Welcome! I really enjoy exchanging information with people and love that this blog helps with that. I consider much of my research as a work in progress, so please let me know if you have conflicting information. Some of the surnames I'm researching:

Many old Cape families including Kelley, Eldredge/idge, Howes, Baker, Mayo, Bangs, Snow, Chase, Ryder/Rider, Freeman, Cole, Sears, Wixon, Nickerson.
Many old Plymouth County families including Washburn, Bumpus, Lucas, Cobb, Benson.
Johnson (England to MA)
Corey (Correia?) (Azores to MA)
Booth, Jones, Taylor, Heatherington (N. Ireland to Quebec)
O'Connor (Ireland to MA)
My male Mayflower ancestors (only first two have been submitted/approved by the Mayflower Society):
Francis Cooke, William Brewster, George Soule, Isaac Allerton, John Billington, Richard Warren, Peter Browne, Francis Eaton, Samuel Fuller, James Chilton, John Tilley, Stephen Hopkins, and John Howland.
Female Mayflower ancestors: Mary Norris Allerton, Eleanor Billington, Mary Brewster, Mrs. James Chilton, Sarah Eaton, and Joan Hurst Tilley.
Child Mayflower ancestors: Giles Hopkins, (possibly) Constance Hopkins, Mary Allerton, Francis Billington, Love Brewster, Mary Chilton, Samuel Eaton, and Elizabeth Tilley.

Monday, February 16, 2015

William Browning and Rebecca Wilbore of Portsmouth, Rhode Island




William Browning was born after 1657 in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the son of Nathaniel Browning and Sarah Freeborn (or Freeborne).  I have seen his birth year as 1651, but this doesn’t work with his not being age 21 in 1678 (see below).  In 1687 William married Rebecca Wilbore of Portsmouth. Rebecca was the daughter of Samuel Wilbore (spelled in a variety of ways) and Hannah Porter.  I wrote about that couple here. William Browning is my 8th great-grandfather on my grandmother Milly (Booth) Rollins’ side of the family.

Both William and Rebecca’s families were non-conformists in England, probably Puritans, which precipitated their migration to Massachusetts.  According to other researchers, William’s father Nathaniel purchased land from the Indians in Warwick, Rhode Island, for three pounds of wampum and later settled Portsmouth on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island.  

I have found five children born to William and Rebecca:

Samuel
Hannah born 16 July 1691 married William Knowles
William
Sarah born April 1694
John

I descend from their daughter Sarah who married Eleazer Kelley of Yarmouth (now Dennis), Massachusetts, both through their son Patrick who married Bethiah Baker and their son Eleazer who married Hannah Baker.

Rebecca died 18 March 1727/78, although again I am without a source.

Henry A. Baker wrote that William married second a woman named Sarah but no source provided.  Perhaps she is mentioned in his will. 

William was admitted a Freeman at N. Kingstown, Rhode Island, in 1684.

William died in 1730 as did his second wife Sarah.  I don’t have a death date for his first wife Rebecca.  He did leave a will, dated 12 January 1730, which I have not seen for myself yet.  His inventory included a female slave. If anyone has a transcription of his will and is willing to share, please contact me!  

I have a lot more research to do on this family but it has been interesting thus far.  

Sources Not Listed Above:
Henry Augustus Baker, History of Montville, Connecticut , 1896
Various issues of Rhode Island Roots
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1 comment:

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