There are certainly plenty of Browns in our line, although so far none of them but me have apparently been researching their family trees.
Thomas Brown (born about 1801) left Ovingham parish some time in the early 19th century to move to Walker, and it seems that several of his brothers did the same thing. They married local Newcastle girls and worked at pits in Walker, one of which was the Henry Pit at Sharper's Farm, which is on the first series 6" OS map.
During the 1860s they all moved again, this time to Eighton Banks (just south of Gateshead) where they formed a formidable Brown enclave, again working in the local pits. My grandfather was born at Wrekenton just three months after his own father had died of tuberculosis in 1896 - he and his mother moved away from the area, but he returned as drapery manager in Wrekenton Co-op, where hoards of Browns made themselves known to him!
I've barely scratched the surface of this lot, concentrating on my direct forebears, but they almost all worked in the pits, sometimes moving to colliery villages further down county Durham or up into Norethumberland.
My main interest at the moment is this 18th century link with Shotley parish, to try and get back further. I thought I had them related to the Browns at Fairley, but I notice that William son of William actually died quite early on, so it looks like I'll have to think again!
All the best, Cliff (Brown, of course!)
