John Brownson

John was born in 1600 in Chelmsford Essex England and his baptism took place on September 21st, 1602.

• Birth Notes

  Christened: 21 Sep 1602, Lamarsh Essex England 

John's father was Roger Brownson and his mother was Mary Underwood.  His paternal grandparents were John Brownson and Joan ?; his maternal grandfather is John Underwood.  He was an only child.  He died at the age of 80 on November 18th, 1680 in Farmington, Hartford County, CT.

• General Notes

  John Brownson, whose descendants later spelled the name variously Brunson, Bronson, Brounson, was born about 1600 and baptized 21 September 1602 at Lamarsh, Essex Co., England.  He died before 28 November 1680 in Farmington, Hartford Co., Connecticut, the date his estate inventory was taken.  On 19 November 1626 at Halstead, Essex Co., England, he married Francis Hills.   He married Hannah Scott 24 October 1664 in Essex, England, reportedly outliving him, dying on 4 December 1711.
  
      In 1635, John accompanied his brother Richard and sister Mary aboard the ship Defense, landing in Boston, Massachusetts, on 8 October 1635.  They traveled with Rev. Hooker and his congregation in 1636 and were among the first settlers of Hartford, Hartford Co., Connecticut.  In the records of that town, the family name is usually spelled Brunson and so John is recorded on his 1637 enlistment papers for the Pequot War.
  
      In 1640 John's house lot was located in "Soldiers' Field" on the Neck Road in the northern part of the village, bounded on the ast by the road, to the north by Richard Church's property, and to the south by WIlliam Heaton's lot.  On 9 November 1640, John and Andrew Warner were both fined five shillings for "putting their hogs over the Great RIver, and five shillings for every day they left them there."
      Early after Tunxis, later known as Farmington, was purchased by the Hartford settlers, John moved there, about 1641, and lived on a road a half-mile east of the village.  On 7 March 1649/1650 and on 15 May 1650, he served on the Grand Jury.  In May 1651, October 1655, May 1656, and October 1656, he served as Deputy from Farmington to the Connecticut General Court.  On 13 October 1652, John helped organize the Farmington Church.  He was also the Constable that year and was responsible for collecting the "rate" or tax for the Fort at Seabrook.  In 1659, his name is found on the list of freeman in the town.  In 1670 he was awarded 20 shillings from a group of Indians that had stolen cider from him.
  
  Children:
  
  Mary, born 1627.  Mary Bronson married 4 times: John Wyatt, John Graves, William Allis , Samuel Gaylord.  She married John Wyatt about 1647 [Source: "The Brownson, Bronson, or Brunson Family of Earl's Colne, Essex, England, Connecticut, and South Carolina" Author: Coddington, John Insley, Publication: The American Genealogist, Whole Number 152, Volume 38, No 4, October, 1962].
  John, born 1628, died in infancy
  John, born 1631, died 1632
  Dorcas, born 1633; married Stephen Hopkins
  Sarah, born 1639 in Hartford, Hartford Co., Connecticut, died 4 December 1711 in Glastonbury, Hartford Co., Connecticut; married after 1 October 1659 in Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut, John Kilbourne, born 29 September 1624 in Wood Ditton, Cambridgeshire, England, died 9 April 1703 in Glastonbury, Hartford Co., Connecticut
  Jacob, born 1641, died 1708; married Mary
  John, born 1642, in Hartford, Hartford Co., Connecticut, died after 11 January 1711 in South Carolina; married 25 October 1664 in Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut, Hannah Scott, born about 1647, died before 5 April 1723 in South Carolina.  John and Hannah used the spelling Brunson and were the progenitors of that that name in South Carolina.  Their descendants settled in Orangeburgh, and Brunson in Hartwell Co., South Carolina is named in their honor.
  Isaac, born 1645, died 1719; married Mary Root
  Abraham, born 1647, died 1719; married Hannah Griswold
  

Details of John's family with Frances Hills