Genealogical Record of the Descendants of John Brownell - Paperback

Excerpt from Genealogical Record of the Descendants of John Brownell: 1773 to 1903

Mr. T. Frank Brownell of New York city, read a paper at the Brownell reunion, held at Dansville, N. Y., in 1897, on "Thomas Brownell, the First Settler of that name in New England," from which we make the following extracts:

"About the middle of the seventeenth century there died in England one Thomas Wilson, described in his will as "the elder, sometime citizen and cloth worker of London, but now resident at Ryecroft, in the Parish of Rawmarch, County of York." His will was dated February 25, 1657 and proved February 14, 1658. In it he made the following bequests:

"I give to my cousin, George Brownell, of London, P. 20 (20 pounds) to be paid him out of the rents of Ryecroft. To Mary, daughter of George Brownell, P. 10, at day of her marriage, if with her father's consent; if not, to her father. I give to my cousin, Thomas Brownell, of Portsmouth, R. I., in New England, and to his children, P. 20, to be paid either to himself, if he shall come over to receive the same, or else to such person or persons in his behalf as he shall lawfully assign to receive the same."

Concerning this Thomas Brownell, of Portsmouth, R. I., in New England, of whom this is the only English reference, which I have met with, very little is known save that he is the ancestor of all the Brownells in the United States, except some of recent emigration.

He was born 1618, and came from Derbyshire, England. Was married in 1638 to Ann, his wife, whose maiden sur-name is unknown, and it is reported that he came to America in 1639.

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