ROBERT BROWNFIELD was born 14 Jun 1670 in Scotland or England, and died Sep 1739
in Londonderry, Chester, PA. He married JON STUART Abt. 1690 in Scotland. She died 1741 in Chester County, PA.
Notes for ROBERT BROWNFIELD:
Most of the following material came from the Brownfield Gleanings, a family publication and The Descendants of the Brownfield and Porter Families, compiled and published by Max Perry, 1987. Robert and his wife, Jean (Jon) and their family came to America before 1737 and settled in Chester County, PA near Russellville, which is 45 miles from Philadelphia and 25 miles from New Castle, DE, which was a port of entry. They came from Ireland with three sons and one daughter. All of their children married after their arrival and were associated with the Presbyterian Church.
He obtained 144 acres of land in Chester County in 1737, just north of the village of
Russellville. It was part of William Penn Jr. Manor. His farm was still intact in 1936 and a successfull dairy farm. The resurvey of Wm. Penn Jr. Manor in 1747 and his original map is in the PA Hist. Society, Phila., PA.
Robert Brownfield Sr. died "Midel of September 1739" as stated in the inventory of his estate. His wife Jon nominated her friends, James Shields and George Stewart, to administer his estate.
Tradition has it that the Brownfields came from somewhere near Glasgow in Scotland from which economic, political and religious conditions sent them to Ireland. The north of Ireland, however, suffered a series of crop failures and smallpox epidermics between 1715 and 1720.
This caused increased emigration to America. Most of these were bound for PA., a colony noted for religious tolerance. They came by way of the Delaware River through Phila., Chester and New Castle.
Children of ROBERT BROWNFIELD and JON STUART are:
i. JOHN BROWNFIELD SR., b. Bef. 1697, Ireland; d. Abt. 1751, Marple, Chester, PA.
ii. ROBERT BROWNFIELD II, b. Bet. 1705 - 1710, Ireland; d. Abt. 1790, Near Steele Creek, Mecklenburg, NC; m. JANE STEWART, Abt. 1737, Chester County, PA; b. 1716, Ireland; d. 1811, Chester County, SC.
Notes for ROBERT BROWNFIELD II:
In 1738 Robert assisted his brother, Charles, to settle their fathers estate. Robert and his wife had five children, two daughters and three sons, William, John and Robert. All three served in the Revolutionary War, one or more serving on Gen. Sumpter's staff. Lt. John was killed in battle in Georgia. Robert was educated at Princeton and went into the medical service at the beginning of the Rev. war. He was with Gen. Washington all during the war and saved the life of Gen. Sumpter. William belonged to the regular army as a private and fought under Braddock.
By 1790 when the first US census was taken, Robert Brownfield was an old man. He had been a vital part of an area which had produced its own Declaration of Independence (The Mecklenberg Declaration) prior to July 4, 1776 where vertually no Tories could be found among these Scots-Irishmen. He is interred in the Steele Creek Church graveyard.
Notes for JANE STEWART:
Jane was six years old when her parents came to PA from Ireland in 1722. Her parents settled in Chester County. About 1763, the family moved to Mecklenburg County, NC. They settled on Steele Creek, about six miles southwest of Charlotte, NC. the death of her husband she went to live with her younger daughter, Flora Porter in Chester County, SC. She died at age 95, having been blind the last thirty years of her life.
iii. ANN BROWNFIELD, b. Abt. 1717, Ireland; d. 12 Apr 1765, PA; m. CHERLES CLARK, 1738, PA; b. 1700, Scotland; d. 16 Aug 1782, PA.
iv. CHARLES BROWNFIELD, b. Abt. 1717, Scotland; d. Abt. 1787, Louisville or Larue County, KY; m. ELIZABETH BIRD, Abt. 1730, New Castle County, DE; b. 15 Sep 1718, New Castle County, DE; d. Abt. 1783, Fayette County, PA.
Notes for CHARLES BROWNFIELD:
Charles came to America with his parents and settled first in Chester County, PA. Sometime after 1739 and his fathers death, he moved to a farm near Winchester, VA. They sold that farm in 1769 and moved to Fayette County, PA. They owned land there in 1783. During this year, he moved with four of his sons, William, Edward, Richard and Empson, to that part of KY known as Nelson County, now Larue Cty. With his four sons, he aquired extensive holdings along Nolinn Creek between Baffalo and Hodgenville. The remaining sons stayed in PA; they were Thomas, Benjamin and Robert. All of Charles' sons fought in the Revolutionary War, except Empson. Burial of Charles is at Phillips Fort, Hodgenville, KY.
