Holbrook line: Daniel Brown 1645-1710

 Daniel Brown was another of those men who stayed under the radar for the most part.  Very few traces of him are found in the records available to me, although there are enough to say that he lived and died and raised a family.  He owned land and had some sort of connection to a 1696 deed (likely a witness, or his land was described as the boundary to someone else's).  But there is very little else.

Daniel was born about 1645 to Chad and Elizabeth Sharparowe Browne (Brown) in Providence, Rhode Island.  His parents had arrived in New England in 1638, and soon went to Providence.  He was one of about ten children of the couple, so he had quite a family to enjoy as he grew up.

The people of early Providence were almost all religious dissenters of one sort or another, and it is quite likely that the Browns were of this group.  They of course would have known Roger Williams and they would have known of his search for truth, and of his displeasure of infant baptism.  The Brown family did become Baptists but it's not known for sure when this semi-official adherence began.  Daniel was likely taught at home about his family's beliefs.  We don't know whether or not he was literate.

Daniel was a farmer, and was 24 years old when he married Alice Hearndon, the daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth White Hearndon (also seen as Harrington and various other spellings), in Providence.  This couple had at least eight children.  Some of them were named for their parents or grandparents, but the names they gave two of their children, Hallelujah and Hosanna, have always made me smile.  

Daniel had 50 acres of land "in the neck", which he deeded to his sons Judah and Jabez, in 1706, and a 40 foot lot in Providence that he deeded to his son Daniel in 1710.  Perhaps some of the other children received cash or farm animals in lieu of land.  When he died, his personal property inventory was valued at about 78 pounds.  He died while temporarily in Newport, Rhode Island, on September 29, 1710 and the will was proved November 10 that same year.  He had children and siblings in Newport so it is likely he had gone there for some sort of a visit, or possibly in connection with some sort of church event.

One of the main things I would like to know about Daniel is his involvement in King Philip's War.  It is probable that his home was one that was burned during that action.  Was he part of the Great Swamp fight?  He would certainly have been of the right age.  Where did the family go during that time?  I'd like to know for sure whether he was of Baptist belief, and I'd like to know whether he was a kind and generous man, or a stern one.  Was he fun-loving?  A hard worker?  A trouble maker?  I have these questions about many of our ancestors, but especially for Daniel, who was so good at staying out of the public eye.

The line of descent is:

Daniel Brown-Alice Hearndon

Hosanna Brown-Mary Hawkins

Othniel Brown-Deborah Brown (yes, distant cousins, both descending from Chad and Elizabeth)

Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy

Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine

Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire

Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard

Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants