This page is dedicated to my fourth great grand uncles Rattlinggourd, Hair, Youngwolf, and Terrapinhead Conrad, brothers of Quatie Conrad, born in the 1780's&90's in the Cherokee Nation. (rev 3/4/07)

Seeking the ancesters of Julia Ann Brown Chaney (my great-great grandmother):

                                                                                                     /    Alexander Brown I b c1737
                                                        Alexander Brown (1/2 blood) b c1765/67(Alex)
                                                      /                                              \     Sara Canoe b c1750 (??? this doesn't add up. Family stories sometimes get muddled.)
                                                    /                                                                          \     Dragging Canoe b c1738 in the Overhills
                                                  /                                                                                                          \     Attakullakulla 1710-1781
                                                /                                                                                                                                      \     QUATSIS   b c1683
                  Judge James Brown  (b before 1790, Paint Town   3/4 blood)
                /                                 \
              /                                         Nannie Broom     (full blood)
            /                                                                                          \   Chief Broom, Broomtown
    John Lucien 'Chu-ee-qui' Brown (b 1811, 5/8 blood)
/         \
!            \                                                                                         /   Johann Conrad (Dutch immigrant)
!              \                                        Hamilton 'Young Wolf ' Conrad (immigrant)
!                \                                     /                                              \   Jennie Taylor (Scot immigrant)
!                   Quatie Conrad (1/2 by blood)
!                                                     \
!                                                        Onai of Bird clan (full blood Cherokee)
!
Julia Ann Brown (claimed 1/4 blood)
!
\
     Sarah Jones (died on wagon trail to Texas c1856)

My g-g-grandmother, Julia Brown Chaney's father was a colorful character. John Lucien Brown (1811-1884) was born into one of the leading family's of the Cherokee Nation. They were wealthy and politically connected. At a time when wealth was measured in terms of numbers of slaves owned, amount of livestock owned and amount of land under cultivation, they were wealthy.(15) John's uncle John Ross(7) was to become the Principle Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1828 to 1868.

John Lucien moved his family to Indian Territory in 1836 or 37 while his father was assisting the Tribal Council as a delegate to Washington trying to prevent the Removal. John's first wife was the Old Settler Elizabeth Coody, a widow with 3 children and a farm.(JLB) Old Settler means that her family emigrated to Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma sometime between 1818 and 1836 when the Treaty Party emigrated. The majority of the Cherokee refused to move and were evicted in 1838 by the Army of the United States in an illegal act perpetrated by President Andrew Jackson despite a restraining order from the Supreme Court of the United States.

Julia's mother was Sarah Jones. Not much is known about her. She was from Georgia so she could have been part Cherokee though no claim to that effect was ever made. She was John Lucien's second or third wife. Julia was born in 1857. Sarah died on a wagon trail on the way to Texas in 1867, and was buried on the prairie. There is no record of her in either volume of Cherokee Roots, the index of the various rolls. Lizzie (Elizabeth) was on the Old Settler Roll in 1851 with all 6 children listed as Brown's. John had only one family member, Robert Smith, in his Drennen family group #531 SA plus #532 had Polly and Rachel Smith. John and Lizzie had six more children. The implication of Robert Smith being listed with John on the Drennen Roll is that he was another half brother, assuming that half sisters Polly & Rachel are the Smith's listed as #532SA.(11) Polly and Rachel may have been daughters of John's father's slaves.

John Lucien Brown's parents were Quatie Conrad, a half blood Cherokee and James Brown, (Alex) a 3/4 or full blood Cherokee who was a Major in the 1814 Creek War under General Andrew Jackson, received a military bounty land warrant for his service, received one of the 1819 reservations of 640 acres, was one of the first members of the Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation and one of the principal leaders of the nation from the 1820's to the 1860's. John Lucien and many other Cherokee joined the confederacy in the Civil War. James and Chief Ross supported the North. James died in 1863, at a federal camp near Bentonville, Arkansas.(18) (20) John Lucien Brown had 9 natural and 3 adopted children, and at least 6 half siblings.(JLB)

This story was recorded by Emmett Starr, the noted historian of the Cherokee. He got it from his Hair or Wolf clan cousins and reported it in support of at least one cousin's claim for cash in 1908.

Tradition avers that Jennie Taylor, a Scotch woman married a member of the English aristocracy named Fox. That they had two sons and then separated, the father retaining the elder, on whom the right of primogeniture would vest the estates and she kept the younger brother, who was thence forward known as Charles Fox-Taylor. The widow later married a Hollander named Conrad (8)and emigrated to America, settling in the vicinity of the Cherokees. Charles Fox-Taylor married Jennie Walker, a grand daughter of the Ghi-ga-u. His half brother Hamilton Conrad married Onai, a full blood Cherokee woman of the Bird clan. The descendants of Charles Fox-Taylor were known as Taylors.

Hamilton and Onai Conrad had five children; Rattlinggourd, Hair, Youngwolf, Quatie and Terrapinhead Conrad. Although Hair Conrad was the only one except a grandson of Terrepinhead who retained his full patronymic. Rattlinggourd and his descent were always known as Rattlinggourds, or Gourds. Youngwolf's generation were known by the family name of Wolf and Terrapinhead's children and descendants were known as Terrapins, with the exception of his youngest son, who although a full brother to the other children was known as Thomas Fox Conrad.

Terrapinhead's only daughter, Jennie, married a half blood Spanish Cherokee whose only name was So-sa or Goose but he became locally known as Dick Spaniard, on account of his extraction. Upon his enlistment in the confederate service he gave the name So-sa and upon the adjutants query for a Christian name, he said Johnson or as the Cherokees pronounced it, Jonson would do. He was killed in a skirmish at Tahlequah and Jennie named their posthumous son; John Johnson using the father's assumed Christian name for his surname.

The Story of the Brown's, if you're looking for Alexander Brown click here.

Judge James Brown (c1779-1863)(20) was identified as the father of John Lucien Brown and Grandfather of Julia Chaney by the Court of Claims in 1908. (1) (14) In 1852 he was living in Skin Bayou District with his son James Jr, Susannah & Martha Jane. (11) James sister Quatie Brown was reported born in Paint Town, near Cherokee NC, in 1791. (7)(19) Their father was Alexander Brown a 3/4 or full blood Cherokee who is identified as illiterate and an interpreter for the US government in the negotiations with the Cherokee and Creek treaties of 1833. Their mother was Nannie Broom,(18) daughter of Chief Broom of Broomtown near present day Cherokee, NC. Alexander and Nannie were born before 1765. In the 1700's there were no good records being kept since the Cherokee and many of the European immigrants were illiterate. Alexander was probably over 65 when he witnessed the treaties of 1833 and was listed on the 1835 census as a farmer

James Brown was a Captain, then Major in the Creek War of 1814, serving under Col Dick Brown and General Andrew Jackson. Dick Brown and James Brown were probably cousins and they were both "headmen" of the Cherokee at the time, serving together in the war. James received a military bounty land warrant for his service.(18) He was a signer of the Chickasaw Treaty of 1816, and of the Treaty of 1819 where he was granted a 640 acre parcel which included "his field by the long pond",(16) other signers who were also relatives by blood or marriage: Edward Gunter, Lewis Ross, Fox Taylor, David Fields, William Brown, John Brown, Elizabeth Lowry, George Lowry, John Benge, and Richard Taylor. James Brown is mentioned as a District Judge in the records of the Brainerd School in 1822, complaining about his child's coming home from school in a 'lousy' condition. John Lucien would have been 11. (10) Catharine and her brother David Brown, notable christian converts and missionaries to the Cherokee (and niece/nephew of Col Dick Brown), were involved with the school at Brainerd at this time as was their father John Brown of Creekpath. Brainerd, Creekpath and the area where James had his farm and toll road were all within about 50 miles of each other.

In Nov 1822, he and Samuel Canda were "permitted and authorized to open and keep in good repair, the old road from Lowry's Ferry on the Tennessee River, by way of Nickojack, through the Narrows and on by Canda's, as far as the Lookout Mountain and to assist Hicks & Co. in working over the mountain, and to establish a turnpike gate on the same." Typical rates: Wagon & team $1.00, 2 wheel carriage $.50, man & horse $.125, cattle $.02. (10)

He was one of the first men appointed to the Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation when it was created 10/9/1823. He also assisted his brother-in-law Principle Chief John Ross(7) as councilor and delegate to Washington, DC.

I like this painting of George Lowery, c 1805.
He was a close associate of James Brown,
born around the same time, possibly an older
brother or cousin. They were definitely related
through marriage, clan, legal and political alliances.

James' sister was named Quatie (the portrait is probably from her wedding, c1813, she'd be 22). John Ross, who was to become Principle Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1828 to 1868, was her second or third husband. Quatie Brown Ross died on the Trail of Tears at Little Rock, AK in 1839. It was reported that "although suffering from a cold, Quatie Ross, the wife of Chief John Ross, gave her only blanket to a child. Mrs. Ross became sick and died of pneumonia at Little Rock."

These stories were presented to the first annual meeting of the Oklahoma State Bar Association, in 1910. (16) Although Skin Bayou is mentioned, the story probably took place around 1823. By the 1840's when he presided in Skin Bayou and served in the Nation's Senate Judge James Brown had learned to read & write, also the National Courts had dealt with other murder trials during the 1830's:

In the 1835 census, John Brown, Hamilton County, Tennefsee in Lookout Valley; Household includes 2 males under 18, 2 males over 18, 1 female under 18 and 1 female over 18, six total cherokee. Also, 9 male slaves, 3 female slaves, 1 white connected by marriage. A 79 acre farm with 8 houses and 6 half breeds. This isn't the John Brown of Creekpath who died in 1828, his son who died in 1822, or John Lowery Brown who was only 7 in 1835. It's also not likely to be the son of Richard who was with the Old Settler's, an assistant to Chief John Jolly during much of the 1820's and 30's. That leaves our John Lucien Brown, who was 24 and a member of one of the ruling families, or some unknown other person. John's sister Polly was under 18, Rachel was over 18 and his mother may have been living with him. It's reasonable to assume John was acting as head of household for one of his fathers' plantations.

There is another almost illegible page for James Brown in Tennefsee, who appeared to be even more prosperous. I found this last in the Federal Archives in Atlanta in the early 1990's. James Brown of Chickamauga County had 14 each male and female slaves. Hair Conrad of Chickamauga County had 1 male and 6 female slaves.

In 1837 James Brown served as a delegate to Washington DC assisting his brother-in-law John Ross in a last ditch effort to prevent the removal. In 1838/39 he was leader of detachment #9 on the Trail of Tears.

Moulton speculated that James & Quatie's father was Thomas Brown who operated a ferry at Moccassan Bend on the TN river near Lookout Mtn. (7) Starr's early notes have Judge James Browns' father as Archibald or Alexander Brown and his mother as Nancy Elizabeth "Nannie" Broom, daughter of Chief Broom of Broomtown. (18) It's not particularly important as the Cherokee didn't have a sense that blood relations were particularly important, again prior to the European invasion. Cherokee identity was built around the Clan. It wasn't unusual for outsiders to be adopted. Moulton suggests James father could have been a Scotish trader. In either event his mother was most likely a full Blood Cherokee. He was not a descendent of the John Brown who was born about 1755/61 at Creek Path on the TN river but could have been a nephew or cousin. (Cath)

John Lucien's sisters Rachel and Polly were apparently daughters of John's father and his slaves. This can't be proven but sister Polly never married and used the last name of Wilcox (which was Rachel's mother's last name after 1840 or so) or Smith which was one of Rachel's husbands. Neither were acknowledged in Starr's(5) genealogy, but Starr is mentioned as a source in Perry's application(14) George Hammer Brown was Rachel's son by a Brown cousin's family slave. Rachel had two other children by different slaves, one of whom belonged to the Ross clan. It appears that Polly took the name of the family she was living with and Rachel chose slaves for her Husbands. The implication being that Susy, their mother was a freed slave.

Jennie 'Quatie' Fields(7), the daughter of John's mother Quatie Conrad and her second husband Archibald Fields married Allen Ross, the son of Chief John Ross. The Alexander Brown mentioned by Starr(5) (and often quoted as the father of John Lucien and husband of Quatie Conrad ) was not a signifant player in this story other than being John Lucien Brown's grandfather..

John Lucien Brown's mother, Quatie Conrad had at least 3 husbands: James Brown, Archibald Fields and John Benge(c1796-1853). James and John Benge served together on the National Council in 1826 and as Senators from Skinbayou district in 1843. They were also 2 of the 13 leaders of separate detachments on the Trail of Tears along with their brother-in-law Hair Conrad.

John Lucien Brown had at least four wives: Lizzie Coody, Sarah Jones, Minerva Coker & Mary Lowry. Minerva was the widow of Randolf Coker who killed Sheriff Billy Brown near Dubuque (Lead Hill) about 1855, as he tried to arrest brother John Coker for killing Jim Churchman. (picked up at http://www.rootsweb.com/~armarion/bramblebush/9607.html, and Randolf was executed before Minerva married John Lucien Brown?)

Above were on the Old Settlers Roll of 1851 with their mother. All listed as Brown's. Below were born after 1851.

{Legend: &= Louis LeForce Brown's list of 7 ap#6242. + = cousin JR Price& Sadie Farbro's 9 ap#19194. $= Robert Webber's 6 ap#4520. * = Emmet Starr's 6, with full names and spouses.}

John Lucien Brown's siblings (Anderson & Houston Benge, Jennie Fields Ross, Polly & Rachel Brown/Smith, Robert Smith, James Brown Jr.) :

Polly Rachel and Robert were likely children of John's father and his slaves. Anderson, Houston and Jennie were John's mothers children. James Jr's mother is unknown. The slave assumption is from the fact that Rachel appears to only have had slaves for husbands and Polly never married or had children.

Julia 'Pinkie' Brown Chaney was born in the Cherokee Nation 12/23/1856 to John Lucien Brown (also known as Chu-ee-e-qui, or Big Chu-ee) and Sarah Jones who was probably his second wife, white and born in GA. Sarah died around 1867 on a wagon trip to Texas and was buried on the prairie. Following her death, John who would have been about 55, arranged for 10 year old Julia to be raised by the Jim Price family of Tahlequa (a second cousin of John's) where she met James McGilton Chaney, whom she marrried 2/5/1874. She being 17 and he being about 25. John Lucien helped Jim and Julia start farming in neighboring Nowata County. Jim died in 1926 and Julia in 1940. For pictures of the Chaney's click here.

John Lucien Brown was born 9/20/1811 in the Cherokee Nation in Georgia and died 4/12/1884. He was probably 1/2 or 3/4 Cherokee by blood. He's buried in Martin Cemetery in Craig County, OK. John's first wife was Elizabeth Mead Coody, per both Starr and J.R. Price, a second cousin, who recalls John and Lizzie living near Coody's Bluff OK, where John was Sheriff. Starr has Lizzie dying in 1867 when Julia says her mother Sarah died. Lizzie is on the Old Settler's Roll of 1851 with her 6 children by Coody and John, all listed as Brown's. John had 6 more children including Julia in 1857 with Sarah Jones and Louis in 1876 with Minerva Coker.

John was the nephew of Principal Chief John Ross. Ross's biographer Gary Moulton (7) identified Quatie, John Ross's wife as Quatie Brown, sister of Judge James Brown. The several connections between John Lucien Brown's family and that of Chief John Ross seem to bear that out. It's also worth noting that John Lucien Brown had an extensive political life during Chief John Ross's tenure and that Julia Brown's 1909 application identifies her father as being a resident of Saline district and her grandfather James Brown as a resident of Skin Bayou district where a Judge James Brown lived and served in the Senate and Council.

John's mother was Quatie Conrad, fourth child of Hamilton "Whoganetta Young Wolf" Conrad, an adopted Cherokee, and Onai, a full blood Cherokee of the Bird Clan. Hamilton's mother was the immigrant Jennie Taylor, a Scotch woman who's first husband was named Fox and a member of the british aristocracy. Hamilton's father was an immigrant from Holland, Johann Conrad. (8) (This last not only looks right but reads like a family story which always was the method of passing on Cherokee and Shawnee history.)

John's father was James Brown, b c1779 in the Cherokee Nation. Successful farmer, road commissioner and Judge of the Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation in northern Georgia/Alabama and southern Tennessee, the Lookout Mtn area. His son John Lucien Brown would have been about 26 when he arrived in the OK territory, before the Trail of Tears, with the remainder of the family wealth, set up the family at Coody's Bluff and was elected sheriff in 1841 at age 30.

Starr has John Lucien Brown being elected sheriff of the Saline District on 8/2/1841, and his third wife being Minerva Coker, b. 1838 and widow of Randolf Coker. She would have been 29 when Sarah Jones Brown died, he being 55. Minerva died 5/14/1879. Per Starr, John's fourth wife was Mary Simpson Lowry, b 12/22/1818 in Alabama. He died 4/12/1884 at 73. She died 8/8/1897. Paulann Canty reports that John fought with the Confederacy during the Civil War.

John's sister Polly was living with him in 1880 when the census was taken, probably in the summer. He was 69, she was 63. John's son Louis was 4. Minerva died a year earlier at age 41. John's son Wm age 24 and his family were also living with them. Polly may have been the daughter of one of the family's slaves.

Different family histories and traditions, written down by different people, in different places, at different times have enough similarities to amount to confirmation. Occasionally people throw us a curve by claiming things that couldn't be true, innocently or intentionally. My mother's grandmother told my mother for instance that her mother had been born on the Trail of Tears. Actually she died on a wagon trip to Texas in 1866 and she was probably white.

First cousins each have a parent that is a sibling. In 1909 JR Price is 63, Julia is 51. JR Price's mother, Annie Wolf, was John Brown's first cousin. Their parents were siblings. Emmet Starr was a cousin of Annie Wolf. John, Joe, Annie & Julia are on Starr's list. Ocie and Osa are the same person and possibly Julia's only full sibling, or her closest half sibling. Sarah and John were probably married before 1856 when Julia was born. There's plenty of time for them to have another child before she died c1867. John may have been maintaining two households as was the old Cherokee custom prior to the removal. I found a marriage record for a John Brown and a Sarah Jones in KY in 1833. It's not impossible for there to be 2 married couples with the same names in the same part of the country (GA, TN, KY) in the same time frame, but Brown and Jones are pretty common and first names often run in families, so ???

Created by Conrad@Fornia.com , 8/22/2005. Please send comments, corrections, additions, etc.

and to my grandsons: Youngwolf Benjamin James, Rattlinggourd Arthur Henry,		and Terrapinhead Peter Conrad Fornia.
and also to my granddaughters: Qua-lah-you-cah (Quatie for short) Rebecca Helene,		and Chu-ee-squi, (little Squi for short) Molly Josephine Duggan, by Conrad L. Fornia, 9/3/2005.