Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762)
Papers1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762) , MSS 315
Rhode Island Historical Society
Page 1 of 15
Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762) Papers
1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762)
Rhode Island Historical Society
121 Hope Street
Providence, RI 02906
Tel: 401-273-8107
Fax: 401-751-7930
Email: reference@rihs.org
RIAMCO
http://www.riamco.org/render.php?eadid=US-RHi-mss315&view=title
Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762)
Papers1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762) , MSS 315
Rhode Island Historical Society
Page 2 of 15
Published in 2009
©Rhode Island Historical Society
Collection overview
Title:
Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762) Papers
Date range:
1719-1776, (bulk 1740-1762)
Creator:
Rhode Island Historical Society
Extent:
5 linear feet
Abstract:
Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762) was born in Providence.
His father was Elder James Brown (1666-1716), a
pastor on the First Baptist Church; his mother was Mary
(Harris) Brown. Upon reaching adulthood, Obadiah joined
his older brother James Brown II (1698-1739) in the
mercantile trade, which included traffic in cocoa, rum,
molasses and slaves.
Language of materials:
English
Repository:
Rhode Island Historical Society
Collection number:
MSS 315
Scope & content
These papers are almost exclusively records pertaining to Obadiah Brown's many business
ventures. A large portion actually relate to partnerships between Brown and his nephews,
under the name of Obadiah Brown & Co., or Obadiah & Nicholas Brown. There are very
few personal papers in this collection.
The first portion of the collection consists of loose papers, dated from 1733 to 1762, with
the bulk coming after 1752. Most of these papers are loose receipts, invoices and other
financial memoranda. There are also some business letters, listed at the end of this finding
aid. Almost half of the loose papers are from 1758, and relate to trading at Monte Cristi in
today's Dominican Republic.
RIAMCO
http://www.riamco.org/render.php?eadid=US-RHi-mss315&view=title
Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762)
Papers1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762) , MSS 315
Rhode Island Historical Society
Page 3 of 15
The second portion of the collection consists of bound volumes: ledgers, account books
and day books of Obadiah Brown, alone or in partnership. Other noteworthy volumes
are two outgoing letter books, and a ship's log kept aboard the sloop Mary en route from
Surinam to Rhode Island in 1735.
There is very little directly relating to the slave trade in this collection, as Brown was only
involved in two voyages to Africa. There is nothing relating to the 1736 voyage of the Mary,
and only a few incidental accounts relating to the fitting out of the Wheel of Fortune in 1758.
See "Ledger No. 5", page 122. Of course, Brown was very much involved in the related
trade with the West Indies, and with operating a rum distillery as well.
Arrangement
• Series 1: Loose papers.
• Series 2: Volumes.
Historical note
Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762) was born in Providence. His father was Elder James Brown
(1666-1716), a pastor on the First Baptist Church; his mother was Mary (Harris) Brown.
Upon reaching adulthood, Obadiah joined his older brother James Brown II (1698-1739)
in the mercantile trade, which included traffic in cocoa, rum, molasses and slaves. His
initial role was as master of his brother's vessels in the West Indies trade. In 1736, he
shipped out to the African coast as the supercargo of the family's sloop Mary, which thus
became the first known Providence slave ship. However, this trip does not seem to have
been very profitable, and the Browns apparently had no further direct involvement in
the slave trade for over twenty years. After the death of James in 1739, Obadiah retired
from the sea himself, but continued the business. During the 1750s, he became the first
Providence merchant to trade directly with England, bypassing the traditional mercantile
cities of Boston and Newport. He also opened a spermaceti candle factory as early as
1751. He also helped to raise James' young children, later forming a partnership with
James' four surviving sons as Obadiah Brown & Co. This firm made another attempt at
the slave trade in 1759, when their slave ship Wheel of Fortune was captured by French
privateers. Obadiah died in Glocester, R.I. in 1762, probably at the home of his daughter
Phebe Fenner.
RIAMCO
http://www.riamco.org/render.php?eadid=US-RHi-mss315&view=title
Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762)
Papers1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762) , MSS 315
Rhode Island Historical Society
Page 4 of 15
In 1737, he married his first cousin, Mary Harris (1718-1805), daughter of Toleration and
Sarah Harris. They had eight children. All four of the sons died in early childhood. The
four daughters were Phebe (b.1738), Sarah (1742-1800), Anna (1744-1773) and Mary
(b.1753). Phebe married John Fenner of Glocester, R.I., brother of Gov. Arthur Fenner.
Sarah married Lt. Gov. Jabez Bowen (1739-1815). Anna married her first cousin Moses
Brown (1738-1836). Mary married Thomas Arnold (1751-1826). March 22, 1698- Birth of
Captain James Browne son of Elder James Browne (1666-1732) and Mary (Harris) Browne
(1671-1736)
January 4, 1702- Birth of Hope (Power) Browne (1702-1792), daughter of Nicholas and
Mercy (Tillinghast) Power
October 2, 1712- Birth of Obadiah Brown, brother of Captain James Browne
December 21, 1722- Marriage of Captain James Browne and Hope (Power) Browne
February 12, 1724- Birth of James Browne, eldest son of Captain James Browne
(1698-1739) and Hope (Power) Browne (1702-1792)
July 28, 1729- Birth of Nicholas Brown, second son of Captain James Browne and Hope
(Power) Browne
1731- Birth of Mary (Brown) Vanderlight, the only daughter of Captain James Browne and
Hope (Power) Browne.
1733- Obadiah Brown begins his mercantile career
Dec. 3, 1733- Birth of Joseph Brown, third son of Captain James Browne and Hope
(Power) Browne
January 27, 1736- Birth of John Brown, fourth son of Captain James Browne and Hope
(Power) Browne
June 5, 1737- Marriage of Obadiah Brown and his first cousin, Mary (Harris) Brown
(1718-1805)
September 12, 1738- Birth of Moses Brown, youngest son of Captain James Browne and
Hope (Power) Browne
April 27, 1739-Death of Captain James Browne (b.1698)
1750- Nicholas Brown (b. 1729) reaches his majority; his elder brother James dies at sea
RIAMCO
http://www.riamco.org/render.php?eadid=US-RHi-mss315&view=title
Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762)
Papers1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762) , MSS 315
Rhode Island Historical Society
Page 5 of 15
1751- Moses Brown begins to clerk for his uncle, Obadiah Brown
1754- Nicholas and John Brown begin business activities together
September 30, 1759 Joseph Brown marries cousin Elizabeth Power (1736-1806), daughter
of Nicholas and Anne (Tillinghast) Power.
1760- Moses Brown and Obadiah Brown enter into partnership.
November 27, 1760 John Brown marries Sarah Smith (1738-1825), daughter of Daniel and
Dorcas (Harris) Smith
May 2, 1762- Nicholas Brown weds Rhode Jenckes (1741-1783), daughter of Daniel and
Joanna (Scott) Jenckes of Providence
June 17, 1762- Death of Obadiah Brown (b.1712)
August 1762- Formation of Nicholas Brown and Company
1763- United Company of Spermaceti Manufacturers, Plan of Union
January 1, 1764- Marriage of Moses Brown and his first cousin Anna Brown (1744-1773),
daughter of Obadiah and Mary (Harris) Brown
1765- Formation of Hope Furnace
July 30, 1767- Hope Brown, daughter of Nicholas (b.1729) and Rhoda (Jenckes) Brown,
drowns two days before her fourth birthday
1767/1768- George Benson clerks for Nicholas Brown and Company
June 1768- United Company of Spermaceti Manufacturers incorporates
April 4, 1769- Birth of Nicholas Brown (1769-1841), son of Nicholas (b.1729) and Rhoda
(Jenckes) Brown
1772- John Brown withdraws from maritime activities of Nicholas Brown and Company
February 5, 1773- Death of Anna (Brown) Brown, wife of Moses Brown
1774- Moses and Joseph Brown withdraw from maritime activities of Nicholas Brown and
Company
1775- George Benson a commission agent in Newport, RI
RIAMCO
http://www.riamco.org/render.php?eadid=US-RHi-mss315&view=title
Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762)
Papers1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762) , MSS 315
Rhode Island Historical Society
Page 6 of 15
1776-1782- Nicholas and John Brown supply Continental Congress; Hope Furnace
manufactures cannon
1782- Thomas Poynton Ives becomes a clerk for Nicholas Brown (b.1729)
1783- Nicholas Brown (b. 1729) enters into partnership with former clerk George Benson
December 16, 1783- Death of Rhoda (Jenckes) Brown, wife of Nicholas Brown (b.1729)
January 8, 1785- Death of Joanna Brown, daughter of Nicholas and Rhoda (Jenckes)
Brown
September 9, 1785- Nicholas Brown weds second wife Avis Binney, daughter of Captain
Barnabus Binney of Boston
December 3, 1785- Death of Joseph Brown (b.1733)
May 29, 1791- Death of Nicholas Brown (b.1729)
June 8, 1792- Death of Hope (Power) Browne, widow of Captain James Browne
May 26, 1795- Death of Mary (Brown) Vanderlight, daughter of Captain James Browne and
Hope (Power) Browne
September 20, 1803- Death of John Brown (b. 1736)
August 16, 1807- Death of Avis (Binney) Brown, widow of Nicholas
September 6, 1836- Death of Moses Brown (b.1738)
Access & use
Access to the collection:
There are no restrictions on access, except where
microfilm is available.
Use of materials:
Researchers are advised that express written permission
to reproduce, quote, or otherwise publish any portion or
extract from this collection must be obtained from the
Rhode Island Historical Society.
Preferred citation:
Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762) Papers Obadiah Brown I
(1712-1762) Papers , MSS 315, Rhode Island Historical
Society
RIAMCO
http://www.riamco.org/render.php?eadid=US-RHi-mss315&view=title
Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762)
Papers1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762) , MSS 315
Rhode Island Historical Society
Contact information:
Page 7 of 15
Rhode Island Historical Society
121 Hope Street
Providence, RI 02906
Tel: 401-273-8107
Fax: 401-751-7930
Email: reference@rihs.org
Administrative information
About the collection
Aquisition:
The provenance of this collection is unknown. The bulk
may have arrived as part of the Moses Brown Papers,
as Moses Brown was his nephew, protégé and a major
heir of his estate. Many of the loose papers certainly did;
Hedges in his 1952 Browns of Providence Plantations
cites some of these items as being in “the unbound
Moses Brown Papers at the RIHS”. He also cites several
of the volumes. These were all apparently donated
as Moses Brown papers, but never fully organized as
such, and later pulled out to make a separate collection.
Many of the volumes are marked with a catalog number
beginning “2-W”, indicating that they were housed in the
west wing of the old Cabinet building, and thus donated
before 1945. Other volumes have catalog tags without
such a designation, and were likely cataloged between
1945 and 1965.
Processing information:
Processed by Pam Narbeth, 1995.
One item, a day book kept by Nicholas Brown &
Company for the period 1762- 1789, has been
transferred to the Nicholas Brown Collection, MSS 314.
The John Nicholas Brown Center for the Study of
American Civilization at Brown University, in partnership
with the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University
and the Rhode Island Historical Society, conducted a
two year collaborative project starting in1995 to arrange,
describe and catalog records relating to the Brown family
RIAMCO
http://www.riamco.org/render.php?eadid=US-RHi-mss315&view=title
Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762)
Papers1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762) , MSS 315
Rhode Island Historical Society
Page 8 of 15
of Providence, Rhode Island. The Brown Family Papers
Project was made possible by a grant from the National
Endowment for the Humanities.
About the finding aid
Author:
Finding aid prepared by Rick Stattler.
Encoding:
Finding aid encoded by Mark Chepkwony 2009 June 25
Descriptive rules:
Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content
Standard (DACS)
Additional information
Bibliography:
Buckley, Abby Isabel. The Chad Brown Memorial,
Consisting of Genealogical Memoirs of a Portion of the
Descendants of Chad and Elizabeth Browne, 1638 1888. New York: 1888.
The Chad Brown Workbook; A Continuing Family
Genealogy of the Descendants of Chad Brown. 2nd
edition. Providence: Rhode Island Historical Society,
1987.
Hedges, James B. The Browns of Providence
Plantations: Colonial Years. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard
University Press, 1952.
Rogers, L.E., ed. The Biographical Cyclopedia of the
Representative Men of Rhode Island. Providence:
National Biographical Publishing Co., 1881.
Search terms
Names:
RIAMCO
Angell, Samuel (b.1707)
Brown, James (1698-1739)
Coddington, William
DeBlois, Gilbert
Lopez, Aaron (1731-1782)
Lopez, Moses
http://www.riamco.org/render.php?eadid=US-RHi-mss315&view=title
Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762)
Papers1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762) , MSS 315
Rhode Island Historical Society
Page 9 of 15
Page, Ambrose
Potter, Simeon (1717-1806)
Robinson, Thomas
Thurston, Peleg
Vernon, Samuel
Wheaton, John
Subjects:
RIAMCO
Candlemaking - Rhode Island
Distilleries - Rhode Island
Insurance, Marine
Log books - 1735
Merchants - Rhode Island - Providence
Rum industry - Rhode Island - Providence
Slave-trade - Rhode Island - Providence
Spermaceti - Rhode Island - Providence
Mary (sloop)
Obadiah Brown & Company
Providence, R.I. - Commerce
West Indies - Commerce
United States - History - French and Indian War,
1755-1763
http://www.riamco.org/render.php?eadid=US-RHi-mss315&view=title
Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762)
Papers1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762) , MSS 315
Rhode Island Historical Society
Page 10 of 15
Inventory
Series 1, Loose papers,
Includes correspondence, receipts, invoices, deeds, agreements, etc. An index of
correspondants in this series can be found at the Library of the Rhode Island Historical
Society.
Container
Description
Date
Box 1, Folder 1
MSS 315 Item 1,
1733 - 1749
Box 1, Folder 2
MSS 315 Item 2,
1750-1751
Box 1, Folder 3
MSS 315 Item 3,
1752
Box 1, Folder 4
MSS 315 Item 4,
1753-1753
Apr
Box 1, Folder 5
MSS 315 Item 5,
1753
May-1753
Dec
Box 1, Folder 6
MSS 315 Item 6,
1754-1754
Jun
Box 1, Folder 7
MSS 315 Item 7,
1754
Jul-1754
Dec
Box 1, Folder 8
MSS 315 Item 8,
1755
Box 1, Folder 9
MSS 315 Item 9,
1756
Box 1, Folder
10
MSS 315 Item 10,
1757
Box 1, Folder
11
MSS 315 Item 11,
1758
RIAMCO
http://www.riamco.org/render.php?eadid=US-RHi-mss315&view=title
Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762)
Papers1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762) , MSS 315
Rhode Island Historical Society
Page 11 of 15
Box 1, Folder
12
MSS 315 Item 12,
1758
Jan-1758
Feb
Box 1, Folder
13
MSS 315 Item 13,
1758 Mar
Box 1, Folder
14
MSS 315 Item 14,
1758 Apr
01-1758 Apr
15
Box 1, Folder
15
MSS 315 Item 15,
1758 Apr
16-1758 Apr
30
Box 1, Folder
16
MSS 315 Item 16,
1758
May-1758
Jun
Box 1, Folder
17
MSS 315 Item 17,
1758 Jul
Box 1, Folder
18
MSS 315 Item 18,
1758 Aug
Box 1, Folder
19
MSS 315 Item 19,
1758 Sep
Box 2, Folder
20
MSS 315 Item 20,
1758 Oct
Box 2, Folder
21
MSS 315 Item 21,
1758
Nov-1758
Dec
Box 2, Folder
22
MSS 315 Item 22,
1759
RIAMCO
http://www.riamco.org/render.php?eadid=US-RHi-mss315&view=title
Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762)
Papers1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762) , MSS 315
Rhode Island Historical Society
Page 12 of 15
Box 2, Folder
23
MSS 315 Item 23,
1760-1761
Box 2, Folder
24
MSS 315 Item 24,
1762-1763
Box 2, Folder
25
MSS 315 Item 25,
undated
Box 2, Folder
26
MSS 315 Item 26, Estate papers of
Obadiah Brown
1762-1776
,
Oversized items from Series I
undated
Box 1x, Folder
1
MSS 315 Item 1, Indentures
1741,1744
Box 1x, Folder
2
MSS 315 Item 2, Invoice for ship
Smithfield
1750
Box 1x, Folder
3
MSS 315 Item 3, Accounts
Letter from Sam & William Vernon,
1752
1752-1754
Box 1x, Folder
4
MSS 315 Item 4, Agreement to build a
vessel for Thomas Walker
1752
Box 1x, Folder
5
MSS 315 Item 5, Invoices, letter to Sam
Angell
1755-1759
Box 1x, Folder
6
MSS 315 Item 6, Account of Joseph
Potter
1756-1759
Box 1x, Folder
7
MSS 315 Item 7, Accounts of sloops
Ann, Deborah, Esther and Speedwell
1758-1759
Box 1x, Folder
8
MSS 315 Item 8, Correspondence from
William Stead
1756-1759
RIAMCO
http://www.riamco.org/render.php?eadid=US-RHi-mss315&view=title
Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762)
Papers1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762) , MSS 315
Rhode Island Historical Society
Box 1x, Folder
9
Page 13 of 15
MSS 315 Item 9, Estate papers of
Obadiah Brown
1762-1764
Series 2, Volumes,
Subseries 1, Account Books,
Subseries 2, Day Books,
Subseries 3, Ledgers,
Subseries 4, Miscellaneous financial records,
Container
Description
Date
Box 2, Folder
27
MSS 315 Item 27, Spermaceti
Manufactury account book
1756-1758
Box 2x, Folder
1
MSS 315 Item 1, Spermaceti
Manufactury accounts
1757-1758
Box 2x, Folder
2
MSS 315 Item 2, Spermaceti
Manufactury account book
1757-1764
Box 2x, Folder
3
MSS 315 Item 3, Accounts of Obadiah
Brown and the Estate of Obadiah
Brown to Nicholas & John Brown
1759-1763
Box 2x, Folder
4
MSS 315 Item 4, Day book of rum
warehouse
1749-1750
Box 3x, Folder
2.2
MSS 315 Item 2.2, Day book, (in
Oversize Box 3)
1746 - 1751
Box 3x, Folder
2.3
MSS 315 Item 2.3, Day book, (in
Oversize Box 3)
1752
Jan-1752
Oct
Box 4x, Folder
2.4
MSS 315 Item 2.4, Day book, (in
Oversize Box 4)
1752
Oct-1753
Apr
RIAMCO
http://www.riamco.org/render.php?eadid=US-RHi-mss315&view=title
Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762)
Papers1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762) , MSS 315
Rhode Island Historical Society
Page 14 of 15
Box 4x, Folder
2.5
MSS 315 Item 2.5, Day book, (in
Oversize Box 4)
1753
Apr-1753
Nov
Box 5x, Folder
2.6
MSS 315 Item 2.6, Day book,
November 1753 - May 1754 (in
Oversize Box 5)
1753
Nov-1754
May
Box 5x, Folder
2.7
MSS 315 Item 2.7, Day book, May
1755 - March 1757 ( in Oversize Box 5)
1755
May-1757
Mar
Box 5x, Folder
2.8
MSS 315 Item 2.8, Day book, March
1757 - October 1759 (in Oversize Box
5)
1757
Mar-1759
Oct
Box 5x, Folder
2.9
MSS 315 Item 2.9, Day book, October
1759 - December 1763 (in Oversize
Box 5)
1759
Oct-1763
Dec
Folder 3.1,
MSS 315 Item 3.1, Oversized Ledger
1719 - 1731,
1752 - 1755
Folder 3.2,
MSS 315 Item 3.2, Oversized Ledger
No. 2
1741 - 1750
Box 3.3,
MSS 315 Item 3.3, Oversized Ledger
No. 4
Waste book, 1719 - 1731
1753-1756
Folder 3.4,
MSS 315 Item 3.4, Oversized Ledger
No. 5
1757 - 1763
Box 2, Folder
28
MSS 315 Item 28, Accounts and letter
book
1740, 1751 1752
Box 2, Folder
29
MSS 315 Item 29, Letter book
1752 - 1759
RIAMCO
http://www.riamco.org/render.php?eadid=US-RHi-mss315&view=title
Guide to the Obadiah Brown I (1712-1762)
Papers1719-1776 (bulk 1740-1762) , MSS 315
Rhode Island Historical Society
Page 15 of 15
Box 2, Folder
30
MSS 315 Item 30, Guide to Book
-Keepers According to the Italian
Manner by Charles Snell, printed in
1709. Inserted: journal of a voyage
aboard the sloop Mary, Jan. - Feb.
1735/6; and ship accounts
1733-1736
Box 2, Folder
31
MSS 315 Item 31, Receipt book, July
1751 - March 1760
1751 Jul1760 Mar
Box 2, Folder
32
MSS 315 Item 32, Marine insurance
book
1753-1762
Box 2, Folder
33
MSS 315 Item 33, Account book No. 2,
1747-1771
Indexed (has 2 mutilated pages)
contains: Accounts of snow Reprisal,
1747-1748 Accounts of snow
Providence, privateer, 1747 Accounts
of ship Smithfield, 1748 Obadiah Brown
& Co., Nantucket accounts, 1756-1771
Spinning and weaving accounts,
1769-1771
1747-1771
Box 2x, Folder
5
MSS 315 Item 5, Vice Admiralty Court
case against brig Prudent Hannah,
Virginia.
1758
RIAMCO
http://www.riamco.org/render.php?eadid=US-RHi-mss315&view=title