This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.


Lands in the East Vi of Section 14, Township 7 South, Range 17 West on December 3, 1845 and was granted the title on January 17, 1846. Thus, Robert Brown and family moved to Hancock County before the last of his family was born. The last child known to be born in Perry County was Harriet Brown, bom in Perry County in 1844 according to her death certificate and 1850 census records. Thus, the children following Harriet were apparently bom in Hancock County. These include Reuben, Matilda, Artzlisy, and the one unnamed infant daughter buried in Cedar Grove cemetery by Robert and Jane Brown. It should be noted that the old Brown homestead is now in Pearl River County. In 1890 Pearl River County was cut out of Hancock County causing this discrepancy in the place where the Browns actually lived.
The following is a list of the known children bom to Robert Brown and Jane Davis. Most of his children appear in the 1850 census of Hancock County in the same household. Children listed in order are: Elizabeth age 15, Thomton age 13, Sarah age 12, Jane E. age
11,	Keziah age 10, Rebecca age 8, Harriet age 6, Reuben age 5, and Matilda age 3. This list does not include Elmira, probably the oldest child who was married and moved out by 1850, nor does this list include two other daughters that died as infants. The sequence of birth in the 1850 census is basically correct, although these years of birth conflict with several of these children’s dates of birth found on their own headstones. Thus, some of the dates of birth taken from the headstones may be a year or two off while the day and month are probably correct. This conflict will be handled on an individual basis with each child.
I.	Elmira Brown - bom around 1832 in Perry County, MS. Elmira is not listed in the 1850 census with her parents and siblings. In the 1850 census of Hancock County (Gainesville), we find her husband, James Miller, bom in Alabama in 1825. He was living with his parents, Richard and Jane Miller, as well as his siblings. We suspect she married James Miller and died shortly before the 1850 census was taken. This would explain why she is not in the 1850 census and James Miller is back with his parents that year. Mrs. Nita Smith Wheat (elderly granddaughter of Rebecca Brown), living in Picayune, MS, told us that Elmira married James “Jim” Miller in Hancock County and died shortly after her marriage. She had no children. Her husband then married Elmira’s younger sister, Sarah Brown and had a family. Elmira is buried by her parents in Cedar Grove cemetery with a marker that says “Elmira Miller, daughter of Robert Brown”. It has no dates.
II.	Elizabeth “Betsey” Brown - bom on December 31, 1833 and died on July 5,1909 according to the old Miller Bible in the possession of Elizabeth’s granddaughter,
Zora Miller (Mrs. Frank Patton) of Picayune, MS. Elizabeth is listed in the 1850 Hancock County census as bom in 1835 in MS, and living with her parents that year. She married Richard “Dick” Miller, Jr. on February 15, 1855 according to the record at the Hancock County Court House in Bay St. Louis and according to family members. They made their home in the area of Hancock County called the Flat Top community. Elizabeth is listed in the 1880 census of Hancock County as a “widow” and bom in 1834. She has in the home, children: Robert 21, Shilotte 16, James 13, Richard 11, and Albert 9. She is also found in the 1900 Hancock census as bom in “Jan. 1834” living in the home of her son, Albert Miller. Going back to the 1850
10


Brown & Davis Families Robert-Brown-&-James-Davis-of-South-MS---Descendants-and-Related-Lines-011
© 2008 - 2024
Hancock County Historical Society
All rights reserved