Brownings of Culpepper VA and Greene GA

copyright © Susan Taylor Aldridge

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Where they think it started for Francis Browning of Culpepper VA

The siblings born in Culpepper VA to Francis Browning (Jr) and ELizabeth Lloyd

Nicholas BROWNING -see will below, Sr b: ABT 1718 in Essex County (later Spotsylvania County) Virginia died in Caswell Co NC- mentioned his brother Edmund in his will
Mary BROWNING b: ABT 1720 in Orange County, (later Culpeper County), Virginia
Francis BROWNING III b: ABT 1722 in Spotsylvania County, (later Orange and Culpeper County), Virginia
Amanda BROWNING b: ABT 1724 in Spotsylvania County, (later Orange and Culpeper County), Virginia
John BROWNING (Sr.) see will below b: ABT 1726 in Spotsylvania County, (later Orange Co and Culpeper Co), Virginia died 1803- will in Greene Co GA. No proof yet he married Elizabeth Demarest except that it is written on his son William's tombstone that his father was John Browning and his mother Elizabeth Demarest- when was the tombstone place? if it were placed before
"Genealogy of the Brownings in America from 1621 to 1908" by Edward Franklin Browning, A.M. 1908,
it would probably be proof. John moved to Orange Co NC / Caswell Co NC and then to Greene GA.
Jacob BROWNING , Rev b: APR 1730 in Spotsylvania County, (later Culpeper County), Virginia
Ruth BROWNING b: ABT 1730 in Culpepper County, Virginia
Edmund BROWNING b: ABT 1732 in Culpepper County, Virginia moved to Caswell Co NC where he stayed close to his brother Edmund who is mentioned as beloved brother in Nicholas' will.

John Browning born 1767 in Caswell NC who fought in the War of 1812 in GA and died in Arkansas

John Browning (Jr.) born in Caswell Co. NC in 1767, incorrectly called John Radford Browning b 1757, was the son of John Browning Sr. of Culpepper VA who migrated through Caswell Co NC to Greene Co GA in about 1790 and left a will there in 1803.

If John Browning Jr. had a middle name it was Reddson, not Radford- this "Reddson" was seen written in the actual Bible by an eye witness about 1950 and wrote it down. Reddson could also be the same name as Ritson or Writson. In Greene Co GA records the 2 John Brownings are referred to as Jr and Sr on occasion.

Obit provided by Cindy Stamps:

Obituary of John Browning from The Arkansas Gazette, 19 June, 1844, p.
3, col. 1, found at the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives,
Washington, Arkansas; copied by hand, as there was no printer.

Died at his residence, Walnut Grove, Clark County, Arkansas, John
Browning in his 77th year. He was born in Caswell County, North
Carolina, on the 17th day of May, A. D. 1767; married at the age of 25 years; joined the Baptist Church at the age of 35, at Shiloh,
Greene County, Georgia; three months afterward was ordained deacon of the church, the duties of which office he faithfully discharged during the remainder of his pilgrimage on earth. At the age of 46, he entered the army of General Floyd in the Creek Indian War as Captain of a volunteer company. He performed an active part in the battles of Autasee and Colebee. In the latter he had the honor of bleeding for his country. In 1814, he was a member of the legislature of Georgia. In 1819, he removed to Alabama; in 1822, was a member of the legislature of that state. He has been a member of 34 associations and more than once moderator. In 1840, he emigrated to Arkansas, where he died 3 May 1844--a member of the Baptist Church at Mt. Bethel. The subject of this notice was brought up in the distressing times of the American Revolution. Consequently, he had not the advantages of a liberal education; yet, his superiority of mind enabled him to discharge high and important offices, in both church and state. He was of a lively and cheerful disposition; always seemed desirous of making those happy about him; plain in his manner; as a citizen, patriotic; as a neighbor, obliging; as a parent, kind and indulgent; and as a companion, very affectionate. He has left a companion, several children, and numerous relations and friends to mourn the loss of so good a man. But one great consolation they have, he died as he lived, in peace with mankind and with his Maker. He has fulfilled the great end of his being and gone hence to adorn the shiny courts of heaven.
"Softly his fainting head he lay
Upon his Saviour's breast;
His Maker soothed his soul away,
And laid his flesh to rest."

The recorded death date July 1855 in the Bible death record of Francis Browning born Nov 1754 matches the Bible record of John Browning born May 1767


Cindy Stamps sent me these sheets from the US and that is her notation on
the Bible Title sheet. Nancy Peebles Browning
´s birth is recorded
in the 1803
Philadelphia bible belonging to her parents, as well as is her
death and Robert´s death. There is another Bible which was owned by
The Boazman family. It was published in 1847 and they copied material
from the 1803 Bible, but changed the date of Nancy Peebles´s marriage,
making it 2 years earlier. Seems they did this to legitimize the birth of Daniel
who married Nancy Sorrell. But Daniel was not Nancy´s child, so this fudging
was not necessary. Daniel is not mentioned in the estate papers of John who
died in 1844 nor Nancy Browning,nor is he mentioned in the will of William
who died in Alabama. I speculate he is William´s child by a first marriage
and that William may have already provided for him and thus he is not
mentioned in his will in 1832 AL.

The first 3 lines of the transcription left cannot really be an honest "transcription" because the Bible was not even published till 1803 and probably did not make its way to GA till 1804. By that time John and Elizabeth Demarest were dead so it could not have been their family Bible. Later in a later Bible belonging to the Boazmans, I find a date which has been changed to have Nancy's marriage as a year earlier in order (most likely) to make Nancy seem like an "honest" woman- they must have thought that Daniel Browning was her own child instead of a nephew so they made her a marriage date which would make Daniel "legitimate."

Because of these inaccurate and edited transcriptions, one cannot be sure how much of the transcription is accurate. I was able to scrub the later Bible dates of birth which had been manufactured after the John Browning Book came out. Luckuly there were the earlier dated transcripts for births.

It is possible that "Radford" was not even written there and was also inserted by Mrs. Ferig at Arkadelphia Library in 1954 when the "transcription" was made for a DAR application. or that it actually said Reddson and Mrs feurig with the ET Browning book at hand, simply changed Reddson to Radford. What a shame.

Corky Swanson is probably the only living person in America who can recall seeing an original Browning family Bible with John´s name in it.Here is what she has to say:

24. Januar 2007, 05:27:45 Uhr
> Re: AW: John Browning Bible 1847 Bible transriptions and other data
>In my earlier message, I stated that "The bible was published in 1830 and
>belonged to Frances John Browning and his wife Sarah Veazey. The entries
>are probably made by Sarah since her death is recorded in a different>handwriting than the earlier entries. When I said an insert I should have
>said a section in the Bible. It was part of the original the bible when it
>was printed. It was in the middle of the bible instead of in the
>front. Most of the front of the bible was missing and there were some
>loose pages, but the section that recorded marriages, deaths, births, etc.
>was not loose. I looked back at my notes. The Bible was old and
>yellowed and many of the pages were quite brittle. The entries were not
>clear. I actually transcribed the entry original as John Redsson
> Browning, May 3, 1844. My Grandmother later told me that in old
>records the ss was probably an f. [The opposite is true an sf is an ss.]
>When I continued to see the name John Radford Browning,
> I decided that I had made a transcription error. The Bible
>passed to their daughter Nancy Peebles Browning, to her son Miles Lou
>Daniel. I do not know what happened to any of "Uncle Loyds'" family. Or
>to the Bible. Oh how I wish I had had a zerox machine back then. The
>second entry on the death page was Nathan Peebles Browning December 04,
>1845. and the third was Phoebe Boring July 30, 1857. The last two entries
>were Nancy Browning, July 03, 1868. and Sara Veazey February 01,
>1871. There were other entries but were too yellowed and faded to
>read. On the Marriages page and the Births pages, only bits and pieces of
>names were legible. I did not mean to imply that I was trying to prove
>John's middle name--just an explanation of how I came about using it in my
>records. I have removed the Radford and the changes should show up
>eventually on Rootsweb. My name is Corky and I am female and 64 years old.
>Corky"

Redsson may mean Radison or might be a mispelling of what is usually Ritson/Writson in the Browning family of Virgina or Maryland. There was allot of commerce between Baltimore, Maryland and Philadelphia, so the 1803 Bible might have been brought in Maryland as a present for John Brownings. Nancy Peebles Browning was the daughter of John Browning and wife Nancy Peebles, daughter of Nathan Peebles. Nancy and John may also have been married in Caswell NC.

I have only loaded the pages which concern Nancy Peebles Browning and her children--but not the page which was written by Mrs. Ferig which inserts children not belonging to Nancy and changed birth dates in order to squeeze other children in. A pure fraud, for what ever reasons. nancy would have been shocked to have learned she was being blamed for the birth of 16 children- bringing the children born to the southern GA Brownings into her lap. Summing up then, of the pages I have pictured here, only the first four lines on the first page of the 1803 Bible are in question.

Here is Carol Golowka´s email: Golowka to Stacey Burns. :

"ALL evidence shows that John did NOT have the name Radford. This comes from a book that is chocked full of errors called "Genealogy of the Brownings in America from 1621 to 1908," by Edwin Franklin Browning, A.M. It has the wrong children for John and Nancy Browning. New evidence shows that John and Nancy were most likely married in Caswell Co., NC. John's father, John, went to Greene Co., GA with his second wife, Susannah (not John, Jr.'s mother) and his children followed."

This appears to be a transcription from a Bozeman family Bible started after 1847. The first name is written John Browning with no Radford.









National Genealogical Society Quarterly
Volume 64, Some Maryland Recruits of 1776, Page 270
FRANCIS BROWNING FAMILY BIBLE RECORD

This family record is from an old Bible lacking binding or title page and publication data. It is in the possession of Grace Reynolds Gilmer Lynch of Lebanon, Virginia and has been contributed by Mrs. Mary Jane Knisely of Orlando, Florida who advises that this Browning family lived in Russell County, Virginia.
Mrs. Rebecca (Browning) Dickenson, age 92, grand-daughter of Francis Browning states that his son Jesse married Nancy Vermillion and died at about age 20-21, leaving one son James Scott Browning born ca. 1801 and reared by his grandfather Francis Browning. James S. married Sally Price. Nancy (Vermillion) Browning married twice more and had several children by her third husband Taylor.
Russell County, Virginia, Will Books provide the following supplementary information. Will of James s. Browning, 14 Jan 1866, Jesse Browning, Exec (8:31) Appraisal of estate of Jessee Browning, 23 Apr. 1806; adm. Francis Browning's application to make a dam and grist mill, 25 Feb 1809. (2:178) Francis Browning appointed constable 5 May 1818, (2:258) Wilson Browning appointed Commissioner of Upper District 3 Sept. 1816. (2:196)

Francis Browning, Sr., d. 18 July 1855, aged 101 yrs. 7 mos. 24 days. Wife Elizabeth d. 27 Aug. 1838, in 80th yr. Children: Jesse, b. 23 Oct, 1775; James, b. 14 Mar. 1778; Harvey, b. 27 Mch. 1781; Nancy, b. 1 Oct. 1784; William, b. 29 Mch. 1787; Francis, b. 19 Aug. 1791; Wilson b. 8 Nov. 1795; John, b. 1796
Grandchildren; James S. Browning, b. 3 Aug. 1801; William Browning b. 12 Mch 1803, Jesse Browning, b. Mch. 1805
Loose note in the Bible: "V" Browning Constable from July 1852 to 1856 July. John Browning one of his securities. Cummings Gilmer was his security from July 1856 to July 1858.
Also in the Bible was a letter dated March the 25th '85, Princeton Mercer Co. [New Jersey], addressed to "Dear Sister," and signed Henry Hendricks.

Francis Browning and family removed to Virginia and settled in the section known as Elk Garden, Russell Co. They are buried in a family plot near their home.

The brothers and sisters who did or didnt come to Caswell NC with father John Browning

The siblings of John Browning Jr born 1767 in Caswell NC- why are there 2 Joshuas?

James BROWNING , Captain b: 1745 in Culpepper County, Virginia James and wife Susannah Hickman lived on Hickman Mt. in Culpeper Co, VA, near her father James Hickman, other Brownings, Eastmans, and Normans. (Kidwell & Welch, A Journey through Flint Hill, 1993, p 16). They later moved to Clark, KY

Joshua BROWNING b: 19 DEC 1746 in Culpepper County, Virginia married Nancy Ann Scott and migrated to KY where he died DEC 1814 in Bourbon, Kentucky

Why are there 7 years between these children? Why did the 1st 2 go to KY? Is there a marriage missing? Why are there 2 Joshuas. I do have a family where they named the 1st and the 11th sons the same name.But John Browning only lists one Joshua and gives him 1 dollar in his will. SO which one is the correct Joshua?

Francis A BROWNING , Sr Captain b: 24 NOV 1753 in Elizabeth City, Culpepper County, Virginia He moved with his father John Sr to Orange Co NC about 1768 but returned to VA later where he fought in the Revolution. His death recorded in the John Browning Jr and Nancy Peeples Bible transcription corresponds with the inscription in the Francis Browning Family Bible. (See note below)

Joshua R BROWNING , Sr b: 29 JAN 1758 in Essex, Virginia died 10 Jan 1807 in Clark GA near Greene GA and surrounding area as well but why are there 2 Joshuas? married Margaret Rankin. The names of his children dont match with other families in this Browning line.

Anna BROWNING b: 1761 in Orange County, North Carolina married Thomas Bird Sr and was born and died in Orange Co NC

Pheobe BROWNING b: 19 SEP 1762 married her stepbrother Isaac Boren in Caswell NC and moved to Jackson Co GA where she 30 July 1857

Clarissa (Clara) BROWNING b: 1765 in Caswell County, North Carolina married David Culbertson and Jonathan Harrelson and she died 1841 in La Grange Troup Co GA

Senah Siney BROWNING b: 1766 in Caswell County, North Carolina married Elijah Fuller

John BROWNING , Jr b: 17 MAY 1767 in Culpepper County, Virginia died 1844 Arkansas married Nancy Peebles in Caswell Co NC and moved to Greene Co NC with his father. After his father died he fought in the Indian uprising 1812-1814 moved later to Lowndes Co AL with his brother William and then to Arkansas

William BROWNING b: 15 MAR 1770 in Caswell County, North Carolina died in Lowndes Co AL married Elizabeth Atkinson His cemetery stone says:
Mt. Gilead Cemetery, Lowndes Co., AL
William Browning (1770-1832)
born son of John Browning and Elizabeth Demarest
March 15, 1770
died Jan. 25, 1832

Millicent BROWNING b: 1773 in Caswell County, North Carolina married Basil Wright

1803 Will and other records of John Browning Sr of Greene Co GA

Julie McClung wrote:
"There seems to be a problem with the lists of John Brownings children. It seems to have started out with the book by Edward F. Browning. But the Will of John lists his 9 children, I think all of them, including Phebe and Milicent. Other Browning researches I have found on the Internet think this also. Then there are others who want to keep all the children running the count to 15 children. But I am going with only those listed in his Will."


This is an understatement! See Bible trandcriptions provided by Cindy Stamps at my Robert Hardy blospot.

WILL OF JOHN BROWNING
Greene Co., Ga Wills Book D pg342-3
Dated: 7 Oct. 1803
Recorded: 29 Jan. 1804
Greene Co., Georgia
In the name of God Amen - I John Browning of the county of Greene & state of Georgia -
Being sick and weak in body but of sound and perfect memory & calling to mind the transtory things of this life do make, constitute, and ordain this to be my last will and testament, revoking all other wills heretofore made by me -First - I give and bequeath (after paying all my just debts) unto my beloved wife Susannah Browning both real and personal during the life of her widowhood and after her decease or marriage it is my will that the plantation whereon I now live containing one hundred & Eighty seven and a half acres with all its improvements shall belong to my son William Browning - it is also my will that all the balance of my property including all my negroes, horses, cattle, hogs and stock of ever kinds, also money, _____, notes or debts with all my household furniture, working tools, with all & everthing that may belong to me at my decease should be equally divided between my children as hereafter named, to wit, Francis Browning,
John Browning, William Browning, Anna Bird, Phebe Boring, Sincy Fuller, Clara Harrelson & Milicent Wright, except a negro man named Jack and a bay mare called bony and one feather Bed & furniture which I give unto beloved wife Susannah Browning to keep during her life & to be at her disposal at her death - I also give unto my son Joshua Browning one Dollar and desire my Executors to pay him that sum &c - witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this 7th day of Octr 1803.
/s/ John Browning (seal)
Test: Davis Gresham
Phil Clements
Saml. Baldwin
Greene Court of Ordinary Jany. Term 1804
The within Will & testament of John Browning decd. Proven in open Court, by the oaths of Phillip Clements & Saml. Baldwin who was subscribing witness's to the same.
Recorded the 29 Jany. 1804.
/s/ Tho. Carleton C.C.V.
You can no longer find this will on the Greene Co., Georgia site at
http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ga/GreeneWill/24

All of the Children were with Elizabeth Demarest his FRIST wife- if indeed that was the name of his first wife. They married in 1744 in Virginia. She was born Abt 1728 in Delaware and died Abt 1776-77 in North Carolina. John married SECOND to Susannah Teague (1729-1812) the widow of Joseph Boring(1730-1775). But all of the birth dates of his children from the Will are from before 1776. John and Susannah did not have any children together.

John (1728-1803) and Elizabeth's (1728-1776) children, according to his will, deeds, etc. are as follows:

1. Francis (1752-1855) m. 1775, Elizabeth Vermillion (1758-1838)
2. 
Joshua (1758-1807) m. 1775, Margaret Rankin (1754-1850)
3. 
Anna (1760-1824) m. 1784, Thomas Bird
4. 
Phoebe (1762-1857) m. 1780, Isaac Boring (1762-1831) ((Son of Susannah Teague Boring Browning))
5. 
Clara (1765-1841) m. 1782, 1)David Culberson (1762-1796), 1798, 2) Jonathan Haralson (1759-1833)
6. 
Asenith (Sincy) (1766-1811) m. 1782, Elijah Fuller (1756-1823)
7. 
John Browning Jr. (1767-1844) m. 1780, 1)Elizabeth Culberson (1760-1780), 1790 2) Nancy Peeples (1777-1850)
8. William (1768-1832) m. 1805, Elizabeth Atkinson (1770-?)
9. Millicent (1775-1840) m. 1790, Basil Wright


On the site

"Notes- This is probably EFB's John #1663, although the children named by EFB are not the same as the children listed here who are taken from John's Greene Co GA will. EFB says that Enos was a son of this John, however he is proven to be a son of John's brother, Nicholas, by Nicholas' will. According to deeds m Orange Co NC and Culpeper Co VA, John was the s/o Francis Browning of Culpeper Co VA. There is no proof of the marriage to Elizabeth Demarest. John was One of the nineteen men enrolled as a foot soldier in the Culpeper Co VA infantry in March 1756. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. DAR Patriot index No. 82058 Demarest and No. 76954 Peebles. (Some of the DAR records on this John, were taken from EFB's book, and are wrong.) "
Further documentaion from same page:
On 01 May 1754, John was granted a patent by Lord Fairfax, for 207 acres in Culpeper Co beginning in a "line of Capt. Edwin Hickman on the top of the said Hickman's Mountain." The land also ran along the lines of Joseph Norman. It was surveyed by Richard Young. (Northern Neck Land Grant book, p. 43)

On 20 Oct 1750, Francis Browning, Jr and Frances, his wife, sold 90 acres to John Browning for "ten Shillings current money of Virginia. " This was part of the 1735 patent for 400 acres granted to Francis Browning Sr. and John Ashley in partnership. 100 acres of this tract was give to Francis Jr. by Francis Sr. (Culpeper Co Deed Book A p 444)

On 04 Dec 1760, John and his brother, Nicholas, and Thomas Bywaters were witnesses to the Culpeper Co will of John & Nicholas' brother, Francis Browning Jr., recorded 19Feb 1761. (Culpeper Co Will Book A, p 242)

On 20 Aug 1770, John Browning of Orange Co. NC, granted power of attorney to Edmund Browning (his brother) to sell a "Parcel of land that Thomas Williamson now lives on situate lying and being at the foot of Hickman's Mountain . . . also another trace of land lying and being on the top of said Hickman's Mountain and joining the land of said Hickman.. '' Witnessed by Sam Scott, John Browning and Caleb Browning (Culpeper Co Deed Book F, p. 230)

In 1777, John was named in a court record in Orange Co (later Caswell Co) NC connected with the estate of Joseph Boren. (He later married Joseph's widow, Susanna).

John and his sons Joshua and Francis and his nephew Enos are found on the 1777 Caswell Co NC tax list. John was granted 400 acres of land in Caswell Co NC on the waters of Storm Creek grant #349 issued 29 Oct 1782 This land was located on the border between Caswell and Orange Co. John entered this land 09 Jun 1778, entry #36. (Caswell Co Deed Book B, p 9) Land records show that Isaac Boren (son of Joseph and Susanna Boren) made some improvements on that land, and it is likely that he was living on John's land. Isaac married John's daughter Phoebe. (Caswell Co Deed Book B, p. 101)

On 07 Nov 1778, Edmund Browning, acting as John's attorney, sold to "James Browning Junr. " (s/o Francis Browning Jr.). 207 acres on the top of Hickman Mountain, Culpeper Co VA. This deed was "certified" in March 1779. The certification was ordered on the oaths of John Norman and Courtney Norma. On 17 Sep 1792, it was recorded on the oath of John Minion. a third witness. (On 18 Oct 1795, what appears to be this same parcel was recorded on the oath of John Minion a third witness .

(On 18 Oct 1795 what appears to be this same parcel was sold by James Browning of Fayette Co KY, by Francis Browning, as "attorney in fact for James Browning, to Michael Tomblin. John and his sons, Joshua and Francis owned adjoining land on Story's Creek in Caswell Co NC. John entered land near Joseph Boren.

In 1778, John received another land grant in Caswell Co NC for 640 acres. ("Caswell Co Land Grants" by Katherine Kendall.)

On 20 Dec 1779, John is mentioned in a deed as owning land on Richland Creek, Caswell Co NC . Patent No 147. (Caswell Co Deed Book A, p. 343.)

John was granted 23 acres on Richland and Story's Creeks, adjacent to Edward Clay, Francis Browning and Elizabeth VanHook Patent No. 125. Recorded 17 Dec 1719. (CaswellCoDeed Book A, p. 376)

On 20 Dec 1779, John is mentioned in a patent to John, Wilson. (Caswell Co Deed Book A, p. 253)

On 18 Dec 1780, John is mentioned in two deeds as having adjoining land to that sold by John Wilson to David Mitchell. (Caswell Co Deed Book A, p.523,524)

On 13 Oct 1783, John is mentioned in Land Patent No. 495 as having land adjoining Elizabeth Van Hook. (Caswell Co Deed Book B, p. 300)

On 20 Dec 1784, John Browning, guardian of David Boring (Boren) sold land on the N Hico It was witnessed by Joseph Boren, Jr. and Elijah Fuller (John's step-son and son-in-law, respectively) John had gone to GA before 1785/86 when his brother, Nicholas moved to Caswell Co NC. He still owned land in Caswell Co, and in April/May 1786, he returned to Caswell Co, probably to see his brother and sell his land there. The land sale was not recorded until later (after Person Co was formed from Caswell Co)

On 18 Aug 1787, John is mentioned in a deed as owning land adjacent to Benjamin Hatcher (his son, Joshua's brother-in-law). (Caswell Co Deed Book D, p. 294)

On 01 Jan 1788, John is mentioned in a deed as owning land adjoining that which James Hopper sold to Richard Arnold. (Caswell Co Deed Book E, p. 263)

On 18 May 1789, John is mentioned in Patent No. 1008 to Joshua Browning, as having adjoining land (Caswell Co Deed Book F, p. 328-329)

On 04 Feb 1790, John recorded a brand for his livestock in (Greene Co GA. He bought land in Greene Co GA from David Boren on 10 Mar 1798. (Greene Co Deed Book 1, p. 395-396)
John Browing Sr. and wife Susanna of (Greene Co, sold 100 acres of land on the waters of Town Creek, Greene Co GA to John Browning Jr. for ten pounds sterling, on 06 Jun 1792. Recorded 29 April 1793. (Greene Co Deed Book 2, p. 401)

In 1792, John appointed his step-son, David Boren of Greene Co GA to serve as his attorney and to sell 260 acres of land in Caswell Co NC, formerly the property of Joseph Boren, to James Smith of Caswell Co. Deed signed 10 Jan 1792 and filed in Green Co GA March l792 court. (Greene Co Deed Book 1; p. 69)

On 08 Jan 1798, John was appointed an appraiser for the estate of Joseph Carmichael. (Greene Co Estate Book B) John sold a Negro man named Passunto for $400 on March 5, 1801. (Greene Co GA Book 1, p. 488)

Will dated 07 Oct 1803, recorded 29 Jan 1804 Heirs named were wife Susannah, children William, Francis, John, Joshua Anna Bird, Phebe Boring, Siney Fuller, Clara Harrelson, Millicent Wright . Joshua received $l, while the at her Children received an equal portion of the estate. (Green Co GA Will Book D) Copy in file.

1787 Will of Nicholas Browning of Culpepper VA

Nicholas Browning is the brother of John Browning (Sr.) who died leaving a will recorded in Greene Co GA in 1803. See entry below. I dont know his actual place of death. Nicholas Browning's nephew John Browning (Jr) kept a Bible (published in Philadelphia in 1803). John Browning Jr's nephew Daniel Browning was the first birth recorded in it. So John or wife Nancy started keeping the Bible maybe 1804 and the first recording he has is for a1790 birth. The Bible records list the death of John Jr.'s brother Francis Browning on 18 July 1855 at age 101 and 7 months 24 days. (12 Dec 1754) The same time period that John Jr's uncle Nicholas Browning was having children. I use "Jr" because "Jr" is used in a deed recording in Greene Co GA.

Note: Dottie Elliott of Tulsa, OK (1/1/96) writes: "Although many Browning researchers view EFB's book (cited above) as "gospel," I am one of many others who recognize he made numerous mistakes. ...For example, the children he lists for John and Elizabeth (Demarest) Browning aren't the same children named in John's 1803 Greene Co., GA will. The same is true for the children of Nicholas and Sarah Washburn Browning. ...I'm one of the Browning researchers who believes that the line of Francis Browning and Elizabeth Lloyd didn't descend from Capt. John Browning. Although Capt. John was a colorful character and it would be fun to be descended from him, we believe many of the southern Brownings came from Thomas and Hester Browning. Thomas and Hester came to the U.S. from England about 1652 and settled in Maryland. Their descendants scattered to VA, TN, NC, SC, KY, etc. We also believe E.F.B. left out a generation in his lineage. I believe the Francis who married Elizabeth Lloyd was the son of Francis & Rachel (Merritt/Marriott) Browning, not John Browning. That Francis' father was a John."

Nicholas was a farmer who in 1760 owned 80 acres in Culpeper County, Virginia, and that October purchased 100 more. (Browning Genealogies, 1908, page 448.)

1761 WILL: Culpeper County, Virginia, WB A-242, 4 December 1760. John and his brother Nicholas, adn Thomas Bywaters were witnesses to the Culpeper will of Francis Browning III, recorded 19 February 1761.

1787 WILL: Caswell County, North Carolina, RB B-166.

Nicholas Browning
Recorded in Book B folio 166 Caswell County N. C.

I. Nicholas Browning of the state of North Carolina and county of Caswell being weak in body but of sound mind, memory and understanding do this twenty third of October in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty six make and publish this my last Will and Testament and none other. First I recommend my soul to god and my body to be buried in a Christian manner at the desecration of my executor as I shall nominate and appoint and as to the worldly estate where with it hath pleased god to bestow me, I do dispose of the same in manner and form following. --Viz-- Item First I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Sarah, the third part of all my estate real and personal as not to disturb Joseph Jones where he now lives; Secondly, at her death for all the land to be sold to the highest bidder and equally divided between my two daughters, Sarah and Jean to them and their heir and assigns for ever. Item: I give and bequeath to my son Enos Browning, one feather bed and furniture to him, his heirs and assigns for ever. Item, I give and bequeath to my beloved daughter Jean, one feather bed and furniture and forty shillings in money more than those above mentioned; Thirdly; after these legacies are taken out of my estate, Enos and daughter Jean; the remainder that is left to be equally divided between my two daughters above mentioned to be sold and equally divided; Fourthly; my son Francis, John, Charles and my daughters Mary and Elizabeth I cut off from having any part or right or title to any of my estate where with I am now posses with only one shilling sterling to each of them at my decease. Fifthly; I nominate and appoint Edmond Browning my beloved Brother and Joshua Browning my hole and sole executors of this my Last Will and Testament, revoking all other wills or wills, and this only to be my Last Will and Testament and none other in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day an date before written.
Nicholas Browning

Signed Sealed and Delivered, in presence of Isaac Corin and James Hopper

Marriage 1 Sarah WASHBURN b: ABT 1713 in Virginia
Married: ABT 1744 in Orange County (later Culpepper County) , Virginia
The children cut out of the will had probably already moved on to other parts of the US and Nicholas wanted to make sure the property he was leaving went to those he knew needed it and would use it.
Children as listed in will:
Sarah BROWNING
Jean BROWNING
Enos BROWNING b: 1751 in Culpeper County, Virginia Virginia
Francis BROWNING
John BROWNING
Charles BROWNING , Sr b: 1754 in Culpepper County, Virginia Mary BROWNING
Elizabeth BROWNING

John W. Browning in AL


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