I must say, I enjoyed your trip almost as much as you did! Thank you. These people are not mine, but I feel like I was there too ----- Original Message ----- From: Lonny J. Watro <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, August 01, 1999 2:59 PM Subject: [VAALBEMA-L] BROWN's, MARTIN's, JOHNSON's and THURMOND's found! > I've just returned from a trip to Albemarle & Nelson Co. All I can say > is... "And, boy I thought I lived out in the boonies here in West by-god > Virginia". I was shocked and pleased to see so much country still > undeveloped and so close to Charlottesville! > > I visited my 89-year-old cousin who introduced me to "her bestest buddy in > the world" who happens to be 91 years old. Unbeknown to my 89-year-old > cousin, her bestest buddy turned out to be my MARTIN and BROWN cousin. My > new found cousin and I hit it off immediately. And, we exchange family tree > information on our MARTIN's & BROWN's and on her THURMOND's. > > I have accumulated more descendants of Andrew BROWN of North Garden > (1760-1804) thru his grandson William W. BROWN b. c. 1815, and thru his > daughter Sarah "Sally" (BROWN) JOHNSON, m. February 01, 1802, Albemarle > Co., Absolom JOHNSON. > > I did not find the homeplace of Andrew BROWN in North Garden, but I did get > to visit a distillery that manufactures Apple Jack and other liquors in > North Garden. The old Depot in North Garden is gone. And, according to Rev. > Edgar Woods' "History of Albemarle Co. of VA", Andrew BROWN's home was 1/2 > a mile west of the Depot. I saw where the old Depot was located and there > are pictures of it at the distillery. But, I don't think the BROWN > homestead is still standing. I could be wrong... > > My new found MARTIN & BROWN cousin gave me a pamphlet on her THURMOND's > that was written by her deceased aunt, Ruth Owen (THURMOND) PARKER written > in 1962. Cousin Ruth also produced a document on the descendants of Hudson > MARTIN (1752-1830) of Nelson & Albemarle Co. In her THURMOND pamphlet she > talks about the William BROWN estate that once was located in Schuyler, VA. > William W. BROWN was the son of Anderson BROWN (1785-1859) and Susanna > WOODSON. Here's what Cousin Ruth Owen (THURMOND) PARKER writes about the > William BROWN Estate: My comments are enclosed in the brackets [ .... ] > > What is now known as the "Hardwick place" is the original Will Brown > estate, or part of it, and was called "Mt. View". > > 1851, 500 acres of land was conveyed to William Brown by Guthridge Thurmond > and his wife, Mary. It was upon a portion of this estate that the old > Hardwick house stood with its lovely boxwood I remember so well. > > Mr. Brown went to make his home in Mississippi, traveling in a covered > wagon with his wife, children, slaves and household necessities. He had two > sons, Andrew and Jim, who fought all through the War between the States. > His wife, two sons and two daughters are buried at the "old Hardwick > place". (I believe this Jim Brown is the Jim Brown who married my Aunt Jane > Martin and lived at "Social Hall", Howardsville. Andrew is the father of > Annie Brown Roberts of Shipman.) > > [Note: Ruth is wrong about Jim Brown being the Jim Brown of "Social Hall", > Howardsville. James Johnson Brown of Social Hall, Howardsville, is the > Uncle of this Jim Brown who was the son of William W. Brown of Schuyler and > Mississippi. William W. Brown and James Johnson Brown were brothers. > "Social Hall" still stands today in Howardsville along with a Brown > cemetery plot containing the graves of James Johnson BROWN, his wife Jane > Lewis (MARTIN) BROWN, his daughter Rosa Lewis (BROWN) DICKENSON, and his > daughter-in-law, Ida H. (ASHLIN) BROWN. And, now back to Ruth's description > of Mt. View in Schuyler] > > On part of this plantation the Alberene Stone Company hospital and the high > school now stand. This property joined the Elisha Thurmond estate. > > Mr. Brown married a Miss Moon. [I was unable to find a record of a Mr. > Brown m. Miss Moon in the VA marriage index at Ancestry.com, but if someone > has another index, I'd appreciate a lookup]. > > A plot of 50 acres was conveyed to Charles Norman and Drucilla Brown > Hardwick Oct. 19, 1894. [Note: I am wondering if Drucilla Brown Hardwick > was the daughter of William W. BROWN] This plot included the house. Both > Mr. and Mrs. Hardwick are buried in the family burial plot which is near > where the old house stood. [Alas, I didn't have a chance to read this > THURMOND pamphlet until after I returned home from Albemarle & Nelson Co. > So, I didn't know about the existence of this family burial plot.] > > The property was sold in June, 1936, the old house torn down and a new > house built and a store building erected nearby. (Information obtained > about 1933). > -------------------------------- > > If anyone makes a connection to a William W. BROWN of Schuyler, please let > me know. > > ----------------------------- > > And, now for the info on Sarah "Sally" BROWN and Absolom JOHNSON. > > Absolom JOHNSON m. Sarah "Sally" BROWN on February 01, 1802, Albemarle Co., > VA. They may have had more children, but according to the THURMOND pamphlet > they had five daughters: > > Eliza JOHNSON b. c. 1803 d. 1822 > Margaret JOHNSON m. Col. William P. SHEPHERD > Mary JOHNSON m. Joel FORTUNE > Martha E. JOHNSON d. July 31, 1877 m. Austin G. PAMPLIN d. April 03, 1886 > Elizabeth "Betty" A. JOHNSON b. 1806 m. January 14, 1845, VA, Elisha G. > Thurmond b. November 09, 1828 > > Here's what Ruth Owen (THURMOND) PARKER writes about her grandmother, > Elizabeth "Betty" A. (JOHNSON) THURMOND, and her grandaunts: > > COLONEL WILLIAM P. SHEPHERD > > Col. William P. Shepherd married Margaret Johnson, the daughter of Absolom > Johnson, and a sister of my grandmother, Betty. There were three other > sisters, Eliza, Mary and Martha. Eliza died in September, 1822, aged 19 > years. Mary married Joel Fortune, a Baptist minister, and Martha married > Austin Pamplin. (These latter were the parents of Emma Peebles). > > Col. Shepherd wrote a poem to the five sisters - the "five roses" as he > called them. The orginial poem is in the possession of Murray Hamner, son > of John Hamner who lived in Charlottesville and whose widow still lives > there. The manuscript is beautifully written in Col. Shepherd's own > handwriting. A copy of the poem was loaned me by my cousin, Blanche Stevens > Hamner of Hollywood, Florida, and is herewith reproduced: > > "The Sisters" > > Five lovely roses once did grow > Upon the same strong parent stem; > As tender as this earth can show, > And brilliant as a diadem. > The first is early seen to fade, [Eliza] > Ere yet its beauties are in bloom - > Embalmed in tears, 'tis softly laid > To sleep in silence in the tomb. > Now on that tomb wild flow'rets spring > And evergreens their branches spread, > To weep in dew, while zephers sing > The requiem of the lovely dead. > Four others now their buds disclose > One opens to the morning sun. > A schoolboy spies the blushing rose, [Margaret] > And straightway goes, and gathers one. > Time flies - and seasons more apace > The earth is green, and leaves expand; > And now another to this race > Finds Fortune in a stranger land. [Mary] > One little bud, and one small rose > Are all that now the stem can boast. > Ere each is grown, or fully blown > I'll venture that another's lost. > Yea, now, ere these few lines are penned > One more is gathered from its place; > It decks the bosom of a friend, [Martha] > And leaves but one of all its race. > Long may these gathered roses live > And virgin freshness all retain; > And sweeter fragrance constant give, > White petals, stalk or stem remain. > O, may each owner always find > His rose has none of beauty lost; > And closer to his bosom bind, [Betty - Ruth's grandmother] > To screen it from the wintry frost. > And that sweet bud, the last of all, > Which the green rose tree yet does bear, > By no rude wind will ever fall > Nor "fragrance waste on desert air." > -by Col. William P. Shepherd sometime in the 1800's. > > ------------------------------------ > And, once again please contact me if you find a connection. All of these > persons who are written about above are descendants of Andrew BROWN of > North Garden. > > Lonny J. (BROWN) Watro > > > ==== VAALBEMA Mailing List ==== > REMINDER: Questions, concerns, suggestions? Contact the listowner at [email protected] > > ============================== > Search more than 274 MILLION NAMES and find your ancestors at Ancestry.com! > Get started today at http://www.ancestry.com/rootswebtext.asp