this is vital as we analyze who the parents of William Browning are!)
William Browning and Catherine are easy to locate in the 1810 to 1840 Census as they only had daughters no sons, so he is always the William Browning who had daughters. In the Caswell County, North Carolina Will of William Anglin dated 20 March 1798 William Anglin leaves one flower wheel to his daughter Catherine Anglin.
When I wrote the my book Burgess, Mullins, Browning, Brown and Allied Families I had not found the following record.
!Caswell County, North Carolina Deed Book 1777-1817 by Southern Historical Press, P.O. Box 738 Easley South Carolina 29641-0738 Book C April Court 1798 page 300.
The property of Widow Lay deceased. sold 20 Dec 1798 to: Peter Lay , Daniel Gwyn, William Anglin, Mary Lay. Thomas Rice, James Browning, WILL BROWNING SENIOR, WILL BROWNING, BY Peter Lay Administrator
This connects almost all the names we are concerned with in Caswell County North Carolina. It shows our William Browning with his father as does the 1800 Caswell County North Carolina Census. Obviously it shows William Anglin and James Browning whose relationship is interesting. I wonder what the Lay connection is.
I also believe that this proves that Will Browning Senior is the Father of my William Browning who married Catherine Anglin in Caswell County in 1797. This was a terrific revelation.
Unfortunately the name Will Browning Senior or William Browning Senior does not appear in the Caswell County, North Carolina Deed records 1777 to 1817. Very unfortunate. We do understand from the records that Will Browning Senior (William) was living in Caswell County, North Carolina with his son William who married Catherine Anglin. The 1790 Census of Caswell County, North Carolina is of supreme importance.
!1790 Caswell County North Carolina Census
Gloucestor District Saint David's District St Lawrence District Edmund Browning James Browning Joshua Browning George Browning John Browning Samuel Browning William Anglin Edmund Browning Junior
Who were the parents of this mystery Will Browning Senior who has one record mentioned him with Willam Browning and James Browning. We have no proof but can make assumptions that there is a relationship with James Browning and William Anglin. If James Browning and Will Browning Senior were brothers. We have the opportunity to compare their records with the famous Genealogy of the Brownings in America from 1621 to 1908 by Edward Franklin Browning, A.M.
Catherine ANGLIN BROWNING was still living in the 1850 Logan County, Virginia Census Dwelling 26 being age 69 which means she was born in 1781 in North Carolina. In Deed Book C we see that William BROWNING left a deed dated page 338 dated 22 November 1850. The Logan County, Virginia records were burned, so we do not have a Will for William Browning who must have died in 1849 or early 1850 before the census taker came to the Browning home. It is important that we know that Catherine ANGLIN BROWNING was born in 1781. Men usually are a little older than their wives so we can estimate that William BROWNING Senior would have been born about 1754.
Now to the Genealogy of the BROWNINGS in America from 1621 to 1908 by Edward Franklin BROWNING, A.M. So what are we looking for. We are looking for a family that has a son named William BROWING born about 1754 with a high probability that he had a brother named William. What do we find. We find three Browning families which are possibilities.
#1 1663 John Browning who married Elizabeth Demarest #2 1662 Nicholas Browning who married Sarah Washburn #3 1661 Francis Browning who married Frances Norman
!Genealogy of the Browning Family in America from 1621-1908 by Edward Franklin Browning Page 448
#1663 John Browning. Son of Francis Browning, Sr., and Elizabeth Lloyd. born about 1728, Culpepper County, Virginia. married Elizabeth Demarest. They had nine children, namely: 1690. James, b. 1745 ** 1691. Joshua, b. 1746 ** 1692. Frances, b. Nov 24, 1753 Resided in Russell County, Virginia 1693. Enos, b. 1751 Not in census, but resided in Caswell County. 1694. John, b. May 17, 1757 1695. William b. 1759 George, b. 1761. Eunice, b. about 1762. 1Daniel, b. about 1764. Died in 1803, aged 75 years. Mr. John Browning was one of the nineteen men enrolled in the Infantry of Culpepper County as a foot soldier, in March, 1756. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. By occupation he was a farmer. His wife was a French Huguenot.
I have always believed that #1663 John Browning is the best option we have because he had a son named James, William and Enos. It is well documented that Enos BROWING migrated to Logan County, Virginia. It makes sense that Enos Browning and William BROWNING moved to Logan County about the same time. Are they brothers or first cousins. Certainly the best possibility until we see that his brother #1695 William born 1759 moved to Greene County, Georgia. I have been analyzing 1695 William Browning for almost 27 years. Did Edward Franklin Browning make a mistake? Was the William Browning who went to Georgia really the son of #1663. If so we are really out of luck.
#1662 Nicholas BROWNING Son of Francis BROWNING Senior and Elizabeth Lloyd ….. Born about 1726 in Culpeper County, Virginia. Married Sarah Washburn about 1747. They had eight children namely. John born 1748 1686. Jonathan born 1750 1687. Nicholas Junior born 1752 1688. Charles b. 1754 William b. 1756 James b. 1758 1689 Perry born about 1760 Daniel born 1762 Died in 1774 in Fauquier County, Va aged 48. Mr Nicholas Browning was a farmer. In 1760 he owned eighty acres of land in Culpeper County, and in October of the same year, he purchased 100 acres more. In 1774 his estate was administered.
This looks really good also! We have our William born 1756 and James 1758 bingo. Let’s look at the original records we have first the Will of Nicholas Browning in Caswell County, North Carolina..
Caswell County, North Carolina Will Book B 1786-1787 January Court 1787 page 166 Nicholas Browning Will 23 Oct 1786. Wife Sarah. Joseph Jones to continue where he now lives; daughters Sarah, Jean; sons Enos, Francis, John, Charles; daughters Mary and Elizabeth. Exec: brother Edmund Browning and Joshua Browning. Witness Isaac Corren, James Hopper. proved on oath of Isaac Boren.
No record of a son James or William Browning. Was Edward Franklin Browning wrong? Matching the names in the book and the Will we see some serious discrepancies. Nicholas had a son named Enos not in the History but in the will. Interesting!
1661 Francis Browning Junior Son of Francis BROWNING Senior and Elizabeth Lloyd. Born about 1724 in Culpeper County, Virginia. Married Frances Norman, about 1741. They had eleven children, namely. 1675. Shardrach, b. 1745 1676. Charles, b 1746 1677. William b 1747 1678. James b 1748 1679. John b April 16, 1749 1680. Reuben b. 1750 1681. Isaac b 1754 1682. Francis 3rd b 1756 1683. Mollie b 1758 1684. Sarah b 1759 1685. Asemith, b 1760
Died in 1761 in Culpeper County, Va, aged about 37 years. In 1742, Courtney Norman relative of his wife conveyed to Francis Browning Jr, a part of the original Browning tract. The Will of Francis Browning was proved in Culpepper County, Virginia Feb 19, 1761.
According to Mr Browning 1677 William Browning married William Browning who married Mildred Roberts about 1766. You guessed it this William had sons named William and James. It is possible but unlikely that this is our family.
Oh yes we may not know who the father our William Browning is but there is little doubt in my mind that his grand parents were Francis Browning and Elizabeth Lloyd!
I look forward to the input from any and all Browning cousins to help us understand our family with documented records to learn who the father of our William Browning Senior really is!
Thanks Jim Burgess burgess@surnames.com Fauquier County, Virginia USGENWEB Some of this information is from Katherine Kerr Kendall