Nicholas Brown was the eldest of the "Four Brown Brothers" who would make their marks in history as sucessful entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and patriots involved in the notorius Gaspee Affair.

Their father, a sea captain, died at sea while they were young, and Nicholas and his siblings were raised by their uncle, Obadiah Brown, who, in 1762, bequeathed to them a thriving mercantile business and spermaceti candle manufactory. The same year on 2 May 1762, Nicholas married Rhoda Jenckes, daughter of Daniel Jenckes and Joanna Scott, and they would produce nine children, seven of whom would not reach adulthood. In 1764, the Brown brothers participated in the founding of Rhode Island College by donating the Chad Brown "home lot," the land in Providence first settled by their ancestor about 1640 and the parcel on which the school stands today. It later became "Brown College" in 1805 when his son, Nicholas Brown II, donated the money to fund a professorship.

He married, second, Avis Binney, a daughter of Captain Barnabas Binney.

Children(by first marriage): Hope Brown, Joanna Brown, possibly Hope Brown, Nicholas Brown Jr, Chad Brown, Hope Brown Ives, Moses Brown, Rhoda Brown, Jenckes Brown, and Nancy Brown.

Nicholas Brown was the eldest of the "Four Brown Brothers" who would make their marks in history as sucessful entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and patriots involved in the notorius Gaspee Affair.

Their father, a sea captain, died at sea while they were young, and Nicholas and his siblings were raised by their uncle, Obadiah Brown, who, in 1762, bequeathed to them a thriving mercantile business and spermaceti candle manufactory. The same year on 2 May 1762, Nicholas married Rhoda Jenckes, daughter of Daniel Jenckes and Joanna Scott, and they would produce nine children, seven of whom would not reach adulthood. In 1764, the Brown brothers participated in the founding of Rhode Island College by donating the Chad Brown "home lot," the land in Providence first settled by their ancestor about 1640 and the parcel on which the school stands today. It later became "Brown College" in 1805 when his son, Nicholas Brown II, donated the money to fund a professorship.

He married, second, Avis Binney, a daughter of Captain Barnabas Binney.

Children(by first marriage): Hope Brown, Joanna Brown, possibly Hope Brown, Nicholas Brown Jr, Chad Brown, Hope Brown Ives, Moses Brown, Rhoda Brown, Jenckes Brown, and Nancy Brown.