Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

I
of Thomas, deceased, all his lands in
South Kingston, being part of his home-
stead farm, about a hundred acres, and to
them fourteen acres salt marsh in Charles-
ton. John Browning was buried in the
little Quaker burying ground at South
Kingston, Rhode Island, near the factory,
a small granite headstone, dug from the
hills nearby, marking the spot where he
lies. The name "John Browning" is all
that is carved upon it, while at his side
a small mound of earth marks the resting
place of his wife, Ann (Hazard) Brown-
ing, with no tombstone at all to mark the
spot. John Browning died in 1777, at
Exeter, Rhode Island, in his eighty-first
year.
John Browning married, April 21, 1721,
Ann Hazard, born February 28, 1701,
daughter of Jeremiah and Sarah (Smith)
Hazard. (See Hazard line.) Issue: i.
Thomas, of whom further. 2. Sarah Eliza-
beth, born 1724. 3. Jeremiah, born 1726.
4. Hannah, born 1728. 5. Martha, born
1732. 6. Ann, born 1734. 7. Eunice, born
1740. 8. John, born September 15, 1742.
9. Mary, born 1744. 10. Ephriam, born
September 20, 1746.
(IV) Thomas Browning, eldest son of
John and Ann (Hazard) Browning, was
born in 1722, at Kingston, Rhode Island.
He was a farmer at Hopkinton, Rhode
Island, and was made a freeman in 1742.
In religion he was a Quaker. He was
ensign of Company I, South Kingston,
Third Regiment, in May, 1743, and was
made captain of his company in May,
1747. He is mentioned as justice of the
peace at Little Compton in June, 1749.
He died in 1770, at South Kingston,
Rhode Island, aged fifty-two years. He
left no will, but the inventory of his per-
sonal estate showed that it amounted to
£650.
Thomas Browning married (first)
Mary Browning, daughter of William and
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Mary (Wilkinson) Browning. He mar-
ried (second), July 2, 1769, Anna Hoxie,
daughter of Solomon and Mary Hoxie, of
Richmond, Rhode Island. Issue by first
marriage : i. Robert, born 1757. 2.
Thomas, born 1761. 3. William Thomas,
of further mention. 4. Annie, born 1767.
Issue by second marriage: i. Joshua, born
1770.
(V) William Thomas Browning, third
son of Thomas and Mary (Browning)
Browning, was born at South Kingston,
Rhode Island, May 11, 1765. He was left
an orphan when he was six years old,
and went to live with his uncles, who
were also his guardians. He lived part of
the time with his uncle, Jeremiah Brown-
ing, and part of the time with his uncle,
John Browning. When eleven years of
age his guardians sold a farm for him for
a very large amount for those days, and
the money was stored in his guardian's
house in South Kingston, in gold and
silver coins. This was during the War
of the Revolution, and the State government
sent officers with soldiers and took
the money, leaving in its place continental
currency, which was stored in barrels in
the garret of the house. When he moved
from South Kingston he went to Preston
township, Connecticut, and bought a farm
there. He built a new farm house on the
dividing line between the townships of
Preston and North Stonington, so that
one-half of the house was in one town-
ship and one-half in the other. This afterwards
became known as the old Brown-
ing homestead, and is still standing in
very good condition, occupied by a Mr.
Richardson. The barrels of continental
money he took with him and stored in the
garret of his new home. He died January
2, 1826, on his farm in Preston.
William T. Browning married, December
29, 1784, Catherine Morey, daughter
of Robert Morey, of Newport, Rhode