William Brown was born 2-6-1798 in Otsego Co, NY. He married Martha “Patty” Gleason who was born 6-15-1816 in Yates Co, NY. They probably married sometime between 1830 and 1834. William and Martha had at least 8 children, 7 of whom survived to adulthood: an unknown girl (born between 1830-1835, died/married before 1850), Abner ( 2-28-1837 ), Clarissa (about 1839), Fernando Coello ( 5-19-1841 ), Gaylord ( 7-27-1843 ), Philo ( 6-15-1847 ), Margelia (about 1853) and Alonzo ( 2-28-1855 ). In 1840, William was living in Cohocton, Steuben Co, NY next to his brother, Abram. In 1850, they were still there, but in 1859 they moved to Cass county, Michigan where son Abner had moved 3 years earlier. Gaylord and Fernando either stayed behind in NY or moved back in order to enlist when the Civil War began. After the war, the entire family lived in or near Cass Co, MI for the rest of their lives. Sometime between 1860 and 1870, William and Patty moved in with Abner, who lived on a farm in Volinia township. William died on 4-9-1872 at the ripe old age of 74 and was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery . Patty lived another 20 years to age 76, dying of heart disease on 11-2-1892 . She was buried next to William.