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 Early Brownsons
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| Origins |
The vast majority of people with the Bronson, Brownson or Brunson surnames can trace their ancestry to Roger and Mary Brownson of Earl's Colne, Essex, England. Three of Roger's children, John, Richard and Mary are believed to have come to America on the ship Defence which left London on "the last of July 1635" and landed in Boston on the 8th of October in 1635. |
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| John Brownson |
John Brownson, the second born and eldest surviving son of Roger is believed to be a Puritan who settled in the new settlement of Hartford on the Connecticut River led by Mr. Thomas Hooker, the minister, in May and June of 1636. John's name appears as 'Brunson' in the early records of Hartford and in John's enlistment record for service in the Pequot War in 1637. John had several parcels of land assigned to him by the division of Feb. 1639/40. It is not known when John moved from Hartford to Farmington but his name appears serving on a Grand Jury in Farmington on 7 March 1649/50. John served as a Deputy from Farmington to the Connecticut General Court four times and was sworn Constable of Farmington for a year. He was said to be one of the 'seven pillars' of the church at Farmington from its foundation on 13 Oct. 1652. |
| John Brownson |
John Brownson (or Brunson), son of John Brownson, is often confused with John Brownson, son of Richard Brownson, because they are close in age. But according to Coddington, it was John Brownson, son of John Brownson who settled in Craven County, South Carolina and is responsible for bringing the name to the Southeastern states. Coddington states that "John Brunson" had a warrent which dates to 28 Oct. 1685 from Governor John Archdale, for 200 acres in Craven County, South Carolina, "on account of arrival rights" |
| Richard Brownson |
Richard, the sixth child was not as prominent in civic affairs as his older brother John but Richard was a land owner in Farmington, Connecticut in 1648. |
| Mary Brownson |
Mary Brownson was the eighth and youngest child of Roger and Mary Brownson and is believed to have been born in March 1622/23, shortly before her mother's death. Mary was raised by a stepmother. Mary was a seventeenth century teen-ager who came close to being a juvenile delinquent. Four boys, John Olmstead, Jonathan Rudd, John Pierce, and Nicholas Olmstead, got into grave trouble for what must have been strenuous petting with Mary, but there is no mention of fornication in the court records of Hartford. The phrases used in the court record were 'wanton dalliances, lacivious caridge & fowle Mysdemenors at sundry times with Mary Brunson.' The first three boys were merely 'corrected' while Nicholas Olmstead was given a stiff fine and ordered 'to stand Vppon the Pyllery at Hartford.' This seems to have taken place between the winter of 1639/40 and the spring of 1640. Mary Brownson was hastily married off, at Hartford, before 2 Apr. 1640, to a safe, substantial, and somewhat older man, Nicholas Desborough (or Disborough, Disbrow). |
| Source |
The Brownson, Bronson, Brunson Family of Earl's Colne, Essex,
England, Connecticut, and South Carolina by John Insley Coddington, F.A.S.G American Genealogist No.2 (April 1963) Vol.38 pp.193-211 |
