Individual Details
James Brown
(22 Mar 1698 - 26 Apr 1739)
In a deed in 1738, Capt. James Brown mentioned his sisters Ann, wife of Samuel Comstock, and Mary, as well as his father James and brother Jeremiah.
Captain James Brown and his brother Obadiah established the basis of the family fortune. James was the first Brown to enter the slave trade in 1736 with his sloop "Mary" under the command of Captain John Godfrey with his younger brother Obadiah acting as the Supercargo. Obadiah raised the four sons of his brother James after he died suddenly in 1739. Those four sons later became known as the famous "Four Brothers" of Providence. They were Nicholas (Sr.), Joseph, John, and Moses. Obadiah established the firm of Obadiah Brown & Co. with Moses Brown in 1750. Nicholas, John and Joseph joined the firm later on. After Obadiah died in 1762, Nicholas and his three brothers continued in business as Nicholas Brown & Co., which became Brown and Benson when George Benson joined the firm in 1783; then Brown, Benson and Ives in 1792 and under his son Nicholas Jr.; Brown and Ives in 1796.
Four of his sons were responsible for the establishment of what would be Brown University. Son John laid the cornerstone for Rhode Island College on 14 May 1770. His brothers Nicholas, Joseph & Moses were responsible for establishing the school which would be renamed Brown University.
Find A Grave Memorial# 21279945
Son of Elder James Brown I and Mary Harris, James Brown was a sea captain who began the Brown family's involvement in trade. On 21 Dec 1722 he married Hope Power [1701-1792], and they produced one daughter and five sons. James died at sea when his children were young, and they were raised by his brother, Obadiah Brown [1712-1762]. His eldest son, James III would also die at sea at a young age, but the four others, Nicholas, Joseph, John, and Moses became known collectively as the "Four Brown Brothers". They vastly strengthened the family's place in the ranks of rich, powerful New Englanders, via their dedication to the mercantile empire founded by their father and uncles. They all made names for themselves in business, philanthropy, and patriotism, all of them connected to the notorius Gaspee Affair. His grandson, Nicholas Brown II, used the wealth that his family accumulated and that he himself acquired to endow the university which now bears their name.
The Gaspee Affair:
On the night of June 10th, 1772, one of the first violent affairs that presaged the Revolution was the attack on British ship, the "Gaspee," grounded on the point now known as Gaspee Point on the Providence River. In 8 rowboats full of Providence men they made their way with muffled oars to the ship boarded her and burned her.
Events
| Birth | 22 Mar 1698 | Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island |  | ||
| Marriage | 21 Dec 1722 | Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island - Hope Power | | ||
| Death | 26 Apr 1739 | Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island | |
Families
| Spouse | Hope Power (1702 - 1792) |
| Child | James Brown (1724 - 1750) |
| Child | Nicholas Brown (1729 - 1791) |
| Child | Mary Brown (1731 - ) |
| Child | Joseph Brown (1733 - 1785) |
| Child | John Brown (1736 - ) |
| Child | Moses Brown (1738 - ) |
| Father | Rev. James Brown (1662 - 1732) |
| Mother | Mary Harris (1671 - 1736) |
| Sibling | John Brown (1695 - 1716) |
| Sibling | Joseph Brown (1701 - 1778) |
| Sibling | Martha Brown (1703 - 1725) |
| Sibling | Andrew Brown (1706 - ) |
| Sibling | Mary Brown (1709 - 1729) |
| Sibling | Obadiah Brown (1712 - 1762) |
| Sibling | Jeremiah Brown (1715 - 1741) |
| Sibling | Elisha Brown (1717 - 1802) |
| Sibling | Anna Brown (1719 - 1776) |
Notes
Those who were part of the Gaspee Conspirators.
Virtual Cemetery creation, listing those who were involved in burning the British ship, the "Gaspee", the night of 10 Jun 1772.Endnotes
1. Genealogies of Rhode Island Families 1600s-1800s,, Vol I (Family Tree Maker CD ROM #180).
2. The Early Records of the Town of Providence. 21 Volumes commissioned by the City Council to be collected and printed from the early records of the town. (Snow & Farnham City Printers), Vol. V, p.260.
3. "John Brown of Providence, RI" Hal Gordon Brown, Editor & Publisher, Brown Family Genealogical Society Newletter, Dec 1996. Online sample. (19 Terrace St., Keene, NH 03431)
4. "John Brown of Providence, RI" Hal Gordon Brown, Editor & Publisher, Brown Family Genealogical Society Newletter, Dec 1996. Online sample. (19 Terrace St., Keene, NH 03431)