Published: 08 Jan 2019
Updated: 29 Mar 2020
Researchers: Jennifer Bartlau, Katie Jardine, Teresa Rust
Editor: Teresa Rust

“John Brow“, on the John and Sara Passenger List
Likely the John Brown identified in a deed as a Scotsman.

First Generation in the New World

1. JOHN BROW[N], was born, presumably, in Scotland about 1631 and died at Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts in 1696.¹ He married at Boston on 24 Apr 1655, ESTER/HESTER MAKEPEACE.²³ She is the daughter of, THOMAS MAKEPEACE, of Boston.

Biographical Notes:
There were two men named John Brown living in Middlesex County, Massachusetts at the same time, one in Redding and one in Cambridge (the Scotsman).¹ “JOHN, Cambridge, call[ed]. a Scotchman, m[arried]. 24 Apr. 1655, Esther, d[aughter]. of Thomas Makepeace, and in her f[ather].’s will, eleven y[ea]rs. after, is call[ed]. of Marlborough. He had Joseph, b. 8 Feb. 1656, k[illed]. casual at 15 yrs.; Elizabeth 26 Mar. 1657; Sarah, 18 July 1661; Mary, 19 Dec. 1662; all at C. and at M. had John, 27 Nov. 1664; Esther, 1667, d. soon; Thomas, 1669; Daniel, 1671; Deborah, 1673; Abigail, 9 Mar. 1675; and Joseph, 1677; next yr. he rem. to Falmouth, and prob. at the sec. destruct. of that town was driv. away, and came to Watertown, there dates his will 20 Nov. 1697, in wh. w. Esther, s. John, Thomas, Daniel, and Joseph, d. Deborah of Jeremiah Meacham, and s.-in-law John Gustin, wh. had m. 10 Jan. 1678, Elizabeth; John Adams, Thomas Darley, or Darby, and John Hartshorn, are ment.” Savage (Shared by Katie Jardine.)

Children of John and Ester (Makepeace) Brown:
2. i. JOSEPH BROWN, born 08 Feb 1655.⁴
2. ii. ELIZABETH BROWN, born 26 Mar 1657.⁴
2. iii. SARAH BROWNE, born 18 Jul 1661.⁴
2. iv. MARY BROWNE, born 19 Dec 1662.⁴
2. v. JOHN BROWNE, born 27 Nov 1664.⁴
2. vi. HESTER BROWNE, born 11 Dec 1667.⁴
2. vii. “RUTTH” [RUTH] BROWN, born 8 Dec 1668.⁴
2. viii. THOMAS BROWNE, born 15 Mar 1670/1.⁴
2. ix. DEBORAH BROWN, born 20 Apr 1673.⁴
2. x. “ABIGAL” BROWN, born 9 Mar 1674-75.⁴

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Sources:
On 1st Feb 2019, Jennifer Bartlau, shared:
This is what Savage has to say about John Brown, possibly the John “Brow” from the Unity list. If he married in 1655, he certainly didn’t work out his 7 years, but that was not unheard of either:
“JOHN, Cambridge, call[ed]. a Scotchman, m[arried]. 24 Apr. 1655, Esther, d[aughter]. of Thomas Makepeace, and in her f[ather].’s will, eleven y[ea]rs. after, is call[ed]. of Marlborough. He had Joseph, b. 8 Feb. 1656, k[illed]. casual at 15 yrs.; Elizabeth 26 Mar. 1657; Sarah, 18 July 1661; Mary, 19 Dec. 1662; all at C. and at M. had John, 27 Nov. 1664; Esther, 1667, d. soon; Thomas, 1669; Daniel, 1671; Deborah, 1673; Abigail, 9 Mar. 1675; and Joseph, 1677; next yr. he rem. to Falmouth, and prob. at the sec. destruct. of that town was driv. away, and came to Watertown, there dates his will 20 Nov. 1697, in wh. w. Esther, s. John, Thomas, Daniel, and Joseph, d. Deborah of Jeremiah Meacham, and s.-in-law John Gustin, wh. had m. 10 Jan. 1678, Elizabeth; John Adams, Thomas Darley, or Darby, and John Hartshorn, are ment.”

Images:

1. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Case Subject: Brown Family History, Case No: M041713H-4, Report prepared by Meaghan E. H. Siekman, Ph.D., a member of the NEHGS research staff. [↩] [↩]
2. New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015.
   https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1568/i/21174/221/426916166 [↩]
3. Boston, MA: Inhabitants and Estates of the Town of Boston, 1630-1822 (Thwing Collection). Inhabitants and Estates of the Town of Boston, 1630–1800 and The Crooked and Narrow Streets of Boston, 1630–1822. CD-ROM. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001. https://www.americanancestors.org/DB530/i/14226/3989/38010334 [↩]
4. Ibid. [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩]