Brown-Graham Family papers

The Brown-Graham Family Papers (size: one cubic foot) concern mainly one branch from the 12 children of John Brown and Susanna(h) Reseau (Rezeau) who were early settlers (around 1737) in the area known as Browntown in the current township of Old Bridge (formerly named Mc:Jd i son Twp ., before t hat , nart of Sou th Amboy), in Middlesex County , New Jersey. The papers date from 1810 to 1946, with most dating from 1887 to 1940 . The branch followed in this collection stems from Joshua Brown, 10th child of John and Susannah. He is sometimes referred to in these papers as Joshua Brown Senior, although none of his children was named Joshua , but a nephew was.

The papers mostly describe some of Joshua Brown Sr.'s land transactions and those of his children, especially those of his son, Abraham J. Brown, and then, those of his children and some of their children. Abraham J. Brown purchased and lived with his wife, Mary Ackland Provoost and children on a farm on Raritan Bay near what is known as Seidler's Beach and Cliffwood Beach, still in current Old Bridge Township. After his death in 1873, this land was sold at auction to D. Close, but legal issues arose over the exact amount of land sold, including a Brown vs. Brown lawsuit (see Rev . Curtis Graham folders). The resolution of this is not found in the family papers, but in Alvia Disbrown Martin's local history, she states that the Brown/Provoost property in the Cliffwood Reach section came to the heirs of Abraham and David Brown and was sold at auction to Wm. Close in 1888, and that it was occupied by David Close and family starting in 1887. Also, that Knollcroft Development now covers the estate.

The largest amount of papers, 1912-1946 , belonged to Sherburne M. Graham and to his wife Anna M., who also produced the last papers in this collection.

The Brown-Graham Family Papers are arranged and named by person, putting papers created by that person and also their estate papers together. The arrangement generally keeps generations together from earliest to latest. The folder(s) for each person are divided by the type of papers they hold, such as Legal Documents, Financial Documents, Estate Papers, Correspondence, etc. Also included are two family Bibles containing some genealogy, one with photographs.