Isham Richard Browder

Isham Richard Browder (late 1800-1885) and Mary Ann Harris (August 25, 1800-November 20, 1874 - from her tombstone) were both born in, and brought up in, Rockingham County, North Carolina as neighbors.
It becomes obvious from the extant records that Richard Browder never actually used his first name, Isham, at least once residing in Tennessee. In fact, on the one document that refers to him as Isham Richard Browder from McNairy County, Tennessee, the name Isham has been marked through with a line. The reason for this is uncertain, but it is certain that this was not a mistake on the part of the clerk because the clerk knew Richard Browder well. It seems obvious that Richard began to sign his full name in that instance but decided to mark through his first name. In fact, we will see that Richard Browder wished to separate himself from the legacy of the Isham and Randolph families, and to begin a new legacy of his own. This is also probably the very reason that he and his family moved to McNairy County, Tennessee as soon as all other members of his immediate family (except for the Whittemore family) had either already moved away, or had passed on. Richard Browder did not continue the legacy handed down to him intact, but, instead, built his own based upon what little was left following the lawsuits, which he, in turn, hoped to pass down to future generations. It seems clear that he rejected the rather hurtful legacy of previous Browder, and related family, generations.

So, Richard Browder obviously did not want to be called “Isham” because he was putting the past behind him. He also apparently did not want other family members to contact him after the move to Tennessee. That is why he, I believe, did not even tell other family members that he and his family had moved from Rockingham County, North Carolina. His family was the last of the Browders to move from Rockingham County. For all anyone else in the family would have known, he and his family were still there. Some outside of the family, left behind in Rockingham County, obviously knew where the Richard Browder had family moved to. But, again, it seems that other family members did not know. This is the reason that, from this point on, I will refer to him only as Richard Browder, as he obviously wished to be remembered.

It is well-known from several sources that the early McNairy County Browders were very private - in the lingo of the time “curious.” They didn’t believe in other people knowing much about their family business. And, no doubt, they did not want to talk about the situation they had left behind in Rockingham County, North Carolina. But it seems that things certainly didn’t turn out entirely the way Richard might had hoped after all once they made their move to McNairy County, Tennessee. The truth is, sometimes one can do all of the right things, but all still will not turn out as one hopes in the end. But, things were better after the move, and it probably was a good decision.

Surely it is true that the earliest McNairy County Browders knew of their history and descent, but later Browders knew absolutely nothing about either Isham Browder (Sr. or Jr.). I can attest to this fact because of interviews I had with various family members many years ago. No one left alive had ever heard of Isham Browder until my great-uncle, Herman E. Browder, uncovered the evidence by his own research, which I brought back out to be known. That is apparently the way Richard Browder wanted it to be. He did not want the past to ever catch up with what he was trying to build in McNairy County, it seems. He wanted to start completely over, and this is exactly what he and his family did, with minor exceptions. And all of this while the family simply transplanted themselves to a place where many others from Rockingham County also settled.

Now, that this may actually have been meant as a temporary move has some evidence to support it. Other family branches (aside from my own Browder line) in McNairy County have always understood that the family had originally planned to move on farther into Texas. But this final move would never take place for reasons no one was quite sure of, although it is said that they delayed due to sickness in the family or livestock and simply never renewed the effort after that point.

In any event, Herman, my grandfather’s brother, is the one who discovered our descent from Isham Browder. Richard Browder and Mary Ann Harris were married on January 19, 1819 in Rockingham County, North Carolina (Rockingham County Marriage Bonds Book [RCMBB], p. 27). The bondsman was Jesse Delap and the witness was William Ferrel. Richard was born late in 1800 by my best estimate, and died in or about October of 1885, aged about 85 years, a nice, long life, especially in comparison to the three prior generations of his Browder ancestors.

The Richard Browder home in McNairy County itself is described as having been a white, two-story wood frame home similar to most others in the area at that time (like that of Fielding Hurst, which still exists today).
Now, unfortunately, the only known notation directly referring to Richard Browder in any extant publication comes from Reminiscences by Gen. Marcus J. Wright, first published in 1882, in which he states the following:
"Richard Browder settled at an early date on Oxford Creek, where he now lives at an advanced age. He has always been a good citizen, and highly respected by all his neighbors" (p. 84).

One wishes that more would have been written about him because his story, as carefully pieced back together, is obviously quite interesting. But, again, he was a very private person and probably would not have told anyone much if they had even interviewed him. Perhaps Wright tried, but Richard may have been unwilling to assist. Now, although there seems to be no extant provable documentation to confirm this (I have literally scoured what records are still available), it seems obvious to me that Richard Browder was an American soldier during the War of 1812 and other wars of that time-period. I base this primarily on his known relationships. Because of his young age, Richard Browder would have enlisted no earlier than 1814 and more likely in 1815. Richard could have taken part in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in Mississippi Territory (as Benjamin Wright of McNairy County did), which took place on March 27, 1814. During this battle Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson (a Freemason) and his forces defeated the Creek Indians. Richard would likely have met his good friend, John Green Randolph, while serving during this war. They would likely, then, have both fought still later under Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans in January of 1815, the final battle of the war. It is known that Randolph did participate in this battle.

Also, just as John G. Randolph is known to have done, Richard Browder likely continued serving beyond the end of the war, still under Gen. Andrew Jackson, during the Indian Wars. If so, Richard likely served during the First Seminole War in Florida from 1816 to 1818, after which he obviously returned home to North Carolina. Richard Browder, therefore, would have served in the Army for about three years, a standard enlistment. And the very next year we know that Richard Browder married Mary Ann Harris and began a family. So, the timeline fits.

This war service was only Richard’s first move toward differentiating himself from his ancestors. Yes, his grandfather had served as a Captain in the Militia during the American Revolutionary War, and Richard would have been keenly aware of this. But Richard’s service was different. He likely served as a Private and, if he rose in rank, he probably did not rise very high in rank. In other words, he served as a common soldier rather than as an officer. And it seems obvious that he served in more areas of the country, and for a longer period, in total, than his ancestors had. The only similarity would have been that the United States was once again at war with Great Britain.

When Richard's father died in 1832, he and his wife's husband, William J. Meador (not "Meadows", as it has been misspelled many times), split the property left behind by his father. In fact, it becomes obvious that the two were quite close since William had married Richard's sister.
While still in Rockingham County, North Carolina, Richard Browder also performed several real estate transactions. First, on January 26, 1826 he deeded 168 acres of land, located on Wolf Island Creek, to Clement Whittemore, Jr. (RCDB Z, p. 310). Later, on September 23, 1835, he witnessed the sale of her one-sixth share of 689 acres of land, located on Wolf Island Creek, by Anne Elizabeth “Eliza” Browder, daughter of Augustine C. Browder, et. al., to Luke Palmer (RCDB 2nd G, p. 5). This is probably Luke Palmer’s initial purchase of land in the area.
In 1834 Richard Browder, still in Rockingham County, received 581 and also 94 acres of land (RCDB 2nd N, pp. 342 and 352) situated on Wolf Island Creek and Lickfork Creek in Rockingham County, North Carolina, which he got from Levin Harris. It is known that Levin Harris died by May of 1834.
On February 10, 1835, Richard Browder also stood as bondsman for the marriage of Claiborn Harris (c1815-October, 1849) and Minerva Settle (daughter of Benjamin Settle and Mary Reid) in Rockingham County, North Carolina. Claiborne, as well as his brother, William, were sons of John Harris, Jr. (c1775-c1841) [brother of Levin Harris] and Ellender “Nellie” Atkins (c1777-c1850), daughter of Daniel Atkins, of Rockingham County.
Also, on August 23, 1836 Clement Whittemore and his wife, Martha, sold 173 acres of land, located on Wolf Island Creek, to Richard Browder (RCDB 2G, p. 194).
Now, in 1842 Jeremiah Mize deeded some land (acreage unknown) on Lickfork Creek to Richard Browder (RCDB 2nd M, p. 12). And Richard Browder sold the 94 acres of the land he had previously received from Levin Harris, which bordered Richard’s own property, to Luke Palmer on August 28, 1842 (excepting about 30 acres of said land of the interest of Ira Harris and about 60 acres of the fee simple of Elizabeth Harris, Levin’s widow), which was situated on Lickfork Creek, for $300.00 (RCDB 2nd N, p 353). Then Richard Browder sold the other property of Levin Harris, on August 28, 1843 (RCDB 2nd N, pp. 342-43) of 581 acres, which was also situated on Wolf Island Creek, for $2,486.00. Both deeds were finally proven during the May term of 1844. Richard Browder had once owned at least 1,331 acres of land in Rockingham County altogether.
After May (probably in June) of 1844, following his last land sale, the Richard Browder family began the move, across the Appalachian Mountains through the Cumberland Gap, to McNairy County, Tennessee, eventually settling on Oxford Creek, later in 1844. So, the Richard Browder family moved from Rockingham County, North Carolina to McNairy County, Tennessee almost exactly 60 years after the death of his grandfather, Capt. Thomas Isham Browder. And there is the suggestion that the Richard Browder family may have briefly stopped on the Big and Little Tennessee River in East Tennessee on the way to moving on to McNairy County. If so, it would seem that they did not make the trek all at once, just like other families of the same time period. But it was still completed rather quickly, within the space of a few months.

It has also long been said that the Richard Browder family traveled from Rockingham County, North Carolina to McNairy County, Tennessee along with some other families, including the Carroll family, but, to date, no extant evidence has been found concerning this connection, although several members of the Carroll family resided in Rockingham County as early as 1840 and, presumably, also migrated from there to McNairy County, Tennessee at about the same time. And members of the Carroll family certainly did settle in McNairy County at an early date. 

In any case, according to family tradition, Richard Browder first actually walked across the Appalachian Mountains, saw the land of Tennessee, and then returned to bring his family to Tennessee. One should not find the idea that Richard walked all that way too far fetched since it is known that several other pioneers did just that, including William T. Anderson (b. 1804), who did so at the age of seventeen, walking all the way to Madison County, Tennessee (Mitchell, p. 133). Perhaps Richard Browder did this during his return journey from Florida to North Carolina after the Seminole War. Indeed, it is not impossible at all that Richard Browder could have been a part of the Natchez Trace Expedition of 1818, along with Jonathan Crook (an ancestor through my mother) and his brother Jeremiah Crook, together with expedition leader David “Davy” Crockett, which “discovered” West Tennessee. There may be some corroboration to this belief in that there is also the suggestion, again from family tradition, that Richard traveled to McNairy County (possibly along with the John Green Randolph family) about 1827, at which time Richard staked out his original claim, and then returned home. So, in all probability, Richard Browder himself made two or three trips in all to West Tennessee, settling in McNairy County, along with his family, during his final trip. This would not have been unusual either as others are also known to have done similar things.

It does seem obvious, at least, according to family tradition and extant records combined, that the family’s move was planned well in advance of the time in which it took place. 

It is also true that today the former properties of Richard Browder and that of John G. Randolph, which Richard later purchased, are still known to be some of the best farmland in McNairy county. These lands, especially those purchased from John G. Randolph by Richard Browder, still produced cotton, at least until a solar farm was built there. The Browder and Randolph families would have eventually taken their cotton bales to Dayton (later known as Henderson Station, and then simply Henderson) to be sent to market once this railroad depot town was established. 

It is also known that the Weatherford family eventually acquired much of the southern tracts of original Browder lands there. They and the Davis family owned lands which included that which is today directly south and south-east of the present-day Spring Hill Cemetery. The Weatherfords are known to have owned about one-thousand acres in the area. Much of this information came from Tom Littlejohn, who still resides in the area and who was born in 1945. He stated that the Weatherfords owned land in the area much earlier than the time of his birth, but does not have exact dates. It is also known that Weatherford’s Store was located between Spring Hill Cemetery and Pleasant Site Church and School, very close to Spring Hill Cemetery to the right of the present day road there at the split.

It is documented that John Green Randolph, along with his family, did arrive in McNairy County prior to 1830. The two, Richard Browder and John Green Randolph, eventually owned large, adjoining, tracts of property. So, they were “neighbors” in McNairy County, although John G. Randolph actually resided some distance away in the town of Montezuma. 

In fact, the State of Tennessee granted Richard Browder two initial known tracts of land in McNairy County, Tennessee. Both were issued on May 18, 1844. The first tract was for 443 acres (Grant #649/TGB 1-A, p. 649) and the second was for 25 acres (Grant #5369/TGB 6-A, p. 746). Curiously, the second tract for 25 acres is repeated in the records. Both tracts were located on Oxford Creek and were formerly lands that had belonged to John Oxford. John Oxford was granted 20 acres of land by the State of Tennessee in the 9th Surveyor’s District, Range 11, Section 2 on June 22, 1826 by virtue of his occupant claim to said land. This grant began at the north-east corner of #1071 and ran east 45 poles, then south (McNairy County, Tennessee Land Grants, 1823-1851, #426). Then Jacob Oxford was granted a total of 200 acres of land, in parcels of 25 acres each (certificate #s 3165, 3166, 3167, 3168, 3169, 3170, 3171 and 3172), all located in the 9th Surveyor’s District, Range 4, Section 1, bordering the lands of William Petty (ibid, #506). Then, on June 30, 1826 the State of Tennessee granted a reserve of 50 acres as an occupant claim to John Oxford, located in the 9th Surveyor’s District, Range 4, Section 2, at the north-east corner of #426, running east 90 poles and then south (ibid, #111).
Later Jacob Oxford purchased two acres of land in the 9th surveyor’s district, third range and third section, in McNairy County, Tennessee from William Garrett on September 9, 1827 (McCDB A, p. 15). This land was part of a 285 acre grant. And Jacob Oxford also purchased 182 acres of land in the 9th surveyor’s district, range 3, section 3 (Grant #205) in McNairy County, from William West, Jr. of South Carolina, on August 1, 1828 (McCDB A, p. 45). Both of these tracts were located on what would become Oxford Creek. Later Jacob Oxford sold 92 acres of land to Abel U. Murry on August 19, 1828. This was the southern section of the land originally granted to William West, Jr. (McCDB A. p. 46). Jacob Oxford also sold 93 acres of land to John Ham on June 22, 1829 (McCDB A, p. 60). He also sold 106 acres of land to John Norwood on June 22, 1829 (McCDB A, p. 61). This land was located next to that of William Petty. Jacob Oxford also sold 95 acres of land to Lany Moore on April 14, 1829 (McCDB A, p. 62).
So, the above lands of Jacob Oxford are not the lands that Richard Browder later acquired. Jacob and John Oxford may, then, have been brothers, with adjoining tracts of land.
The Richard Browder family is known to have settled on the north branch of Oxford Creek. It is also believed that Richard Browder was among those who met in December of 1844 in McNairy County, Tennessee as a church body, formed to appoint a building committee. This committee approved the building of a log structure located on the Purdy-Stantonville Road which was called Clear Creek Baptist Church. The actual records have been missing for years (some say that they were taken by a family who moved to Texas), so it can not be proven that Richard Browder took part in this. However, once Clear Creek Church was established, it was at that early time the closest church to the family. And this family certainly were Baptists at that time. I know this from my earliest interviews with family members. Their faith is one thing that was remembered well about this family.

This church had actually first been organized in 1828, being the oldest Baptist Church in McNairy County. It is obvious from extant evidence that the family of Thomas Saunders, Sr. was instrumental in its establishment in 1828. However, in 1841/42, a split ensued between the Missionary and Primitive Baptists, which led to the founding of the Clear Creek Church (when the name Clear Creek was actually adopted) of 1844. The church of 1844 was actually, then, the second church building, after which a third building was erected on land donated by Roy Luttrell, which was finished in 1847.

Again, the Richard Browder family were Baptist by the time they settled in McNairy County, although the family is also known to have attended a Methodist Church in the area. No one I interviewed was certain which Methodist Church they may have attended, but it seems likely to me that it may well have been Shiloh Methodist Church since so many of their neighbors and descendants are known to have often attended that church. But, no doubt, Richard himself became a Baptist due to the influence of his wife’s family, who had obviously been early Baptists back in North Carolina. Later, Richard Browder made his only known land purchase in McNairy County from his friend, John Green Randolph, in 1848. This block of land, again, was located adjacent to the family’s original homestead property. This new property, which was originally in the possession of the University of North Carolina, a “land grant college”, had become the property of John G. Randolph, from whom Richard Browder purchased it.
I believe the above tract of land to be the same as Entry #18846, which is listed in Tennessee General Land Grant Book V on page 160, which was also made in the name of the Trustees of the University of North Carolina on November 14, 1820 and deeded to said trustees on March 15, 1822. This tract was also for 640 acres of land and was listed as having been in Surveyor’s District 9, ranges 3-4, but in section 10 rather than section 2. These section numbers may have changed here during the intervening years, as they sometimes did. McNairy County did fall into Surveyor’s District 9, and this land was initially surveyed by William S. Wisdom, or one of his assistants by his direction.
This large block of land was the main property that Richard Browder later divided up and gave to four of his sons and to Benjamin F. Sanders. Each section was roughly equivalent, and surrounded the Clement “Clemon” Sears tract, which later went to Augustus Browder, along with his other tract of 100 acres. Isham received the southernmost portion, with Augustus’ original portion being located just north of his tract. Andrew Jackson Browder received 160 acres in the northeast section. John received about 102½ acres in the north central section. B. F. and Mary Sanders received the rest, of about 100 acres, located in the northwest section. Franklin did not receive any of this tract of land because he received 300 acres of the original homestead tract of land.
Finally, in 1849 Richard Browder was granted an additional 134 acres of land by the State of Tennessee (Tennessee Grant Book 18, p. 644, Grant #14348).
Thus, the Richard Browder family and their descendants remained in Tennessee following the death of his sister, Mary, and did not follow his sister's family on to Texas as they had apparently planned to do. It was only a few years after their arrival in McNairy County that William J. Meador moved on to Texas, but the Browders elected to stay rather than to go on.
In actuality, the truth has become known since I wrote my first genealogy book as to why the Browder family did not move on. As stated, it is fairly obvious that the plan was for them to move on along with the family of Richard's sister, who had been married to William J. Meador. They had moved to Itawamba County, Mississippi sometime around 1837 or a little afterward. So, the Richard Browder family resided fairly close to them once they moved to McNairy County, Tennessee. But, again, according to family tradition, the move did not take place because of sickness. The sad fact of the matter is that Richard's sister, Mary Thompson "Polly" Browder-Meador died in Itawamba County, Mississippi sometime around the time the Richard Browder family moved to McNairy County. It is entirely possible that the two families had planned to hook up and move on at that time when tragedy struck and Mary became ill. Following her death, William J. Meador married Narcissa Allen, on January 16, 1845, in Itawamba County, Mississippi. Sometime between 1850 and 1860, this family did move on to Cherokee County, Texas. Where Mary is buried is unknown to me.
All in all, according to the extant land grants and deeds, and Richard Browder’s will combined, Richard had owned at least 1,542 acres of land altogether in McNairy County, Tennessee. He also makes reference to 155 acres of land he gave to Eleanor Browder-Willis in his will, which must be included in this total. There can be little doubt that her land was located at the far southern end of the 443 acre tract (because descendants of this Willis family continue to reside in this area even today) and that Richard gave some of his other daughters land from this property also, even though he never states this and there is no known record of these transactions.
Richard’s total land holdings included the acreage purchased from John G. Randolph of 640 acres, plus that granted to him by the State of Tennessee of 134 acres in 1849, as well as the tract of 443 acres, the 25 acre tract and, finally, the original 300 acre homestead tract. This is more than Richard had owned in Rockingham County, North Carolina altogether.
Again, through his will, Richard Browder gave Franklin Browder most, if not all, of his original homestead land, while his brothers received roughly equal amounts of about 100 acres apiece, more or less, of the land purchased from John G. Randolph. And John Browder received another 100 acres of land, totaling 200 acres altogether for him. Benjamin F. Sanders actually acquired more than anyone else because of all of his purchases from Richard and from his children. It seems that Richard was somewhat annoyed with the fact that Benjamin F. Sanders had obtained so much of it by various means, as exemplified by Richard’s will.

No doubt, Richard Browder had wanted his family to, more or less, stay together and that is why he arranged the separate plots in the way that he did. In fact, John Browder’s land was central among all of the plots and Franklin Browder’s land was next to the land that Richard wanted his daughters to have. It seems, therefore, that Richard had intended for his eldest and youngest sons to function as mediators with the other family members. He had no desire for family members to fight or sue over property ever again. The eldest and youngest brothers were obviously supposed to enforce the peace between other family members, and it seems that they accomplished this, for the most part.

Now, if we put all of the evidence together, then the following picture can be drawn. Richard Browder was indeed a soldier during the War of 1812, and afterward, and knew both John Green Randolph and Joseph Carroll from his service during that time. Once Richard Browder and John G. Randolph left the army, they traveled together into Tennessee. Richard himself came all the way to McNairy County to see the land. But why would he do this? After all, he would not have received any land grants directly from his service in the war. So, what land would it have been that he had traveled to see? The answer has to lie with the American Revolutionary War. Former soldiers were granted lands in the west for their service in that war, especially in McNairy County, Tennessee, which had been set aside for exactly this purpose. Richard traveled to see land that he already knew about. There was a plot of 100 acres of land which Richard later gave to his son, John, that is not otherwise accounted for in the extant records. It had to be this plot of land that Richard had traveled to see and finalize his claim to. After Richard did this, he left said land in the care of his friend, John G. Randolph, and returned to Rockingham County, to return with his family some years later.

Richard’s “claim” was already there and he knew about it. There can be little doubt that this was a grant that had been earned by his grandfather, Thomas Isham Browder, for his service during the American Revolutionary War. But, both he and his son, Isham C. Browder, died before they could make any moves toward securing it. Indeed, both may have planned, during their lifetimes, to actually settle there with their families. But this never happened due to circumstances beyond their control. So, it became Richard’s responsibility to secure the grant. No one had bothered to sue for this piece of land. Perhaps other family members overlooked it, if they even knew about it. But it becomes obvious that it was because of this piece of land that Richard Browder moved his family to McNairy County, Tennessee in the first place.

In any case, it was also during the lifetimes of the first generations of Browders in McNairy County that the Browder Schoolhouse was built. In fact, it seems likely that Browder Schoolhouse and Browder Chapel were one and the same building, contrary to what I had believed during my early research. The reason that this may be true is because it is known that weddings did take place at Browder Schoolhouse, and that schoolhouses during that era often doubled as churches/chapels. And, just like others during that era, it would have been a one room structure. In fact, those who remember it state that it was a white wood frame structure just like others in the area. But, as memories fade, the schoolhouse and the chapel were not remembered as having been one and the same building. Thus, just a bit of confusion among later generations. However, I can safely state that Ms. Pauline “Polly” Hockaday-Reynolds recalled that the Browder Schoolhouse also had a large stage inside of it. She also recalled that when she was growing up, even the old chalkboards were still on the walls. So, the building survived for some time.

The Browder Schoolhouse was actually located at what is today just north of HWY 142, behind the home of Jack Martin, close to the Browder cemetery there. When exactly it was built and started is unknown. However, it could not have been started prior to the time when Richard Browder purchased the land from John G. Randolph in 1848 because it was clearly located on that tract of land. By 1916 it was no longer shown on area maps while Oxford Creek Schoolhouse was shown. And, a list of schools in McNairy County, by district, published in the McNairy County Independent on November 26, 1906, does not list Browder School, but does list Oxford School. So, it is safe to assume that the Browder Schoolhouse building was no longer used for classes by late 1906 (Mitchell, "History of Schools", p. 9). Pauline Hockaday-Reynolds, again, has stated to me that she knew that the building was still around as late as the 1930s. She also said that she knew that it was the Browder Schoolhouse, not the Oxford Creek Schoolhouse, because that is what her mother and others told her growing up. And she is the one who finally was able to confirm its actual location for me. In any case, it is certain that the building was around, and it was still being used, as late as 1893 (the year my ancestor, John Browder, died).
It is not known exactly what happened to the Browder Schoolhouse or exactly when its demise occurred. However, that area used to be listed on maps as “Browder Schoolhouse Hollow”, and is in the area of Oxford Creek where the Browder family resided. The schoolhouse was actually located somewhat south of the main hollow area.
In any case, it also seems perfectly obvious that Richard Browder allowed religious camp meetings to take place on his property. They would have taken place at the general location where two springs fed into Oxford Creek, thus the name “Spring Hill”, as it came to be called. It was a natural place for camp meetings because of the abundant water supply there. Old Browder Cemetery was already located in that area prior to the founding of Spring Hill Church, which church would have started following a camp meeting, as many churches of that day did. The school that was also called Spring Hill was started somewhat later, after the war.
It is also obvious that practically all of the members of this church were closely related, and are buried in the Old Browder Cemetery there, which became Spring Hill Cemetery. Obviously, this church was started by these family members themselves. The church is known to have been destroyed during the American Civil War, never to be rebuilt, according to some of my earliest interviews. Sadly, the records also seem to have been lost or destroyed.
To be clear now, Richard Browder’s property transactions in McNairy County, Tennessee, in addition to the deeds already mentioned, included the following. On March 6, 1848 Richard Browder executed a Deed of Gift of 152½ acres of land, located on the south end of entry #1071 in the name of the trustees of the University of North Carolina, located in Range 4, Section 2, to Isham Browder, his son (McCDB C, p. 243).
On April 15, 1852 (proven on November 23, 1853) he also gave his son, Augustus Browder, 100 acres of land, located north of Isham Browder’s land, also part of #1071 (McCDB E, p. 128).
On May 3, 1856 (proven on the 4th) he also gave one “Negro” girl, of seven years of age named Susan, to his son-in-law, Benjamin F. Sanders and wife Mary (McCDB F, pp. 203-04). On about October 8, 1858 Richard Browder then sold 100 acres of land to Benjamin F. Sanders for $700.00, which was located in the northwest corner of Entry #1071 (McCDB G, pp. 151-52).
Then, on about October 8, 1858, Richard Browder gave his son, Andrew Jackson Browder, 160 acres of land. This land was located in the northeast corner of entry #1071 (McCDB G, p. 151).
Then, on February 9, 1861 Richard Browder gave Frances Forsythe, his daughter, and her children, one “Negro girl” named Margaret (a slave), of nine years of age (McCDB H, p. 497).
On September 18, 1867, Richard Browder deeded to Benjamin F. Sanders 134 additional acres of land (the land which had been granted to him by the State of Tennessee, entry #2375, located in Range 4, Section 2), which bordered entry #1071, in the name of the Trustees of the University of North Carolina, and which was also bounded by the land of Duncan Baker, and entry #2082 of John W. Erwin, for $165.00. This 134 acre tract also bordered the 100 acre tract already deeded to Benjamin F. Sanders by Richard Browder in 1858 (McCDB I, pp. 680-81).
On January 1, 1869 (proven on May 24, 1869) Richard Browder deeded 25 acres of land to his son, “Augustin” Browder, which was located in between the land of Andrew Jackson Browder and Benjamin F. Sanders. This 25 acre tract of land had formerly been known as “the Clem Sears tract” (McCDB K, pp. 326-27).
Finally, on April 7, 1869, Richard Browder deeded to Benjamin F. Sanders the same 100 acres of land as in 1858, but with adjusted lines because of a dispute between Benjamin Sanders and himself about said lines. In other words, a new document was drawn up, but Sanders did not purchase a new plot of land, nor did he pay again. The lines were simply adjusted and a new deed was drawn up (McCDB K, pp. 296-97).
The property just north of the “Clem Sears tract” had already been deeded by Richard Browder to his first son, John. Exactly when this had taken place is not known since records are unavailable. This tract was located in between the tracts of Benjamin F. Sanders and Andrew Jackson Browder, a part of entry #1071. What is certain is that Richard Browder deeded sections of his #1071 tract to his sons (except for Franklin) sometime after they were married in each case. His deed to Benjamin F. Sanders also obviously occurred after Benjamin and Mary were married. It seems that he waited until each family was well-established and had had at least one child, and then deeded land to each of them in turn. Perhaps it was meant as an incentive to remain.
The original Richard Browder home place in McNairy County, as well as Browder’s Chapel Cemetery, are known to have been located just north of the then Old Purdy-Stantonville Road. This home place and his other land holdings altogether created a considerable piece of property. Browder Schoolhouse, again, was located along what was an intersection of the old Purdy-Stantonville Road and the Old Stagecoach Road (which led on from Purdy to Corinth, Mississippi), close to the intersection of Cox Lane and McNairy Central Road today. This Old Stagecoach Road also led on to Spring Hill (Old Browder) Cemetery. The impression of an old road in the area next to this cemetery is still evident today. And the Richard Browder family literally resided “on Oxford Creek” as has always been said.
It is of interest to note here that the John H. Black and Narcissa Locke Erwin family held property just north of that of Richard Browder. This family had ties to Rockingham County, North Carolina and I am fairly certain (although I have yet to prove it) that John H. Black is likely a descendant of the William Black who was a friend/associate of Capt. Isham Browder.
It has also been suggested that Richard Browder may have been a merchant, as well as a farmer, since there used to be a store in the area of Oxford Creek where the family resided that was known as “the Old Browder store building” by later generations. I have heard of this store building several times over the years, but no one knew of its exact location. This is clearly not the one that Polk Browder later owned in Falcon. It is possible that Richard Browder was indeed a merchant, perhaps along with Richard ”Dick” S. Harwell, who became one of the witnesses to Richard’s will. Richard S. Harwell is, in fact, known to have been a merchant. The “Browder Store” may well have been established by Richard Harwell and, perhaps, Richard Browder bought it. Although no evidence has been found concerning Richard’s livelihood outside of farming, it seems that Richard very well could have owned and ran such a local store. And that area where Spring Hill Cemetery is located used to be full of stores, etc., which no longer exist today, according to early interviewees.
But I believe that Richard Browder’s store was located closer to the intersection of the Purdy-Stantonville Road and the Old Stagecoach Road, somewhat further north of Spring Hill Cemetery than these others were. It is known that Wiley Michael, father of Mansel Michael (August 4, 1922-March 18, 1998) and Roy Michael (March 26, 1917-May 23, 1993), owned part of the old Richard Browder lands. Turner Michael, Wiley’s father, owned an old store place there which is known to have been owned by a Browder before him. This could certainly have been the old Browder store that people remembered. The fact that the old store was purchased by Turner Michael would place the store as having existed at least as early as the late 1800s. So, it was surely first owned by either Richard Browder or one of his sons. Much of this information was related to me by my uncle, Winfred Browder, and by Mansel Michael.
It is also interesting to note that in April of 1869 Richard Browder is listed as the sole witness in the case of the State vs. James Forsythe, et. al. The source is McNairy County, Tennessee Circuit Court Execution Docket [McCCCED], July 1855 to March 1860, page 53. However, in this case, as in all of the others, no reference is made as to what exactly the outcome of said case was, or which side Richard Browder was a witness for, although it stands to reason that he took the side of the defense since James Forsythe was a relative. And, as is often the case in said records, no reference is made as to exactly what James Forsythe was being prosecuted for. But what makes this particularly interesting is that this is the SOLE reference to Richard Browder serving as a witness in any court case, as far as I have been able to find from extant records. And he is never mentioned as a defendant, or otherwise, in any case whatsoever. So, it is clear that, as a general rule, he stayed completely out of the court system, I believe on purpose. I believe that his complete disdain for the court system is evident here and, again, stemmed from past family squabbles that he wanted to forever leave behind.
Again, it has always been said, and it is born out in the records, that the Richard Browder family were mainly farmers and hunters. They did not produce tobacco as far as is known. It is said that the men of this household would often leave and go hunting in the woods, leaving the slaves behind to work on the farm. In fact, the Browder family lands are said to have been mainly cleared by the use of slave labor (and it would have taken more than just the three that Richard owned) while the Browder men hunted and fished. But, it also seems likely that the land that Richard Browder purchased from John G. Randolph, at least, was probably cleared before Richard purchased it.
In an article in which Luco Crabtree was interviewed for Wagon Spokes, he made the following statement; “When the older Browders like Jim, Dan, Dick, Benjamin, Wes, John and Big Pap,. divided the land it was given to the boys. The girls got the slaves to take care of them and when the Civil War was finished the slaves were freed and the girls had nothin’. The original Browders were brothers of my grandmother. So far as I know, not a foot of that land is owned by a Browder now.” Of course, Mr. Crabtree appears to have been obtaining his information solely from Richard Browder’s will. He probably did not have access to all of the information presented here, and would not have known that Richard had, in fact, also given land to his daughters once they married. And he seems to have missed the fact that Richard gave his daughter, Eleanor, 155 acres of land, as he stated in his will.
Luco Crabtree’s grandmother was Mary Ann Elizabeth Browder-Willis, daughter of John Browder (known by later generations as “Big Pap”) and Delia Martin. However, since Luco Crabtree names John Browder, obviously referring to his great-grandfather, and also names “Big Pap” separately, the obvious conclusion is that he is there referring to the patriarch of the Browder family, Richard as “Big Pap.” Therefore, it is an obvious conclusion that with each successive generation, for at least three generations, the oldest male Browder was referred to as “Pap” and later “Big Pap”. And the fact that he even remembered Wes (John Wesley) Browder, son of his great-grandfather, John Browder, is telling since Wes Browder died relatively young.
Evidence also strongly suggests that the Richard Browder family participated in horse breeding and racing (just as Richard’s parents and grandparents evidently did) since it is known that horse racing took place in that area of McNairy County, Tennessee, along what is still known as “Race Path Road”, (located close to present-day Lawton and running partly through what was Black and Browder land), but what was then referred to as Oxford Race Paths. Today’s Race Path Road received its name because of the fact that part of the old horseracing track is now a part of the existing road. This is also something that came out of some of my earliest interviews with family members.
In fact, there can be no real doubt that the early Browder family in McNairy County did indeed race and breed horses. The Browder family did own horses, some of which were probably descendants of the imported English horse of Thomas Isham Browder. And it is not very far fetched to conclude that the Richard Browder family may, in fact, have been instrumental in the establishment of the horseracing industry in McNairy County.
Sadly, the horseracing industry in McNairy County ceased to exist during the American Civil War because the war caused the destruction of most of the industry’s records there. The industry was never fully revived in that area after the war because of the loss of these records. This had to be a devastating economic blow for the Browder and other families who may have been doing the same thing. With this loss, which would have been substantial, everything changed and the Browders had to rely even more on simply farming for a living.

A note in Narcissa Black’s diary (p. 13), dated May 4, 1861, reads “I received letter from Hattisha Sears dated April the 12, 1861. Alponso Cross and the volunteers started to day.” Narcissa was the wife of John H. Black who is first listed in the 1840 census of McNairy County, Tennessee. Alphonso Cross was a brother of Maclin Cross who is first listed in the 1830 census of McNairy County. This is a reference to the wife of Clement “Clemon” Sears, and refers to the specter of war which was about to engulf the entire area with devastating consequences. This Sears family resided in the midst of the Browders at that time, possibly renting from them.

Indeed, it is obvious, even from the pictures, that the Browder family of McNairy County suffered economic decline following the American Civil War. They were no longer the genteel Southern family of former generations. Life became much more difficult for them, as well as for other families in the South.

Certainly Richard Browder, the presumed soldier from the latter years of the War of 1812 and the Seminole Wars, moved from North Carolina in an attempt to begin anew. Richard tried to ensure that the old legacy of the Browder family would continue in that the land he passed on would remain basically intact and within the family. Richard passed all of his land and property to his descendants, selling none of it to anyone outside of the family. He clearly intended for this property to remain basically intact, divided only between his descendants. He surely expected that they would be able to keep it intact.

But, it was simply not possible for future generations to carry on his vision. Even though at least three generations had managed to build and preserve a legacy and pass that legacy down to each succeeding generation, first lawsuits among family, then the American Civil War and its aftermath and, finally, the Great Depression, all took a toll on this family’s legacy. This family of former landed gentry was, because of these events, eventually reduced greatly in social and economic status, especially during and following the Reconstruction period in the South. For them, recovery truly did not begin again until after WWII.

Perhaps the most important part of Richard Browder’s surviving legacy is the fact that the Browder family has now resided in McNairy County, Tennessee for over 169 years. The Browder family name is well-known in McNairy County as in few other places in the entire United States of America. Even though the Browder family has not been as prominent since the family moved to McNairy County as the family had been in Virginia and North Carolina, we have certainly had a great influence there in ways that are often intangible, but no less relevant. And that even though the family members were, and often still are, very private people.
Interestingly, the one and only certain entry involving the Browders in the journal of Narcissa Black directly follows: On December 14, 1861 (p. 34-35) she notes: “Moses went to day to see if Mrs. Browder [note that she spelled the name Browder correctly while she often misspelled others] could coure his leg.” This entry was made with reference to Narcissa’s husband’s leg, which had been hurt in an accident, and which had seemed to be getting better, but was now becoming worse again. In fact, after this entry was made, his leg did get better, and it seemed as if he might recover until he became ill again and later died. Which “Mrs. Browder” is being noted here may be questioned. I favor Mary Ann Harris-Browder, while Alyce E. Dobyns, who’s copy of Narcissa Black’s diary I obtained these entries from, favors Phoebe Caroline Helbert-Browder.
It seems to me that, since Mrs. Black had called for and utilized at least two physicians already, that, as a last resort, she called upon the only thing left that might work - a faith healer. It seems all too obvious that “Mrs. Browder” was indeed a faith healer exactly because she was used as a last resort. After all, they were close neighbors, so if Narcissa Black wanted a doctor who was close by she might have already called for Mrs. Browder before this time, had she actually been a doctor.
And, in the most poignant tract in her diary (p. 156) Narcissa Black mentions the death of her husband, whom she had called “Mr. Black” throughout her diaries, in an entry dated April 17, 1865 as follows: “John H. Black, my Dear Husband, Departed this Life last night half past nine o’clock. he dyed in the Triumph of faith and is gon to glory a home that is prepaired for all christians. the Dr. and wife, Mrs. Litteral [Luttrell], Harriet Ray, Mrs. Robartson, sister alice, Mary Jane, Nat, col. Meeks, Esq East, Margaret Erwin, Molly Burks, Mrs. Sanders [probably Mary Browder-Sanders], thomas Erwin and Brother James all staid and witnessed Deth. he was Buryed this evening at N. A. Erwin’s. he Lived fore years one month after his fathers and ten days.” He is known to have died, mainly of pneumonia.
John Browder and Isham C. Browder, the eldest sons of Richard Browder, served as Executors of Richard’s estate. Richard “Dick” S. Harwell and Asa Bell proved his will in open court, serving as witnesses to it.
It is certain that both Richard and Mary Ann are buried beside one another in the family cemetery that was located close to their home. Since they had started another family cemetery some distance away at Spring Hill prior to her death, it is a curiosity as to why she was buried elsewhere. Since she died in late November, it is entirely possible that the weather simply did not permit her burial any distance away from home. It is equally possible that Richard could not bear for her to be buried so far away. So, she was buried in another Browder family cemetery, which later became known as the Frank Browder Cemetery (today located behind the home of Bobby Mask) because Franklin owned the land where it was located and, presumably, he and his family members were also buried there. However, only the gravestone of Mary Ann has survived.