NOTE: THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS!
William Wilkes Brown, also fondly referred to as “Uncle Bill,” was an avid researcher and accomplished genealogist. Over the span of several decades, he researched and wrote an extensive compilation of the Brown family history and genealogical origins. During the course of his research, he interviewed numerous family members, visited various National Archives, historical societies and libraries located throughout the Unites States, where he gathered an impressive array of information from books, articles, publications, local histories, yearbooks, family members, and countless other sources.
A vast amount of his research was provided to Brown family members and descendants in the form of typewritten documents and photocopies of the original source materials. Copies of original birth, marriage, and death records; wills, probates, deeds, land entries and patents were found and copies after spending countless hours examining rolls of microfilm.
The extent of his research is all the more astounding given that it was done long before digital copies of these records were made available online . Indeed, no such thing as the internet or “world wide web” existed at the time!
Photocopies of William Brown’s research was given to his sister, Mary Katherine Brown-Brandenburg. Upon her passing in 1997, the research came in to the possession of her granddaughter – and William Wilkes Brown’s grand-niece – Mary Katherine Brandenburg.
PURPOSE:
To honor and preserve his work. To reconstruct the typewritten and photocopied genealogical research of William Wilkes Brown. To make it accessible to current and future generations of the Brown family by digitizing it to reflect the modern digital age of the internet. To honor him by expanding upon his research, and continuing his search for the origins of the Brown family, and to honor the family he loved so deeply.
GOALS:
Reconcile discrepancies and differing accounts of events mentioned
Provide updated source citations to books, articles, documents, etc. mentioned in his research that are available online
Properly cite newspaper articles, and any other materials included that lack a citation or source
INFORMATION ON SOURCE CITATIONS
Due to the extensive nature of his research, it is of the utmost importance to properly credit and cite his work.
For the purposes of recreating his research in the digital age, and the need to include additional documents as genealogical research continues, it is necessary to divide his research into compilations, sections, and articles. (See below for additional details.)
Some documents did not contain the name of the author or any sources. (If any family members know the correct author of those documents, that will be added to the citation.) In the meantime, those articles will be referred by title, and as being transcribed by WWB.
Letters & correspondence included in his family history compilations will be cited by the author, recipient, date, and transcriber, if applicable.
The compilation of research title “Brown Family History 1750 – 1980” was divided into sections based upon time periods, and will be cited accordingly.
Historical Context of Kentucky: a compilation of books, articles, and notes. Prepared by William Wilkes Brown. Las Vegas, Nevada. (compilation pages 1 to 22).
Brown, William Wilkes. Family History, Segment A – Before 1780 & Pre-Revolution. Las Vegas, Nevada. (compilation pages 23 to 46).
Brown, William Wilkes. Family History, Segment B – 1780 – 1860 – Kentucky. Las Vegas, Nevada. (compilation pages 47 to 70).
Brown, William Wilkes. Family History, Segment C – 1861 – 1940 – Indiana Las Vegas, Nevada. (compilation pages 71 to 93).
Parr-Clark, Geraldine. The Brown Saga. CITY / COUNTY, Florida. 1983. by William Wilkes Brown, Las Vegas, Nevada.
WILKES
Family History & Genealogy of the Wilkes Family (Dunham, Bryan). Prepared by William Wilkes Brown, Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Byers Family in Hensley Township, Johnson County, Indiana. HAVE ONLY A ONE-PAGE SEGMENT. OTHER PAGES MAY BE MISPLACED IN THE COMPILATION, OR I DO NOT HAVE THEM.
Wilkes, John Oliver. Genealogy of the Joseph Wilkes Descendants. Trafalgar, Hensley Township, Johnson County, Indiana.
ABOVE – use the direct transcription [TRANSCRIBE], along with WWB compilation of information, which is located ??
PURPOSE: The purpose of these historical notes are to record information relating to the origin, activity and accomplishments of the Brown family and others closely related and associated, for review by generations of the Brown family to come.
GENERAL: Information, recollections, and historical notes on the Brown family has been provided by from letters and notes prepared by Geraldine Parr, daughter of Rose Mae Brown Parr; Herman Boles, son of Frances Brown Boles; and from James Walter Brown and his wife Martha Blackwell.
The following people have also contributed to the research of the Brown family:
Gerald Parkhurst, son of Byron Parkhurst and Ressa Mattie Brown
Chalmers Raymond & Woodrow Dale Brown, sons of Chalmers James Brown and Martha Vandiver
Mary Katherine Brown-Brandenburg, daughter of Tillus Richard Brown and Della Wilkes
William Wilkes Brown, daughter of Tillus Richard Brown and Della Wilkes
Obviously, it will always be necessary to conduct research to ultimately identify the origin of the Brown family. It seems appropriate to divide the information assembled into time periods to emphasize the importance of continuing research, the maintenance of current records and to permit convenient access to historical information for future family members. Accordingly, it is proposed to divide the history as follows:
A. Before 1780 / Pre-Revolutionary Period
B. 1780 – 1860 — Kentucky Settlement
C. 1861 – 1940 — The Road to Indiana
D. 1930 – 1980 —