Holidays, BBQs & Family Reunions

A Time to Share our Family’s History

Browns on the Move

For many years our family has gathered for the 4^th of July. I remember being with my brothers and my cousins playing and looking forward to the fireworks as our fathers took charge of the grill and our mothers kept a close eye on the babies as they made salads. My father was the oldest of seven children and we were a large group when everyone gathered.

Sometimes we gathered at my Uncle Larry’s house on the lake. Fishing was included in the day’s activities. Sometimes we gathered at our house. We could see our town’s fireworks from the front lawn. In more recent years my husband & I have hosted the festivities: swimming in our pool, volleyball, games for the children, conversations, my husband & my brothers at the grill and lots of laughter.

This is the perfect time for me to share my recent findings on our shared family history. It is nice to reach out to people on the internet but even better to share in person. In the past I have displayed family photos, given out newsletters or distributed brief reports on recent discoveries. Sometimes I set up display boards. Last year’s boards including family trees & a tribute to our veterans over the years. My uncle brought along the rifle our great great grandfather had carried in the Civil War. That got lots of attention.

Six Generations of Browns Move From NC to NY; 

1779 to Present Day

I will put up the old boards again for anyone who was not able to come. I will also add a new display board. This year’s display board is “BROWNS on the MOVE.’ It tracks our family through six generation & six states, from 1779 to present day.

A Generation Chart

The six generations are:

1.    Edward Brown, Senior, c 1730 – 1797 NC

2.    Moses Brown, 1777 NC – 1838 MS

3.    Edward S. Brown, 1806 GA – 1856 MS

4.    Allen Moses Brown, 1836 MS – c 1870 MS

5.    Jasper Pascal Brown, 1865 MS – 1950 MS

6.    Roy Jesse Brown, 1902 MS – 1956 MS

My father and his siblings are the seventh generation. My brothers, my cousins and I are the eighth generation.

The six states are:

1.    North Carolina where Edward Brown can be found starting 1779.

2.    South Carolina where Moses Brown stayed briefly on his way to Georgia. c 1805

3.    Georgia where Moses Brown & family got passports to travel through the Creek Nation. c 1806 – 1810

4.    Mississippi where Moses, Edward S., Allen, Jasper and Roy lived. Many relatives are still there.

5.    Ohio where Roy J Brown traveled to c 1925, married & raised a family.

6.    New York where the Roy Browns moved c 1940 and where many of us live today.

I usually get lots of positive feedback from my displays. I have a young cousin from Minnesota who loved learning about our family’s veterans. One of my nephews is always interested in the history and studied family names before naming his children. Maybe one of these relatives will catch the genealogy addiction and will be the next to carry on the searching, the gathering & the sharing.