Anna Bowne

Parents unknown. She was not the daughter of Thomas Seabrook & Mary Whitlock

Anna, also known as Ann, was born between 1670 &1675 probably in Castle Hill, Westchester County, New York. She is believed to be the daughter of Thomas Seabrook and Mary: however, that is an old error (see notes below). Anna’s origins are unknown.

Ann married Andrew Bowne about 1700 probably in Monmouth County. His family was among the first purchasers of the Monmouth Patent. Some Bowne Footprints in the Sands of time by Donald W. Bowne MD was found at the Monmouth County Historical Society. It states that Ann and Andrew Bowne had 2 sons:

• 1. Nehemiah Bowne born 1708
• 2. Peter Bowne born 1710 wed Deliverance Holmes. He died in 1773 in Lower Freehold

No daughters were named but it is possible that Avis Bowne was the daughter of Ann and Andrew. Avis was born about 1707 and wed John Baird Jr. John Baird Jr. died in 1747. His will stated that the co-executors were to be Avis, his wife and Peter Bowne.

On.1707, May 7, Rev. John Bray,, Baptist minister was a witness to the will of Govenor Andrew Bowne. He had been appointed Deputy Governor in 1699. Andrew died the same year that Peter was born, 1710. It is not known where he is buried. Two years later Ann Seabrook Bowne married The Rev. John Bray. On Ancestry.com was information from mark.wooton@btinternet.com stating that Ann and Rev. Bray had sons.

• 1. Andrew Bray, born July 1, 1713, Middletown, NJ, d. June 22, 1789, Hopewell Township, NJ.
• 2. Daniel Bray, b. March 28, 1716, d. 1778

The Reverend John Bray died about 1716; his wife Ann survived him and renounced administration on his estate in favor of her "son-in-law" John Bray, son by Rev. Bray's first marriage.

It is not known when Ann died.

Notes

https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/bray/1103/

Finally, the following record from the Baptist Church records of Middletown was used by Stillwell to support the identification of Ann Bray as the daughter of Thomas and Mary Seabrook:

1724/5.Mary Whitlock, widow, dying left a sum of money to her grandsons, Andrew and Daniel Bray, which with money belonging to Peter Bowne, was lent to Thomas Cox.

It is easy to be misled by this deed of gift, since Mary is leaving money only to Andrew and Daniel, who were Ann's children.From this fact Stillwell wrongly deduced that Ann was Mary Seabrook's daughter.However, in the light of the above evidence, it is clear that Rev. John Bray was Mary Bray/Seabrook/Whitlock's son.Who Ann's real parents are, cannot be said.

Biography

Anna Seabrook, daughter of Thomas Seabrook and Mary Compton Seabrook Whitlock. Her father was said to be an Englishman who had immigrated to America about 1664 and settled in Minneford, New York.[1] She was born in Westchester, New York before the date of her father's death December 17 1675 and taken to the home of Thomas Whitlock, her stepfather, in Middleton, New Jersey.[2]

She married (1) Andrew Bowne[3] about 1707.[4][5]

Andrew and Anna Seabrook Bowne were the parents of:

Nehemiah b Jul 6 1708, d Feb 16 1736 date will was proved, m Deborah _________[6]
Peter b Oct 30 1710, d after Sept 13 1773, m Deliverance Holmes, daughter of Jonathan II and Deliverance Ashton Holmes.[7][8][9]
After Andrew's death she married (2) Rev John Bray about 1712.[10][11][12] and was listed as a member of the Baptist Church in 1712.[13] She was the stepmother of:

John b Aug 20 1694, d about 1765, m Elizabeth Bowne 1725[14]
James b Oct 24 1707,[15]after Mar 28 1758 date will written,[16]m (1) Unknown, (2) Mary Elizabeth Martin[17]
Rev. John and Anna Seabrook Bowne Bray were the parents of:

Andrew b Jul 1713, d 1789, m (1) Margaret Watson, (2) Sarah Stout
Daniel b Mar 28 1716 d about 1785, m _________Martin.[18]
On February 25 1716 she renounced the right of administrator of her husband's will [19] At that time she assigned her "son-in-law", (stepson), John Bray (See Image) to be administrator, which was, in fact, Rev. John Bray's son by his first wife Susanna. [20]

In the back of the Middleton Town Record Book which John Edwin Stillwell copied there is a memorandum dated November 20 1811 that Mary Whitlock was dying and made a bequest to her grandsons Andrew and Daniel Bray, to include four pounds of Peter Bowne's that was owed by Thomas Cox in 1724.[21][22]Both of the Bowne children are also named in the will of John Bray, their stepfather.[23]

Research Notes

Estimated Date of Birth, based on parent's marriage and brothers possible births say stated by Dr. John Stillwell, "children or infant" were taken to Thomas Whitlock, stepfather's home after marriage of mother to Thomas Whitlock as stated in a source cited above on page 223. Stillwell does not say who were the children and who was the infant and further says he only knows for sure that Daniel was the child of Thomas Seabrook.
Estimated Date of Death after 2nd husband, Rev. John Bray died and his will was processed and the birth of their son Daniel March 28 1716.
Image has been added to the profile that establishes Anna Seabrook Bowne Bray was Rev John Bray's widow and identifies John Bray as his son. The document identifies the son as the son-in-law of Anna, which in that day meant stepson.
April 2022. Thru recent DNA matches I have found that my 98 1/2 yrs. old mother's DNA matches her 5th great grandfather, Andrew Bray. It is undisputed that he was the son of Rev. John Bray and his wife, the widow Anna Bowne. There is no DNA link between Anna Bowne Bray, Daniel Seabrook and James Seabrook. In Stillwell's book Historical and Genealogical Miscellany, Vol 4 page 223 is written "the orphant" of Thomas Seabrook was, doubtless, Daniel Seabrook. Stillwell states it is possible James was also the child of Thomas Seabrook, but he could be the child of Daniel. Stillwell had no proof one way or the other. Under "Issue" is named "2 - Daniel"; "3 - James; and slightly off set is "3a" and starting with the "A" in Ann Seabrook it begins slightly behind the names Daniel & James. Also, when looking thru all of the following pages regarding the Seabrooks there is no "3a" talking about Ann Seabrook. Stillwell was very good about presenting his evidence when found and stating he was guessing when he had no evidence. Stillwell offers nothing to prove that there was a child of Thomas Seabrook names Ann Seabrook. Nor does he give any evidence of a marriage between an Ann Seabrook and Andrew Bowne. Perhaps more Seabrook family members will submit their DNA results to confirm if the widow Ann Bowne/Bray was a Seabrook by birth. Kimberley Phillips, Wikitree member.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Seabrook-95

Anna (Seabrook) Bray (bef. 1675 - aft. 1716)

Anna (Ann) Bray formerly Seabrook aka Bowne

Born before 17 Dec 1675 in Castle, Westchester, New York Colony [uncertain]

Daughter of Thomas Seabrook and Mary (Compton) Whitlock

Sister of James Seabrook and Daniel Seabrook

Wife of Andrew Bowne — married 1706 in Middletown, Monmouth, New Jersey

Wife of John Bray — married about 1712 (to before 25 Feb 1716) in Holmdel, Monmouth, New Jersey

Mother of Nehemiah Bowne, Peter Bowne, Andrew Bray and Daniel Bray

Died after 28 Mar 1716 after age 40 in Middletown, Monmouth, New Jersey

Seabrook-95 created 29 May 2012 | Last modified 28 Oct 2022

The Birth and Death Dates are a rough estimate. See the text for details.

Bi
Sources

↑ Stillwell, John E. Historical and genealogical miscellany. Vol IV. New York. 1916. page 222-223. https://archive.org/stream/historicalgeneal04stil#page/222/mode/1up
↑ Stillwell, John E. Historical and genealogical miscellany. New York. 1916. Vol 4. Pages 219-223 https://archive.org/stream/historicalgeneal04stil#page/223/mode/1up
↑ Virkus, Frederick Adams, and Albert Nelson Marquis. The Abridged Compendium of American Genealogy: First Families of America; a Genealogical Encyclopedia of the United States. Chicago: A.N. Marquis & company, 1925. #68, Page 64. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015043281370&view=1up&...
↑ Reading, Miller K. William Bowne, of Yorkshire, England, and his Descendants, Flemington, New Jersey. H. E. Deats:1903, Page 18 https://archive.org/details/williambowneofyo00read/page/18/mode/1up
↑ Stillwell, John Edwin. Historical and genealogical miscellany : data relating to the settlement and settlers of New York and New Jersey. Vol 3. New York. John E Stillwell:1903. Pages 53 https://archive.org/stream/historicalgeneal03instil#page/105/mode/1up
↑ Honeyman, A. Van Doren. Calendar of New Jersey wills, administrations, etc. Newark, NJ, New Jersey Historical Society:1901. Page 55 https://archive.org/stream/calendarofnewjer01newj#page/55/mode/1up
↑ Miller K Reading, 1903. page 8 1903, page 18. https://archive.org/details/williambowneofyo00read/page/18/mode/1up
↑ Lee, Francis Bazley. Genealogical and personal memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey. New York. Lewis Publishing:1907. Page 820. https://archive.org/details/genealogicalpers02leef/page/820
↑ Virkus, Frederick Adams, and Albert Nelson Marquis. The Abridged Compendium of American Genealogy: First Families of America; a Genealogical Encyclopedia of the United States. Chicago: A.N. Marquis & company, 1925. Page 613, second column, bottom of page. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015043281370;view=1up;...
↑ Benedict, David. General History of the Baptist Church in America. Vol 1. Boston. Lincoln & Edmands:1813. Pages 562-564 https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=GXYRAAAAIAAJ&printsec=front...
↑ Reading, Miller K. 1903. Page 18 https://archive.org/stream/williambowneofyo00read#page/18/mode/1up
↑ Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885, and Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog] Swan. History of Monmouth County, New Jersey ... Philadelphia: R. T. Peck & co., 1885. Page 22 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t9x06b32c&vie...
↑ Stillwell, John Edwin. Historical and genealogical miscellany. Vol II. New York. John Edwin Stillwell:1906. Page 257. https://archive.org/details/historicalgeneal02stil/page/256/mode/1up
↑ Reading, Miller K. 1903. Page 10. https://archive.org/details/williambowneofyo00read/page/10/mode/1up
↑ Stillwell, John E. Historical and genealogical miscellany. Vol. III. New York. John E. Stillwell:1916 Page 111. https://archive.org/details/historicalgeneal03instil/page/221/mode/...
↑ Honeyman, A Van Doren. Archives of the State of New Jersey. First Series. Vol 32. Calendar of Wills, Administrations, etc. Vol 3 (1751-1760), Somerville, N. J. The Unionist-Gazette Association, Printers:1924. Page 39. https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/110932-docu...
↑ Goodspeed, Marfy. Goodspeed Histories:New Jersey History and Genealogy. December 25, 2020. © GOODSPEED HISTORIES 2021. https://goodspeedhistories.com/bray-family-tree/
↑ Hornor, William S. This Old Monmouth of Ours. Freehold, New Jersey. Moreau Brothers:1932. Page 331. https://www.google.com/books/edition/This_Old_Monmouth_of_Ours/Cy88...
↑ Nelson, William. Calendar of New Jersey wills, administrations, etc. Newark, N. J. New Jersey Historical Society. 1901. https://archive.org/stream/calendarofnewjer00newj#page/59/mode/1up
↑ Stillwell, John Edwin. Historical and genealogical miscellany. Vol 3. New York. 1903. Page 110. Footnote. https://archive.org/stream/historicalgeneal03instil#page/219/mode/1up
↑ Stillwell, John Edwin. Vol 2. 1906. Page 262. https://archive.org/stream/historicalgeneal02stil#page/262/mode/1up
↑ Stillwell, John Edwin. Vol III. 1914, Page 53. https://archive.org/details/historicalgeneal03instil/page/105/mode/1up
↑ Nelson, William. Calendar of New Jersey wills, administrations, etc. Newark, New Jersey. New Jersey Historical Society:1901. Page 59. https://archive.org/stream/calendarofnewjer00newj#page/59/mode/1up

• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Apr 6 2017, 10:26:17 UTC