Notes
Note N87 Index
WILLIAM (BRACEWELL) BRASWELL, Jr. 1707-1785
Since his father, William BRACEWELL, died about 1720 it is apparently this is the William Braswell, Jr. who proved Susannah Burgress Bracewell will 1732. He would be about 25. If his father had lived he would have been executor of the estate along with Richard. No mention is made of Richard in 1732. However land title was maintained in the William Braswell estate as late as 1764. (ref. Isle of Wight County Deed Book 11, p. 268)
WILLIAM BRASWELL, who was born in 1707 probably in the Isle of Wight County, Virginia as he is listed in Susannah Bracewell's Will as grandson in 1714.
His parents, WILLIAM and MARY BRACEWELL, moved to Chowan County of North Carolina when William was a young child. On the 28 May 1728, the former MARY BRACEWELL and her second husband, Moses Quinn, quit-claimed to William BRACEWELL, Jr. the estate left by his father WILLIAM BRACEWELL. This would indicate that William Jr. had come of age at this date (Bertie Deed Book C, pg. 119). Almost immediately William Jr. began to dispose of the land he had inherited. On 31 July 1728, he sold 100 acres to Robert BRACEWELL, and on the same day sold 250 acres to John Wood (Deed Book C, pg. 3). In August of the same year he sold 240 acres to his step-father Moses Quinn (Deed Book C, pg. 79).
Then on August 31, 1728, William Jr. and wife Margaret BRASWELL (he had by now changed the spelling from BRACEWELL to BRASWELL), he being the son and heir to WILLIAM BRACEWELL deceased of Bertie County, sold 250 acres to Thomas Daughtery, in accordance with his father's bond (Deed Book C, page 5). In February of 1729, William BRASWELL, planter of Bertie County, sold 603 acres "All the tract where my father last lived", north of Meherrin River to John Baude (Boddie- Deed Book D, pp. 9-10).
It is apparent by this time that William Jr. was planning to move. On 25 May 1734, he was living in Edgecombe Precinct when he sold the last of his Bertie County land "To the Reverend John Boyd, Gentlemen, minister of the gospel in Bertie County 300 acres where the said Boyd doth now live and dwell." (Deed Book D, ppgs 150, 313).
William BRASWELL's kinsman, Jacob BRASWELL, and his wife Elizabeth had preceded him to Edgecombe County in 1728, having sold their land in Bertie County in 1727 (Bertie County Book C, pg. 360). BRASWELL newcomers and the descendants of the early BRASWELLS soon began spreading out over the surrounding counties. In 1751 Peachtree Creek was written into the records as Braswell Creek due no doubt to the increase of the BRASWELLS in that section of the county.
Jacob BRASWELL received a grant of 284 acres of land north of the Tar River and in an eastern direction of Swift Creek in 1728 (Edgecombe County Deed Book 3, pg. 286). This tract of land would have been a few miles northwest of where Tarboro now stands, probably in the area of the Leggett community. Jacob sold his land to Robert BRASWELL in 1740 (Edgecombe County Deed Book from 1732-1741, pg. 391). Jacob also patented 528 acres north of the Tar River in 1729. The boundaries of this tract were marked by trees growing on the bank of the river. Evidently this land was near the site of the present city of Rocky Mount, as the river makes a turn just north of the city and flows in a southwesterly direction.
Jacob lived on this land for many years, but sold part of it to Benjamin Bunn in 1748. He sold the last of his holdings in Edgecombe County in 1762 and moved to Johnson County (Halifax County Deed Book 1; Edgecombe Book 1, pg. 232).
From about 1663, the territory now embraced by Halifax, Edgecombe, Bertie, and others were known as Albemarle County. In 1732 a petition was presented to the Governor's Council for a new precinct south of the Roanoke River and Fishing Creek. The petition was granted, but not settled until 1741. The new precinct was called Edgecombe Precinct.
Although William BRASWELL, Jr. was living in Edgecombe County as early as 1734, the first record of a land grant or patent made by him was on 21 March 1742, when he patented 500 acres north of the Tar River on Maple Creek in Edgecombe County (Patent Book 5, pg. 132). The next year William Braswell secured 500 acres more north of Stony Creek, Edgecombe County (Patent Book 5, pg. 157). These grants were located in the central section of what is now Nash County, North Carolina.
Many of William BRASWELL'S relatives began taking up land and establishing homes and plantations in the central and western parts of Edgecombe County. One of the first to arrive was Richard BRASWELL, who settled in the extreme southern parts of what is now Nash County on White Oak Swamp. When Richard divided his property among his sons in 1747, he had over 1,000 acres and thirty slaves. This was a large number compared with the number of slaves owned by most plantation owners in this area of the country (Halifax Deed Book 3, pp. 177-178; Land Grant Book 16, pg. 252).
Nash County was formed in 1777, so from that date all further records were kept at the county seat.
William BRASWELL's brother James (son of WILLIAM BRACEWELL) bought 150 acres of land in Edgecombe County from Christopher Ginn on 5 January 1741 (Book B, pp. 50-51). Another James BRASWELL, son of ROBERT BRACEWELL, Jr., was active in the county both before and after 1760. At that time he purchased a lot in the new town of Tarboro (Edgecombe Deed Book O, pg. 294). This was the direct ancestor of the late James Craig BRASWELL of Rocky Mount.
The early activities of William BRASWELL in Edgecombe County are easily found as he and his son William were the only William BRASWELLS in the county until 1760, when other Williams began to appear in the records. William BRASWELL made his will 4 March 1785 . He did not mention his son William as he had died sometime before- probably about 1778, as his daughter Mourning BRASWELL, had a guardian- Joel Exum- when taxes were listed in 1782. The original copy of this will is in the North Carolina State Archives.
William BRASWELL, Jr. and his sons figured prominently in the records of Edgecombe County until the Revolutionary War. They served as jurymen, were assigned to lay out roads, build bridges, and keep up the roads in their districts. Frequently they bought or sold land, applied for permits to build a mill, and witnessed deeds for friends and relatives in their community.
One of the more interesting patents can be seen in the North Carolina State Department of Archives and History (Grant No. 7, File E, as Lg., 12c):
Lord Granville Grants
Grant No. 7-- 25 March 1749-- 200 acres.
Consideration 300 shillings proclamation money in hand paid John Earl Granville by William Braswell- land on Little Creek a branch of Pigbasket-- 200 acres-- William Braswell paying therefore yearly, and every year, forever to the said Earl Granville 8 shillings proclamation which is at the rate of three shillings sterling for every one hundred acres at or upon the two most usual feasts of days at St. Michael (The Archangel) to be paid at the courthouse in the County of Edgecombe, said William Braswell within three years at the rate of three shillings for every hundred acres--
Signed- William (X) Braswell
Surveyed this 15th day of April 1788
James Alston, Surveyor
William Braswell and Jacob Braswell, Chain Bearers.
William BRASWELL, Jr. signed this patent with an X which indicates that he, unlike his forefathers, may not have been educated (see page 155). In those days, surveyors used young boys to carry their equipment and their names were recorded on the deed or patent along with that of the surveyors, the grantor, and the grantee. The above abstract shows that the two eldest sons of William BRASWELL, Jr., William and Jacob, served as chain bearers. They must have been about twelve or fourteen years of age at that time.
Pigbasket Creek rises in the northwestern part of Nash County near Castalia and flows in a southeasterly direction emptying into the Stoney Creek a few miles northeast of Nashville, North Carolina. The above tract of land was situated about two or three miles north where the town of Nashville now stands-- and became the home of several generations of BRASWELLS.
May 28, 1728 the former Mary Bracewell and her second husband, Moses Guinn, quit-claimed to William Bracewell, Jr. the estate left by his father, William, Sr. This would indicate that William Jr. had become of age at this date. (Bertie Deed Book C, page 119)
The children of William and Margaret BRASWELL: William who married Martha, Jacob, Arthur, SAMUEL who married SARAH [?], Dorcus (BRASWELL) Hooks, Patience (BRASWELL) West, Patty (BRASWELL) Bridgers.
The early BRASWELLS settled in what is now Nash and Edgecombe Counties, North Carolina. All this territory was owned by the English Crown, but North Carolina had a more liberal charter than Virginia.
About this time (1688) William and Mary went to England as sovereigns to replace the deposed James II. This posed a grave problem for the Loyalists, because the colonists had named their
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children for the English rulers Elizabeth, James, or others. There were many Elizabeths. This had been done to gain more favors from the Crown. Now with William and Mary the name William became more popular. William BRASWELLs were found all up and down the swampy creeks, and this made a problem for each one to retain his own identity. So the BRASWELLs, like many others, changed the spelling of their last name to be distinguished from cousins, uncles, nephews, and fathers. So BRACEWELL became BRASWELL, BRAZILL, BRAZEL, BRASUEL, and other spellings, but an effort was made to keep the sound of BRACEWELL.
About this time a certain William BRASWELL (writer's grandfather several generations back) found himself in an embarrassing situation- his religion would not permit him to swear. Yet his loyalty to the colony required him to take an oath of allegiance to the state of Virginia. He hesitated or put off signing the oath of allegiance along with fifteen others of his belief. They were arrested and brought before the judge and charged as being "recussants" (refusing to cuss). For this crime he was forced to pay double taxes. He had refused to swear because the Bible said "Swear not". From that time until now his descendants have taken pride in his religious fervor. This incident has been passed on from father to son until this good day. The courts now accept that one may affirm if his conscience forbids him to swear. (From William and Mary Quarterly)
The Revolutionary War came to a successful close about 1783. The population had so increased that there was an entirely new outlook for the future for the vast flood of immigrants who were to seek homes on the eastern shores of the New World. Every farmer and planter were seeking enough land to have a plantation.
Nearly all the able-bodied men were pressed into military service. This caused them to travel and fight for all the land south and west that had been described by the colonial charters. Virginia had its boundary set by certain latitudes and extended to the Mississippi River. North Carolina likewise extended to the Mississippi River. (South Carolina also tried to claim the same territory.) The soldiers who had fought in this area were paid for their services in bounty land. Many of the men had fought in Virginia, North and South Carolina, what is now Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. They had seen the good land and were eager to get home to these places. Almost over-night there were caravans of BRASWELLs, Woodwards, Snows, Smiths, and many others headed to see all the different areas. It is to these BRASWELLS (whatever the spelling) that this book is written. To serve as an aid in tracing their ancestry back to colonial days.
Some of the many great problems which faced the settlers were who would make up the group, how would they go- by wagon, horseback, boat or on foot, and would the land be available when they reached their destination. These fearless men and women set out on the long journey with these questions unanswered, but strong in the belief that the country would be good and would become theirs. Scouts were sent out (a few of the older men) going before their families and acquiring the locations. Those who adventured too far from the white settlements made the grave mistake of underestimating the Indians and lost their scalps as in Illinois. In 1832 the Indians swept down and massacred an entire area, this caused many of the white settlers to flee the country until forts could be built.
Many of the BRASWELLs who had settled in Illinois were forced into Arkansas and Tennessee to obtain the protection of the forts that had been established against the relentless Indians.