Header
Thurtell and Related Families
Notes for John BROWNE
The family tree done by Harriet Thurtell about 1900 and the History of
the Thurtell Family done by Susan Persia Thurtell about 1968, both in the
possession of Susan Persia Thurtell Miller, show Maria Thurtell married
John Brown.
The following information was received from Peter Murray in 1997. John
Browne was, according to family tradition, a son of Robert and Sarah
(Thurtell) Browne of Hopton Suffolk, and descended from another Robert
Browne founder of the Lowestoft China Works. The family was connected in
several ways with our family of Thurtell of Flixton and Hopton in
Suffolk. The account below is based first on the "Thurtell Pedigree" by
Herbert and Ada Murray ca.1932, with additions from a pedigree chart sent
by John and Chebs Browne.
John Browne married his "first cousin" (so says the Thurtell Pedigree)
Maria Thurtell in 1814. The marriage is recorded at Witton near Blofield
(another record says Witton near North Walsham), Norfolk, on October 8,
1814. According to the Browne family tradition, in 1815 he is said to
have been presented with the Sword of Honour on the battlefield of
Waterloo (June 18, 1815). John and Maria Browne lived at Norton Hall,
which in a letter of a relative is described as having a lovely avenue of
one hundred lime trees leading up to it. It was evidently in Norfolk
within easy reach from Norwich, since it was visited from Norwich in an
afternoon's excursion in 1898 by two of John and Maria's grandchildren.
Norton Hall has now been identified (letter John Howell, October 1995) as
being at Pudding Norton Hall, Norfolk, about one mile south of Fakenham.
It was described by a visitor in 1898 as "a very roomy old place." It
was formerly a manor house of some architectural significance (see
Burke's Country Houses). Mrs. Maria Browne was living there in 1845,
her husband John having presumably died, since she was listed in White's
Norfolk Directory under "farmers." The 1841 census has not been
checked. When the hall was visited in 1898 a Mrs. Dixon was there. Maria
Browne was apparently still living in 1866 when her sister Anne Everitt's
diary was sent to relatives in America after the latter's death. John
and Maria Browne are stated to have had 24 children, several of whom were
twins. In a letter dated April 15, 1837 (Frances Baas to Mary Thurtell
Murray, quoted by Marge Shearing): "...dear Sophia says Mrs. Browne
expects every day confinement of her 22nd child. Oh! how enviable is my
state of blessed singleness."
There is a possibility that John Browne of Norton Hall could be the one
who held a civic position in Norwich: John Browne, treasurer of the
tonnage revenues is named on the brass tablet placed by mayor Thomas
Thurtell (uncle of our John Browne) when the new Fye bridge was opened in
1823. Of the numerous children of of John and Maria (Thurtell) Browne,
ten are appear in family records.
| HOME | EMAIL | SURNAMES |
Footer
Additions and corrections are always appreciated!
Please contact
Susan T. Miller
1411 West Childs Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187-4601
U.S.A.
630-682-0108
E-mail GGM81@aol.com
Page built by Gedpage Version 2.03 ©1997 on 11 November 1998