A TALE OF TWO ISAAC H. BROWN' S: When a tree gets tangled.

My direct ancestor was an Isaac H. Brown who married a Mary Ann Mooney. They had numerous children with names drawn from classic literature and history. One of the first times I heard the name Ptolema (or Ptolemy) was in relation to the family bible where my mother had written her tree. He was her grandfather. Ptolema Philadelphus Brown was the son of Isaac H. and Mary Ann Mooney Brown.

At some point, however, the online trees got a bit tangled and a man of the same name, with a wife named Mary, who lived in Milton, Pennsylvania became confused with "my" Isaac. 

ISAAC H. BROWN (1806 TN-1892, Sherrill, Texas Co., MO) AND MARY ANN MOONEY BROWN

Although descendants of one line indicate the middle name was "Haire", documentary proof of his middle name is also lacking as the census records show only an "H". His death date is from a family bible of his son, Mithero Berzanes Brown. They are buried in the family cemetery, assumed, in Missouri. A family legend suggests he adopted the name BROWN (or his father did) and they had originally come from Scotland and had a name similar to McDernie.

His children all had unique and classical names -

i. PTOLEMA PHILADEPHUS BROWN, b. August 30, 1829, Warren County, Tennessee; d. November 02, 1903, Soldier's Home in St. James, Phelps County, Missouri. "Ptolema" = Greek; Many possible individuals but a probable one is the mathematician author of 'Geographia' (ca. 150).* "Philadelphius" = Latinized form of the Greek word for brotherly love.

ii. JUAN FERNANDEZ BROWN BRADFORD, b. 1831, Davidson County, Tennessee; d. March 07, 1854, Texas County, Missouri. "Juan" – may refer to the explorer Juan de Categena with Magellan.* "Ferdinand" – may refer to the explorer Ferdinand Magellan. Also, an island chain.* Her child was listed on the 1850 census.

iii. ARCHIMEDES BROWN, b. March 22, 1834, Warran County, Tennessee; d. March 14, 1863, the Civil War in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. "Archimedes" = Ancient Greek mathematician * Hew as reburied in Macoupin Co., Il.

iv. SELTICANA BROWN, b. 1834, Tennessee. "Selticana" = No clear historic, literary references discovered. A form may be found in the term 'Sultana' meaning a wife of a Sultan. It could also be in reference to Celtic origins in the family (Scotland comes from the name of a tribe of people from what is now known as Ireland. These "Celts" lived across Europe sharing a common language, customs, and art. Sometimes the name was spelled and pronounced with a soft "S" rather than the harder Greek "K" (Keltoi). If this was true, the name would mean she who pertains to the "Selt".

v. LYCURGUS BROWN, b. 1835, Warran County, Tennessee; d. May 22, 1887, Macoupin County, Illinois; m. MARTHA P. ARMOUR5, Abt. 1860, Missouri; b. 1840, Illinois. "Lycurgus" – many possible from ancient history, but possible the lawgiver of Sparta (570-730 B.C.)

vi. MITHERO BERZANES BROWN (seen sometimes as METROBAR JAMES BROWN), b. 1840, Warren County, Tennessee; m. MARY BROWN; b. 1843, Tennessee. "Metro Barjames" - could actually have been Mithro (Persian mythological figure) and "Bar' in Barjames is Hebrew for 'son of' or 'descendent of' – could we have a clue as to the name of one of his grandparents? One source links Mary to a James Mooney.

vii. MARY A. BROWN MOBLEY. b. December 04, 1843; d. April 17, 1887, Texas County, Missouri. Mary's middle name is unknown but thought to have begun with an "A". Her connection to the Brown's is clear in names of one of her children…Arminda, Theodosia, Ozzia, Facelina Mobley.

viii. ELSINORA ODENSIA BROWN KAYLOR MCCOY, b. February 21, 1845, Tennessee; d. March 1910, Piaza, Illinois; m. (1) KAYLOR; m. (2) THOMAS MCCOY, 1876, Illinois. Twin to Marcellus. "Elsinora" may be reflection of the place in Shakespeare's Hamlet. "Odensia" may be a form of the Scandinavian deity of "Oden" – as a name it has been found in Norway.

ix. MARCELLUS BROWN, b. February 21, 1845, Tennessee; d. 1933, Macoupin County, Illinois. Twin to Elsinora. "Marcellus" = Roman history; too many to name or list.

x. FASCILINA BROWN MAIN, b. April 05, 1847, Warren County, Tennessee; d. April 03, 1885, at home in Vernon County, Missouri; m. REUBEN HIRAM MAIN, March 05, 1866, St. Louis, Missouri; b. Aft. 1840. "Fascilina" = It is suspected this is a Latinized word meaning graceful or agile. Similar names can be found for a few women in Ancient Rome.

xi. MARCIUS SABINUS BROWN, b. November 05, 1849, Rolla, Phelps County, Missouri; d. August 17, 1912, Calera, Bryan county, Oklahoma. "Marcius" and "Sabinus" are both names linked to early Roman history. Marcius a family name of a line of rulers and Sabinus a similar use, as well as the name of a 4th century historian and a 3rd century bishop from Seville.*

xii. LEONIDAS HANNIBAL BROWN, b. 1853, Texas County, Missouri. "Leonidas" = a Spartan ruler who led the charge of the '300' against Persian forces and another was a 3rd century Christian martyr.

A family bible record gives his death place as Sherrill Co., Missouri. A family legend indicates his name (or his father's name) was originally McDiernee and he came from Scotland as a youth, stowing away on a ship. The name McDiernee (and variant spellings) is associated with Clan Campbell of Breadalbane, primarily of Argyll; connection remains unverified. Historical research, along with DNA, may suggest the story actually goes back one generation and refers to the father of Isaac.

Photos of the members of the family of Isaac H. Brown and wife Mary Ann Mooney Brown. As is evident they are all related. This family dispersed to Texas, Illinois, Kansas and elsewhere or remained in Missouri. 

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ISAAC HAIRIE BROWN (1804, PA-1883, PA) AND WIFE MARY A. LAWRENCE BROWN. This couple is buried in Milton, Northumberland Co., Pa.  According to some solid trees on this could. He was the son of John Christian Brown 1766-1838 and his wife Barbara Spinner 1772-1871,

They had the following children:

1. Caroline Louisa Brown Fonda. 1836–1919, Wife of a Henry Fonda.
2. George Lawrence Brown. 1838–1914, Married a Rachel J. Moore
3. Mary Esther Brown Slocum. 1850–1939, Wife of an Arthur Slocum. 
4. Webster  Brown, 1846-1898
5. William Brown, 1841 -
6. Isaac Washington Brown 1843 - 

This BROWN family remained in Milton, Northumberland County, PA, marrying and dying in the same location. The children all died in the same county. There is a detailed family sheet at this site.  This man ran a store that was burned down in the great Milton fire of the 1880's. 

Isaac Haire Brown Home and Dry Goods Store 101 S. Front Street, Milton, PA.  This building was the second south of the Center Street intersection. The Methodist Church stands on the site today. The drawing is from 1858, and the building was lost in the great Milton fire of 1880. Harrison Sticker was the dentist on the second floor.