Nicholas Brown, of Portsmouth

Not the same as Nicholas Brown of Lynn & Reading

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https://www-personal.umich.edu/~bobwolfe/gen/person/g4490.htm

Family

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Brown-22586

Nicholas married at least twice. First he married an unknown woman, probably about the time he arrived at Portsmouth in 1638. The order of his children is taken from his will, and the ages are approximate guesses. William was presumably the youngest, as his children are mentioned last in Nicholas' will. He was at least 21 in 1669 when he was a freeman. Presumably Nicholas Jr. and Abraham were both over 21 when they settled in Shrewsbury. It's probable that some or all of them were a year or more older then below listed:

1. Nicholas, eldest son, b. say 1642, settled in Shrewsbury, N.J. 1665
2. Abraham, b. say 1644, settled in Shrewsbury, N.J. 1665
3. Jane, b. say 1646, m. James Babcock (b. 1641) bef. November 16, 1694
4. William, b. abt/bef. 1648, freeman 1669, d. bef. March 1681

It does not appear that Nicholas married second Frances (unknown) Parker, the wife of George Parker. See notes below.

Notes

Due to a transcription error in Austin's 1887 The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, it was generally thought that Frances married second Nicholas Brown. The record instead reads "Frances Bowrn", which was probably a misspelling of "Bourne". Instead of Nicholas, she likely married second Jared Bourne.

There are two Nicholas Browns this one is the Rhode Island connection.

This Nicholas is often confused with Nicholas who married a Leids. Nicholas of Portsmouth was a resident of Aquidneck Island. He was a husbandman. He apparently married #1 ________,mother of Abraham.

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:992326&i...

This Nicholas Brown d. 1694 married first to Unknown about 1638 Portsmouth RI and had children Nicholas, Abraham, Jane (Babcock), William was not listed in the will so probably died before that was made in 1694. Abraham married a Catherine, a Mary Dix and had children with Mary Potter one was Preserve Brown.

The will of Brown d.1694 is described in this "Wilbour, Benjamin Franklin. "Little Compton Families." Little Compton, RI: Little Compton Historical Society, 1967. Volume I, page 73 begins The Brown Family".

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BABCOCK AND ALLIED FAMILIES, by L. E. De Forest, page 35, 36.

Nicholas emigrated to RI, and in 1638 was admitted as aninhabitant of the Island of Aquidneck. In 1639 it is recordedthat "Nicholas Browne, doth dismiss himself of the governmenthere." On April 30, 1639, he and twenty-eight others signed thefollowing agreement as incorporators of Portsmouth, RI.

On February 4, 1646, he was granted twenty acres adjorningtwenty acres already in his possission. He was made freeman in1655. In 1680 he appears on the tax list, as paying sixshillings, fourpence. His will was made November 16, 1694, andprobated December 27, 1694. The executor was his grandsonTobias. His eldest son, Nicholas Brown, and his son AbrahamBrown each received five shillings. His daughter, Jame Babcock,received ten pounds. To the daughters of his son William,Martha and Jane, he left ten pounds apiece, and to Tobias, sonof his son William, he left all lands and houses in RI, all hiscattle, sheep, horses, hoop, carts, plows, corn, hay, pewter,brass, iron, provision, apparel and bedding.

The name of Nicholas' first wife is not known.