Person:Jacob Brownson (1)

I believe he shows on the 1697 census in Farmington.

From The Ancestors of William Francis Joseph Boardman^[2]

'... son of John Bronson... In the church records of Farmington, whither his father removed in 1641, it is stated that he was "seventeen years old about Jan., 1657." He lived in Farmington, where he and his wife, Mary^[7], were members of the church in March, 1679. His father had, during his lifetime, "allotted to his foure sonns each of them a fifth part of his lands in Farmington," and at the distribution of the estate in 1680 Jacob, the eldest son, received oe72 2s.

'Jacob Bronson deeded to his son, Jacob, September 2, 1705, forty-one acres of land east of "Blew hill mountain," a lot formerly belonging to William Higginson. On April 16, 1701, he also deeded to his son, Samuel, the land on which his son's dwelling house stood; and on January 15,1707-8, he gave land to William Harris as part of the dowery of his daughter, Elizabeth. [Farmington Land Records, I: 28; II: 114, 122.]

'He died in 1708. His will, dated March 13, 1707-8, and offered for probate April 5, 1708, mentions a wife, Mary, and among other children, a daughter, Rebecca Dickinson. His inventory amounted to oe 166 1s 2d., and was taken March 25, 1708. [Hartford Probate Records, VII: 187, 188.]

'Of the wife of Jacob Bronson nothing more is known than her first name, Mary. She was a member of the Farmington church in 1679, and outlived her husband.'

From the above narrative, I think it would be found that not enough information has come to light to separate two wives of Jacob Bronson. The Boardman book implies there was only one wife, but Mary Andrews could not have been the mother of Jacob's child born in 1679, as her first husband, Thomas Barnes, was still alive then.

From A Study in Heredity and Environment^[3]

... John Bronson in 1640 "resided in the north part of the village of Hartford on a lot bounded N.W. by Richard Church, N.E. by the neck road, S.E. by Wm. Hayden or Heaton and westerly by Nicholas Disbroe and Daniel Garrad (Porter puts him No. 53)". [Hinman's Catalogue of the Puritans, p. 342]

He "represented the town [Farmington] at the General Court in May, September, October and December, 1651, also in October, 1655, 1656, etc. In the first division of land in Farmington, of the 84 proprietors were John, Sen., and Jun'r., Richard, Jacob, Abr'm. and Isaac Brunson. Some of John's children were born at Hartford. The Bronsons of Connecticut are most of them, if not all, descendants of John and Richard Bronson of Farmington."

From Genealogy and Ecclesiastical History of Farmington, Connecticut^[4]

... We pass over these lists and dates, and come down in the record to 1st March, 1679-80, when we find a full roll of church members in "full communion"(*) in the church in Farmington. This roll or list seems to be numbered and graded according to rank, standing, or dignity, in the community, beginning with 1, down to 42 heads of families. It is thought our fathers in these nice distinctions took for a basis, "age, list, titles, and whatever else makes a man honorable." Let not the reader be surprised at this practice in the olden time. It was only a necessary preparation for the assignment of seats in the meeting house. If you say such comparisons would not be tolerated in this age, it might be replied, we have no such necessity, for our seats are rented to the highest bidder.

39 Jacob Bronson & his wife

(*) Implying that others were under the "half way Covenant" as it was called.

Jacob's children were:
Samuel b: abt 1675
Elizabeth b: abt 1676 in Farmington,Hartford Co.,Connecticut
Rebecca b: abt 1679 in Farmington,Hartford Co.,Connecticut
Jacob b: abt 1681 in Farmington,Hartford Co.,Connecticut
Roger b: abt 1683 in Farmington,Hartford Co.,Connecticut
Isaac b: bef 28 NOV 1686 in Farmington,Hartford Co.,Connecticut
Hannah b: bef 28 OCT 1688

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} 6. Jacob² Brownson, in Coddington, John Insley. The Brownson, Bronson, or Brunson Family of Earl's Colne, Essex, England, - Connecticut, and South Carolina. American Genealogist (D.L. Jacobus). (1962-1963)
   39:113.

   'Jacob Brownson or Brunson, … son … of John … Brownson, probably by wife Frances Hills, was born at Hartford, Conn., about 1641 and died at Farmington, Conn., in March 1707/8. … his age being 17 about Jan. 1657, meaning Jan. 1657/8 [NEHGR, 11:325]. … Winthrop noted that Jacob was [in 1669] aged about 28 and still a bachelor [TAG, 9:58].'

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Boardman, William F. J. The ancestry of William Francis Joseph Boardman, Hartford, Connecticut: being his lineage in all lines of descent from the emigrant ancestors in New England. (Hartford, Conn.: Priv. print., 1906)
   pp. 176-177.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Mackoy, Harry Brent. A study in heredity and environment, being an historical and genealogical sketch of Joseph Henry Assel: formerly James Joseph Neighbours of Cincinnati, Ohio, including accounts of various members of the Hopkins and Eliot families of New England and their descendants. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1989)
   51.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Alfred Andrews. Genealogy and Ecclesiastical History of Farmington, Connecticut. (Chicago, Illinois 1867)
   p. 14-15.
5. ↑ ^5.0 5.1 Coddington, John Insley. The Brownson, Bronson, or Brunson Family of Earl's Colne, Essex, England, - Connecticut, and South Carolina. American Genealogist (D.L. Jacobus). (1962-1963)
   39:114-15.

   'Jacob's own will, in which he was termed "Brounson," dated 13 March 1707/8, made liberal provision for his [second] wife Mary; divided his homestead between his sons Samuel and Roger, Samuel's share to come up to the west corner of Samuel's now dwelling house; gave land to his son Isaac; divided the rest of his land between his four sons, Samuel, Jacob, Roger, and Isaac, and gave L10 apiece to daughters Elizabeth Harris and Rebeckah Dickinson. The will was signed by mark. Witnesses: Thomas Porter, John Hart, Sr., The inventory, taken 25 March 1708 by Thomas Porter and John Porter, amounted to L166-01-02. Will proved 5 Apr 1708. (Manwaring Probates, 2:28.) The children of Jacob and his first wife were probably all born at Farrmington, but the first five were baptized at a period for which the church records are missing.'

6.   Goodwin, Nathaniel, and Julius Gay (transcribers). Church Records of Farmington in Connecticut. New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (1857-1859, 1884-1886)
   12:35-36.

   'The number of such as are in full Communion in the Church in Farmington, March 1, 1679/1680. ... Jacob Bronson and his wife.'

7. ↑ Jacob's wife's name is not given in the 1679 church record. The author assumed her name was Mary because he was not aware that Jacob's widow was not the mother of his children.