Hi Sumner Friends, I have gotten a goodly number of responses to the Sara Foster - John Brown question. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to send an e-mail. From the responses I received, I feel like I didn't give enough information. Freddie Brown asked if I would "spread my knowledge around." So, Freddie -- here goes! What I'm up to is this . . . I am finally attempting to write a book on Family of Leonard and Sarah Kimbrough Brown. Within the book, I am including individual chapters on each of Leonard Brown's children -- there were ten. I hope to have the copy complete by next summer, when we plan to have a big family reunion in Sumner County. We want to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Browns migration from Caswell County, NC to Sumner County, TN. Yesterday, I worked on the chapter about Solomon Brown -- probably Leonard and Sarah's sixth child. I have volumes of info on this family. As I was transcribing his estate records, I ran across two items that caught my attention for the first time. One was a note drawn up in 1830 when Jacob Brown loaned his father Solomon Brown $5.00. The witness to the loan was John Brown. Well . . . who was John Brown -- Jacob had a son named John, but he would have only been seven years old at the time of the loan. I doubt he could witness a document. Then, I found another wild discovery -- mix up with the inventory records of Solomon Brown, who died 01-May-1849 were the inventory records of John Brown who died in 1847. John's records were microfilmed in the same batch as Solomon's inventory. The handwriting on the two inventories is the same -- and was probably taken by John B. Brizendine -- who did Solomon's inventory. The buyers at the two estate sales were very much the same as well. So, I went to the Sumner County Marriage Record book (Edythe Whitley's book) and started looking for John Brown marriages. There were a number of John Brown marriages in the 1820's but nothing looked right until I came upon John Brown, who married Sara Foster on Dec. 4, 1826, by Meredith Hodges, JP, William Dorris, bondsman. That rang a bell because the Browns and Hodges lived near each other and were closely connected. Secondly, William Dorris was either the uncle or cousin of John Brown -- probably William Dorris, Jr. the uncle. Earlier in the day, I had gone through all the census records for Solomon and family (1800 and 1810 in Caswell County, NC -- 1820, 1830, 1840 in Sumner County, TN) and found there was a missing son, born between 1800 and 1810. Up to this point, I had presumed that this son died young. Now, with the possibility of John Brown being a son of Solomon, I figured it was time to learn more. That's when I sent the message to the list. The responses have been very good. While at the Archives last month, I copied several tax lists -- in the 1820 tax list, Solomon Brown is listed with 75 acres just three listings after Aderson (Addison) Foster, who had 117 acres. The tax list is not in alpha order -- so names near each other could have lived near each other. Foster marriages in the same time frame include: James Foster m. 03-JAN-1820 to Catey Yandell. Joseph Spradling, bondsman. Dovey Foster b. ca 1798 m. 18-SEP-1820 Jacob Brown, Sr. Catherine Foster b. 27-APR-1807 m. 09-AUG-1822 to Holly Hodges, the son of Aaron B. Hodges and Elizabeth Markham Sara Foster m. 04-DEC-1826 John Brown The 1820 Census of Sumner Co lists 2 Fosters: Foster, Addison males 011101 females 42210 slaves 0 Foster, James males 0001 females 001 Addison Fosters family looked like this: 1 male 10-16 1 male 16-18 1 male 16-26 1 male 45 and over (Addison, b. bef 1775) 4 females under 10 2 females 10-16 (Catherine, age 13, maybe Sara??) 2 females 16-26 (Dovey, age 22 - didn't marry until Sept.) 1 female 26-45 (Addison's wife? b. bet 1775-1794) Addison Foster was apparently a Justice of the Peace. He is listed several times as marrying folks from about 1818 to 182_. He married: Robert Dorris and Jinny Rippy 1818 Moses Mayhew and Nancy Absher, 1818 William Bracken & Levesta Bell 1819 William Mandrell and Peggy McMillan 1819 Buckner S. Durham and Susan Rippy, 1820 Benjamine Jackson and Wineford Carpenter, 1820 John Jackson and Polly Alderson, 1821 I don't see too much on Addison Foster after these dates. Addison Foster, James Foster and John Brown were not listed in the 1830 Sumner County, TN census. Well, I've shared all I know. If I were speculating, I would say that James, Dovey, Sara, and Catherine were siblings, but I have nothing to proof it except close proximity to the families in question. Anyone have more thoughts? Addison Foster was 45 or slightly older in the 1820 census. His wife was younger than 45. They had a young family. Where did they go? They seem to disappear from Sumner after the mid 1820s. Thanks to all who are interested in this family! Danene Vincent

Hello All, Since Danene is writing a book on the Brown's, I wanted to remind everyone about Leonard Sandford Brown. I am looking for his parents. Here is what I know for certain. Leonard first shows up in the 1860 Clark County, Indiana census, age 21 living with his brother John S. Brown age 25 and wife Maria Rippy Brown, daughter of John and Elizabeth Robinson Rippy from Sumner County Tenn. They were married in Clark County, IN April 8, 1860. According to the census, both Brown's were born in Kentucky, but searching the 1850 Kentucky census does not show any family these boys might belong to. Also living in the home, are James W. Mahnron ?( Mahuron) age 15 born Indiana and William R. Stroud 14 born Indiana. These people are living next door to Maria's parents, the Rippy's. Leonard Sandford Brown married Maria Rippy's sister, Polly Ann Rippy. John Rippy brought his family to Indiana just prior to Polly's birth in 1841\42. John Brown and Leonard both served in the Civil War where John must have lost his life. Maria is remarried to David Goss by the 1880 census. Also in the 1860 census living close by are: Family 76; Nancy Brown 58 NC James Brown 30 IN Family 77; Henry Brown 25 IN Nancy Brown 30 TN ( She is also a sister to Maria and Polly Rippy) Abigail A. Brown age 5 IN Issac Brown 1 IN Family 79; John Rippy and family Family 80; John and Maria Brown with Leonard, James Mahnron, and William Stroud. In the 1850 census living about 3 doors down from the John Rippy family is; Issac Brown 58 NC Nancy 45 NC James 21IN Jiney 19 IN Henry 17 IN (maybe the one who married Nancy Rippy) Elizabeth 13 IN I think all these Brown's are related somehow. Does anyone know anything about this mess. Can you help me figure it out? Thanks, Marcia