Plumb’s History of Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, USA

The following are excerpts from:

History of Hanover Township, including Sugar Notch, Ashley, and Nanticoke boroughs: and also a history of Wyoming Valley, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, by Henry Blackman Plumb, 1885

as they relate to research into the Brown family in Wilkes-Barre.

The following townships were legally settled after the American Revolution. Some of these were at times claimed by Connecticut. Forty Fort was still being fought over as late as 1784

“The townships known and designated as the “seventeen,” were Salem, Huntington, Newport, Hanover, Plymouth, Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, Pittston, Exeter, Providence, Braintrim, Northmoreland, Bedford, Putnam, Springfield, Clarverack and Ulster. The four latter ones are within the present territory of Bradford and Susquehanna counties.” (p115)

• Susquehanna county was carved out of Luzerne in 1810
• Bradford county was carved out of Luzerne in 1810
• Wyoming county was carved out of Luzerne in 1842
• Lackawanna county was carved out of Luzerne in 1878

The Scotch-Irish almost all came from Lancaster County before settling in Hanover post 1776.

The Scotch and Scotch-Irish Pennsylvanians had been nearly all killed off by the massacre, and few others from Lancaster county came in to take their places. So there were then “Yankees” from Connecticut, Pennsylvania “Dutch,” New York and New Jersey “Dutch,” English, Irish, Welsh and a Negro, and the remnant of the Scotch-Irish Pennsylvania Paxton Boys. The Yankees were Congregationalists, the Scotch-Irish were Presbyterians, and it may be fairly presumed that the Pennsylvania and other Dutch were Lutherans, or German Reformed. The settlers were all very religious and took care to have a clergyman with them, or at least a deacon accustomed to conducting religious services. The Pennsylvanians or Lancaster men had a Presbyterian church or “meeting-house” somewhere in the township, though it is now uncertain where it stood. Christopher Hurlbut’s journal speaks of the murder of John Jameson at the Hanover Green in 1782, and says it was near where the church was afterwards built, showing that no church edifice had been built there since the lot had been set off for that purpose up to 1782, at least. The lot was set aside for church uses in 1776. (p146)

Only Brown in Hanover ca. 1776 was Thomas Brown, Lot 3 , 1st Division, Hanover Township.

Lots 1, 2, 3 belonged to Capt. Lazarus Stewart. He brought his Paxtang Boys with him from Lancaster County.

“The back end of 1 and 2 at Newtown is divided among many owners. Thomas Brown owned No. 1 therefor many years. Petty’s Mill is on No. 1.” (p. 158)

It would appear that Thomas Brown was a tenant of Capt. Lazarus Stewart.

No stable European settlements in Wyoming Valley until 1771. First sawmill 1773.

Wyoming Massacre (1778) by Butler’s Rangers, wiped out many of the early settlers. Then the Wyoming Valley was resettled after 1778. New settlements were not legally settled until about 1808.

1790 – Luzerne County at this time included the most of what is now Bradford, Susquehanna, Wyoming and Lackawanna Counties. Before the Decree of Trenton of 1782 Westmoreland County, Connecticut, included Luzerne, part of Bradford, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Pike and Wayne Counties. (p 227)

No Brown in 1799 Assessment for Hanover.

1830 Assessment for Hanover lists Thomas Brown and William Brown. No other Browns.

1840 only 155 households, 1838 people, in Hanover

1867 first railroad arrives. Brought significant influx of new residents. Population triples 1850-1870.

The Back Road

“The next house was Thomas Brown‘s, on the right. Brown built a house on the Back Road that goes to the Blackman or Franklin Mines, and left this, and soon after sold out, and about 1855 went West with his whole family. Anthony Schappert bought this old house about 1855, and added to and improved it, and lived there till his death in 1872. His son Michael Schappert resides there now. This house adjoins the Wilkes-Barre line, and is on lot No. 1, first division.” (p. 368)

Brown family (p388-390)

Alexander Brown was born in Lancaster County, Pa.; emigrated to Kingston, Luzerne County, with his family; married Mary Tyler. They had: —

• Alexander Brown, – went away.
• John Brown, – went away.
• George Brown, – went away.
• James Brown, – went to Wayne County, Pa. (sic)
• William Brown, m. Sarah Lewis.
• Sarah Brown, m. Gideon Underwood.
• Jane Brown, m. Jesse Lee.

“William Brown 2 (Alexander 1) was born in Lancaster County; lived in Kingston, Pa; married Sarah Lewis; died young, in Kingston.  They had:

• William Brown, b. 1797, d. 1880, m. {1st, Amanda Dilley, {2nd, Julia Mosier.

(Note: William Brown was found residing in Hanover with Thomas Brown who “went west” and may not have been recorded in the later family history.)

William Brown 3 (William 2, Alexander 1) was born in Kingston, Luzerne County, Pa., in 1797; lived in Hanover and Newport; married Amanda Dilley first, and second Julia Mosier.  They had:

• 1st, Stephen Brown, m. Mary Wooley.
• ”    Alma Brown , m. 1st, Samuel Michael, 2d, Abram Walton.
• 2d, Sarah Brown, m. Anson Dunn.
• ”    Anderson Brown, m. Melinda Coolbaugh.
• ”    Hendrick W. Brown, m. Sarah McCrary.
• ”    George A. Brown, m. __
• ”    Lewis C. Brown, m. Etta Luce.

Stephen Brown4 (William3, William2, Alexander1) was born in Hanover about 1827; married Mary Wooley; lives in Hanover. They had:

• Emma Brown, m George Shafer
• Mary Brown, m Charles Butzbaug
• Amanda Brown, m (unknown)Annie Brown
• Jane Brown
• Charles Brown

Anderson Brown4 (William3, William2, Alexander1) was born in Newport; lives in Hanover; married Sarah McCrary. They had:

• Franklin Brown
• Laura Brown
• Lewis Brown
• Susan Brown

Lewis C. Brown4 (William3, William2, Alexander1) was born in Newport; lives in Wisconsin; married Etta Luce. They had:

• George Brown (Note: The book was published in 1885, thus George was born before 1885.)

Mary Melissa Brown m William H Blackman (1837-1862 died in the army) (p394)

(p402) James Dilley³ (Richard,² Richard¹) was born in Hanover in 1792; lived on Dilley’s Hill on the River Road; married Margaret Campbell; died in Hanover in 1862. They had:—

• William Dilley, m Catharine Butler
• Richard Dilley, m in New York
• Stewart Dilley, m ___ Wertz
• James Dilley, m Jane Cox
• Charles Dilley, m unknown
• Alvah Dilley, m Mary Catharine Rinehimmer
• Harriet Dilley, m Charles Buel
• Mary Dilley, m ___Brown
• Margaret Dilley, m ___ Howard
• Ann Dilley, m William McCullough

Eleazor Shoemaker, b 1830, son of William Shoemaker and ___ Myers,  m Martha Brown. Went west ca 1850.