I know that your initial request for information on your relation Thomas William Brown was posted almost 18 months ago, but I have just happened on it on the net. By now of course you have probably obtained most of the information that I have, but I'll post it anyway.
James Brown was born in Leominster in about 1799, dieing there in 1870. On the 26th October 1826, he married his wife Ann at Shobden, Leominster. She had been born Ann Williams on January 1st 1800, also at Leominster. She died in Leominster in 1868. They had a son James in 1829 and a daughter Ann two years later. In 1834, their second son Thomas was born. All three children were born in Leominster.
In the Second Quarter of 1855, Thomas married Fanny Woodward at Leominster Priory Church. Fanny had been christened on the 18th May 1834 at Leominster. She was the daughter of Frances Woodward and his wife Ann. Frances was born in 1804 dieing in the second quarter of 1889, while his wife was born Ann Gardener in 1809, and died sometime after 1881. The couple were married at Leominster on the 8th May 1828.
Thomas Brown and Fanny Woodward would have been your great, great, grandparents. The reason I have an interest, is because they are also my great, great, grandparents. My great grandmother on my father's side was Thomas William Browns elder sister Elizabeth, born in the 4th Qtr. 1860 at Leominster. The family had moved around over the years, but only within about a 10 mile radius. First Leominster, for the birth of the first three children, Elizabeth, Susan and Thomas William. They then moved to Presteign by 1863 for the birth of Margaret, Fanny, George and Francis. Alice was born at Kington (also known as Kyneton) and Emily at Hay.
By the birth of James in 1879, they had moved further afield to Llangadock, a village which lies between Llandeilo and Llandovery (Llandingat is the parish and as such, is not shown on the map). Elizabeth was working as a servant in "Waunystradfeiris" when she gave birth to my grandfather. The father was George Lant, and the couple were not married. The baby was named as George Brown using his mother's maiden name. Only six weeks later (25th October 1880) George Lant and Elizabeth Brown were married at Llangadock. My grandfather was always known as George Lant. Later, the family moved to Llandovery, where George senior still traded a cattle and horse trader. My father was born at Llandovery before moving with his parents at the age of about eight to the Rhondda Valleys in South Wales, where we still live.
As to Brown being a Welsh name, no, just in general use. However, as you might well have found in researching them during this period, most of them seemed to live in Leominster!
By the way, a spade tree is the wooden component of a spade, in other words the handle. The word "tree" was used often to indicate wooden parts such as a shoe tree, a wooden former on which shoes were made and likewise a saddle tree. It also formed part of the word treen, which is a word not now in common use, for wooden items. The word (treen) is now only used in the antique trade to describe small wooden items not classed as furniture. A shovel to plant and remove trees is a Treespade.
I am afraid I know of no Canadian connection, but if I can be of further help, don’t hesitate to ask.
