Chart 10106
Isaac and Margaret Brownley
of Mathews County, Virginia, USA

Isaac and Margaret Brownley of Mathews County, Virginia, USA. Mathews County is on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, in very rural country.  Its people were farmers and shipbuilders and many of the sons, like Isaac F., migrated to Portsmouth, the big city across the Bay. Portsmouth was, and still is, a big shipbuilding city, closely connected with Norfolk, Virginia.  Sarah's Thomas family lived in Portsmouth at the time of her marriage, but they, too, were a Mathews County family.

They had issue:

Isaac F. Brownley born Mathews County, Virginia married in Portsmouth, Virginia on 12 December 1839. Sarah Thomas born Mathews County.

They had issue:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10. Charles Jefferis Brownley, born 1862. Charles went north to Philadelphia and became a pharmacist. He married Emma Sabina Truby

They had issue:

1.

2. Charles Edward Brownley married firstly in 1920 to Catharine Irene VanLeer, born (?) died 1926 (3 days after the birth of Robert).

They had issue:

1. Marjorie B. Brownley, born 1924. Married to (?) Winter.

They had issue:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Charles Edward Brownley and Catharine Irene VanLeer also had:

2. Robert (Bob) Brownley, born 1926. Married to (?).

They had issue:

1. (daughter)

Charles married secondly to (?)

They had issue:

1. Edward (Ned) Brownley, born in 1928. Married (?).

They had issue:

1.

2.

3.

4.

 

Notes:

Marjorie B. Brownley and (?) Winter has 3 grandchildren.

 

Robert (Bob) Brownley has one daughter.

 

Edward (Ned) Brownley has 4 children: two daughters and two sons.  Each has one son. One of Ned's daughters has two sons, and one is not married.

 

We know that my (Marjorie B. Brownley) grandfather's sisters married (surnames Powers and Moore,) and, in the 1940s, they were still in the Portsmouth and Norfolk VA area. 

 

Even today, Mathews County is populated mostly by, four surnamed families, two of which are Brownley and Thomas. The original Brownley, Archibald, came to Mathews County in the late 17th century and created quite an estate for himself.  The geography of the county made it a great place for early commerce in timber, grain, tobacco, etc.  The county has major rivers and easy access to the Bay and larger ports.  The name Brownley has been prominent there for two centuries. The other names are Thomas, Foster, Digges.

 

The genealogy of Mathews County is very involved.  Obviously the four families intermarried over the years, and just about everyone in the county is related in some way.  During the Civil War, county officials were told to send their records to Richmond, VA, for safekeeping.  The Yankees burned Richmond, and with the city went 150 years of early American records.

 

Captain Jefferson Brownley of Mathews County owned and operated a profitable shipping business there during the Civil War. He transported grain, lumber, and other stores all over the Chesapeake Bay. In one great explosion and fire, his home, his warehouses, his docks, his ships, and many members of his family were destroyed.  Captain Brownley was accused of transporting munitions and stores for "the enemy."  The North said the South did it, and vice versa.  To this day, no one knows the real culprit, but the sudden end of Captain Brownley and several of his sons brought down an illustrious family. In addition, it created confusion in a great many genealogy lines, for many Mathews County people are still searching for the clue that will link their family to that of Captain Brownley.  In some ways, he is the missing link, but people can't prove their connection to it.

Everyone who is doing research on Mathews County families readily shares whatever knowledge they have with everyone else.  Perhaps, together, we can piece together the history of a wonderful corner of these United States.

 

Information supplied by

Marjorie B. Winter

marjw@pinelink.org