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 1737and 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.
