BROWN -. DAWSON - DUNLAP FAMILIES OF TENNESSEE
Contributed by Dr. Robert Douglas Crowder, 5366 Nakama Drive, Dallas, Texas 75209
The saga of the Brown family began in TN ca 1780 with the arrival of John Brown at Fort Nashborough, now Nashville. In 1788, he founded Brown's Station which was located on Mill Creek near what is now the intersection of Thompson Lane and Murphreesboro Road in Nashville. John Brown was killed by the Creek Indians at Holly Tree Gap in Williamson County, TN on Dec 20, 1794.
T. John Brown m Sarah Ervin of Rowan Co., NC, a dau of Christopher Ervin and Jane McDowell. Later, Margaret Ervin, sister of Sarah, and her husband, David McEwen, joined the Browns at Fort Nashborough. They later all moved to Williamson County. The children of John and Sarah Brown:
A. Margaret Brown d as a young child
B. Jane Brown b at Fort Nashborough ca 1790 and moved to Williamson County
ca 1800. On Dec 18, 1809, Jane Brown m Thomas Porter, a partner of Gen. William H. Carroll in a nail factory in Nashville. Their children.:
1. William N. Porter m Mary Ann Haskell in Paris, TN in 1835.
2. Sarah Jane Paralee Porter b 1820; d in Helena ARK Mar 6, 1893. She m Col. William T. Haskell, brother of Mary Ann Haskell (above), in Paris, TN Feb 7, 1838. William T. Haskell was Colonel of the 2nd Regt. in the Mexican War, member of Congress in 1846 and became chief spokesman for the Tennessee Whigs. After the death of her husband, Paralee Porter Haskell became the 1st woman State Librarian of Tennessee from 1871 to 1881. Their children:
a. Shephard P. Haskell
b. William C. Haskell
c. Joshua Haskell
d. Anna B. Haskell
e. Mary Haskell m H. C. Rightor of ARK
f. Viola Haskell m Nicholas Rightor of AR
C. John Lapsley Brown b Dec 24, 1793 at Fort Nashborough, had a general store in Paris, TN and considerable slaves and property. Nov 16, 1824
he m Mary Jane Barfield, dau of Stephen and Nancy House Barfield, of Williamson Co. TN. Her sister, Tabitha Barfield, m the 1st cousin of John Brown, also named John Lapsley McEwen. John Lapsley Brown fell victim to cholera on Feb 3, 1833, while on a buying trip in New Orleans,
LA. Children:
1. Angelina P. Brown b Paris, TN Oct 12, 1825; d Oct 19, 1826
2. Mary Tabitha Brown b in Paris, TN Oct 10, 1827; d Feb 2, 1888; Nov 10, 1846 she m Dr. John Jay Mattewson, b Sept 19, 1816 and
d Apr 11, 1870. Their children:
a. Mary Isabella Matthewson b Sept 30, 1847; d July 1, 1887; m Edward B. Parker, Sr. Feb 22, 1870. Their son, Edward B. Parker, Jr. m Elizabeth Davis May 17,1908
b. John Jay Matthewson b Apr 15, 1850; d unmarried Mar 23, 1887
c. James Brown Matthewson (twin) b July 25, 1852; d unmarried Oct 15, 1901
d. Horace Everett Matthewson (twin) b July 25, 1852; d unmarried Oct 13, 1925
e. Elizabeth Lee Matthewson b May 11, 1859; d Dec 17, 1934. After the death of her sister, she m Edward B. Parker, Sr. Jan 15, 1891. Their children: Lester and Adrian
3. John Lapsley Brown, Jr. b Aug 10, 1829
4. Harriet Jane P. Brown b in Paris, TN Mar 1, 1831; d Jan 15, 1864; Nov 20, 1850 she m Gen. Jonathan S. Dawson, b Mar 31, 1824 , d June 26, 1891. (see later)
5. James Stephen Brown b Sept 3, 1832 in Paris; d July 6, 1870; was Major of the 46th Conf lnf Regt; a member of the 1870 Constitutional Convention of TN and the most prominent lawyer of his day in West TN. (See biography by Morton B. Howell of Nashville); Feb 16, 1854
he m Elizabeth Tamesia Harrell (1834-1911), dau of James H. Harrell.
Their children:
a. John Vernon Brown b Apr 29, 1856
b. Mary Damaris Brown b Aug 30, 1864; d Sept 11, 1884; m Harvey Hogg
c. James Stephen Brown, Jr. b Paris, TN July 6, 1858; d in Memphis, TN Jan 6, 1946; m Patti McComb, dau of Walter and Elizabeth Johnson McComb Nov 6, 1895 in Nashville, TN. Their Children:
James Stephen III; Berta; Worthington (all of Memphis, TN)
Berta Brown m Charles K. Radford Apr 13, 1920; had several chn;
Dr. James S. Brown, IV is now a physician in Memphis, TN
https://www.tngs.org/resources/Documents/Magazine/Vol%2024%20No2%201977.pdf
