I have the Meshach Browning book "Forty Years in the Life of a Hunter". It starts: "I was born in Frederick County, in the State of Maryland, in the year of our Lord 1781. My father's name was Joshua Browning, and my mother's name was Nancy. He was a farmer with limited means, and, with his wife, resided on a small farm; having little to recommend them in this world but an unsullied name, and known only as being strictly honest, industrious and truthful. They lived a happy life together until they had four children - one daughter named Dorcas, and three sons, Joshua, Jeremiah, and myself, called Meshach. My mother was a widow when I was an infant of two weeks old; and, after the business of the estate was settled, there was but a trifle left for the support of the little family; and she was obliged to maintain herself and children as best she could. ......................................................... My mother's friends had all gone West, then so called, ---I mean to the western part of Washington County, and had settled on the Flintstone and on Murley's Branch, now in Alleghany County. But to follow them she had not the means. The next thing was, her neighbors advised her to put out her children to good places and then could see and attend to them. But this she refused to do, until she should try to keep them herself. But before she had rented a house and garden, she did consent to let a Mr. Aaron Lee have Jeremiah, to keep him until he was twenty-one years old. " ---------------------- I have been told that Meshach's mother was Nancy FARMER. The book also says Meshach's sister Dorcas married James Harvey when she was 16 or 17 and that it was after this marriage his mother decided to move 'West'. In telling of the wagon, carrying their belongings, tumbling down a hillside, etc., Meshach mentions that his brother Joshua was about 12 years old and Meshach was "myself in her arms." He said they traveled to Oldtown, met a man named Joseph Robinett who took them to Murley's Branch and later they went to "my grandfather's, on the head-waters of the Flintstone, and remained during that fall and winter. As I read it, it was the following September that Meshach was taken (without his mother's consent) to Blooming Rose, Buffalo Marsh, area of what is now Garrett County, and by October they have moved into the vacated residence of Augustian Friend (Old Teen Friend. Pat-T

> It starts: > "I was born in Frederick County, in the State of Maryland, in the year of > our Lord 1781. My father's name was Joshua Browning, and my mother's name > was Nancy. He was a farmer with limited means, and, with his wife, resided > on a small farm; Hey, this is it. By 1781, Washington County had been formed (1776) and Allegany County was finally formed in 1791 with Garrett County following in 1872. So Meschach was born in Frederick County. His mother was Nancy Farmer. Governor Glendening's ex wife was descended from her. The ex wife donated a lot of old relics of this Browning family. Connie