Cody Brown Dolan (1922-2016) did much of the early research well before the arrival of the internet. She and her cousin Marge Bates (whose mother was a Brown)(1919-2017) spent several years going to various towns in coastal Massachusetts looking for the records of long ago family members. Cody’s sister Laura May Brown Houghton often went along for the ride and she was the one who was dispatched by the other two to fetch books of records, etc., while they were at the various courthouses and libraries.
The Browns of our family go back to Salem, MA, in about 1780. The first John Brown we know was the father of the John Brown who was born in 1761 in Salem and died in 1837. He married Deborah Ellis in 1799 and they had 6 children. Our line descends from their youngest child—Thomas W. Brown who was born in Nantucket in 1815 and died there in 1892 (buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery, Nantucket). Thomas W. Brown (known as “Father Brown”) was married to Mary B. (Crosby) Brown in 1842 in Nantucket. He was a sea captain and sailed the Island Home, a side-wheel steamer operating as a ferry serving the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket during the second half of the nineteenth century Their eldest child, Thomas Richmond Brown (1842-1939) married Lucy Evelyn Lincoln (1840-1918) in 1866. They settled in Hanson, MA. Folks in the family worked in various capacities—some with the fire department or the police department. Lucy Lincoln Brown was one of the first stitchers in the shoe factory in Whitman—the Commonwealth Shoe Company-- which began in 1885. She would have commuted to work at some point on the trolley line which ran from Plymouth through Hanson to Brockton. Harold Brown(1890-1970), grandson of T. Richmond and Lucy Brown and son of Elton Armington Brown (1868-1954) and Ella Florence Keene (1875-1955), was an electrician and the first engineer for the Ocean Spray Cranberry Cooperative which started in 1930.
Dates and names below need changing to Brown dates.
February 28, 1916 - The Brockton Times
Surrounded by children, grandchildren, greatfgrandchildren and friends, Mr. and Mrs. T. Richmond Brown of Hanson", well known to a wide circle in this vicinity, will observe on Monday evening in Thomas Hall, Hanson, the golden anniversary of their marriage. They are the parents of six children and have 14 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Nearing this half century milestone along the road of their happy, wedded life, Mr. and Mrs. Brown are anticipating the celebration of the anniversary with all the youthful zest of their 70 odd years. Mr. Brown is 73 and Mrs. Brown two years his senior.
Mrs. Brown was Lucy Lincoln, daughter of Rufus Lincoln and Lucy (Cook) Lincoln. She was born in 1840 very near the place where she still resides. Her family is directly related to Abraham Lincoln, he being own cousin to her grandfather._
Her great-grandfather was John Cook, who came over in the Mayflower. Two silver spoons which that noted ancestor brought with.him to the
new country‘are still a treasured family heirloom, now in the form of one large spoon and owned by Mrs. Brown's eldest son.
Mrs. Brown has been unusually active in both her home and outside circles and still retains much of her early vigor. She fitted the first shoe ever made in what is now the widely known Commonwealth Shoe factory in Whitman. She is a member of the Hanson Relief Corps and of the Rebekah Lodge of Whitman.
Thomas Richmond Brown was born in Nantucket in 1842, son of Capt. Thomas Brown and Mary (Bunker-Crosby) Brown. Capt. Brown went around the world three times. The old steamer, Island Home, was built for him and for years he ran the steamer from Nantucket to New Bedfon@. This famous vessel was used in President Lincoln's dispatch boat during the Civil War.
Mr. Brown is still employed at the Commonwealth Shoe factory in Whitman where he has been for 25 years. He is a member of Webster Lodge, I.O.O.F. He has one sister, Mrs. B. F. Janes of Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have a summer home in Rocky Nook, Kingston, where they spend much of their time during the summer season. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have both been unusually well and active and until five years ago had never experienced any serious illness.
All but one of Mr. and Mrs. Brown's six children are living. The eldest, Chester Lincoln Brown, died at the age of 14 months. The others are Elton Armington Brown of South Hanson, Mrs. Addie Richmond Copp of this city, Mrs. Mary Davis Kent of this city, William Franklin Brown of Hanson and Mrs. Cora Lincoln Curtis of Whitman. Four generations will be represented at the celebration Monday evening.
Relatives, neighbors, shopmates and friends from Hanson, Whitman and Brockton will be present to tender congratulations to the popular couple. Four grandsons, Harold Brown of Cohasset, Fred Brown of South Hanson, Seward Brown of Cohasset and Richmond Brown, Jr., of Hanson, will usher, and four granddaughters, Miss Cora May Brown, Miss Dorothy Brown, and Miss Lucy Brown of South Hanson, and Miss Madeline Curtis of Whitman will assist in serving refreshments.
Mrs. Brown has no near relatives, with the exception of three cousins in this city, Mrs. M. A. Packard, Mrs. John Alden and Mrs. A. G. Tinkham. Mrs. Packard was married on the same day as Mrs. Brown, and, had Mrs. Packard survived, the coming anniversary would have been a double celebration. Mr. and Mrs. Tinkham have observed already the 50th anniversary of their marriage.
Mrs. Lucy L. Brown, 77, of Hanson, a direct descendant of John Cook, who came to Plymouth on the Mayflower in 1620, and also a distant relative of Abraham Lincoln, died this morning at Hanson after a brief illness of pneumonia. She was a native of Hanson, having lived there all her life. She had been
prominent in many affairs of the town.
She was the daughter of Rufus and Lucy Cook Lincoln, and married T. Richmond Brown. They recently celebrated their golden wedding.
Mrs. Brown was one of the first shoe workers in this section. For 35 years she was a stitcher in the Commonwealth Shoe Company factory at Whitman. She had the distinction of stitching the first shoe manufactured by that company. She worked in the Whitman factory until four years ago, retiring at the age of 73.
She was the mother of six children and had 14 grandchildren, two of which are in France with American forces and one being at Camp Devens, Ayer. She is survived by her husband Richmond Brown, and five children, Mrs. Addie Copp of Brockton, Mrs. Mary Kent of Brockton, Mrs. Cora Curtis of Whitman and William and Elton Brown of Hanson. The funeral will be Saturday afternoon at 2.
(January 16, 1917)
Notes about Thomas Richmond Brown by Marge Bates, cousin of Lois Brown Winter
He went by T. Richmond.
“ After sending you my childhood memories of (my) Great Grampa Fred Keene, I thought you'd like to hear my memories, as a ten-year-old, of (my) Great Grampa T. Richmond Brown. He must have lived alone in his Hanson home, not far from where we lived, after Gramma Lucy died....from 1916 until about 1930. It was then that, apparently, my Mom agreed to take care of him, because he came to live with us.
He and I got along just fine. I used to have a favorite song book containing hymns, patriotic songs, Foster songs, etc. As he sat in his favorite chair by the window, he seemed to enjoy my visits with him, and hunmed and sang from my little book. One day he joined me, singing the tune I was humming, and he also reach for my book which I was carrying. I was amazed and delighted that he knew all of the songs. From then on we sang together. He'd leaf through the pages, choose a song, and we'd sing.
However, those memorable little sessions soon came to an end. In 1931, my Mom was pregnant. My brother, Arthur, was born March 1, 1932. A few months before that Grampa went to live with one of his daughters in Brockton — don't remember which one of the three.
I lost my singing partner, but I gained a precious baby brother, and being twelve years older than he, enjoyed taking care of him. Little did I know that I'd soon be sitting in a rocker at that same window where Grampa sat, huming and singing and rocking that little guy for his nap.
Another incident happened during Grampa‘s stay with us. He was standing in the doorway of his room one day and he seemed to be swaying back and forth. Thinking he was having some sort of "spell", I summoned Mom saying "Grampa‘s acting funny!" One look and she assured me that he was merely scratching his back against the dog casing, a habit common with old folks.
Aaah, memoriesll
§Love, Marge"
Brown Family Gallery |
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![]() Marge Bates thinks this could be a younger picture of T. Richmond Brown. Vermont born photographer A.I. Kent(1869-) was related by marriage to the family. Wife was Mary D. Kent. |
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![]() For more information click here: IsaiahKeenLetter |
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![]() Note-Fred and Alice were parents of Ella Florence Keene Brown. |
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![]() The house is the same as that in the photo just above which includes the Keenes. |
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![]() Note-Fred and Alice were parents of Ella Florence Keene Brown. |
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![]() Ella Florence Keene’s mother. Ella married Elton Armington Brown |
![]() ca. 1872, photo from a tintype | |
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![]() Elton and Ella Brown’s 50th-wedding anniversary. Standing LtoR: Lucy Evelyn, Wilson Seward, Rebecca, Fred, Cora, Dorothy Alice, Harold Foster, Roberta & Arthur. May 10, 1940. The Brown siblings with their spouses are pictured below in the order they are shown in this family photo. Harold and Ruby are divorced. | ||
![]() John "Bub" and Julia "Sidy" Brown. | ||
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![]() L to R: John Richard "Bub", Cora Emeline "Cody", Julia Florence "Sidy", and Laura May (seated) Brown. |
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![]() Lucy lived from 1903–1964 |
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![]() 73 and 80 at that time | |
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![]() Sisters and brother - Josie (1884–1961), Ella (1875–1955), George (1876–1953)--1950 |
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![]() Oldest son of Ella and Elton Brown |
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![]() Son of Ruby (Benson) and Harold Brown |
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![]() Harold Foster Brown, Hanson Documents Auxillory Policeman, Air Raid Warden, Gas Rations
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![]() Teacher at the back is Grace Marie Delano, see following photo. Frt: 7th from left, Cora Mae Brown(1900–1983), 8t from left, Thaddeus Dean Howard (1900-1976) & Back Extreme Right: Wilson Seward (Tick) Brown (1884-1952). Cora and Tick were sister & brother to Harold Foster Brown. Cora married Thaddeus Dean Howard who is to her left in the photo. Hanson, MA, c. 1906. Marge Bates, their daughter said Cora told her the reason her hand was on the coat was it had no buttons! This is Hanson #4 Primary School which was on Main Street. It was later moved a few miles down the road and is now the Haanson Historical Society Bldg. Others in photo: Carrie Mae Howland (Nicholson) (1898–1978), Emily Pennini, Dorris Calder (Douglas), Grace Dyer Josselyn (Stetson), Mildred Freeman Monroe (1899–), Frances Mary Palopoli (Alfano)(1899–1990), Marion Louisa Sampson (Moody) (1896-) She attended the State Normal School at Bridgewater, MA and became a teacher, Florina (1896–), Mary (1895–) and Arthur (1899–) Valle (Valley, Albert (1896-) and Albertine (1898-) Valcour, George Chester Richard (1897–1952,in the photo) Suggestion: Florina Valle left end of front row, Mary Valle second from left end back row, Arthur Valle fifth from right end, Marion Sampson to the left of the teacher. |
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![]() Grace Marie (or Marion) Delano, born April 22, 1881,in Duxbury, MA, to Otis and Elizabeth Frances Osborn Delano. She married Percy Lewis Walker (1874–1958) on September 29, 1909, in Duxbury, MA. She was a school teacher in Wilmington, Vermont, in 1900. They had four children: Donald D., Kenneth M., Percy Lewis Jr., and Unknown. Grace died December 3, 1968 and is buried in Duxbury, MA. Students in the class: Seward and Cora Brown are siblings of Harold Foster Brown. |
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![]() Harold Brown is left of man with hat in the center of front row. |
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Harold and Ruby Benson Brown Family |
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![]() Back: Florence, Elsie, Bud Front: Doris, Lois |
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The four policemen in the above article were dubbed "The Fearless Four". That activity by the Fearless Four was the start of the unraveling of the wartime gambling industry in the city. Soon the slot machines, (mostly owned by Uncle Andrew Sherry) disappeared, the Friday night poker games ceased, and the “ice cream parlor” was torn down and replaced with an apartment house. Although Below is a Time Magazine article on the Fearless Four. The Fearless Four The fires of revolt, which flared up in Athens, Tenn. a fortnight ago, What the Central Falls veterans had started out to get was a 20% pay Then a helpful reporter gave them the idea that started the sparks flying. Raid & Reform. Next day, off duty and in plain clothes, they burst into At that the whole town took up the cry of angry protest. Six Providence Backtracking fast, Mayor Healey announced that the suspension |
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![]() Sisters Lois, Florence, Doris and mother Ruby | |
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![]() About 1914, Marian Eliza Fitts (1902-1998), graduation from grammar school | ||
![]() Aunt Marian Brown's 70th birthday celebration--1972 Kneeling in Front: Julia (Sidy) (Brown) and her husband Bill Hoffman. Scituate, MA | ||
![]() Scituate. MA, August, 1989 Mother and Children | ||
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Nick and Florence Brown Calderone |
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![]() Aunt Florence's basement! Holding Fred is my friend from Dedham, Nancy Cochran. Martha is holding Stephanie. Next to them is another of my Dedham friends, Bev Appleton. Can't remember why we were there! Becky |
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Elton "Bud" and Margaret "Peg" George Brown |
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![]() The Browns, Christmas, 1952 | ||
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![]() Bud and Peg George Brown’s Wedding, 1941 | |
![]() l-r Grace Winter (cousin), Doris Brown (sister-in-law), Beth Winter (cousin), Ida George (sister), Ellie Olsen (friend), Aug. 27th, 1941 |
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![]() Phil (5) and Judy (6) playing dress-ups--Providence, RI |
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![]() Back:--Nancy Winter, Peg Brown, Becky Brown, Elton Brown, Robert, Bobby, Lois and Pat Winter Front: Stephanie Caldarone, Fred Brown, Sandy Winter, Martha Brown, Phil Brown, Judy Caldarone |
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![]() 1968 Xmas at Browns (Br.) in Millbury, MA Frt: Nancy Hatch w/ Beth O., Martha Br. w/Nancy Ronan, Jimmy Ro., Fred Br., Robert Winter w/ Stephanie Cal, Linda Ronan, Lois W. Ronan |
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![]() Judy Caldarone, Ellie Wilson, Nancy Winter with Stephanie Caldarone in front of her, Pat, Sandy Winter, and Bobby Winter, Lois Wilson--at Franklin Park in Jamaica Plain, MA |
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![]() Brown Families--July. 1976 Sitting: Ruby Benson Brown, Jessamy Brown, Elton Brown Sr., Shanti Hatch, Gabe Brown, Margaret George Brown. |
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Ralph and Elsie Brown Wilson Family |
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![]() Elsie Brown Wilson |
![]() 1958 Ralph and Elsie Brown Wilson, in front of | |
![]() Ralph & Elsie Wilson and Lois or Marge |
![]() Elsie Wilson | |
![]() Elsie Wilson & Marge? |
![]() Gordon Wilson & Dog | |
![]() Margie and Ellie Wilson--3/1947 |
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![]() Lois Wilson and Doll | |
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![]() Photos by Florence Brown, 1941 |
![]() Photos by Florence Brown, 1941 |
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![]() Photos by Florence Brown, 1941 |
![]() Photos by Florence Brown, 1941 | |
![]() About 1942 |
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![]() Robert Lewis and Dorothy "Tookie" Wilson Watson (both passed away the same year) WATSON, Robert L. of St. Petersburg, passed away Aug. 11, 2009 in St. Petersburg; he was 82 years old. He was born in Dedham, MA on Dec. 1, 1926. Surviving are his five children, Arthur (Kris) Watson of Morton, IL, Diana Collins, Robert (Cindy) Watson Jr., Eric Watson, and Phyllis (Scott) Bernard, all of St. Petersburg. He is also survived by 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, who will sorely miss him. Robert served in the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps during WWII in the Pacific theatre and at war's end was requested to write a history of the 1st Infantry Regiment. He was honorably discharged in December, 1946. He retired from G.E. as Manager of Operations. He wanted to give a shout out to his friends at Paisano's and the VFW on 4th Street N in St. Petersburg. Cremation rites will be accorded followed by private services with full military honors at the Bay Pines V.A. |
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![]() Half-sisters, Georgianna and Lois Wilson |
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Robert S. and Lois Brown Winter Jr. |
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![]() Lois Brown was born in Bryantville, 1919. Her family moved to Hanson in 1920 to the house above. Doris Brown was born in the new house in 1921. Her brother Harold died in the house above in 1922. When her mother, Ruby, left her father, Harold, they moved to Plymouth Street, Bryantsville, 1922. In 1924, Ruby and the children moved to Lakeville, MA, where ruby ran a convenience store. Harold, Elsie, Bud and Florence were born in Cohassett, MA between 1913-1916. In 1925, Lois stareted 1sst grade and completed 1st and 2nd grade in one year. Florence and Lois were living with Grandpa and Grandma Brown and their father, Harold, in Hanson. After this year they returned to Lakeville to live with Ruby. Florence attended 3rd grade and Florence 1st grad in the building that now houses the Hanson Historical Society. |
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![]() King Philip Regional High School, Wrentham, MA, 1936 Graduation. second from right, Back-l-r: Paul Carlander, Arthur Hoffman, Paul Mullen, Lloyd Hatt, Thurber Raymond, Frankie Curtis, George Winter, Richard Clark Ada Elizabeth Irving was born September 3, 1918, in Hopewell, Prince George County, Virginia to Dennis J. and Elesthra Johns Irving. Her siblings included Nelson, Dennis, James P., Katherine Irving, George W. and Eleathia. Her father was a dyer at a firm in Wrentham. He died in 1939 and is buried in Wrentham Center Cemetary. with his wife Leathia M. Johns Irving (1900–1988).. Ada died February 4, 1992. She married a Banks and lived in Palo Alto, Santa Clara, CA. Her Social Security Card was issued in Washington, District of Columbia where she was a student in 1937.. |
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John and Doris Brown Gragg |
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![]() Doris Brown High School Graduation Picture, 1940
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![]() Doris Brown, Spanish House in California, 1949-1950, Santa Barbara, CA
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![]() John Gragg, 4th from left, 3rd row, big guy. |
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![]() Doris Renfro Gragg award from Hadicapped Travel Club
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