Joseph BROWN (1658 – 1731) was Alex’s 9th Great Grandfather, one of 1,024 in this generation of the Shaw line.

Joseph Brown was born 9 Apr 1658 in Rehoboth, Mass.  His parents were John BROWN (Rehoboth) and Lydia BUCKLAND. He married Hannah FITCH on 10 Nov 1680 in Attleborough, Mass.  Joseph died 5 May 1731 in Attleborough, Bristol, Mass.  Both Joseph and Hannah were buried in what is now known as Knowles Cemetery and that a stone is there erected to their memory.

Hannah Fitch was born in 1662 in Plymouth, Mass.  Her parents were John FITCH and Mary SUTTON. Hannah died 14 Oct 1739 in Attleborough, Mass.

Two of their children, Joseph and Mary are both our ancestors.

Children of Joseph and Hannah

Joseph’s grandfather John BROWNE Sr. died 10 Apr 1662 in Swansea, Mass. ten days after his son John Jr.   In his will, John Sr left will 1,700 acres of Narragansett lands to the children of his son John Jr., and he was able to leave a large estate valued in the inventory of 19 April 1662 at £665.1s.2d, but including only £6  in cash!  He left his daughter Mary Willett only 12d “to bee payed att the end of every yeare During her life for a memoriall unto her; and it shalbee in full of all filiall portion which shee or any in her behalfe shall Claime”…

Joseph Browne, second son of John Browne, Jr., removed to Attleboro in 1699, became prominent in town affairs, was captain of the Attleboro Military Company, was elected Representative to the General Court several years, was moderator and selectman several years.  Attleboro was incorporated from part of Rehoboth in 1694 as the Town of Attleborough.

In the old proprietor’s records of the town of Attleboro, in an exchange of lands between Joseph Brown and William Carpenter, Jr., under date of March 13, 1698, Joseph in describing the boundary mentions, “Ten acres purchased of my brother Nathaniel Brown.” This record is in the City Clerk’s office of the City of Attleboro.

Capt. Joseph Brown is said to have been Representative in the years 1712, 1726,
1727, 1728. In a root-note it is stated that Capt. Joseph Brown was “son of Mr. John
Browne of Rehobot.., well known in the history of Plymouth colony”. Some dates
given iil that foot-note are manifestly wrong.

Children

1. Hannah Brown

Hannah’s husband Bryant Ledoight was born 1685 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Mass. Bryant died before 1739

3. Jabesh (Jabez) Brown

Jabesh’s wife Mary Whipple was born 3 Nov 1699 in Attleboro, Bristol, Mass. Her parents were Israel Whipple and Mary Wilmarth. Mary died in 1758

4. John Brown

John’s wife Elizabeth Capron was born 22 Oct 1684 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Mass. Her parents were Banfield Capron and Elizabeth Callender. Elizabeth died 11 Jul 1765 in Cumberland, Providence, Rhode Island

5. Joseph BROWN (See his page)

6. Lydia Brown

Lydia’s husband John Ledoight was born 1687 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Mass

7. Benjamin Brown

Benjamin’s wife Sarah Freeman was born 6 May 1700 in Dedham, Norfolk, Mass. Her parents were Ralph Freeman and Sarah Day. Sarah died in 1755 in Cumberland, Providence, Rhode Island,

8. Mary BROWN (See Thomas FRENCH Sr.‘s page)

9. Christopher Brown

Christopher’s wife Waitstill Ormsby was born 2 Jul 1707 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Mass. Her parents were Jacob Ormsby and Hopestill Eddy. Waitstill died 1 Sep 1728 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Mass.

10. Jeremiah Brown

Jeremiah’s wife Hannah Freeman was born in 1697. Her parents were Ralph Freeman and Sarah Day.

Sources:

http://www.genealogyofnewengland.com/b_b.htm

http://www.bucklindata.net/b7.htm#P378

http://books.google.com/books?id=l-NM0IyRpREC&pg=PA102&lpg=PA102&dq=Joseph+Brown+was+born+28+Aug+1688+in+Rehoboth,+Mass&source=bl&ots=MdbzPPO89E&sig=hmSdDMlGE1kkjNCaWahPYQiZW2Y&hl=en&ei=Wu0LTI_LKYi4NrPzvLUE&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=1688&f=false

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=40455069