James Browne, who came to America with the Claytons, is a descendant of John Browne, who lived both in Bedfordshire and in Northhamptonshire, England This history also states that two of John's grandsons, James and William, migrated to America during the early years of the Colonial Period, although they did not sail at the same time.
"On the eighth day of the sixth month in 1679 James Browne and Honour Clayton, the daughter of William and Prudence (Michael) Clayton, were married in a primitive meeting house made of sails taken from the 'Kent'." He also states that this marriage is "the first marriage recorded in the state of New Jersey." Undoubtedly this romance began on the high seas in the ship "Kent" and continued to maturity soon after the arrival in America. The marriage certificate was signed by twenty-two members who attended the ceremony, a typical procedure of a Quaker wedding. The Clayton and Brown families were soon to move to Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, an area southeast of Philadelphia, that became Chester County.
James and William Browne were with William Penn when he opened this new settlement of Nottingham. Penn led "an advance company to examine this territory." They set out from "Chester in the early spring of 1701 headed by Penn in person, including William Brown..... James Brown......" Each chose an area he wished to claim as his future home.
Following this journey, James and William Brown took their families to Nottingham. The two brothers left New Castle on pack-horses in the summer or fall of 1701 into the wilderness to make for themselves a home." They first settled in an area "near a spring that was a favorite Indian camping ground." Here they "unloaded their weary horses and went to work felling the first trees and clearing the land for making room for dwelling houses and engaging in agriculture. The brothers returned to New Castle for supplies, and other Friends accompanied them on their return to Nottingham.
As both James and William were Quaker ministers, they made plans to organize a Quaker meeting in Nottingham. In 1704 in James' house the newly-settled Quakers organized their first congregation, which became "the congregation that now worship in the brick meeting house" of the vicinity. The first meeting house, which was built in 1708, was made of "hewn chestnut and yellow poplar logs on the site granted by William Penn."When this building burned in 1724, it was replaced by the brick meeting house. After a second fire, which partially destroyed the building in 1748, it was restored with a stone addition.
The Brown brothers lived their remaining days in Nottingham. James Brown died on the second day of the sixth month in 1715 or 1716 in East Nottingham

• Married: 8 Aug 1679 in Marcus Hook, Burlington, New Jersey, United States

1. James Brown b: 17 Mar 1681 in Marcus Hook, Chester, Pennsylvania, United States
2. William Brown b: 13 Mar 1682 in Marcus Hook, Chester, Pennsylvania, United States
3. Clayton Brown b: 1 Oct 1685 in Marcus Hook, Chester, Pennsylvania, United States
4. Ann Brown b: ABT 1687 in Marcus Hook, Delaware, Pennsylvania, United States
5. Jeremiah Browne b: 1689 in Marcus Hook, Delaware, Pennsylvania, United States
6. Margery Brown b: 1691 in Marcus Hook, Chester, Pennsylvania, United States
7. Daniel Brown b: 1693 in Marcus Hook, Chester, Pennsylvania, United States
8. Mary Brown b: ABT 1693 in Marcus Hook, Chester, Pennsylvania, United States