Lent Brown and Nancy
C. Windrow
Lent Brown was one of the sons
of William Brown and Sarah Wells, and was born around 1781
in either Lunenburg or Brunswick County, Virginia. He
appears to have left Virginia for Tennessee by 1801, when
he first appears in Williamson County tax lists. He married
Nancy Windrow, daughter of Richard Windrow and Mellinder
Anthony, probably around 1803 in either Williamson County
or possibly the newly formed Rutherford County (which was
created out of part of Williamson).
By 1807, Lent was able to make his first purchase of
land--50 acres on Nelson's Creek, which appears to be in
the northeast corner of the county. (We have not yet
finished reviewing all Williamson County deed records for
Lent, but are in the process of doing so and will post more
details then.) By 1812, he and his family are in Rutherford
County, where he is charged taxes on 150 acres of land; he
ultimately owned about 232 acres in all. Lent and Nancy and
their family remained in the western portion of Rutherford
until the 1850s, when both Lent and Nancy died.
Lent's will helpfully identifies all his
surviving daughters by their married names, and the
subsequent ex parte division of his estate
includes the names of their spouses -- a detail that is
particularly useful, since several married before
Tennessee required the registration of marriage
licenses.
Lent was a minister in the Methodist church, according to
several published sources, as was at least one of his
brothers.
At least one of Nancy's granddaughters was named Nancy
Caroline -- it's possible that this is what Nancy's name
may have been, too.
Lent
Brown (b. 1781,
Virginia - d. about November 1851, Rutherford, TN)
m. about
1803, Williamson or Rutherford, TN
Nancy C. Windrow
(b. 31 December 1783,
Virginia - d. 29 December 1852, Rutherford, TN)
Children:
i. Mary W. Brown
(b. 1804, Williamson, TN - d.
about 1867, Rutherford, TN); m. John W.
Dunn
ii. Sarah A. Brown
(b. 1806, Williamson, TN - d.
aft 1870); m. William G.
Smith
iii. William R. Brown
(b. 1808, Williamson, TN - d
1894, HIckman, TN [according to a published source])
iv. Jane Brown
(b. 1811, Tennessee - d about
1863/4, Rutherford, TN); m. Littleberry
Rowland
v. James Anthony
Brown (b. 1815,
probably Rutherford, TN - d. by 1900, Rutherford, TN);
m. Lucy A.
Rowland
vi. Matilda B. Brown
(b. 4 Feb 1813, Rutherford,
TN - d. 8 Mar 1887, Skelton, Warrick, IN); m.
Harley
Winsett
vii. Pleasant W.
Brown (b. 1820,
Rutherford, TN - d. 1894, TN [according to a published
source]); m. Martha Jane
Warren
viii. Martha A. Brown
(b. about 1822, Rutherford,
TN - d. possibly aft 1880); m. William H.
Crawford
ix. Anna M. Brown
(b. about 1824, Rutherford,
TN - d. aft 1891, Rutherford, TN); m. John J.
Rowland
x. Elizabeth C.
Brown (b. about April,
1826/28, Rutherford, TN - d. after 1910); m.
William M.
Rowland
xi. Henry F. Brown
(b. 1834, Rutherford, TN - d.
1872 [according to a published source])