Conditions Governing Use:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Conditions Governing Access:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Preferred Citation:

Browne Family Papers, 1890-1945, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Scope and Contents

Consists of many family items relating to the Brown/ Browne family of Robert L. Browne, class of 1970, including:

New Testament Bible written in Swedish bearing the name of Alma Louise Carlsson (Dec. 10,1875- Oct. 23, 1960) along with the date, 1890.  An immigrant from Sweden, Alma was the mother of Helen L. Browne.

Certificate of Naturalization presented to Leonard L. Bjornson, December 24, 1910.  An immigrant from Sweden, Bjornson was the husband of Alma L. Carlson and father of Helen L. Browne.

Deed of the lot number 2 in the West End Cemetery, Manassas, Va. to R.L. Browne, 1910.

Certificate of Marriage dated March 6, 1912 for Charles H. Walsh and Ida R. Eicher of Brooklyn, NY. Charles was a relative of Etta Virginia Brown(e).

"My School-Day Autobiography" notebook belonging to Sarah Elizabeth Browne who was a patient at the Blue Ridge Sanitarium near Charlottesville, Va. Browne had been diagnosed with tuberculosis.  Pages contain notes of sentiment to Sarah written between 1926 and 1927.  Sarah was born Nov. 12, 1906 and died Dec. 7, 1927.

Southern Railway pass issued to and signed by Mrs. R.L. Brown(e), Widow of Engineer, for the year 1928.  Mrs. R.L. Brown(e) was Izetta Verbline Wash Brown(e) but better known as Etta Virginia,  her husband, Robert L. died Dec. 21, 1918.

World War II ration books issued May 7, 1942 to Frank Lee and Ethel Mae Browne.  Frank Lee was the son of Robert L. and Izetta Verbline.

Four song books prepared for Brown/ Browne family Christmas gatherings titled, "Manassas Hit Parade" and "Pass that Jug Around".  The books date from 1940- 1943.  The compilation of songs was a family tradition usually celebrated at the home of Raymond and Orma Davis (formerly Robert L. Brown's home) in Manassas, Va.

Letter and canceled envelope from Woodrow L. Browne dated October 3, 1945 from Tokyo Bay, Japan to his sister, Orma Jennings Browne Davis.  Titled Liberty in Japan, the letter describes his experiences in Japan about 30 days after Japan's formal surrender.