Elijah Brown Sr. (1740-1810) was a Quaker merchant who moved to Philadelphia from Nottingham, Pennsylvania, in 1757. His parents, James and Miriam (Churchman), were descended from Quakers who had settled in the colony at the time of William Penn's arrival. In 1761 Elijah married Mary Armitt, daughter of Joseph Armitt and Elizabeth Lisle. They had six children: Joseph Armitt, James, Armitt, Charles Brockden, Elizabeth, and Elijah Jr. Though most of the sons followed their father into the mercantile profession, Charles Brockden Brown (b. 1771), who was trained to be a lawyer, turned his attention to writing full-time in 1793. He published six novels before his early death in 1810.
From the description of Brown family papers, 1715-1837, bulk 1800-1810. (Historical Society of Pennsylvania). WorldCat record id: 61851426
