The Brownlee surname is basically unknown in this area at the present, but there were members of this lineage who resided in Covington County during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Two children of Elijah “Eli” Nunn and Louisa Jane (Wiggins) Paulk family, which was featured in last week’s column, married two children of David Vander and Caroline Avis (Thurmond) Brownlee. Nancy Isabel Paulk was married to Charles Bradford Brownlee. Nancy Isabel’s brother, Isaac Elie Paulk, was married to Ola Mae Brownlee, who were born in 1891 and 1994 respectively.

Very little genealogy on the Brownlee family could be readily found, but some notes from Jeff Lundy and Ancestry.com provided enough for this story. It is hoped that someone with additional history of this family will make it known and share to give a more complete coverage.

According to Ancestry.com the earliest ancestor identified there is John Brownlee who was born in 1700 in Scotland and resided there until his death in 1754. He was married to Eleanor Brownlow who was born in 1684 in Scotland and lived there until her death in 1730.

John and Eleanor had a son named John as well who was born in 1728 in Scotland; however, he eventually immigrated to this country. He was married to Alice “Alley” ? with whom he had a son, Joseph Brownlee, who was born in the country of Ireland in 1749. Apparently John and Eleanor left Ireland for America some years later. He died in 1802 in Abbeville, S.C., and she died there in 1802 as well.

Joseph Brownlee was married to Esther Campbell (1775-1829). She was considerably younger than he, so it is not known if they were married before he immigrated or after he settled here. They were residing in Abbeville, S.C., in 1799 when their son, George William Brownlee, was born. Joseph died in 1805 in Laurens District, S.C.

George Brownlee was married to Nancy Elizabeth Sprouse who was born in 1792. Their son, Joseph Brownlee, was born in 1825 in Abbeville, S.C. George died in 1868, and Nancy Elizabeth died in 1867. Joseph was married to Sarah Ann Frances Bone, daughter of James Jesse Bone (1794-1827) and Mahala ? (1804-1860). Joseph and Sarah Ann were living in Leary, Calhoun County, Ga., when they died in1893 and 1878 respectively.

Joseph Brownlee and his wife, Sarah Ann Frances, were the parents of some 16 children according to Ancestry.com. However, there is some question regarding this since Sarah Ann Frances died circa 1878, and one child is listed as being born in 1880. Also, it is unlikely that Sarah Ann continued to have children at her late age. Joseph could have married again, but that information is not given.

The children listed are as follows. Elizabeth H., b. 1843, d. 1887; James Alfred, b. 1845, d. 1860; Caswell Lenord, b. 1847; Juliann A., b. 1850, d. 1878; George M., b. 1852, d. 1878; David Vander, b. 1854, d. 1937, m. Caroline Avis Thurmond; Leroy Cornelius, b. 1857, d. 1926; Marcus Shivers, b. 1857, d. 1930; Josephine, b. 1859; Victoria Atrula, b. 1861; John W., b. 1864, d. 1949; Leonariah, b. 1866; Charles M., b. 1869; Christopher Columbus, b. 1871, d. 1928; Cappitoal, b. 1876, d. 1914; and Othella, b. 1880, d. 1865.

The above son, David Vander Brownlee, is the one who migrated with his family to Covington County, Ala., during the early 1900s. David was born in 1854 in Chatham, Calhoun County, Ga. He was married to Caroline Avis Thurmond (1857-1913), daughter of Richard C. Thurman of Randolph County, Ga. The date of their migration is not known, but they were residing in Lime Sink, Decatur County, Ga., in 1900. They were in Covington County as early as 1913 when Caroline died.

David and Caroline Brownlee reared the following children: Marcus Cornelius, b. 1882, d. 1934; David C., b. 1885; Charles Bradford, b. 1889, d. 1958, m. Nancy Isabel Paulk; Ola May, b. 1893, d. 1955, m. Isaac Elie Paulk (1891-1948); Tempie V., b. 1897, d. 1977, m. (1) Burrell Jackson Stokes (2) ? Hughes; Joseph Jackson, b. 1899, d. 1918; Rubie Bee, b. 1901, d. 1987, m. ? Atkins; and Bertha M., b. 1903. Tempie cared for and later married for the first time an older gentleman, Burrell Jackson Stokes, of the Adellum community near Andalusia. After his death she lived in their house, located off Brooklyn Road, with her sister, Rubie, who had married a Mr. Atkins. Tempie was then married to a Mr. Hughes, but she was divorced from him later. She then lived in a house near her step-granddaughter, Eunivae (Pruitt) Bozeman, and her family off the Brewton Highway.

Next to the oldest son, Charles Bradford Brownlee, was born in 1889 in Mitchell County, Ga. He was married in 1912 in Covington County to Nancy Isabel Paulk, daughter of Elijah “Eli” Nunn Paulk. In 1920 they were residing in the Fairfield community southwest of Andalusia, but by 1935 they had settled in the Copperas Head community, which was east of Andalusia. They reared the following children: Luther Lee, b. 1913, d. 2002, m. (1) Pearlie Beatrice Parrish (1913-1977) (2) Frances Taylor; Lauris Priscilla, b. 1915, d. 1997, m. (1) ? Allen (2) Thomas Grice; Joseph “Joe” Frank, b. 1928, d. 1978, m. (1) Viola Mildred Rasmussen (2) Beatrice Williams; Lula Belle, b. 1921, d. 2011, m. 1941 Jacob Pelham Edwards, son of Homer Edwards and Fannie (Farris); Sallie Mae, b. 1922, d. 2015, m. Ora Lee Kilpatrick (1919-1995); Mabel S., b. 1929, m. James Albert Simmons (1927-2014); David “Buck” Bradford, b. 1934, d. 1997, m. ? Scarborough; and Charlie Alford, b. 1936, d. 1965, m. Dorothy L. Norris.

The sources for this narrative were the family records of Jeff Lundy and Ancestry.com. Since Ancestry.com includes data, which has not been document, it is quite possible that some of the above genealogical records may be incorrect.

Anyone who discovers an error in the above or who has additional Brownlee genealogy is requested to contact this writer, Curtis Thomasson, at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; 334-804-1442; or Email: cthomasson@centurytel.net.