My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in The History of Lawrence County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1888.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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John A. Brown, farmer at Mount Vernon, Mo., is the son of William Brown, who was born in Tennessee, and came to Lawrence County, Mo., in 1839, when a young man. He first worked in a saddler’s shop kept by George White, and there remained two years. He then, in 1840, married Miss Mary Frances Tolliver, daughter of John Tolliver and Polly (Dick) Tolliver, who had formerly lived in North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee, and had come to Missouri in 1838. Mr. and Mrs. Brown were the parents of five children: John, Daniel, William J., Richard J. and George W. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Brown resided at Salem, and then settled on 160 acres of land, now owned by the family. He died in 1851 at the age of thirty-one. Mrs. Brown still continued to reside on the farm and reared her family, all now being settled near her. Her son, John A. Brown, was born in 1841 on the Orr farm, and received but a limited education. He was enrolled in the State Militia, but was in no battles, although in many skirmishes. In 1864 he married Miss Adaline Essary, daughter of Thomas and Matilda (Jackson) Essary, of Tennessee. She had come with her mother to Lawrence County in 1851. To Mr. and Mrs. Brown were born eight children: William, John H., Minnie F., Mary E., Effie, Lulie and Rosella. One died in infancy. After marriage the young couple remained at home with Mrs. Brown until 1870, when Mr. Brown bought his present farm of 200 acres of fine farming land. Both Mr. and Mrs. Brown are members of the Presbyterian Church, and he is a Democrat in his political views. Mr. Tolliver, the maternal grandfather of our subject, owned 517 acres of land one-half mile from Philips, one of the best tracts of land in the county. He was a great help to the early settlers in getting them their homes, and in giving them food and other necessaries to start in life. During the late war the Kansas troops landed on his farm, burned his property, and as he was a slave owner he lost heavily. He was an industrious man, of excellent character, and died at the age of eighty-one, his wife at the age of ninety-one.

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This family biography is one of 272 biographies included in The History of Lawrence County, Missouri published in 1888.  For the complete description, click here: Lawrence County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

To view additional Lawrence County, Missouri family biographies, click here

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