Tombstone Tuesday: Elias Brown, Esq.

Photo by Brian Zoldak, 2016, used with permission

Elias Brown, Esq (link to larger photo)

Moving on to the second Brown plot, side-by-side with the last, we find the same arrangements of a monument with headstones surrounding it. But, in this case, the monument has all four sides of carved plaques with the name and full dates of those buried here.

Information about Elias Brown, Esq's (1786-1861) life came from Wheeler's History of Stonington and from the Burrows Genealogy (p. 1107) referenced earlier. Elias Brown, Esq. was a graduate of Brown University and then he was a lawyer and a member of the New London bar. (It states that his father, also named Elias Brown (1745-1806) was a ship builder and owner of ships.)

Elias Brown, Esq.'s profession also included being the President of Mystic Bank, chartered in 1833. This bank known as the (granite) Stone House was on 175 acres of land inherited from his father-in-law, Enoch Burrows. Years later, this building became the "Counting House" at the Mystic Seaport. I remember this building from a visit there!

Elias and his family lived in two houses that he built, which are described in the Burrows genealogy. It is suggested that the design was influenced by his travels. The older one was made of pink and gray granite. (Well, this is granite in my blood!)

Elias's wife, Mary Louisa Burrows (1798-1868) produced many children but sadly, many died young. Elias and Mary Louisa were married in May 1816 in Mystic, CT. For a time, this family lived in Brooklyn, NY where they both died. This is another prominent Mystic family that returned to be buried in Elm Grove Cemetery.

Lineage (from Burrows genealogy)

• Mary Louisa Burrows (Enoch, Rev. Silas, Amos, John, John, Robert)
• Elias Brown, Esq (Elias, Capt. John, John, John and Edward)

From this research, I have determined that this is NOT one of my "direct lines" of Brown, but a related family nonetheless.