Rev. ROBERT BRASWELL TIMELINE

1611, October 13 ROBERT BRACEWELL was christened at St. Andrews, Holborn, London, England "Robert the son of Richard Bracewell baptised the XIIIth October. Field Lane."

Carey Bracewell, Braswell Quarterly: Vol. II, No. 2 page 4, Parish Register of Baptisms, Vol. 1, 1558-1623, St. Andrew, Holborn, London (MS 6667/1) 1611 - October Anno James IX. #144  (2103).

Eunice Young, "Genealogy of the Ancestors of (Rev.) Robert Braswell," published in Braswell Branches, Summer 2000.

Parish Register of Baptisms, Vol. 1, 1558-1623, (1558-1623)

22 Feb 1627/28 ROBERT BRACEWELL atriculated at Hart Hall, Oxford University, London, England

John Bennett Boddie, Southside Virginia Families, Volume I (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1966), p. 89, Revernd Robert Braswell, son of Richard Bracewell, or Brasewell of London, Gentleman, matriculated at Hart Hall, Oxford, on February 22, 1627/8, aged 15.

3 Nov 1631 ROBERT BRACEWELL graduated from Oxford University, London, England

Alumni Oxoniensis John Bennett Boddie, Southside Virginia Families, Volume I (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1966), p. 89, Revernd Robert Braswell, son of Richard Bracewell, or Brasewell of London, Gentleman, matriculated at Hart Hall, Oxford, on February 22, 1627/8, aged 15.

"Eunice Young's Research," published in Braswell Branches, 1999-2001, Braswell Branches, Summer 2000.

Between 1640-1649 ROBERT BRACEWELL married an unknown person

 "Eunice Young's Research," published in Braswell Branches, 1999-2001, Braswell Branches, Summer 2000. "His wife probably died in England before he came to Virginia. A Robert Bracewell married Faith Allen, 1 April 1642 Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire, England. Robert's uncle made his will in Rufford, Nottinghamshire, but it isn't clear which Robert married Faith Allen."

Carey Bracewell, "The probable birthorder of his five known children is JANE (c.1646), REBECCA (c.1648), ROBERT (c.1650), RICHARD (c.1652), and ANN (c.1653). JANE and REBECCA were thus English-born and may have been by a different mother than the last three American-born. Differences in their adult lifestyles reflect that possibility.

before 29 Apr 1650 ROBERT BRACEWELL immigrated to Isle of Wight Co., Virginia. Robert, son of Richard, was "absent" when Richard's will was proven. Robert, brother of Richard, was executor of the will. Perhaps Robert was already in Virginia by that date, 13 Dec. 1641.

Sources: "Eunice Young's Research," published in Braswell Branches, 1999-2001, Braswell Branches, Summer 2000.

Isle of Wight County, Virginia Book A (1636-1767), p. 32, Whereas I, Lieut. John Upton, patented 1600 acres of land 10 Nov. 1638, under Gov. Harvey; with consent of my wife Margaret sell unto William Underwood of Isle of Wight, 400 acres part of said patent adj. 300 acres sold to Robert Braswell, Clerke, (no date). One published author uses this record to assert that Robert Bracewell was in Isle of Wight Co. by 1638, but this record doesn't state at what date the 300 acres were sold to Robert Braswell.  See Note 2 below

Isle of Wight County, Virginia Records Vol. I (1662-1715), p. 426, Robert Bracewell was in Isle of Wight County by 29 April 1650 per Article of Agreement between Ambrose Bennett and Thomas Webb. On 29 April 1650 Articles of Agreement between Ambrose Bennett and Thomas Webb were recorded. Ambrose Bennett gave to Thomas Webb 1 acre for a mill and Thomas Webb leased 60 acres for 30 years. This land was bounded by Ambrose Bennett's land, Mr. Robert Bracewell's land. The path to the church was mentioned. Robert Bracewell and Ann Bennett witnessed this contract. Record of Wills, Deeds, Etc., Vol. 1, 1662-1715, page 426. This is the first known record of Robert Bracewell in Virginia.

Circa 1650 ROBERT BRACEWELL served as Clerk of Holy Orders Isle of Wight Co., Virginia  page 3b.

Source: Carey Bracewell, Braswell Quarterly: Vol. II, No. 2 page 3b.

1652 December 16 ROBERT BRACEWELL's land was mentioned, "16 January (year not stated), recorded 16 December 1652. In his will, Capt. John Upton mentioned his holdings in the tenure of John King, James Bagnall and Nicholas Morris. In distributing his holdings he excluded 300 acres "which Mr. Robert Bracewell hath."

Source: Deeds, Wills, Guardian Accounts, Book A, 1636-1767, pages 38-40.

1653  ROBERT BRACEWELL was elected Burgess in 1653 Isle of Wight Co., Virginia

1668, Feb 15 ROBERT BRACEWELL wrote his will He left 3 cows to daughter, Jane Stokes and her children; cows and calves to daughter Rebecca West; a heifer to servant Elizabeth Hall when free; one cow to daughter Ann Bagnall; and the rest of the estate went to sons Robert and Richard. He appointed his friends, Richard Izard and George Gwillen (Welsh for Williams) guardians of the minor children and Robert and Richard were to be educated. An inventory of his property included 63 livestock, a servant boy, a library worth 500 pounds of tobacco, a sloop, a mill being built, silverware, etc. The value of his estate was 35,800 pounds of tobacco. He left 700 acres which included his home and plantation and 600 acres on the Nansemond River.

 Source: John Bennett Boddie, Southside Virginia Families v1, p. 89.

Before 1668, May 1 ROBERT BRACEWELL had died. His will was proved in court

Source: Braswell Quarterly

Children of Rev. ROBERT BRACEWELL

JANE BRASWELL born ca 1643; married ROBERT STOCKES before 15 Feb 1667; married ROBERT ELY circa 1678, left a will on 26 Jun 1711 Isle of Wight Co., Virginia. President Lyndon B. Johnson was a descendant of this couple.

REBECCA BRASWELL was born circa 1645; she married before 15 Feb 1667 to WILLIAM WEST before 15 Feb 1667,  died circa 1695

ANN BRASWELL was born circa 1647, married JAMES BAGNALL SR., son of ROGER BAGNALL and REBECCA UNKNOWN, before 15 Feb 1667 Isle of Wight Co., Virginia, died before 29 May 1683 Isle of Wight Co., Virginia

ROBERT BRASWELL JR was born circa 1652, married SUSANNAH BURGESS, daughter of JOHN BURGESS and MARY, before 1678, on 27 Mar 1696 appointed his "loving wife" Susana Braswell to be his attorney to "procecute (sic) and sue all such persons as are in debt to me and to answer all suites which I have," 27 March 1696, signed by Robert Brcell, witnessed by Jho. Moore and Ed'd Champion.  No will or estate papers have been located for him

RICHARD BRASWELL was born circa 1652,  married SARAH _____ on 16 Jan 1672/73, died before 10 Aug 1725.

 

Note 1: Thomas Finderson and Calder Loth, "Old St. Luke's Church," Isle of Wight Historical Society (undated, received Spring 2002): pp. 1-3. Thomas Finderson is quoted from a letter to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources "If we look carefully at the Newport Parish Vestry Book, 1724-1772, we can prove that Old St. Luke's Church with its late 1500's architecture was built circa 1632". He goes on to state that there were only two brick churches in colonial times, Shoals Bay and St. Luke's Church. All other Isle of Wight santuaries were wood framed commonly called chapels. All through the old records these two brick churches are typically and usually distinguished by called the first church the Bay Church and the second the Brick Church. An entry in the Vestry Book on 11 October 1737 states, "Ordered that Mr. Woodward do the following work on the Church Doors and Door Cases to the Chancel and Shingling of the P. Church. . . Seven Thousand Pounds of Toba, Three Thousand being now Leavey'd". Later in the entry the tobacco is shown as payment for covering the brich Church. Mr. Finderson believes that this proves that the church being shingled was the Brick Church (St. Luke's) and not the Shoals Bay Church. This confirms the Nosworthy tradition that St. Luke's was re-shingled in 1737. Because wood shingles typically last a hundred years or longer Mr. Finderson infers that Old St. Luke's Church was built ca. 1637. Mr. Calder Loth, historian with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, replied to Mr. Finderson's theory. ". . . I concede that the 1737 Vestry Book reference refers to Old St. Luke's but doesn't believe it proves the age of the church. He points out that it could have suffered storm damage and he believes St. Luke's was built later because of the use of Flemish bond throughout the walls. Scholars of English brickwork generally agree that the Dutch House at Kew erected in 1631 is likely the earliest use of Flemish bond in England. It took several decades before Flemish bond became customary for brick buildings in England. Mr. Finderson replied to Mr. Loth by stating, ". . . even if the Dutch House of Kew, erected in 1631 is likely the earliest use of Flemish bond in England, many early Isle of Wight colonists trying to escape religious persecution, lived in Holland, their home away from home, long before 1631. Flemish bond would have been familiar to them no through observations in England but through direct observations in Holland. For instance, Christopher Lawne and the wealthy Edward Bennett were respectfully founders of Lawne's Creek (1619) and Bennett's Welcome (1622) settlements in Isle of Wight. Lawne living in Amsterdam in 1610 joined the church there and married there. Though he was later a member of the Virginia Company, Edward Bennett fled to Holland and carried on his maritime trade from Delft and Amsterdam. His ship 'Gift of God' arrived in Virginia in 1618. Many of these founders' initial associates, who followed years later, also lived in Holland, some as early as 1597. Flemish bond would not have been a novelty to these ardent believers". Hereinafter cited as "St. Luke's Church."

Note 2:  "One result of the Civil War in England was a notable increase in immigration to Virginia. The unsettled state of affairs in England caused many substantial and prosperous citizens desiring peace, quiet and greater personal security to emigrate to Virginia. As an indication of more wealth among the immigrants, the size of land grants to persons coming over between 1650 and 1660 greatly increased. This was the so-called Cavalier migration and while only a few of the immigrants can be identified as actual members of the Cavalier party in England, yet their sympathies must have been antagonistic to the Puritan Regime otherwise they would have remained in England to rejoice in the success of the Puritan cause". Hereinafter cited as 17th Century Isle of Wight Co., VA. [1x.x.])