This study traces fifteen generations of the Browne (later Brown) family's known descendants beginning with the Brownes of Snelston in Derbyshire, England. This family is traced from central England to the establishment of England's first colonies in the New World, to the forging of a new country, and then overland and into the American West. It is a saga encompassing some five centuries and much history. The approximately 2,900 names found in this volume include such notable figures as Sir William Browne of Queen Elizabeth's and King James' armed legions; Robert Brown, a Puritan minister of colonial Bermuda; Nathaniel Browne, a settler of Connecticut; Abell Browne of early Maryland and his grandson, Abell Brown, who helped establish western Maryland; Governor Frank Brown of Maryland; and many others. Soldiers, patriots, legislators, farmers, pioneers, businesspersons, and plain folk also grace these pages. A historical introduction precedes the genealogies. Anecdotes and biographical information enhance many of the entries. A facsimile reprint of a 1601 letter from Sir William to the Queen's Court in defense of his loyalty to the crown, an illustration of the Snelston Brownes' coat of arms granted in 1552, and other illustrations enliven the text. A list of sources and a full name index complete this work.