Francis F. Browning - From the About:

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https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42662225/francis-browning

It is said there is a court case requesting name change Re: There is said to be no legal marriage between Francis and Tabitha.

The Prolific Francis...
Here is something for those who are researching Francis (Of Logan) Browning, who married Tabitha Vance, to think about.

Members of Browning and Sword families in Pike County, Kentucky, claim that Francis Browning, prior to his move to Logan County, fathered four children by Sarah Sword. According to the traditional stories, she was born 24 May 1797 in Russell County, and died 13 September 1832 in Pike County. Sarah’s children, who, according to tradition, were raised with the Sword surname, were: (1) John Mims, born 24 May about1797; (2) Francis Marion, born bout1800; (3) Henry, born bout 1802; and (4) Lucas Burton, born bout 1806.

There is also talk of a court case brought to obtain a name change for one of Sarah’s children from Snow to Browning.

There is no evidence that Francis married Sarah. It cannot be proven that the Francis Browning who fathered the children of Sarah Sword was or was not Francis (Of Logan) Browning, but because of his age it is questionable. Francis (Of Logan) Browning appears to have been too young to support two families. He would have been barely sixteen when John Mims was born and would have had four sons when he was twenty-one.

However, there is seemingly some connection between the Sword family and Francis Browning’s son, William “Buck” Browning. The Francis Sword family was living in Pike County, Kentucky, at the same time as William “Buck” Browning. John Bogle Browning, son of Buck Browning, was living away from home with the James Reed family (HH 880) next door to the Swords (HH 881). I believe Buck’s son Francis was counted twice in the 1850 census. He was listed with his father (HH 529) and with the Wilburn Buckley family (HH 882) on the other side of the Francis Sword family. It is probably more than coincidence that they were so closely situated. And, one wonders what drew Buck Browning to Pike County in the first place. Since William was the oldest listed son of Francis and Tabitha (we really don’t know his exact birth date), could it be that he was a full brother to the Swords?

Please comment

According to the 1850 US Census of Logan, VA, Francis Browning was a farmer. The value of his property was 150. At the time his household consisted of himself, his wife "Tabby", Mary B Browning (44), and Susannah Vann. (83). On the same page of the census, there are two 'Vann' families and another Browning family. One can guess that they were all somehow related.
Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Sep 22 2016, 0:02:17 UTC
Residence: 1850 -
Logan county, part of, Logan, Virginia, USA
Race: White
Ethnicity: American
Updated from 1850 United States Federal Census by SmartCopy: Jan 27 2015, 3:48:01 UTC
Residence: 1850 - Logan county, part of, Logan, Virginia, USA
Race: White
Ethnicity: American
Reference: 1850 United States Federal Census - SmartCopy: Jan 30 2022, 22:21:42 UTC