Who was his wife prior to Rachel Pearse?
James Brown died in 1867 while visiting his daughter, Elizabeth Anderson, in Greenwood County, KS. His probate records report that he died intestate with a widow and children living in Fulton County, Illinois.
Elizabeth Anderson, his daughter, had married Devine Anderson in Fulton County in 1847 and moved to Greenwood County in 1866. The year 1867 was a difficult year, as Elizabeth lost her son, James H Anderson in July, and both her husband and father within a week of each other in September.
What we know about the Widow Brown
James Brown left behind his widow and children in Fulton County, Illinois. In the 1860 Census, he is recorded as the head of the household, with his wife, Rachel, age 50, and children, including Woodson and Swepston Brown. In 1870, Rachel is the head of household with her son, Swepston, working on the farm, and her neighbor is Woodson Brown.
The census records list the birthplaces of the households, suggesting a migration path for the family. Of the household, James is listed as born in Virginia, while his wife Rachel and the older children are listed as born in Ohio, and his two youngest, Woodson and Swepston were born in Illinois.
Information gathered from the Civil War service records of William and Thomas Brown (both living in Fulton County at mustering) show a Belmont County origin for the Brown Family. In 1840, James Brown was recorded as living in Belmont County, Ohio with a household of eight children: three boys and five girls.
| 1840 Census | Name | Life | Notes from other Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 male under 5 | William Brown | 1837-1863 | born in Lloydsville, Belmont Co., OH |
| 1 male under 10 | Thomas Brown | 1834-1911 | born in LLoydsville, Belmont Co., OH |
| 1 male 15-19 | Hamilton Brown | 1824-1857 | born in Virginia |
| 1 female under 5 | Ruth Brown | 1838- | both in Ohio |
| 1 female under 5 | |||
| 1 female under 10 | Tabitha Brown | 1830-1844 | unknown |
| 1 female under 10 | Lucy Brown | 1828-1842 | unknown |
| 1 female under 15-19 | Elizabeth Brown | 1825-1886 | born in Virginia |
In 1832, James Brown and Rachel Pearse filed for marriage while living in Belmont County, Ohio.
Their 1832 marriage is several years after the birth of Hamilton and Elizabeth Brown, who were recorded as being born in Virginia. This suggests that James Brown married another woman prior to Rachel Pearse, in Virginia, prior to moving to Ohio.
Elizabeth’s Obituary
The obituary of Elizabeth Anderson nee Brown confirms the migration path from Virginia to Ohio to Illinois and provides a rough timeline of the journey.
1825 | Born in Virginia
1826 | Moved to Ohio
1841 | Moved to Illinois
1847 | Married Devine Anderson
1866 | Moved to Kansas
Search Parameters
Based on James Brown age in the 1860 and 1850 Census (56 and 49 respectively), he was born shortly after 1800 in Virginia. He would have been about 25 when his daughter Elizabeth was born, suggesting he was married between 1815 and 1825, most likely with a marriage date between 1820-1825.
The bulk of migration from Virginia in the early 1800s went to Tennessee and Kentucky, not Ohio. For the Brown family to have migrated to Ohio, it suggests that they lived in the northern part of Virginia, either in what would become West Virginia or the northern Shenandoah Valley.
Virginia, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1740-1850
Search Results using 1820 +/- 5 years for James Brown
| Bride | Date | County | Related Sources Beyond Marriage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peggy Boyd | 9 Feb 1815 | Augusta | findagrave record |
| Elizabeth Jones | 22 Aug 1816 | Augusta | no related sources |
| Eliza Bartlett | 6 Nov 1820 | Frederick | findagrave record |
| Mynta Tasker | 30 Nov 1820 | Hampshire | no related sources |
| Jane Allison | 1 Mar 1821 | Augusta | 1850 Census Record |
| Sarah Carrell | 6 Mar 1823 | Greenbrier | no related sources |
| Elizabeth Bane | 12 Feb 1824 | Ohio | findagrave record |
The table shows the list of brides who were returned from the database of Virginia Marriages. Of the seven names who were listed in a county in the northwest portion of what was then Virginia, four can be ruled out due to documented family histories in related sources identified by ancestry.com and findagrave.com, leaving three possibilities.
Of these three possibilities, Mynta Tasker is the closest geographically, though that may not be significant. Hampshire County is south of the Maryland border, at the north end of the Shenandoah Valley. It would have been a relatively easy migration from Hampshire county to Belmont County in 1826.
Another possibility is Elizabeth Jones as her name is the same as Elizabeth, the eldest daughter. While Elizabeth is and was a common name, it’s possible that it signifies a family connection. Elizabeth Anderson named one of her daughters Tabitha presumably after her younger sister, and one of her sons after her father, James. The year is on the earlier end, suggesting a young James Brown and Elizabeth Jones were married, if is our James Brown, born between 1800-1805.
Further Research
Identify more records for the James Brown in the three localities that may tie one of them to the James Brown of Belmont County, Ohio.
Finding the Yellow Bricks 