SOURCES
1. Lyle Brown. In 1906 while at Johns Hopkins Hospital, the
famous neurosurgeon, Dr. Harvey Cushing became interested in the descendants
of this family. Over the next 10 years Dr. Cushing gathered infomration about
the family, and in 1916 published the family tree in the first issue of Genetics.
In the late 1970's Lyle Brown corresponded with margaret H. Abbott of the
Division of Medical Genetics at Johns Hopkins University school of Medicine about
the research. In a letter dated 30 August, 1979, she writes, "We accepted
family history that William Brownof Scotland was the progenitor of the family
in America and that Low, Sally and Margaret were his children. These data were
consistently repeated by all informants. The late Mrs. Joseph Stafford Moss
of Burkes's Garden, Tazewell, Virginia provided a large part of the Moss branch
of the genealogy.".
2. Ibid. Lyle Brown's research indicates that William settled
in Virginia about 1740. The records of Southwest Virginia are full of William
Browns, none of whom can be confirmed as our progenitor. History books suggest
this was a large family, however only 4 children have been positively identified
as of this writing. There are records of others named Brown which show some
indication of belonging to this family, but no absolute connection has been made.
3. Ibid. Symphalangism or the trait of stiff fingers, is an
unusual but harmless condition characteristic of some members of the family.
Dr. Cushing gave the condition it's name.
4. Ibid. Four known children of William Brown are:
Low W. Brown b. 1756 d. 1841 married Jane Davidson
Grace Brown married Robert Barnes
Sallie Brown married William Mustard
William Brown b. 1755 d. 1840 married Mary Havens.
5. Ibid. During a dedicaton of King's Mountain Battlefield
Park commerorating the pivotal battle of the Revolutionary War, Low Brown's name
was listed on a monument there. Low could have fought at King's Mtn since he
was discharged from the command of George Roger's Clark on the Iron Banks of
the Mississippi in August 1780; and the Battle of King's Mtn took place in October
of that year. He did not mention this service in his pension application (elsewhere
in this book). But considering that it was 50 years later, he probably did well
to remember the detail he gave in his application. If he did participate in
this battle, Low helped to win "the greatest victory of the Southern Militia.".
6. Ibid. Montgomery County Tax Records list Low as a taxpayer
living next to Wm Brown in present Giles County on Waler's Creek near Poplar
Hill. He owned land there from 1789 to about 1818.
In 1814 his name appeared on the land tax list of Tazewell Co. he was living
in Giles County, but owned 200 acres on the Bluestone, 16 miles northeast of
the Tazewell Co. courthouse. This property was adjacent to a 150 acre tract
in Wright's Valley, also 16 miles northeast of Tazewell Courthouse, which was
owned by a William Brown Jr. perhaps Lows brother.
William owned land "by rights of Settlement" before 1814 as listed
in Montgomery tax records.
7. Ibid. At 22, Low marched with John Lasly of Tazwell on
the Illinois expedition in 1779. Years later, he stated, for Lasly's penision
application, that they were near neighbors on the Bluestone untlil Lasly moved
to Kentucky in 1829.
8. Dr. Harvey Cushing. Paper on the inheritance and nature
of the trait stiff fingers. Genetics 1: Ja 1916. Tax records.
9. Lyle Brown.
10. Ibid. Petition of second battaliion 112th Regiment.
11. Dr. Harvey Cushing. Paper on the inheritance and nature
of the trait stiff fingers. Genetics 1: Ja 1916. Letter, published in Archives
of the Pioneers of Tazewell County, by Netti Schreiner-Yantis: Henry P. Davidsons
complained to the Governor that he was cheated from being elected major of the
112th Regiment, as the successful candidate, James Peery had all his relatives
vote for him.
"...Flux was raging in Tazewell County last court day...very few people
attended court...magistrates attending, to with: Hezekiah Harman (a brother-in-law
to Capt James Peery who lives one mile east of the courthouse, and was sent for
by Capt Peery to vote on the recommendation); Thomas Peery (His cousin); Wiliam
Barnes (a cousin to the wife of Capt. Peery); Peter Gose and James S. Witten
(Who are also related tby marriage)...proceeded to recommend the said Capt Peery
to fill the vacancy* 10 Sept 1823.
(What Henry failed to note in his letter was the he was related to the wives
of each of those men himself.).
12. Ibid.
13. 10978 S Dreamy Drive, Goodyear, AZ 85338. Neece has middle
name as Matilda (Mary).
14. 7173 Bridlewood CirclePortage, Michigan 49024, 616-323-3548
dlhowar@kalamazoo.net.
15. 10978 S Dreamy Drive, Goodyear, AZ 85338.
16. Information gathered from tombstone.
17. Family Group Sheets submitted by Mrs. Neese. 10878 S.
Dreamy Drive, Goodyear, AZ 85338.
18. Ibid. Melissa provided group sheets for William Lowell
Brown's descendents.
19. Lyle Brown. This is an abbreviated version of Lyle Brown's
Biography of Rarrus Brown.
20. Charla Marts. Group records. 2648 Summersong Lane, Germantown,
MD 20874, 301-540-8797.
21. Information from individual. Ronald Logan gave me this
information.
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