BROWN, Francis Marion

1833 - 1900  (67 years)

• Name	BROWN, Francis Marion
  Nickname	Shanghai
  Birth	5 Aug 1833	Ashville, St. Clair, Alabama, United States   [1, 2]
  	Read about the controversy surrounding "Shanghai" Brown's birth year by clicking here.
  Gender	Male
  Immigration	1849	Texas   [1]
  	What caused "Shanghai" to leave home as a teenager and migrate to Texas? The following family story, provided by Nancy McCall, seems to explain this. "Family lore has that he was an orphan and was living with his aunt and her husband (no names were given).  The uncle was very mean and worked him like a slave. When Shanghai was sixteen, he shot the uncle after a hard beating and thought he killed him. His aunt helped him get a horse, food and clothes, and he went away. Years later, he learned from other settlers that his uncle did not die."
  Residence	3 Oct 1850	Washington County, Texas, United States   [3]
  	Farmer
  	There is no proof that this is the correct Marion Brown. However, his place of birth, Alabama, and his age, which is sixteen rather than seventeen, and the fact that he is supposed to have come to Texas in 1849 suggest that this MIGHT be his 1850 Census record. This location would put him relatively close to the place in which Mary Smith Chandler was living in 1850.
  Military	10 Mar 1862	Camp Bass, Smith County, Texas   [4, 5]
  	Mustered in for 12 month period Company G. Bass´ Regiment, Texas Mounted Volunteers
  Military	29 Oct 1862	Fayetteville, Washington, Arkansas, United States   [6]
  	Parolled prisoner of war
  Death	6 Dec 1900	Henderson County, Texas, United States   [7]
  	F. M. Brown Last week just as we were going to press, we heard of the death from heart failure of Mr. Brown of Catfish country. Mr. Brown was one of the oldest citizens of our county. He was a confederate soldier, going from this county in a company raised, we have been informed by K. Richardson. He belonged to Co. F of Bass´ regiment. Mr. Brown was a warm hearted man of good intentions and a true friend. Source: Athens Weekly Review, December 14, 1900
  Burial	Beaver Pond Road, north of County Line Road (S. Henderson Co. Texas)
  	The birthdate on his headstone is given as 5 August, 1808, but a handwritten document, possibly written by his wife, says that he was born 5 August, 1833 in St. Clair County, Alabama. "Shanghai" had a 100-acre farm in Anderson County that he had farmed all his adult life, and he requested to be buried under a certain walnut tree on his land. This explains why his gravestone is located in a small plot along the Beaver Pond Road rather than in the nearby cemetery. (This information was originally documented by Ethel Margaret Clair Brown, the wife of William Henry Brown, one of "Shanghai's" grandsons.)
  Person ID	I8	Pickel_Bartlett
  Last Modified	19 Nov 2021

  
  

  Family 1	SMITH, Mary,   b. Abt 1825, Louisiana, United States d. 1883, Anderson County, Texas, United States (Age 58 years)
  Marriage	15 Sep 1853	Anderson County, Texas, United States   [1, 8]
  	Anderson Co. Marriage Records. F.M. Brown to Mrs. Mary Chandler 15 September,1853 by Jesse M. Parker J.P. Beat 9.
  Residence	23 Aug 1860	Plenitude PO, Beat No. 5, Anderson, Texas, United States   [9]
  	Farmer
  	His age was given as 30 and Mary (Polly) age was given as 35. If he was born in 1833, his age would have been 27.
  Residence	Jun 1870	Palestine, Anderson, Texas, United States   [10]
  	Farmer
  	His age was recorded as 38 and his birth state as Alabama. Mary's age was given as 45. He and Mary were living on property adjacent to that of Crawford Wilson Pickle.
  Residence	6 Jul 1880	Precinct 1, Henderson County, Texas   [11]
  	Farmer
  	Listed as "Frank Brown," he and Mary were living on the property adjacent to his son, William Monroe Brown, and family. His age was given as 47 which would have been appropriate for an 1833 birth.
  Children	1. BROWN, William Monroe,   b. 4 Jun 1854, Bradford, Anderson, Texas, United States d. 18 Nov 1920, Anderson County, Texas, United States (Age 66 years)   2. BROWN, S. A.,   b. Abt 1859, Texas d. Bef 1870, Anderson County, Texas, United States (Age < 10 years)
  Family ID	F4	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	16 May 2022

  
  

  Family 2	JONES, Ophelia Alice,   b. 3 Jul 1863, Mississippi, United States d. 9 Jan 1957, Marble, Itasca, Minnesota, United States (Age 93 years)
  Marriage	1 Jan 1889	Henderson County, Texas, United States   [7]
  Residence	13 Jun 1900	Justice Precinct No. 1, Henderson, Texas, United States   [12]
  	Farmer
  	Census says he was born August 1822 and that he was 77.
  Children	1. BROWN, James D.,   b. 10 Oct 1889, Henderson County, Texas, United States d. Yes, date unknown   2. BROWN, William Henry,   b. 21 Nov 1890, Henderson County, Texas, United States d. 24 Sep 1976, Corsicana, Navarro, Texas, United States (Age 85 years)   3. BROWN, Thomas Francis,   b. 26 Sep 1893, Henderson County, Texas, United States d. 16 Jan 1986, Corsicana, Navarro, Texas, United States (Age 92 years)   4. BROWN, Lora F,   b. 29 Aug 1894, Texas d. Bef 1900 (Age < 5 years)   5. BROWN, Annie Jane,   b. 7 Apr 1896, Texas d. 7 Feb 1967, Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota (Age 70 years)
  Family ID	F252	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	16 May 2022

  
  

• Photos

  Francis Marion "Shanghi" Brown

  
  

  Documents » Slide Show		Family Record - Francis Marion Brown and Ophelia Alice Jones Brown This image is scanned from a dark copy of a badly worn and folded handwritten document that records significant dates in the family of "Shanghi" Brown and his second wife, Ophelia. It is the source of birth and death information used to create this genealogical record. Unfortunately there are also handwritten notes by other family members when…
  		Francis Marion Brown in the United States Census This shows all of the census records for "Shanghai" Brown that we have been able to find. These include 1860, 1870, 1880 and 1900 and are all cover most of the years that he lived in Texas.
  		Browns in 1840 Census This shows six pages of the 1840 Census of St. Clair County, Alabama with the families of James Brown, David Brown, Miller Brown, Matilda G Brown and three William Brown families.
  		The Birth Date of Francis Marion Brown When was "Shanghai" Brown born? Read about this mystery!

  
  

  Headstones		Francis Marion "Shanghi" Brown This gravestone sits beside Beaver Pond Road just north of County Line Road that separates Anderson County from Henderson County. The stone says that his birth was 5 August, 1808, and the 1900 Census reported that his birth was 5 August, 1822, but it is generally felt that his birth was probably 5 August, 1833.
  		Francis Marion (Shanghi) Brown 1833 - 1900

  
  

• Sources

  [S312] Betty Elizabeth Brown Mayo. [S446] Ancestry.COM, Jane Helvey Mandel Family Tree. [S76] 1850 Federal Census, Washington County, Texas Ancestry page 7 of 76 Dwelling 52. [S114] Miscellaneous, Co. A, 20th Texas Cavalry (Bass' Regmt.) Records. [S94] Rootsweb, ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/tx/anderson/military/civilwar/actm005.txt. [S114] Miscellaneous, Co. A, 20th Texas Cavalry (Bass' Regmt.) Records. Francis M. Brown, Private, Bass's Regiment appears on a list of Prisoners of War parolled at Fayetteville, Arkansas, Oct. 29, 1862 by order of Brig. Genl. Schofield. [S78] Ann-Guinn-Adamson-Ancestry. This copy of what appears to have been a badly worn and folded document says, "Mr. F. M. Brown and O.A. Jones were married 1 January, 1889. Furthermore it says that O.A. Jones 'stood for' Ophelia Alice Jones which was sometimes written Alice Ophelia Jones." [S99] Family Search (Church of Latter Day Saints), "Texas, Marriages, 1837-1973," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VK1L-91X. [S316] 1860 Federal Census, Plenitude, Beat #5, Anderson, TX Page 133, Dwelling 938. [S69] 1870 Federal Census, Palestine, Anderson TX Page 126 Dwelling 932. [S70] 1880 Federal Census, Precinct 1, Henderson, TX ED 31 Page 55 Dwelling 466. [S73] 1920 Federal Census, Precinct #1, Henderson County, TX ED 54 Page 26.