BROWN FAMILY Nicholas Brown 1 the pioneer ancestor in America of the late William O Brown county commissioner for a number of years and Edward Augustus Brown treasurer of Worcester county Massachusetts was the son of Edward Brown and Jane Side daughter of Thomas Side The father lived and died in the parish of Inkbarrow Worcestershire England and the son Nicholas was doubtless born there.

Nicholas Brown was in Lynn in New England before 1638 His son John's name appears in the Indian deed of Lynn as ye Worshipful Mr Brown. He sent this son John to England in 1660 to look after the property of his father in law which as next heir to the Side estate he had inherited. Nicholas Brown was a mariner in his early day. He settled in Lynn at the northwest of Saddlers Rock in what is now Saugus He had two hundred and ten acres of land there granted by the town situated on the river. His neighbors were Boniface Buxton on the south, Lieutenant Thomas Marshall and Jeremiah Swain on the west. North of his land was the Wigwams meadow. He owned two hundred acres in Reading and three hundred and twenty seven acres on the north side of Ipswich river. He was admitted a freeman September 7 1638 and was a deputy to the general court from Lynn in 1641. Mr Brown was a leading citizen in the town of Reading where he lived after the town was incorporated, was commissioner to hear small causes in 1640 the title of the local magistrate at that time. He was deputy to the general court in 1655 56 61 and was also selectman during those years.

Nicholas Brown his wife and children were dismissed from the Lynn church to the Reading church February 6 1663 She died November 1 1074 He died April 5 1673 His will was dated March 9 1673 and proved June 17 1673 He bequeathed to children John Josiah Edward Joseph Cornelius and Elizabeth and to wife Elizabeth The children of Nicholas and Elizabeth Brown were John Josiah both born in England, probably Edward born August 15 1640, Joseph December 10 1647, Cornelius, Sarah June 6, 1650, Elizabeth.

Nicholas was born in Reading Massachusetts December 10 1647. He married May 26 1674, Elizabeth Bancroft. She was the daughter of Lieutenant Thomas and Elizabeth Metcalf Bancroft and was born in Reading, December 7 1653. Lieutenant Thomas Brown was born in England in 1622, perhaps at Cheadle Stafford county where a Thomas Bancroft was baptized February 10 1622. The first wife of Thomas Bancroft, Alice Bacon had one child who died young. For further details of Thomas Bancroft see Bancroft family. Joseph Brown died at Reading October 16 1723 and Elizabeth Brown who died there December 31, 1732, may have been his widow.