Part O - The Browning Progenitor Question

Before I get into the meat of this post, I've decided to use this space as Space X for my Browning Series, a space to feature ALL the posts I make that reference or relate in any way to a John Browning, found in Harrison Co., OH in the 1820 and 1830 censuses.

It's my belief that this John is my Samuel Browning's father. I've believed this for over a decade and my cousin Pat went to her grave believing it as well. I've wanted to prove it forever. Perhaps -- someday -- I will.

1) John, the Possible Progenitor
2) My Endless Browning Cycle

Now on with it.

A genealogist friend (and possible cousin if we can ever prove it!) of mine sent me a snippet today, something that came to her on her birthday out of the past. It was so exciting that I had to post it here before I called it a night.

She posted a query on GenForum back in June 2001 about William Browning and Hannah Barr, who married 28 February 1818 in Harrison Co., OH. She posted the question initially because her ancestress, Hannah Browning, married Thomas Drake in the same county in 1837 and she was exploring the possibility that William and Hannah might be her Hannah's parents.

Nothing ever came of the post until today.

A man who had returned yesterday from doing some research at the Harrison County, OH Genealogical Society replied. He was researching the Barr family and came across that marriage license between William Browning and Hannah Barr. He found more than that, though. He said Hannah was the daughter of Patrick Barr of Ireland.

More importantly to me -- he also found the couple's consent to marry slip from Cadiz, OH, signed 6 November 1817. Apparently it was William, not Hannah, that needed this consent (or if she did, the consent form for Hannah wasn't included in the information the man wrote my friend/cousin about.) He said that the consent form listed William's father as John Browning!

John!

Up until now I have had only one small glimpse of that name (other than the previously mentioned census reports) and that was on another consent to marry slip from Harrison County. This slip was for a daughter named Margit. The slip is faded beyond reading more than a few words and I've placed it here so you can see what I mean. This is a copy from the original and it was copied prior to the great dump of records Harrison County performed some years back. John's signature is clear, though.

I've often assumed that William Browning, b. c1800, and my Samuel, b. c1796, were brothers. If this is true (and assuming they did not have two different fathers) then John is also my Samuel's father. This might be the beginning of the link I'm looking for!!

I am eagerly awaiting the results of communication between the man who posted the consent form and my genealogist friend/possible cousin. I hope he made a copy of the consent slip but if he didn't, it will be something I'll send off for.

Updates

Here's a GREAT web site for county boundaries!

I'll be posting more soon. I've been so busy lately.

My Kingdom For A Good Genealogy Flowchart Program

I've been occupied lately with some new and exciting developments. A few years ago my father took a yDNA test for me and I tucked the results away and didn't disperse them like I should have. Luckily a cousin found me and our mutual excitement convinced me to input them into a Brown Genealogy Society page that I had been invited to but had never pursued. This page also includes Browning information and I'm happy to say it's matched me with a couple of others.

It's a long story but suffice to say I've made a couple of matches in the 7-15 generation category. Although these matches (like me) have one common roadblock, Maryland in the time period 1770's-1790's, that's okay. At least I'm not alone now, and at least it's given me somewhere to focus other than at the tip of my nose! I've missed my cousin Pat since her death in 2009 and I will miss her forever, but I believe I've found another researcher whose enthusiasm and determination remind me of hers. I've really enjoyed that lately.

I've discovered more about my Samuel. I found out he served in two different companies in the War of1812! I've found a land record that somehow I've skipped over all these years, that gives the names of both the companies. I've written to the National Archives and sent for the land case file, hoping beyond hope that a word or two will point me toward Samuel's missing relatives. I'll be sharing all this when I get the chance to pull my head out of my research long enough to take a breath and write.

I'm writing tonight because I've discovered that I'm need of guidance. I have enough clues now to (perhaps) begin to narrow down the possibilites that exist for my Samuel's parentage. I have at least three disparate families that belong to this list of possibilities. I want to be able to have some sort of software program, preferably a FREE one, that can act very much like those whiteboards you see detectives use on TV. You know the ones.....where they draw out a timeline, and list factoids under each person, and there are spaces for additional info, and you can see maps and pictures and other tidbits? I thought about using a regular old genealogy database but really, it doesn't lend itself to this. You have to click through so many connecting people to get to the one you want, for the most part it depends on familial ties that I don't have yet, and you can't see everything in the three dimensions I need. I need to stick clues to each one with virtual thumbtacks. I need to see the big picture here.

Suggestions, anyone?