William Brown (1796-1888) and Catherine Day Brown (died 1876) came to Tennessee from North Carolina and settled near Versailles. The date of this migration is not know, but records of deeds indicate that they were here, at the latest, by 1815. The trip was not uneventful. One night, while making camp, the discovery was made that the fire coals had gone out during the day's journey. William had to retrace the trail to get coals from the previous night's campsite. On another night, Indians lifted the tent flap and looked in, but went away.

Later, while living near Rover, in Bedford County, William and his son, Frank, operated a blacksmith shop. They made buggies and wagons. It is said that they made the first surrey to be run on the streets of Murfreesboro.

In 1866, William purchased 182 acres of land in the Tenth district near Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. The land was located on the north side of Brady Knob. William brought his older sister, Jane, from Mississippi to live with the family. She was afflicted in some way, was never married, and lived in a small building in the yard until 1881, when William sold the land to his son-in-law, Nathaniel R Taylor. William had another sister, Polly, who married a Mr Hargrove, a railroader, and lived in Williamson County.

William and Catherine Brown had nine children:

1 Francis (Frank) Shelly Brown (1821-1879) married Elizabeth Ann Taylor (1823-1876) daughter of Vincent and Mary Puckett Taylor.

2 Nancy Brown (1824) never married.

3 Margaret Ann Brown (1826-1914) married Nathaniel Rufus Taylor (1830-1888) son of Vincent and Mary Puckett Taylor. Their children were Vincent F Taylor(1847-1861); Nancy J Taylor (1858- 1859) Catherine Luvinia Taylor (1858-1922) married John William Powers(1853-1934); Mary Priscilla Taylor (1862-1941) married Benjamin H Lamb, sone of William Martin (Kelly)and Temperance Pope Lamb.

4 Samuel M Brown married Amanda E Taylor (1832-1894)daughter of Vincent and Mary Puckett Taylor. They had one son, William Vincent Taylor.

5 Priscilla Brown (1831-1919) married James Pinkerton, who died while serving in the Confederate Army. Their children were: William Frank Pinkerton, married Callie Crabtree; Sam Brown Pinkerton, married Tennessee (Tennie)Taylor; Jose Marion Pinkerton, married Julia Estes; John Clay Pinkerton,married Bettie Smotherman; Parthenia Pinkerton, died at an early age; Catherine Pinkerton married B Frank Rutledge.

6 Mary Brown married James Osment. they had one known issue, Kate Osment, who married John Buttrey. Mary was married a second time to Sam Brown.

7 Sabine (Sabe) Brown married Silas Christman. Their children were; Alfred Christman married Martha Jane Holden; Frank Christman married first a Lamb, second a Wright; Annie Christman married Sam Brown, an elderly man who lived at Allisona; Parthenia Christman married Sam Andrew; Sam Christman married a Miss Rogers.

8 William W Brown (1841) married Mary Frances Stevens (born in Virginia). Their children were: Oscar Brown married a Taylor and moved to Texas; Virginia Tennessee (Tennie)Brown born in 1866 married Ernest Bumpas and had a daughter named Maude; Neva Brown married John Bennett; Clayton Brown died young; Henry Brown (1884); Robert Brown (1875). William Brown, the elder, married a second time, after Catharine died, and went to Texas; Henry and Robert went with him.

9 Lavinia Brown (1844) married Martin Bumpas. Their children were: Catherine Bumpas married Dan Zachery and their issue were Molly who married John Riggin and Martha Louise who married Bill McKinney; Martha (Mattie) Bumpas married Dr R. C. Garrett of Eagleville and their daughter was Virginia, who married Hubert McCullough, Sr of Murfreesboro.

Francis (Frank) Shelley Brown, son of William Brown and Elizabetb Ann Taylor Brown, had eight children:

1 Mary Catherine (Kitty)Brown(1846-1919) married(1849)to Ben Beechboard of Bell Buckle, Tennessee. The Beechboard children were Beulah, Benmvis, Jennie, Bob.

2 Dave Paschal Brown (born 1847) married Teenie Norman(Dryden)a policeman in Birmingham. Their children:Nora married Dick Gambell with issue Lawson and Florence; Brady; Florence married a Ketchum and had a son Bobby; Shelby; Dave. Twin girls who married brothers, Parker.

3 Margaret Jane (Jennie)Brown (1852-1880) married Gardner Batts. The Batts children: Elizabeth Minter Batts 1878 died at birth; another daughter died an infant; Jennie was Gardner Batts' second wife. He was first married to Phoebe Matilda Taylor.

4 Martha (Matt) Ann Brown (born 1855)married Kelly Rooker who operated a farm on the Florence Road. The Rooker children were: Henry, Ridley, Hibbitt, Fanny, George,Lizzie.

5 Andrew Johnson Brown (1856-1936) married Martha Elmore (1859-1951) daughter of David A and Elizabeth Ellen White Elmore.

6 Henry Francis (Bud) Brown(1860-1927)married Rebecca Kelso Smith, a widow. They had no issue. Rebecca had a daughter, Mary Smith, who married Jack Jacobs if Fairfield TN.

7 Abner Steed Brown (born 1864)married (1892) Gustavia Harris.

8 Samuel Rufus Brown (born 1864) first married Delphinia Osment, a first cousin from Kentucky. Their children were Henry and Hervie. His second marriage was to Eva Brent Holt. Their children: Rufus and Alice. Francis Shelley (Frank) Brown was married a second time (1877) to Temmperance (Tempie) Patterson.

The marriage of Andrew Johnson Brown and Martha Elmore Brown produced nine children:

1 Ellen Adriana Brown (1881-1958) was a school teacher and married a Mullins.

2 Elizabeth Ann Brown (1885-1964) was a nurse by profession but never married.

3 Leevie Andrew Brown married William E Carlton who owned a grocery store in Murfreesboro. Their children were Mable, Mary Nadine, Geneva.

4 Maggie Ada Brown (1887-1889) died at the age of two.

5 Allie Macon Brown (1889-1972) married Henry Edward Van Horn, an architect. Allie was a bookkeeper. Their issue was Francis Edward born in 1927.

6 Lillard Thompson (L.T.) Brown (born 1891) married first Addie Pearl Haynes; married second, Bessie Adams Buford; there was no issue. L.T. sold insurance and real estate. He was active in local politics, serving on the County Court for 25 years. He completed law school and was a member of every branch of the Masonic Order. He is now retired.

7 Francis Atha Brown (1894-1922) married Ethel Dunaway. Issue, one child, Francis Atha Brown, Jr. Francis (Frank) was a mail carrier.

8 Brown (1896-1981) married Walter M Haynes. Issue, 2 children: Ann Marie, Martha. After Walter's death, at his home in Memphis, Mary Virginia returned to Murfreesboro and sold real estate.

9 Abner Elmore (born 1901) married Mable Clare Kent. Issue: Edith Claire, Elmore was a salesman for a drug supply house; he retired in Miami, FL and is buried there.

Andrew Johnson Brown, in his early adult life, drove a peddling wagon and hauled freight to and from Eagleville to Nashville. Later he carried mail from Rover to Shelbyville by horseback. The family moved from Rover to a farm three miles out the Halls Hill Pike. The children walked to school into Murfreesboro.