General Notes

[Joanne's Tree.1 GED.GED]

2  PLAC 73
2  SOUR S332582
3  DATA
4  TEXT Date of Import: 14 Jan 2004


[daveanthes.FTW]

Watten by Patricia Joan Ayres Brownell, February 13, 1999.  I researched this information from "A History of the Brownell Family", "Genealogical Record of the Descendants of Thomas Brownell"  'Brownell Genealogy" and "The Brownell Chronicle".

Thomas was one of the early settlers of Little Compton, Rhode Island. This towne was originally called by the indian name "Sakonet" or Sogkonate" meaning "Haunt of the Wild Goose".   This land was bought from Awashonks, the squaw sachem of the Sogkonate Indians, the latter remaining in the country.  Colonel Benjamine Church was the first Englishman to build on this peninsula in 1674.  The breaking out of Philips War, however interrupted the settlement, and attention was given to defence until the ending of the was in 1676.  Settlers then poured in, not only from Massachusetts, but from Rhode Island, which had been rapidly filing up for forty years.  Little Compton was a part of Massachusetts until 1747 when the boundary line between the two states was changed and Little Compton became a part of Rhode Island.

Thomas did not hold any public office during his lifetime, but he did accumulate the largest fortune of any of his brothers.  Whether he made his money by buying and selling land or by means of his large well-stocked farm is not known.

When their daughter Mary (Brownell) Carr died in 1717, Thomas and Mary took her daughter, Mary, and raised her.  In their wills each left her a good portion of their estate.

1730  Will - - - proved 1732, June 20.  Exs. Wife Mary and son Thomas.
To Wife, one-half of dwelling and one-half of chattels, for life, and use of all household goods.  To son Thomas, ten pounds at decease of wife. To son Charles all farming tools, and half of outdoor stock, ten pounds and confirmation of deed, he bringing his mother firewood for life.  To granddaughter Mary Carr, one hundred pounds, two feather beds, trunk, and at death of her grandmother, rest of household goods, but if said granddaughter die before eighteen, then five sons of testor to have.

Inventory: 1807 pounds, 1 shilling, 6 pence, viz: wearing apparel and sword (Englishman's weapon), five beds, churn, pair of cards, loom, shoemaker's tools, silver money, English half-pence, money scales, tankard, bonds, mare, pair of oxen, six cows, four young cattle, twenty-six sheep, twelve lambs, three calves, twenty-three geese, eleven swine, old negro man and woman, hives of bees, and etc.


Will of Mary (Pearce) Brownell
1735, June 9, Will--proved 1736, Nov. 19, Widow Mary, Ex. brother George Pearce.  To sons Thomas, George, Jeremiah and Charles, is each.  To grandson Samuel, son of Charles, a feather bed.  To brother George Pearce, a mare, he paying 8 pounds to my son John Brownell.  To granddaughter Mary Carr, money, bills and bonds, and c.
Inventory, 175 pounds, 12s, 4d.