Person:Jotham Brown (1)

Early Land Acquisition in Virginia

Land Surveys in Botetourt County, VA:

• Brown, Jotham - 1783, Aug. 20, 164 acres on Brush Creek, branch of Little River.

• Brown, Jotham - 1783, Aug. 20, 69 acres on Brush Creek, branch of Little River.

Source: First Land Surveys in Botetourt County, VA USGenWeb

Records in Virginia

1782: First Census of the United States: Frederick County, Virginia: List of Colonel Holmes; Jotham Brown 10 whites, 0 Blacks.

1782 – 1787 Virginia Taxpayers Other Than Those Published by the U.S. Census Bureau by Augusta Fothergill and John Mark Naugle (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1986) This book lists Jotham Brown in Botetourt County, Virginia and Joshua Wilson in Botetourt County, Virginia.

Marriage Record, Montgomery County, VA: Willia, John and Esther Brown, dau. [of] Jetham Brown. Isaac Renfro, sur. - Jan 1, 1793. [Source: Worrell, Anne Lowry. A brief of wills and marriages in Montgomery and Fincastle counties, Virginia, 1773-1831. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1957), pg. 43].

5 March 1797: Montgomery County, VA Deeds: Deed made between Jotham Brown and Pheby to William Runels (possibly Reynolds as his name appears as a witness on other deeds).

This indenture made this sixth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety seven. Between Jotham Brown and Phebe his wife of Montgomery County and state of Virginia of the one part and William Runels of county and state of the other part. Witnesseth that the said Jotham Brown and Phebe his wife for and in consideration of the just and full sum of fifty pounds Virginia money to them in hand paid by the said William Runels the receipt whereof the said Jotham Brown and Phebey his wife… hath bargained and sold …the said William Runnels …. A certain tract or parcel of land containing one hundred acres be it more or less in the boundary thereof being part of a greater tract containing one hundred and fifty acres by patton issued from Robert Brooks Esquire Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia bearing date July the thirteenth day in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and niney six and of the commonwealth twenty first year lying and being in the county that was Botetourt and now Montgomery on Brush Creek a branch of Little River and is bounded as follows to wit. Beginning at a white oak … to a forked birch on Daniel Neal’s line by the creek thence …. to said Daniel Neal’s corner … In witness whereof Jotham Brown and Phebey his wife … set their hand and seal the day and year above written. Signed Jotham Brown and Pheby Brown.

No witnesses signed.

Montgomery June Court 1796

This deed of bargain and sale from Jotham Brown and Pheby his wife to William Runnels was acknowledged in court the said Pheby being first privily examined as the law directs and ordered to be recorded.  :Charles Taylor

6 March 1797: Montgomery County, VA Deeds: Deed made March 6, 1797 between Jotham Brown and Pheby to Joseph Moore.

This indenture made this sixth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety seven. Between Jotham Brown and Phebe his wife of Montgomery County and state of Virginia of the one part and Joseph Moore of county and state aforesaid of the other part. Witnesseth that the said Jotham Brown and Phebe his wife for and in consideration of the just and full sum of thirty pounds Virginia money to them in hand paid by the said Joseph Moore the receipt whereof the said Jotham Brown and Phebey his wife doth acknowledge… hath bargained and sold released and confirmed and by these presents doth fully, freely, and absolutely bargain and sell unto the said Joseph Moore and his assigns forever a certain tract or parcel of land containing fifty acres be it more or less in the boundary thereof. Being part of a greater tract containing one hundred and fifty acres by patton issued from Robert Brooks Esquire Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia bearing date July the thirteenth day in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and niney six and of the commonwealth of Virginia twenty first year lying and being in the county that was Botetourt and now Montgomery on Brush Creek a branch of Little River and is bounded as follows to wit. Beginning at a double pine corner of Daniel Neal’s land thence south … to Terry’s corner … and thence with Terry’s line south … the beginning corner of William Runnel’s land … the said Jotham Brown and Phebe his wife doth covenant for them and their heirs with said Joseph Moore and his heirs and assigns … In witness whereof the said Jotham Brown and Phebey his wife interchangably set their hands and seals this day and year above written. Signed Jotham Brown and Pheby Brown.

No witnesses signed.

Montgomery June Court 1796

This deed of bargain and sale from Jotham Brown and Pheby his wife to William Runnels was acknowledged in court the said Pheby being first privily examined as the law directs and ordered to be recorded.  :Charles Taylor

Estate Records

16 May 1800: Montgomery County, VA Deeds: Deed made between the Jotham Brown heirs and Benjamin Craig.

For the sum of two hundred dollars, the Jotham Brown heirs sell to Benjamin Craig a parcel of land containing one hundred four acres being part of a greater tract containing two hundred acres granted by patton [patent] issued by Robert Brooks, Esquire, Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia on the twelfth of July one thousand seven hundred ninety six unto Jotham Brown, lying and being in the County of Montgomery on the head of Terry’s Creek a branch of Little River. Witnessed by William Terry, David Craig, David Brown, John Peden

Signed by: Phebe Brown, Christopher Cooper. Salvanes Brown, John Willis, David Brown, John Brown, Lydia Brown, Elizabeth Brown, Mary Brown

Deed ordered to be recorded in Montgomery December Court 1800.

16 May 1800: Montgomery County, VA Deeds: Deed made between the other Jotham Brown heirs and son David.

For the sum of one hundred dollars, the other Jotham Brown heirs sell to David Brown, a parcel of land containing forty four acres in the county of Montgomery ,and being on the head of Terry’s Creek, a branch of Little River. Also part of the land obtained by Jotham Brown by patton [patent] in 1796. Same witnesses as deed above. Signed by same Brown heirs with the exception of David Brown.

1.   John & Elizabeth Wilson Brown, by Rita Brown Sampson.

   John & Elizabeth Wilson Brown
   
   Pioneer John Brown, and his wife, Elizabeth Wilson Brown, can be claimed as ancestors by countless people with Rockcastle County, Kentucky roots. According to their tombstones in the Hasty Cemetery at Bull Pen Branch, Level Green, Kentucky, John Brown was born July 9, 1774 and died December 7, 1830, and Elizabeth Brown was born March 29, 1783 and died September 17, 1856. No marriage record for John and Elizabeth has been found to my knowledge, but since their first child was born March 1, 1803, their marriage most likely took place in 1801 or 1802.
   
   While most Brown family researchers agree that John most likely came to Kentucky from Virginia, as did his wife, Elizabeth Wilson, no one to my knowledge has successfully traced the family prior to John’s coming to Skagg’s Creek in Rockcastle County, Kentucky (Lincoln County prior to 1810). The idea of searching for the roots of someone with a name as common as John Brown, and with nothing more to go on than that he was probably born in Virginia, was considered to be like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Until recently, I agreed, and while I kept my eyes open for the Brown name while researching other family lines, I never seriously believed I would find anything specific enough to be used as a link to our John Brown. However, one day I found a reference in the book, Annals of Southwest Virginia, to a deed made in Montgomery County, Virginia by Jotham and Phebe Brown. Two facts struck me as relevant. One, the unusual name, Jotham, was used several times in our John Brown family, and two, according to Wilson family genealogists, Joshua Wilson, the father of Elizabeth Wilson Brown had come to Kentucky from Montgomery County, Virginia. Was it possible that this Jotham and Phebe Brown of Montgomery County were the parents of our John Brown? Perhaps John was acquainted with the Joshua Wilson family in Montgomery County, Virginia, and he came with them to Kentucky in the early 1800’s. With this theory in mind, my husband and I became genealogy detectives, collecting information from the internet, various libraries, the Lincoln County Courthouse, the Kentucky History Center in Frankfort, the Greene County, Tennessee Historical Society, the Montgomery County, Virginia Courthouse, and finally, the Library of Virginia in Richmond. While we did not find proof that John Brown of Rockcastle County was the son of Jotham and Phebe, we did find enough evidence to build a very strong case in support of that theory. We found that Jotham and Phebe Brown had a son named John. Montgomery County tax records indicate that he was the same age as our John Brown of Rockcastle County, and tax records and deeds show that the Joshua Wilson family and Jotham Brown families were neighbors in Montgomery County. In addition, John Brown, son of Jotham, disappears from the Montgomery County tax list, and a John Brown appears on the Lincoln County, Kentucky tax list at a date that would be consistent with the theory that he came with the Wilson family to Kentucky. Lincoln County marriage, tax, and land records clearly show a close association of John Brown with the Joshua Wilson family after his arrival in Kentucky. Finally, Greene County, Tennessee marriage, tax, census, court, and land records do not support the idea that a John Brown, son of Jotham, relocated there.
   
   Marriage Records of Jotham Brown’s Children:
   
   1. Jane – married Christopher Cooper, October 20, 1786 in Botetourt County, Virginia (Documentation taken from Christopher Cooper’s Revolutionary War Pension file).
   2. Sylvanus – married Ruth Johnston September 3, 1794 in Montgomery County, Virginia. Moses Johnston, father, Moses Brown, security and witness.
   3. Esther – married John Willis, January 1, 1793 in Montgomery County, Virginia. Jotham Brown, father, Jotham Brown, security and witness,
   4. David – married Anna Craig, August 4, 1795 in Montgomery County, Virginia. Benjamin Craig, father, Benjamin Craig, security and witness.
   5. John –
   6. Lydia – married William Crumley, October 1, 1807 in Greene County, Tennessee. William Crumley Jr., James Gibson, David Brown, Jotham Brown
   7. Elizabeth –
   8. Mary – married William Stapleton, December 6 or 16, 1803 in Montgomery County, Virginia. Jotham Brown, father, dec’d, security by Sylvanus Brown.
   9. Jotham – married Peggy Maloney October 8, 1807, witnesses George Harmon, Christopher Cooper
   10. Mirey
   11. William – married Martha Blair, August 27, 1811, in Greene County, Tennesse. Witness, Sylvanus Brown
   
   http://kykinfolk.com/rockcastle/family/brown/brown02.htm