John Brown
John Brown Sr.
1710-1753
John Sr. was born in 1710 to William Brown and Hester Baker-Yardley (1)
Hester Baker-Yardley was the widow of Thomas Yardley (son of William Yardley). Thomas and their children, Hester and William, tragically died in 1702-1703.
Hester and William Brown married in 1704 and had five children, including John Sr. They were Margaret, James, Daniel, and William. Margaret and William married Churchman siblings.
After William Brown's death, Hester then married Richard Hough. They had a son, John Sr's. half-brother, Richard Hough, named after his father.
John Brown Jr. married Hannah Hague in 1731 (2). They had six children: John Jr., Hannah, Mercy, Esther, Benjamin, and Mahlon.
The Brown family lived in two homes that still exist in LMT today. The first is located at 930 Stoney Hill Road (3), directly adjacent to Wegmans which was known as Prickett Farm (4). The second, at 949 Mirror Lake Road, was part of Thomas Janney’s original grant (5). Brown purchased it from Abel Janney in 1731. It is on Patterson Farm and now occupied by Artists of Yardley (AOY) (6). John passed away at the young age of 43 in 1753. His son John Jr inherited his farm (7). John Sr’s wife Hannah survived him and married Benjamin Cutler in 1755 living until 1769 (8).
Two of John Browns sons served in the American Revolution. They enlisted in August 1775 in the Lower Makefield Militia of Capt. Peter Vansant. Both are listed on the veterans plaque at Floral Vale. As a Quaker family this was not the norm.
His enlisted sons were John Brown III (1756-?) and Mahlon Brown (1758-?). Mahlon also married outside the faith and had a child. Since the marriage was not recognized by the Quakers they called that child a "bastard". Mahlon was expelled from the weekly meetings but allowed to attend the monthly meetings.
Neither John nor Mahlo was expelled due to their service.