Bernis Brown

Notes:

One of the early Methodist preachers in County of Albemarle, entering the ministry some years before the close of the eighteenth century. He was a signer of the Albemarle Declaration of Independence April 2, 1779. He married Henrietta Rodes, a daughter of John Rodes and Sarah Harris his wife. He died in 1815. [History and Genealogies, W.H. Miller, 1907]

He was a Justice of Albemarle Co. (VIRGINIA MAGAZINE OF HISTORY ANDBIOGRAPHY, Vol. 7 (1900)p. 84)

Bernis Brown was a guard for the British Prisoners during the Revolution.(see Papers of Thomas Jefferson Vol. II, pages 32/33, by Julian P. Boyd.)

Bernis married Henrietta Rodes on 17 Nov 1779. Henrietta (daughter of John Rodes and Sarah Harris) was born on 26 May 1761; died on 1 Jun 1846. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Sarah Brown was born on 17 Jan 1783; died in 1825.
2. Henrietta Brown was born on 6 Mar 1787.
3. Anna Brown was born on 25 Apr 1789; died on 6 May 1817.
4. Bernis Brown was born on 5 May 1791.
5. Tyree Rodes Brown was born on 13 Jun 1793; died on 26 Dec 1836.
6. Benjamin Thompson Brown was born on 6 Jan 1796; died on 15 Jun 1867.
7. Elizabeth Brown was born on 23 Jul 1798.
8. John R. Brown was born on 7 Jan 1801.
9. Mary A. Brown was born on 30 Oct 1780; died on 11 Dec 1795.
10. Brown was born on 1 Dec 1781.
11. Nancy Brown was born on 26 Dec 1784.

Benjamin married Sarah Dabney about 1745. Sarah (daughter of Cornelius Dabney and Sarah Jennings) was born on 16 Nov 1724 in Bearcastle, King William County, VA; died on 5 Mar 1815 in Albemarle County, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Hanover County Will book 1, 1862-1868 page 81 # 634
Oct 22 1764 Will of Cornelius Dabney of St. Paul's Parish,Y Hanover County:
To Son William Dabney, 150 ac with plantation where said son lives,
Negroes (Judy, Venus, Christopher, Moses)
all testator's wearing apparel.
---------------
To Son John Dabney,
1. Negro woman Molly,
2. saddle & c
3. Gun;
______________
exor to sell 150 ac and Negro wench Amey retained for son Cornelius Dabney
dec'd and money equal divide among said dec'd son's children
_________________________
to son in law Christopher Harris (husband testator's dau Mary), Lends Negro
wench Unity for benefit children by said dau. Mary
________________
To wife Sarah Dabney, good feather bed/furniture, 2 trunks, black walnut
chest, looking glass, horse & saddle, 2 cows/calves, house safe at her disposal,
to wife for life, 2 Negroes (Jane & Bob), river? swelling plantation: at death
of wife, son john Dabney may pay l45 to testator's dau Elizabeth maupin,
Frances maupin,anne thompson, for said bob and l45 said land to daughters, equal
divide residue estate, names on john Dabney and friend Harry Terrell as exors.
witness john Wingfield, Thomas wingfield
in codicil, Nov 5 1764: gives 1 shilling each to son in law, Christopher
Harris, Matthew brown and William Johnson)

Cornelius married Sarah Jennings in Apr 1721 in Hanover County, Virginia, USA. Sarah (daughter of Charles Jennings and Mary Cary) was born on 3 Apr 1702; died in 1790 in Albemarle County, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Birth:
"Cedar Hill", Hanover Co., VA

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Cornelious Dabney
• Birth: 11 Dec 1631, Bucknall, Lincolnshire, England
• Birth: 11 Dec 1631, Bucknall, Lincolnshire, England
• Birth: 1640, Pons, Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine, France
• Death: 19 Oct 1694, St Peter Parish, New Kent, Virginia, USA

Notes:

The origin of Cornelius Dabney, ancestor of the Dabneys of Colonial Virginia, never has been proven to my satisfaction. However, keeping in mind the variant spellings of the name, I would accept the preponderence of evidence that he was the "Cornelius Daubeny christened 11 Dec. 1631, the son of Theodor Daubney, town parish of Bucknall," Lincolnshire, England (Bishops Transcripts of Bucknall). "Theodor Dawbney was christened 6 June 1606, the son of John Daubney, town parish of Scotter,"Lincolnshire (Lincolnshire IGI, p. 6215). According to the Lincolnshire archivist (e-mailed to me on March 6. 1997), "it is highly likely" that Theodor was the son of "John Dawbney, born Scotter 1570, an alumnus of Cambridge University (St. John's College 1588), Vicar of Calverton, Nottinghamshire, and Rector of Scotter, Lincolnshire 1605-1610" (J. Venn, Alumni Cantabrigiensis, Part 1. From the Earliest Times to 1751, Vol. II (Fabbs-Juxton), 1922, p. 18). Theodor Dawbney married Dorothy Batts (Batte?) on 30 April 1630 (Bishops Transcripts of Bucknall). It is significant that Cornelius Dabney, the first in Virginia, named two daughters "Dorothy," presumably for his mother (see below). Unfortunately, no wills are extant for John, Theodor, and Cornelius Dawbney (Dabney).

Cornelius Debany (Dabony) was granted 200 acres in New Kent County, Virginia on 27 Sept. 1664 beg, at the mouth of Totopotomoys Cr. Upon the S. side of Yorke Riv., etc. (Patent Book #5, p. 406); 640 acres upon the lower side of Tottopotomoys Cr. etc. on 7 June 1666 (Patent Book # 5, p.625), and 100 acres on south side Yorke Riv. Above Totopotomoyes Cr. beg. at the mouth of same on 16 Mar. 1667/8 (Patent Book #6, p.114; Cavaliers and Pioneers by Nell Nugent, Vol. 1, pp. 515 and 559, and Vol. 2, p. 31).This land is now in Hanover County. In 1679 the Pamunkey Indians leased for 99 years "six or seven hundred acres" to Cornelius Dabney (English Duplicates of Lost Virginia Records, compiled by Louis des Cognets, Jr., p. 58). In Sainsbury's Abstracts of Colonial State Papers, in the Public Records Office in London, there are two letters from Cornelius Dabney, the "Interpreter to the Queen of Pamunkey." The first is a state letter from the Queen of the Pamunkeys translated by Cornelius Dabney in his official capacity and transmitted to Colonel Francis Moryson of the Royal Commission of Virginia. The second is a personal letter to Colonel Moryson, dated Virginia, Jun ye 29th, 1678, in which Cornelius Dabney concluded: "...Sr. my wife Eedeth has her humble service p'sented unto y' Hono'. (she) would gladly send y' one of her Boyes a yeare or two hence.My humble service to y' Hono'. I am: Sr: y' Hono's most humble servant in all obedience. Cornelius Dabney." (Charles William Dabney, "The Origin of the Dabney Family of Virginia," Va. Mag. of History and Biography, April 1937, Vol. 45, No. 2, p. 134).

On 22 May 1686, Mr. Cornelius Dabnee was listed as a vestryman of St. Peter's Parish Church, New Kent. He died between 23 October 1693 and 1 May 1694 (Vestry Book and Register of St. Peter's Parish, New Kent and James City Counties, Virginia 1684-1786, transcribed and edited by C. G. Chamberlayne (Richmond: The Library Board, 1937, pp. 4, 40, 43)).

In 1699 his children "James Dabney, Geo. Dabney, Dorothy Dabney, and Sarah Dabney (were) devisees of Cornelius Dabney dec'd (of) 700 acres to which is added of Low Land thereto adjoining 150 acres" in Pamunkey Neck.(Louis des Cognets, Jr., English Duplicates of Lost Virginia Records, p.59).

"The Library of Virginia Digital Collection" (Electronic Card Index) records these Land Office Patents and Grants in King and Queen Co. in Pamunkey Neck:

Date
To Whom Granted
Number of Acres
Patent Book

25 Apr 1701
Dabney, James
204
#9, p. 346

"
Anderson, Dorothy (Dabney)
179.5
#9, p. 350

"
Dabney, George
293
#9, p. 351

"
Dabney, Sarah
179
#9. p. 352

1 Apr 1702
Dabney, James
1000
#9, p. 445

Cornelius Dabney's children were recorded further by Louis des Cognets, Jr. (English Duplicates of Lost Virginia Records, pp. 4, 5, 14, 25, 36)as follows:

List of Justices of the Peace Appointed:
1702 King William Co. George Dabney
1710 "
James Dabney, Gent.
1710 "
William Anderson (husband of Dorothy Dabney)
1714 "
George Dabney
1726 "
George Dabney
List of Sheriffs Appointed:
1713 King William Co. George Dabney

In the Vestry Book of St. Peter's Parish are records of:

Burials in April 1688 of "Jn: sone to Cornelius Dabenie (probably named for Cornelius' grandfather John Dawbney) and Eliz: daugh to Cornelius Dabenie" (Page 426).

Baptism on 11 Nov. 1698 of Eliz. daughter of Geo. Dabney (Page 349).

Baptism on 8 Jan. 1698/9 of Welthan daughter of James Dabney (Page 350).James Dabney had married Ann, daughter of Philip Sherwood of Rappahanock Co. (Essex Co. Book 8, p. 279, April 1690).

In Old New Kent County, Vol. 2, p. 883, Dr. Malcolm Hart Harris reported that after the death of his first wife Eedeth, Cornelius Dabney married Susanah, whose second husband was David Anderson. In her will dated 5 February 1724 (Hanover County Will Book 1, 1862-1868, Reel 1, pp. 632-634, Virginia State Library), Susanah Dabney-Anderson named her children:

Cornelius Dabney, the executor of her will. He married Sarah Jennings on 17 April 1721 (Virginia Marriage Records, by Wm. M. Clemons, Virginia State Library). His will was proved on 7 Feb. 1765 in which he named his wife Sarah and children William, John, Cornelius (deceased), Mary Elizabeth Maupin, Fanny Maupin, and Anna Thompson (Hanover County Will Book 1, 1862-1868, Reel 1, beginning page 634, Virginia State Library).An executor of his will was his second son, John Dabney, who became a Brigadier General in the Revolutionary War.

Dorothy, wife of James Trice. Therefore, Cornelius Dabney named two daughters Dorothy, presumably for his mother Dorothy (Batts) Dabney. (His first daughter by Eedeth named Dorothy married William Anderson and may have died before this second daughter Dorothy by Susanah was born).

Mary, wife of Capt. Thomas Carr. They were the grandparents of Dabney Carr, who married Martha, sister of Thomas Jefferson (Old New Kent County, by Dr. Malcolm Hart Harris, Vol. 2. pp. 956-957). David Anderson.

As a 10th generation Virginian, I have worked on the Dabneys for 25 years. My data is well documented, mainly by original records. Please advise me if you have any additions or corrections to this data.

Contributed by Dabney N. McLean, author of:

Henry Soane, Progenitor of Thomas Jefferson (1985)
Mary Horsmanden Byrd of "Westover" (1989)
The English Ancestry of Thomas Jefferson (1996)

For more information, please contact Dabney N. McLean at:
dmclean900@worldnet.att.net
or visit the Virginia Genealogy web site at VAGenWeb

Cornelius married Susanna Swann in 1664 in St Peter Parish, New Kent, Virginia, USA. Susanna was born in 1643 in St Peter Parish, New Kent, Virginia, USA; died in Feb 1724 in Hanove County, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Susan Swan
• Birth: 1643, Pamunkey River, St Peters Par., New Kent County, VA
• Death: 1748, King William County, Virginia, USA

Notes:

SPOUSE-DEATH: Genealogies of Virginia Families II, Genealogical
Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1981

Charles married Mary Cary about 1679 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. Mary was born on 9 Oct 1680; died on 7 Apr 1753. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]