Family Card - Person Sheet
Family Card - Person Sheet
Misc. Notes
JOHN BROWNE was born, probably in England, in 1634 (figured from his age at death), and died at Reading, Mass., as "Capt., Esq.," 12 March 1717, in his 83rd year (Reading VRs). He married, first, at Chelmsford, Mass., 30 May 1677 [he was 43 years old], ANNA FISKE (Chelmsford VRs; Reading VRs incorrectly gives Anna Fish). She was born at Wenham, Mass., 15 January, baptized 12 March 1646, the daughter of Rev. John and Ann (Gipps) Fiske (Frederick Lewis Weis, Colonial Clergy and the Colonial Churches of New England [Repr. Baltimore, 1977], 84, Wilkes Allen, History Or Chelmsford [Repr. Chelmsford, 1974], 119-126). Anna (Fiske) Browne died at Reading, 30 May 1681 (Reading VRs), and John Browne married, second, at Reading, 29 March1682, ELIZABETH (BULKELY) EMERSON, who was born at Concord, Mass. in 1638, the daughter of Rev. Edward Bulkely of Concord, and widow of the Rev. Joseph Emerson of Mendon, Mass. (Benjamin Kendall Emerson, The Ipswich Emersons [Boston, 1900], 34, 53; Weis, Colonial Clergy.... 84; Eaton, Hist. of Reading
[51], incorrectly gives "Buckley" for Bulkely"). Elizabeth died at Reading, 12 August 1686 (Reading VRs), and John married, third, at Malden, Mass., 24 June 1697, REBECCA (CRAWFORD) SPRAGUE, widow of Samuel Sprague of Malden (Malden VRs). Rebecca died 8 July 1710, age 76 (Reading VRs).
There was a second John Browne who lived in the west part of Reading, who
was slightly older than John, the son of Nicholas. This second John was called
"John of the Hill. and sometimes John, Sr. to distinguish him from John, son
of Nicholas, who was sometimes called John, Jr. and more often "Captain John."
"John of the Hill" married, first, 18 October 1659, Elizabeth Osgood, and,
second, Sarah ----. His children by his first wife, were: Elizabeth, who
married Benjamin Hartshorne, Hannah, Sarah and Mary. His children by his
second wife were: John, Mary, Nathaniel and Stephen (Eaton, Hist. of Reading;
Reading VRs) .
Capt. John Browne, Esquire; son of Nicholas, lived a long and worthy
life, and was much revered by the town. In October of 1660, at the age of 26,
he was sent to England as "true and lawful attorney" for his father, as
described in the account, above under Nicholas Browne. He served as Selectman, Commissioner, and Town Moderator of Reading from 1674 to 1713, when he was 79 years old. On the 31st of May 1678, as Selectmen Or the town, "the worshipful Mr. John Browne, Capt. Jeremiah Sweyn, and Lt. Wm Hassey," along with the five Selectmen of Lynn, received a legal deed to the town from the Indians, David & Abigail Kunkshamooshaw, Cicily Su-George, and James & Mary Quonopohit. The land was described as running from Salem/Marblehead, Andover, Woburn/Charlestown/Malden, and the sea (Eaton, Hist. of Reading, 687-691).
The same year, "Mas. John Browne and Capt. Jeremiah Swayne" were chosen the town's true and lawful attorneys to plead against the suit of Capt. Ephraim
Savage. Savage had sued the town for 300 acres of meadow land in the "two mile grant" (now North Reading) that had been granted to Shubael Walker. Capt. Savage's wife was the widow of Obadiah Walker and the daughter of Rev. Mr. Haugh. The case was decided in favor of the town (ibid., 33).
Capt. John Browne lived in his homestead on the shore of Lake
Quannapowit, which he had built by 1667 (ibid., 67). He held other lands
beyond the Ipswich River that he had inherited from his father. He left
no will; his entire estate going to his only surviving child, Anna Emerson:
"An anecdote of the early John Browne, Esq. by the great pond, has
passed down from generation to generation, til it reached the writer by way of
the late Dea. Jacob Eaton. It appears that in his [John Browne's old age, he
had but one daughter living, an only child. while walking alone one evening he
was heard to say to himself, 'Well, I have made up my mind to make my mind,
and I'll give my farm to Anna, and then I'll give Anna to Peter [Emerson]'"
(The Ipswich Emersons, 54).
Capt. John Browne, Esquire, had buried three wives before his own death
in 1717. His tombstone reads:
"Witty, yet wise, grave, good, among the best
Was he, - the memory of the Just is blest. "
873
[51], incorrectly gives "Buckley" for Bulkely"). Elizabeth died at Reading, 12 August 1686 (Reading VRs), and John married, third, at Malden, Mass., 24 June 1697, REBECCA (CRAWFORD) SPRAGUE, widow of Samuel Sprague of Malden (Malden VRs). Rebecca died 8 July 1710, age 76 (Reading VRs).
There was a second John Browne who lived in the west part of Reading, who
was slightly older than John, the son of Nicholas. This second John was called
"John of the Hill. and sometimes John, Sr. to distinguish him from John, son
of Nicholas, who was sometimes called John, Jr. and more often "Captain John."
"John of the Hill" married, first, 18 October 1659, Elizabeth Osgood, and,
second, Sarah ----. His children by his first wife, were: Elizabeth, who
married Benjamin Hartshorne, Hannah, Sarah and Mary. His children by his
second wife were: John, Mary, Nathaniel and Stephen (Eaton, Hist. of Reading;
Reading VRs) .
Capt. John Browne, Esquire; son of Nicholas, lived a long and worthy
life, and was much revered by the town. In October of 1660, at the age of 26,
he was sent to England as "true and lawful attorney" for his father, as
described in the account, above under Nicholas Browne. He served as Selectman, Commissioner, and Town Moderator of Reading from 1674 to 1713, when he was 79 years old. On the 31st of May 1678, as Selectmen Or the town, "the worshipful Mr. John Browne, Capt. Jeremiah Sweyn, and Lt. Wm Hassey," along with the five Selectmen of Lynn, received a legal deed to the town from the Indians, David & Abigail Kunkshamooshaw, Cicily Su-George, and James & Mary Quonopohit. The land was described as running from Salem/Marblehead, Andover, Woburn/Charlestown/Malden, and the sea (Eaton, Hist. of Reading, 687-691).
The same year, "Mas. John Browne and Capt. Jeremiah Swayne" were chosen the town's true and lawful attorneys to plead against the suit of Capt. Ephraim
Savage. Savage had sued the town for 300 acres of meadow land in the "two mile grant" (now North Reading) that had been granted to Shubael Walker. Capt. Savage's wife was the widow of Obadiah Walker and the daughter of Rev. Mr. Haugh. The case was decided in favor of the town (ibid., 33).
Capt. John Browne lived in his homestead on the shore of Lake
Quannapowit, which he had built by 1667 (ibid., 67). He held other lands
beyond the Ipswich River that he had inherited from his father. He left
no will; his entire estate going to his only surviving child, Anna Emerson:
"An anecdote of the early John Browne, Esq. by the great pond, has
passed down from generation to generation, til it reached the writer by way of
the late Dea. Jacob Eaton. It appears that in his [John Browne's old age, he
had but one daughter living, an only child. while walking alone one evening he
was heard to say to himself, 'Well, I have made up my mind to make my mind,
and I'll give my farm to Anna, and then I'll give Anna to Peter [Emerson]'"
(The Ipswich Emersons, 54).
Capt. John Browne, Esquire, had buried three wives before his own death
in 1717. His tombstone reads:
"Witty, yet wise, grave, good, among the best
Was he, - the memory of the Just is blest. "
873
Spouses