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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Monroe County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1890.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Elijah C. Brown has passed his entire life in an industrious manner and his efforts have not been without substantial evidences of success, as will be seen from a glance at his present possessions. He was born in Fayette County, Tenn., in 1851, and is the third of four children born to Thomas J. and Frances (Branch) Brown, natives respectively of South Carolina and Tennessee. They were married in Fayette County, of the latter State, where Mrs. Brown was reared from infancy, and there their home continued to be until 1859, when they settled in Monroe County, Ark. They opened a farm in what is now Pine Ridge Township, and here Mr. Brown’s life expired on January 6, 1866, his wife following him to his long home August 22, 1874. The maternal grandfather, Benjamin Branch, was born in Tennessee and spent his entire life in Fayette County, having served in the capacity of sheriff and clerk. His wife was a native of the Blue Grass State, and died in Tennessee also. Elijah C. Brown has one brother and two sisters: Sarah (wife of Dr. William Parks), Thomas M. and Eva Lillian (wife of E. T. Dyer). Elijah C. started out in life for himself with a limited education, but after the war he determined to remedy this defect and accordingly entered Hickory Withe Academy of Fayette County, Tenn., and upon leaving this institution was much better prepared to fight the battle of life. He followed the slow but sure way of making money by farming until 1874, then spent two years in Clarendon, engaged in clerking, after which he returned to his farm and he and a brother opened a store and put up a steam cotton-gin, successfully operating both until 1883, when our subject sold out to his brother, and in 1884 came to Brinkley. Here he has since made his home and in addition to managing his farm he trades in stock and real estate. He has 582 acres of fine land with about 300 under the plow, and he also owns considerable real estate in Brinkley. He is a Democrat, a member of the K. of H. and his wife, whom he married December 16, 1874, and whose maiden name was Jennie Davidson, is a member of the Methodist Church. They have had eight children, but three sons and four daughters are now living. Mrs. Brown is a daughter of James B. and Harriet Davidson, native Tennesseeans, born, reared and married in that State. Before the opening of the Civil War they came to Arkansas and Mr. Davidson was sheriff of Poinsett County for nine years. He was a large mail contractor and died in Cross County in March, 1862, while serving as captain of a company belonging to the Confederate States army. His wife died in Craighead County in 1873.

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This family biography is one of 86 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Monroe County, Arkansas published in 1890.  For the complete description, click here: Monroe County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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