By Fred Hesketh
At the corner of Park Avenue, and Tunxis Avenue, in Bloomfield’s green there is a statue of drummer boy. Created by Wolfgang Behl it has been a recognized landmark of Bloomfield for decaders. Still, many wonder what is its connection with Bloomfield, and why drums?
The Wintonbury Historical Society answered that question at the time of the first Drum Festival in1999 in a publication titled “The Browns of Wintonbury, Makers of Brown Drums.”
The following summarizes that research into the importance of the Brown drum and its manufacturers to Bloomfield (that at the time was part of Windsor) and its history:
Peter Brown, a miller who first appears in Windsor records in 1658, purchased several parcels of land in Windsor and built two homes. The first of these was near the mill he operated and the second, a few years later, about one mile north of Windsor Center on Poquonock Avenue. He and his wife Mary (Gillette) had 15 children, eleven daughters and four sons. His youngest son Cornelius and his family settled in Simsbury and later immigrated to Norfolk Connecticut being the founders of that northwestern Connecticut Community. Grandchildren of the other three sons, (Peter, John, and Jonathan) settled in western sections of Windsor, three of them being original petitioners for the establishment of Wintonbury parish, which later became Bloomfield.
Some family members claim to be descendants of Peter Brown who arrived on the Mayflower and gave life to a son, Peter, who first shows up in Windsor records in 1658. Others dispute the link for the two Peters. If the descendancy from (Mayflower) Peter is accurate, then they are also descendants of William the Conqueror who married Matilda at the beginning of the second millennium.
Regardless of their ancient heritage, the Wintonbury Browns of the 18th and early 19th centuries are descendants of (Windsor) Peter who lived near and worked at the Warham Mill off Poquonock Avenue in Windsor. Peter and some of his 15 children were granted “proprietors” lands extending from a highway (later Brown Street) to the Simsbury town line (which at that time was east of Duncaster Road). Among them was David Brown who died in Albany in September 1756 during the Fire Point expedition of the French War. Another descendant, Benjamin Brown (whose father and son were also Benjamin), lived on Brown Street and served in several Revolutionary War campaigns. It has been reported that the family made drums carried inthat war.
Early in the 18th century the third and forth generation from (Windsor) Peter was well established in the church and the community with extensive land holdings in the western part of the parish in both Windsor and in Simsbury. (At that time the Simsbury town line was east of DuncasterRoad.) Son John’s family split with one group (John II) concentrated in Simsbury, eventually emigrating over the Talcott ridge and, still later, further west in Connecticut. This generation included John Brown, the abolitionist, born in Torrington of grandparents who were born in Wintonbury. The family of Isaac and Daniel, sons of John, remained in Wintonbury. By themiddle of the 18th century the Wintonbury Browns were primarily descendants of (Windsor)Peter’s sons Peter and grandsons Isaac and Daniel.

The drum makers
Tax records indicate that the Browns, not unlike most families in Wintonbury, were farmers. Today we would call them subsistence farmers — producing barely enough for survival. Like most farmers, they bartered their produce and their skills. Bloomfield tradition holds that the Browns used their particular skills as coopers to produce drums that were carried in the Revolutionary War. The Wintonbury Historical Society has not been able to document such use of Brown Drums. However, tantalizing circumstantial evidence presents itself:
•Eighteenth century tax records reveal that two of family members were coopers (barrelmakers) and others were involved in a tannery, together providing the basic drum making supplies.
•Labels in extant drums indicate manufacture by some combination of Benjamin, Moses,Eli, and William Brown, with each label indicating Wintonbury or (later) Bloomfield.
•Eli Brown, the most prolific name in known drums is the son of Ann Eggleston (and Zadock Brown), a great grand daughter of Baggot Eggleston, the first Windsor town drummer.
•Benjamin Brown (1748-1834), the second most frequently appearing name in drums,served in several campaigns in the American Revolution.
•Benjamin’s brother-in-law Samuel Colton also served in the Revolutionary War.
•Elias Brown (1758-1793), one of the few Browns from Jonathan’s branch of the family to remain in Wintonbury served as a fifer (they were usually both fifers and drummers)in various campaigns between 1775 and 1782.
•Capt. John Brown, grandfather of the abolitionist John led a march to New York where he died from a disease that struck the troops shortly after the Declaration of Independence was signed.
Almost 100 Brown Drums made by combinations of Benjamin, Moses, William and Eli, are carefully guarded by museums, fife and drum corps, and historical societies. Many drum corps still use them because, as one drummer told a reporter over 60 years ago “A Brown drum is to a drummer what a Stradivarius is to a violinist.”
Did Benjamin the cooper make a drum to carry into battle? Did he make drums for his cousins who served in various campaigns? Did he sell drums to the state for use in the militia? We may never know.
The Wintonbury Historical Society says in its publication, “At his point we can only offer that the family was well represented in the service of our country during the War of the Revolution.”
This local drum business flourished until the mid 1800’s as the most recent surviving drum is labeled 1848.
The Brown family’s contribution to Bloomfield was not limited to drums, however, as family members held town offices for most of the 19th century including service as moderator of town meeting, selectman, assessor, highway surveyor, constable, collector of town taxes, highway  committee, and members of the Connecticut General Assembly.Two Brown family homes still stand on Brown Street — The clapboard house at #45 and a brickhouse at #49 which has been documented as the home occupied by Eli Brown, the most prominent of the drum makers.