BRASWELL MYTHS EXPOSED

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The Lineage of Jacob Thomas Braswell by Viola Vick Braswell

I'm aware of two published sources for myths about the Braswell family. First is a publication by Viola Vick Braswell of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, dated March 1964. She noted that she had the assistance of two genealogists: Mrs. Margarette Glenn Griffin and Miss Marybelle Delamar.  This work is titled, The Lineage of Jacob Thomas Braswell, and is well-organized, well-written, and well-researched, but it missed the significance of Richard Towle's will when she wrote:

When one ROGER TOWLE made his will on November 5, 1692, he named the three youngest children of Susannah Bracewell, i.e, RICHARD, WILLIAM, and ELIZABETH, each to receive one-third of an escheat of land at the age of seventeen years. (Book 2, p. 323)

She fails to quote the exact words of Mr. TOWLE's will: "... my three youngest children of Susanah Braswell, Richard, William and Elizabeth..." See copy of the will here. In addition, this will was abstracted by Blanche Adams Chapman in her book, Wills and Administration of Isle of Wight County, Virginia 1647-1800 as follows:

TOWLE, Richard: Leg. my three youngest children of Susanna Braswell, Richard William and Elizabeth Braswell. Ex., John Riggs. D. 5th of 9ber 1692. Wit: Thomas Moore, Robert Horner, Sarah Wakefield.  Page 323 [Emphasis in bold is mine.]

Ms. Braswell, failed to note that Richard Towle's will described HIS children. Although Susannah had married ROBERT BRACEWELL, Jr., DNA testing has confirmed that her children were not fathered by ROBERT BRASWELL. DNA test results and RICHARD TOWLE's will reveal that Susannah's children were BRASWELLs in name only. Please visit the web site  www.carey-DNA.com  for more information. His page of documentation is especially helpful.

Viola Vick Braswell says:

We have proof that WILLIAM BRACEWELL was the son of ROBERT BRACEWELL, Junior, and his wife SUSANNAH, and that he was born about 1680. The records show that another WILLIAM BRACEWELL witnessed a deed for this first WILLIAM BRACEWELL as early as 1714. (Chowan County deed Book B, p. 179)

Although she is wrong about the parents of WILLIAM BRACWELL, she correctly noted that another WILLIAM BRACEWELL witnessed a deed in 1714 in North Carolina. This second WILLIAM, was WILLIAM II, son of WILLIAM and MARY. WILLIAM BRASWELL, son of SUSANNAH, apparently remained in Isle of Wight Co., Virginia where he was executor of his mother's will in 1732 as shown in the following court record:

The Will of Susanna Burgess Braswell

October: the 22: 1714 IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN I Susannah Braswell in the Upper Parish of the Isle of Wight County in Virginia being Sick & Weak in Body but in perfect Memory thanks be to God I do therefore make this my last Will & Testament as followeth ffirst I commit my Soul to Almighty God our Heavenly ffather trusting to be saved by the Merits of Jesus Christ our Lord and my Body to the Earth untill the Resurrection and for my Worldly Goods I bestow as followeth. I GIVE & Bequeath unto my Son Richard Braswell and to his Heirs the plantation I now live upon with Sixty Acres of Land I say to him and to his heirs for ever & ever I give and bequeaath unto my Son William Braswell my Old Plantation House with fforty Acres of Land joining to it out of the Hundred Acres in all, I say to him and to his Heirs for Ever & Ever. I give & Bequeath to Elizabeth Braswell my Grandughter a Heifer of three years old, and one brass Kettle, one pewter Dish, one Pewter plate and four Spoons, one Box Iron and ffire Tongs. I GIVE and Bequeath to my Son William Braswell a Chest of ffeathers, a small Iron Pot one pewter Dish and one plate, and one Quart Pot and a Cup and four Spoons. I GIVE to my daughter Ann one shilling. I GIVE to my Grandson John Riggs One Shilling. And for rest of my worldly Goods within Doors and Without I Give and Bequeath unto my Son James Braswell to him and his Heirs leaving my Son Richard Braswell and my Son William Braswell my true and lawful Executors to pay my Debts and to receive what is oweing me and I desire you my trusty ffriends Richard Jones & Richard Jordan to see this my last Will and Testament performed. In Witness hereof I set to my Hand.

WITNESSED By us
William Allen Richd R Jones Susanna B Braswell (Seal)
mark mark
Richd R Jordan
mark

PROBATE RECORD:

At a Court held for the Isle of Wight County June 26: 1732
THE last Will & Testament of Susannah Braswell deceased was presented in Court by William Braswell Executor Therein named who made Oath thereto and being likewise proved by the Oaths of William Allen & Richard Jordan two of the Witnesses thereto It is admitted to Record.

Teste. James Ingles Clk Curt
Vera Recordatur Test: Ja: Ingles C C

WILL BOOK, Vol. 3, PAGE 304-305, 1726-1734
Part of index to Isle of Wight County Wills and Administrations (1628-1800)

This Will was copied by Walter S. Gabennesch  from a photocopy of the original found at the Richmond, Virginia Archives.

The phrase "therein named" would be the same WILLIAM BRASWELL who was named executor in Susannah's will. RICHARD I would not have mentioned his son, WILLIAM, in his will, because WILLIAM who died in 1721 predeceased his father. Susannah's son apparently remained in Isle of Wight Co., Virginia while RICHARD's son, WILLIAM went to North Carolina and was soon followed by his brothers. As Ms. Braswell noted in her book:

There was a WILLIAM BRACEWELL and wife MARY in Chowan County, North Carolina, in 1711. He was the first of his family to move to this state but was soon followed by four of RICHARD BRASWELL's sons -- RICHARD JUNIOR, ROBERT, VALENTINE and JACOB, with whom he was closely associated during his short life there.
 

Following the Braswells on the move westward in America 1600-1973/4 by Dr. R.B. Braswell

This book by Dr. R.B. Braswell isn't dated, but was produced in the 1970s and it makes the same incorrect claim as Viola Vick Braswell's book. Unfortunately, her words are used almost verbatim without attribution in this later work. He used the same coat of arms that Viola Vick Braswell used in her book and on page two he provides a genealogical tree that is identical to the one that appeared in Ms. Braswell's earlier book.

On page 5 Ms. Vick has the following:

The name Braswell, according to the records, is of Scottish origin. Webster's dictionary states that the word "brae" means hill or sloping bank, and the word "well" means a spring or source of water.

Some writers have deduced that the original Braswell clan lived on the banks of a stream and thus acquired the name. Considering that long ago every family lived near water if possible, this is purely conjecture....

On page 4 Dr. Braswell has the following:

The name Braswell, according to the records, is of Scottish origin. Webster's dictionary states that the word "brae" means hill or sloping bank, and the word "well" means a spring or source of water.

Some writers have deduced that the original Braswell clan lived on the banks of a stream and thus acquired the name. Considering that long ago every family lived near water if possible, this is purely conjecture....

On page 11, Ms. Braswell states:

ROBERT BRACEWELL, JUNIOR, was the elder son of the Reverend ROBERT BRACEWLL and his wife, Rebecca, of Isle of Wight County, Virginia, and was born about 1650. He married SUSANNAH BURGESS, daughter of JOHN and MARY BURGESS. (Southside Virginia Families, Boddie, p. 193).  This is affirmed by one JOYCE CRIPPS who in her will refers to "Susannah Bracewell, my sister's daughter." (Deed and Will Book 2, p. 202.)

Dr. Braswell's book has the following:

ROBERT BRACEWELL, JUNIOR, was the elder son of the Reverend ROBERT BRACEWLL and his wife, Rebecca, of Isle of Wight County, Virginia, and was born about 1650. He married SUSANNAH BURGESS, daughter of JOHN and MARY BURGESS. (Southside Virginia Families, Boddie, p. 193).  This is affirmed by one JOYCE CRIPPS who in her will refers to "Susannah Bracewell, my sister's daughter." (Deed and Will Book 2, p. 202.)

These are only two of the examples of the duplications of Ms. Braswell's work in Dr. Braswell's more recent publication. Either this is plagiarism, or a highly unlikely coincidence in phrasing.  Compare pages from the two books here.

Carey Bracewell wrote the following letter in an effort to prevent Dr. Braswell's book from being distributed at St. Luke Church's gift shop:

Richard L. Austin, Curator
Historic St. Luke's Church
Smithfield, Virginia

Dear Mr. Austin,

  Please be aware that the "Braswell Genealogy" sold at the St. Luke's gift shop is a seriously flawed work and should be immediately withdrawn from the shelves. It has already misled a number of novice genealogists; its continued availability will doubtless misguide still more. While I'm not suggesting malefic motives for its author, the late Roy B. Braswell, his mimeo "Following the Braswells on the move Westward in America, 1600-1973" (Rev.), as a work of fraudulent genealogy deserves to be ranked with those of Gustave Anjou.

  I urge you to examine the work for yourself and apply the accepted rules of historical evidence. Right away you will see that it is innocent of footnotes, references, index, or bibliography. The author's beliefs are presented as fact in this hodgepodge of half-truths and guesses, foisted on a well-meaning giftshop staff by Roy's zealous relatives.

  All recognized Braswell genealogists since 1973 are unanimous in viewing "Following the Braswells..." as a dangerous fiction and quite frankly never expected it to have this much influence. Among contemporary researchers who share my opinion are Eunice Young and Nona Williams (nona@nonawilliams.com), editor of our genealogical quarterly, "Braswell Branches." Closer to your home but now either retired or deceased, the original circle of Braswell researchers from whom the author derived most of his data also supported this view. Among the circle's members were Katherine Edwards, Deputy Clerk of the Isle of Wight Circuit Court; James MacLamroc, donor of the brass pew plaque honoring our immigrant ancestor; Dr. Hugh B. Johnston and Bill Fields, also of North Carolina; Irene Braswell Kiker of Sumter, South Carolina; Pal Spencer, Jessie R. Wadley, and O. Klute Braswell, and myself.

    Please free us from the hopeless task of trying to refute all of Roy Braswell's misinformation . If you cannot persuade the gift shop staff to remove it, at least ask them to add this caveat or move the thing to the historical fiction shelf where it belongs.    Thanks.

  Carey Bracewell,
   Listowner, Braswell-L@rootsweb.com

More to come....