Phenix Brown

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: B5FA4AF9568F446589A914EF77B0DCF7AFAE
• Military Service: 1783; during the Revolutionary War

Phenix married Dorcas Congdon on 16 Jan 1772 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA. Dorcas (daughter of William Congdon and Ann Gifford) was born in 1748 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA; died on 30 Sep 1836 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Marcy Brown was born about 1784; died on 10 Oct 1840 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA; was buried in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA, Cem. NK026 - Elm Grove Cemetery.

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• _UID: 2B3F5F350ABF4276B1EB1C85C4D1347E034A
• Will: 15 May 1786

Charles married Mercy Sweet on 31 Dec 1744 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA. Mercy (daughter of John Sweet and Catherine Whitford) was born in 1723 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA; died after 1810. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: F86546C56F7F49EC85D63BFD3BBF94A5515A

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: DDE0215B22504E909B018114891E540DC2FD

Notes:

Buried:
Unmarked Grave

Charles married Eleanor Sheffield on 30 Jun 1710 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA. Eleanor (daughter of ? Sheffield and Eleanor (Sheffield)) was born in 1693; died in 1751; was buried in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA, Cem. NK048 - in the Meadows Office Park. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: C929AD3555084B558D350635A1FC0D71E968

Notes:

Buried:
Unmarked Grave

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: 1283F2BBB7D9475ABD841EC70E5A87DA62A8

John + Catherine Whitford. Catherine was born in 1684 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA; died est 1743. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: B04FB31E9DBB42D3AF77613906C08CF746D8
• Alt. Death: 1739, , , Rhode Island, USA

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• _UID: 79DBE0731B7C45479908E55E703F79E7BDCF
• Alt. Death: 20 Feb 1717, Kingston, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA

Notes:

«b»Beriah Brown perhaps was not a son of Charles Brown of Rowley, MA.«/b»

Most Internet sources indicate that this Beriah Brown is the son of Charles Brown, and was born in Rowley, MA, in 1648. I believe that there is some doubt that this is the case and that Beriah Brown may have been born overseas and immigrated directly to Rhode Island.

First of all, the question arises as to whether Beriah Brown lived previously in Massachusetts and was married there and had a child before moving to Rhode Island. It is possible from the dates that this occurred. If he had been born in 1648 in Rowley, he would have been about 25 years old when he married Sarah Harris. He would have been about 30 when they had a daughter, Sarah, and he would have been about 39 when he was first recorded in Rhode Island in 1687. Sarah, his wife, and Sarah, his daughter had apparently died sometime prior to 1687. There is mention in brother Gershom's will of a legacy to this Beriah's daughter, Sarah. Gershom died on 5 Dec. 1683, so this suggests that the daughter, Sarah, was still living in 1683. The supposed father, Charles, also died in 1687.

Alexander, Beriah's first son by his wife Abigail Phenix, was born in Rhode Island in 1684 (although at least one source indicates this marriage occurred in 1685). This would suggest that Beriah was already in Rhode Island by 1683 or 1684 although he is not recorded until 1687. If Beriah had been previously married in Massachusetts in 1673, then it is likely his wife and daughter (or at least his wife) would have died prior to that time.

There is some evidence that there was another daughter of Beriah whose name is not known. R. G. Huling mentions in his letter to John B. Peirce of 23 Mar 1883 that there was a second daughter married to John Barber. Could this have been Sarah?

Secondly, where was Beriah born and when? There are also several references to Beriah being an immigrant from England or Wales rather than someone who was born in Massachusetts and moved to Rhode Island, particularly in the correspondence between L.W. Brown and John B. Peirce (Town Clerk of North Kingstown) and between R.G. Huling and Mr. Peirce in which there are several references to Wales and Beriah's birth date of 1640. There is, however, no specific documentation referenced in these letters.

If Beriah had not been born in 1648 in Rowley and previously married to Sarah Harris, then the alternative scenario is that he was born in Wales about 1640 and came directly to Rhode Island. If this is the case, then he would have been about 45 when he married Abigail Phenix and a few years older when he started having children. This alternative scenario is also possible, although it seems likely that he would have married and tried to settle down at a somewhat earlier age.

In the absence of concrete information to determine which scenario is correct, I have decided to take the conservative route and removed the link between Beriah and the supposed parents Charles Brown and Mary Acye of Rowley. By taking this approach, his parents remain unknown and there are no other descendants of Charles and Mary in my data.

Died:
During Great Snowstorm

Beriah married Abigail Phenix about 1675 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA. Abigail (daughter of Alexander Phenix and Abigail Sewall) was born about 1655 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA; died in 1690 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA; was buried in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA, Cem. NK048 - in the Meadows Office Park. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: BBB54D456FA640CF993220A8F3375C09487F
• Alt. Birth: 1666, North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA
• Alt. Death: Between 1696 and 1710, , , Rhode Island, USA

Notes:

Buried:
Unmarked Grave

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: BCFD4A50ADBD40628EF5E4FA5E769D164763

? + Eleanor (Sheffield). Eleanor was born in 1663 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA; died after 1717. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: 382AFE29F20544B19507B9F2F09460C26246

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: A9ED8CD86DA14ED5891E24253A136720EF5D

Henry + Mary Andrew. Mary (daughter of John Andrew) was born in 1664; died in 1752. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: F02DBE2EE19B4219ABFF253C23159B9957FC