The Brown Families of Ray County, Missouri

JOHN C. BROWN.

John C. Brown was born near Richmond, Ray county, Missouri, January 29, A. D. 1835. His father, William, was born in Rutherford county, Tennessee, October 6, 1809, and was raised and educated in the county of his nativity, and emigrated to Missouri with his parents in 1829, living on a farm during his life. He was a Baptist of the old school type; never desired office at the hands of the people, but has been content to live the life of a farmer, and a Christian gentleman. He was married to Miss Sarah J. Ralph, in 1832. She was born in Guilford county, North Carolina, January 6, 1813, and came with her parents to Ray county, at an early day. By the marriage of William Brown to Miss Ralph, there were born seven children, one of whom died in infancy; James H. went to Oregon, and died there in 1873; Mary F. died at sixteen years of age; Isaac R.

resides in Carrollton, Missouri, and is clerk of the circuit court in the seventeenth judicial district; Charles W., salesman with McWilliams, Crooke & Co., wholesale hats and caps; Jennie, married to Samuel V. Endsley, of Ray county. John C. the subject of this sketch, was raised on a farm, and finished his course of study at Carrollton, Missouri, in 1856, acquiring a good English education and some knowledge of the Latin. He left school, and followed teaching in Carroll, Saline and Ray counties, always giving satisfaction as a teacher. In April, 1857, he was employed as salesman in the store of Messrs. Hill & Ely, of Carrollton, Missouri, and left in the spring of 1861, with the confidence and approval of his employers; went to farming and dealing in stock till 1872. In November, 1872, he was elected sheriff of Ray county, and having filled the office to the satisfaction of the people, was in November, 1874, re-elected by an increased majority, receiving the largest vote cast for any candidate at that election. At the end of his second term, December, 1876, he retired from the office of sheriff, and commenced the practice of law in partnership with Judge Wm. A. Donaldson, having been admitted to the bar in February, 1877. He was married September 27, 1860, to Miss Hattie A. George, of Caldwell county, Missouri, who is a native of Anderson county, Kentucky, and was born November 22, 1842; and emigrated to Caldwell county with her father, David George, and died August 24, 1872. To this union were born six children, one of whom died in infancy. Of the others, Wm. D. was born July2 7, 1861; Eugenie, August 5, 1864; Anna Bell, March 4, 1866; John Dudley, January 23, 1868, and Charles Oscar, April 29, 1871. On May 6, 1874, Mr. Brown was married to his second wife, Miss Olive E., daughter of Felix G. Miller, Esq., of Ray county, born November 2, 1851. With his father's consent, Mr. Brown left home when seventeen years of age, and without means, principally educated himself, as his parents were unable to give him much pecuniary aid. He attributes his success to the prompt manner in which he always met each and every engagement. Through life he has made it his determined aim to come promptly to time, thus proving the truth of the adage, " punctuality is the soul of business success. " Mr. Brown is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is a Royal Arch Mason; he is also a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, and contributes liberally to the building of churches, and to the support of the ministry. In politics he is an unswerving democrat, and has been so from his early manhood. He is at present engaged in the mercantile business in Richmond, where he is respected and esteemed by every one.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

THOMAS A. BROWN.

Thomas A. Brown was born in Rutherford county, Tennessee, on the 28th day of April, 1815. His father, Thomas B. Brown, removed to Ray county, Missouri, when Thomas was but fifteen years old, and the home of the latter has been in this county ever since. In the year 1835, he entered a farm in section five, township fifty-one, range twenty-eight, and at once began to improve it. He increased the size of this place by subsequent purchases, until now it consists of some three hundred acres of rich and valuable land. He also owns a tract of fifty-five acres on Crooked river. Mr. Brown was married November 22, 1838, to Miss Patsy Crowley, the daughter of Jeremiah Crowley, Esq., of Ray county. They became the parents of fifteen children, only seven of whom are living at this time (April, 1881). Their names follow: William T., Sarah Ann, Jeremiah, John Franklin, Ellen Catharine, Henry, and Harden Alvin. The names of those dead are: Elizabeth, Mahala, James Calvin (killed at the siege of Vicksburg, during the civil war), Nancy Frances, Martha, Joseph Ashley, Thomas B., and an infant son. Mr. Brown took part in both the " Mormon war," and the " Heatherlv war." Both himself and Mrs. Brown are members of the Regular Baptist Church, at New Hope. They joined the church more than thirty-five years ago.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

REV. WILLIAM T. BROWN.

William T. Brown is a native of Ray county, Missouri, and was born on a farm owned by his father, Thomas A. Brown, situated about four miles northwest of the town of Camden. The date of his birth was October 7, 1847. He received his education in the schools of his native county, and has all his life made his home here. In the month af January, 1865, at the age of eighteen years, he left home to avoid troubles growing out of the war, and went to Nebraska, and the summer following, to Colorado. He spent about nine months in the west, and then returned to his home in Ray county. Mr. Brown was married on the 6th day of December, 1866, to Miss Sarah E. White, daughter of Wm.

A. White, Esq., of Ray county. Soon after he bought a farm (section six, township fifty-one, range twenty-eight,) and began the work of farming. About the age of twenty-two years, Mr. Brown began preaching, and in 18T0, was ordained as a minister of the regular Baptist Church. He has preached, very successfully, in many of the counties of western Missouri, and also, in several other states. Mr. and Mrs. Brown became the parents of seven children, six now living, named as follows, viz.: Charlie Alvin, Melinda Ellis, Mary Frances, Lucy Jane, Jesse Dudley, and an infant daughter. Anna Eliza, the second in order of birth, died when six months old. Mr. Brown was elected, in November, 1880, on the democratic ticket, by a handsome majority of eleven hundred votes, to represent Ray county in the thirty-first general assembly. He now (April, 1881,) has pastoral charge of four churches: New Hope, Crooked River, Fishing River and Mt. Zion, the latter is in Clay county. He is a popular, successful minister, and a prominent and influential citizen.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

BENJAMIN J. BROWN.

Benjamin Johnson Brown was born in Franklin county, Kentucky, December 9, 1807. He lived in that state till about the age of twenty-five, and then, in 1832, moved to Missouri, and settled in Ray county, of which he was one of the pioneers. When he reached Richmond there were only three or four houses in the town, and the county was sparsely settled. He was here to encounter the inconveniences and hardships of pioneer life, and lived to enjoy the comforts, growth, and development of the county in after years. To this improvement no man contributed more than the subject of this sketch. Always enterprising and liberal, of an open, generous disposition, and a warm heart, he was ever ready to aid in all enterprises calculated to benefit his town, county, or state. He gathered rapidly and gave with a liberal hand, and was never known to turn his back upon any meritorious enterprise or object. There were but few men who shared so largely the confidence of the people. He was four different times elected by the people of his county to the office of sheriff — twice without opposition. He was also twice elected to the office of state senator from his district, and was president of the senate at the time of his death. These and many other positions of public trust were bestowed upon him by his fellow-citizens, the duties of all which he discharged with promptness and fidelity. At the outbreaking of the civil war, Colonel Brown espoused the cause of the south, and became a gallant soldier in the Confederate army. He ranked as colonel, and commanded a regiment at the battle of Springfield, Missouri, in which he lost his life, August 10, 1861, while leading a charge upon one of the columns of the enemy. From the position of the enemy the charge was, of necessity, somewhat protracted, and when killed, Colonel Brown was some thirty yards in advance of his forces, making observations with a view to triumphant onslaught. At the time of his death he was a member of the Christian Church at Richmond. Colonel Brown was twice married. The first time to a Mrs. Moon, of Richmond, Missouri, by whom he had five children, as follows: Thomas J., of Gallatin, Missouri; Mariah F., wife of James S. De Masters, of Richmond; Susan J., ofWaverly, Missouri; Ro* Ann, wife of James P. Kiger, of Richmond, and Alice J., wife of B. F. McCord, of Waverly, Missouri. His second marriage, December 15, 1845, was with Miss Mary Ann White, who was born August 28, 1825, in Scott county, Kentucky. About the year 1840, she moved with her mother (her father, David B. White, having died in Kentucky), to Clay county, Missouri, and subsequently settled permanently in Richmond, where her marriage with Colonel Brown was solemnized. She survives her husband, and with her son, Walter W. Brown, is keeping house in Richmond, at her beautiful home in the northern part of the city. The issue of Colonel Brown's second marriage is seven children, two of whom are deceased. The living are: Mary L., wife of Wesley Allison, of Lawson, Ray county; William T., of Lawson; Benjamin J., Walter W. and Emily Oliver, wife of Rev. James Elmore Dunn, of Plattsburg, Missouri. Walter W. Brown, who lives with his mother, was born May 26, 1858, in Ray county. He received his education at Richmond College. When seventeen years of age he engaged with J. W. Harrison, of Richmond, Missouri, to learn the trade of harnessmaker. After working with Mr. Harrison about five years, he accepted a situation with Dan T. Duval, of Richmond, with whom he is yet engaged. Mr. Brown is a skilled workman, devoting most of his time to fine work, for doing which he has an excellent reputation. He is a sensible, sober, industrious young man, and his success in life is assured.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

ALFRED A. BROWN.

The subject of this sketch was born in Harrison county, Indiana, on the loth of May, 1831. When he was 'about four or five years of age his parents removed to Crawford county, Indiana, where he resided until the year 1856, when he went to Scotland county, Missouri, and remained there about fifteen months, and then came to Camden, in Ray county, Missouri. Mr. Brown was married on the 21st day of October, 1861, to Miss Amanda M. Canada, a native of the state of Virginia. They became the parents of two children: Susan C, born in the month of July, 1862, and William A., born in July, 1872. He enlisted in the month of "September, 1862, in company D, 35th Missouri infantry, and was accidentally shot and wounded in the right arm, by the guard firing upon him, by mistake, at the battle of Helena, Arkansas. In the army he discharged the duties of a non-commissioned officer, and was discharged at the close of the war, in July, 1865, at St. Louis, Missouri. He learned the trade of a cooper early in life, in Indiana, and worked at that business some four or five years, and then clerked for a time in a store. He has been engaged in mercantile business almost all the time since his majority, but has only been in business at Camden for little more than one year. He is a consistent member of the M. E. Church South. He is a successful merchant, and a valuable citizen of the town of Camden, in Ray county.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

CHARLES W. BROWN.

Was born in Carroll county, Missouri, on the 9th day of January, 1831. He received his education in the district schools of his native state, and early began the occupation of farming with his father, then a prominent farmer of Carroll county. This vocation he followed for some years. He removed to Breckenridge, Caldwell county, Missouri, in 1875, and engaged in merchandising with Messrs. McWilliams & Russell. Three years later he left Caldwell county, going to Kansas City, and entered the wholesale hat and cap business, with McWilliams, Crook & Co. He afterwards bought Defevers & Sons' dry goods store in the town of Morton, four miles north of the line of the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroad, and has ever since conducted that branch of business there. Mr. Brown was married on the 24th of February, 1881, to Miss Rosie E. Keyes, of Ray county, Missouri. Mr. Brown is doing a large and lucrative business at Morton, and is highly respected for the fair, honorable and impartial treatment he gives to all alike, and for his many good qualities as a man.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.