John Louis Brown is the Great-Grandfather of singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. John Louis was born Oct. 25, 1839 in Nashville, Tennessee. He was the son of Dr. Morgan Brown or his son, Morgan W. Brown and was born in Tennessee to Mariah, unknown last name, who was a slave. Dr. Morgan owned a slave Plantation on the Cumberland River in Nashville, TN.
From the will of Dr. Morgan Brown in August 1839 he releases Mariah and her child from slavery and makes them free. John Louis died of pneumonia on 8 September 1931 in Chattanooga, Hamilton, Tennessee (This death date was taken from the death certificate) Maggie Smith was the informant. He was buried 12 September 1931. Records showed that John Louis Brown enlisted in the Civil War 20 May 1861 at the age of 22.
John Louis Brown was the founder and SGA of "Knights of Wise Men", a Fraternal Order helping with finances for African Americans. He wrote the rules, laws and regulations for this organization.
He married Volenderver Towson on 6 April 1890 who was born in Nashville, Tennessee. John and Volenderver were divorced in 1897 in Hamilton County, Tennessee.∼Lionel Richie's great-grandfather
"It is only by our good qualities rightly set forth that we are to succeed in the future. First by educating every boy and girl and teaching from the cradle to the grave honesty, industry, economy of time and means, and the fullest enjoyment of all rights as citizens, and the destruction, death and burial of the accursed idea that the negro is inferior, simply because he has been in time deprived of life, liberty and property. Let us all be wise men and women."
From the will of Dr. Morgan Brown in August 1839 he releases Mariah and her child from slavery and makes them free. John Louis died of pneumonia on 8 September 1931 in Chattanooga, Hamilton, Tennessee (This death date was taken from the death certificate) Maggie Smith was the informant. He was buried 12 September 1931. Records showed that John Louis Brown enlisted in the Civil War 20 May 1861 at the age of 22.
John Louis Brown was the founder and SGA of "Knights of Wise Men", a Fraternal Order helping with finances for African Americans. He wrote the rules, laws and regulations for this organization.
He married Volenderver Towson on 6 April 1890 who was born in Nashville, Tennessee. John and Volenderver were divorced in 1897 in Hamilton County, Tennessee.∼Lionel Richie's great-grandfather
"It is only by our good qualities rightly set forth that we are to succeed in the future. First by educating every boy and girl and teaching from the cradle to the grave honesty, industry, economy of time and means, and the fullest enjoyment of all rights as citizens, and the destruction, death and burial of the accursed idea that the negro is inferior, simply because he has been in time deprived of life, liberty and property. Let us all be wise men and women."
John Louis Brown is the Great-Grandfather of singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. John Louis was born Oct. 25, 1839 in Nashville, Tennessee. He was the son of Dr. Morgan Brown or his son, Morgan W. Brown and was born in Tennessee to Mariah, unknown last name, who was a slave. Dr. Morgan owned a slave Plantation on the Cumberland River in Nashville, TN.
From the will of Dr. Morgan Brown in August 1839 he releases Mariah and her child from slavery and makes them free. John Louis died of pneumonia on 8 September 1931 in Chattanooga, Hamilton, Tennessee (This death date was taken from the death certificate) Maggie Smith was the informant. He was buried 12 September 1931. Records showed that John Louis Brown enlisted in the Civil War 20 May 1861 at the age of 22.
John Louis Brown was the founder and SGA of "Knights of Wise Men", a Fraternal Order helping with finances for African Americans. He wrote the rules, laws and regulations for this organization.
He married Volenderver Towson on 6 April 1890 who was born in Nashville, Tennessee. John and Volenderver were divorced in 1897 in Hamilton County, Tennessee.∼Lionel Richie's great-grandfather
"It is only by our good qualities rightly set forth that we are to succeed in the future. First by educating every boy and girl and teaching from the cradle to the grave honesty, industry, economy of time and means, and the fullest enjoyment of all rights as citizens, and the destruction, death and burial of the accursed idea that the negro is inferior, simply because he has been in time deprived of life, liberty and property. Let us all be wise men and women."
From the will of Dr. Morgan Brown in August 1839 he releases Mariah and her child from slavery and makes them free. John Louis died of pneumonia on 8 September 1931 in Chattanooga, Hamilton, Tennessee (This death date was taken from the death certificate) Maggie Smith was the informant. He was buried 12 September 1931. Records showed that John Louis Brown enlisted in the Civil War 20 May 1861 at the age of 22.
John Louis Brown was the founder and SGA of "Knights of Wise Men", a Fraternal Order helping with finances for African Americans. He wrote the rules, laws and regulations for this organization.
He married Volenderver Towson on 6 April 1890 who was born in Nashville, Tennessee. John and Volenderver were divorced in 1897 in Hamilton County, Tennessee.∼Lionel Richie's great-grandfather
"It is only by our good qualities rightly set forth that we are to succeed in the future. First by educating every boy and girl and teaching from the cradle to the grave honesty, industry, economy of time and means, and the fullest enjoyment of all rights as citizens, and the destruction, death and burial of the accursed idea that the negro is inferior, simply because he has been in time deprived of life, liberty and property. Let us all be wise men and women."
