Richard Braswell

Notes:

JAMES BRYANT named RICHARD as a legatee/benficiary in his will, dated 11 Mar 1731 in Bertie Co., NC, USA, recorded on 2 May 1734.
RICHARD was a grantor in 12 deeds in Bertie Co., NC, although some of them refer to a cousin of the same name. Both RICHARDs served as jurors in NC in 1740.
BRASWELL, RICHARD-Dec. 7, 1767. Jan. Ct., 1772. Bk. 4, p. 193. Wife & Extx: ELIZABETH, lend all remaining property, reversion to children. Son: SAMPSON, land on Tar River and Nahunta Path; Son: SOLOMON, plantation; Son: RICHARD; Son & Exr: JAMES; Son: WILLIAM; Daus: SARAH, MARY and ELIZABETH, 5S proclamation money each. Wit: THOMAS BRYANT, WILLIAM SHERROD, JOSEPH FORT, SAMSON DILLARD, JAMES GRAY.
His will, made in Edgecombe County, NC on 7 Dec 1767, reads:
"I, RICHARD BRASWELL of Edgecombe County being in good Helath & of perfect sense & sound mind and memory, for preventing disputes which may arise in my Family about the Estate that I have at my Death do make this my last will & Testament in manner following, that is to say...Imprimis. I give & bequeath to my son SAMPSON BRASWELL & to his Heirs forever a Tract of parcel of Land containing fifty acres more or less & bounded as follows, Beginning at a white Oak his corner on Tar River thence a direct course to a new mark't poplar...being at or near the Nauhunta Path thence along the said path to my back line then down the back line to the said SAMPSON's line then along his line to the white oake the first station...Item. I give & Bequeath to my Son SOLOMON & to his Heirs forever all the Remainder of my Land where I now live & the Land or plantation whereon he now Dweleth. Item. I give my son RICHARD five shillings proclamation money. Item. I give my son JAMES five shillings proclamation money. Item. I give my son WILLIAM five shillings proclamation money. Item. I give my daughter SARAH five shillings proclamation money. Item. I give my daughter MARY five shillings proclamation money. Item. I give my daughter ELIZABETH five shillings proclamation money. Item. I nominate Constitute & Appont my loving wife ELIZABETH & my Son JAMES whole & sole Executor & Executrix of this my last Will and Testament IN WITNESS whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixt my Seal this Seventh day of December in the year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred & Sixty & Seven Signed Sealed & delard to be the last will & testament of RICHARD "R" BRASWELL the subsribers in presence of...THOMAS BRYANT, WILLIAM SHERROD, JOSEPH "X" FORT, SAMSON DILLARD, JAMES GRAY." The will was probated Jan., 1772 The inventory contained 14 Negroes, cash, 29 head of cattle and 53 hogs.
RICHARD never lived in Johnston Co., NC, but did some land speculation there:
May 4, 1752, he entered 300 acres in Johnston Co., NC "Lying on the Great Beaver Dam on Buffelow Creek" ("Land Warrants, Entries & Survey, Edgecombe Co., NC, 1746-1775, Archives SS658, dated Nov 3. 1752, found in SS 680).

Richard married Elizabeth Bryant in 1728. Elizabeth (daughter of James Bryant) was born about 1700; died in 1772 in Wayne Co., NC. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Richard Braswell was born in 1730 in Bertie County, North Carolina; died in 1788 in Wayne Co., NC.
2. Mary Braswell was born in 1735; and died.
3. Jacob Braswell was born in 1736; died in 1767.
4. William Braswell was born in 1738; and died.
5. Soloman Braswell was born in 1740 in Edgecomb County, North Carolina; died in 1798 in Edgecomb County, North Carolina.
6. Sarah Braswell was born in 1748; and died.
7. James Braswell was born in 1752 in North Carolina; died in 1824 in Edgecomb County, North Carolina.
8. Elizabeth Braswell was born in 1756; and died.
9. William Braswell was born in 1757; died about 1796 in Edgecomb County, North Carolina.

Notes:

About 1726 In Bertie Precinct, NC,
1747 Will Dated Edgecombe Co., NC
May 1745 On Trial For Couterfeiting

Richard married Eleanor Bryant about 1703. Eleanor was born in 1685 in Virginia; died in 1732 in Edgecomb County, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Her surname is not proven. Was she Sarah Valentine?
SARAH's will was made in Isle of Wight Co., VA, on 20 Mar 1733/34. She left the bulk of her estate to her grandson, JOHN BRASWELL, JR., "except one Negro man named LIMESTONE," whom she left to her daughter, JANE Her son, JOHN BRASWELL, SR. was named as executor and caretaker until his son became of age (21). His son, BENJAMIN was to have the first mare colt born and a slave. She also names JOHN's other children in equal shares of the estate: MARY, WILLIAM and SAMPSON. She appointed her on JOHN and his son, JOHN, as executors. Witnesses were RICHARD BLOW, JR., SAMUEL SMITH and SAMUEL WILLIS. The will was probated 26 May, 1735 (Isle of Wight Will Book 4, p. 64/65). An undocumented article in "Following the BRASWELLs in America 1600-1983," by Dr. R.B. BRASWELL identifies RICHARD's wife as SARAH SAMPSON and gives their wedding date as 16 Jan 1673. No source was given and "Southside Virginia Families," by JOHN BENNETT BODDIE doesn't identify her surname. Is she was a SAMPSON, she might have been a daughter of JAMES SAMPSON and ELIZABETH BARCROFT of Isle of Wight Co., VA. He is the only man named SAMPSON in that area who was the correct age to be her father. ELIZABETH immigrated in 1647 with CHARLES BARCROFT who may have been her brother. Other SAMPSONs in the Isle of Wight Co., VA area were ELIZABETH, who married THOMAS CLARK and ANN, who married EDWARD MOSELEY. EDWARD MOSELEY was very wealthy. He died in New Hanover Co., NC and owned land in Edgecombe CO., NC.

Notes:

RICHARD and SARAH had 8 children. RICHARD's will was probated in Isle of Wight Co., VA on 28 Jan/Jul 1725, and witnessed by EDWARD POWERS, SR., and EDWARDS POWERS, JR. He gave 10 sheep to each of his sons and daughters: RICHARD, ROBERT, VALENTINE, JACOB, JOHN, MARIAH/MARY MURPHY, ANN STRICKLAND and JAMES WILLIAMS. His grandaughter, SUSSANAH BRASWELL received a cow. He left his estate to SARAH, except for 10 shillings to each of his surviving children. He signed a petition in October 1677 to pardon his brother-in-law, WILLIAM WEST in Bacon's Rebellion: "...a rebel absconding who took up arms against the Indians by whom his father had been most barbarously murdered, was taken prisoner and carried aboard ship, from hense to prison was was condemned to death, but made his escape and has not yet been found. We pray for his life and the restitution of his estate to his wife and children." (Boddie, John B., "Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County, Virginia."). Shortly after 1700, most of RICHARD's family drifted southward into North Carolina, in search of fresh lands for tobacco cultivation. They settled along Albermarle Sound and the lower Tar River valley (now Edgecombe and Nash counties) where some of them also took up the naval stores industry, producing turpentine, itch and spars for the Royal Navy. RICHARD was still in Nansemond Co., VA in 1704.
9 Feb 1694: RICHARD, along with his brother-in-law, WILLIAM WEST, were witnesses for JAMES & ELIZABETH CORLEY for their assignment of their Blackwater patent to THOMAS KIRBY. RICHARD signed with his usual reverse capital "R". (Deed Book 1, 1688-1704, p. 1030)
RICHARD identifies himself as the son of ROBERT BRACEWELL, CLERK (Reverend) in a deed of 9 Oct. 1674, in where he and his wife, SARAH sold to THOMAS GREEN 300 of the 400 acres he received by deed of gift from his father on 16 Jan 1660. On 9 Aug 1681, RICHARD and SARAH sold 2 acres to WILLIAM WEST. They were in Nansemond Co., VA to acknowledge the deed which was witnessed by ARTHUR JONES, JOHN PITT and THOMAS PITT.
RICHARD (R) BRACEWELL & SARAH (+) his wife
WHEREAS my ffather ROBERT BRACEWELL Clerk did in his life tyme by deed of Guift dated the 16th of January 1660 give unto me RICHARD BRACEWELL his Sonne, one pcell of Land conteining about 400 acres, being pte of a Tract of Land conteining 1600 Acres lyeing in the Isle of Wight County granted unto Lt Col JOHN UPTON by patten dated the 16th of Novr 1638 & by the sd UPTON sold to WM UNDERWOOD & be severall more Conveyances upon Record derived to my ffather ROBERT BRACEWELL & from him to me his Sonne, of which four hundred Acres I the sd RICHARD & SARAH my wife have by deed dated the 7th of ffebry 1673 Sould unto THOMAS GREEN two hundred Acres lyeing on the ffreshett between Mr IZARDs & THOMAS POOLEs Land, And have alsoe by another deed sould unto WM WEST One hundred Acres lyeing on the other side of the Runn adjoyning to another tract of Land lately belonging to my sd ffather ROBERT BRACEWELL. Now in consideration of 3000 pounds of good Merchantable tob * cask paid by sd THOMAS GREEN....100 acres of Land more adjoyning to that hundred acres sould WM WEST being all the remaining part of the prementioned 400 Acres sold by the aforesd Lt Col JOHN UPTON which said woo Acres now by us sold is in the tenure or Occupation of ANTHONY OGIER or his assigned dureing his life.
Dated: 9th day of Xber (December) 1674 Recorded: Janry 9, 1674
Witnesses: MICHAEL BLAND, GEORGE (O) MAY
(Isle of Wight Co., VA Will & Deed Book 1, Vol. 1, p. 325)

Richard married Sarah Valentine Sampson on 14 Mar 1672. Sarah (daughter of James Sampson and Elizabeth Barcroft) was born in 1652 in Isle Of Wright County, Virginia; died in 1734 in Isle Of Wright County, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Her surname is not proven. Was she Sarah Valentine?
SARAH's will was made in Isle of Wight Co., VA, on 20 Mar 1733/34. She left the bulk of her estate to her grandson, JOHN BRASWELL, JR., "except one Negro man named LIMESTONE," whom she left to her daughter, JANE Her son, JOHN BRASWELL, SR. was named as executor and caretaker until his son became of age (21). His son, BENJAMIN was to have the first mare colt born and a slave. She also names JOHN's other children in equal shares of the estate: MARY, WILLIAM and SAMPSON. She appointed her on JOHN and his son, JOHN, as executors. Witnesses were RICHARD BLOW, JR., SAMUEL SMITH and SAMUEL WILLIS. The will was probated 26 May, 1735 (Isle of Wight Will Book 4, p. 64/65). An undocumented article in "Following the BRASWELLs in America 1600-1983," by Dr. R.B. BRASWELL identifies RICHARD's wife as SARAH SAMPSON and gives their wedding date as 16 Jan 1673. No source was given and "Southside Virginia Families," by JOHN BENNETT BODDIE doesn't identify her surname. Is she was a SAMPSON, she might have been a daughter of JAMES SAMPSON and ELIZABETH BARCROFT of Isle of Wight Co., VA. He is the only man named SAMPSON in that area who was the correct age to be her father. ELIZABETH immigrated in 1647 with CHARLES BARCROFT who may have been her brother. Other SAMPSONs in the Isle of Wight Co., VA area were ELIZABETH, who married THOMAS CLARK and ANN, who married EDWARD MOSELEY. EDWARD MOSELEY was very wealthy. He died in New Hanover Co., NC and owned land in Edgecombe CO., NC.

Notes:

He and his family arrived in Smithfield VA, in 1650, to be the minister at the "Old Brick Church" (the first Brick building in America, and still standing).

In the turbulent days before the American Revolution, it is almost certain that Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Richard Henry Lee and Patrick Henry all knelt at the alters of Saint Luke's. This historical and hallowed place played its own part in the slow shaping of the momentous destiny of our nation. St. Luke's Church (also called "Old Brick") is the nation's only original Gothic church and the oldest existing church of English foundation in America. Its brick walls have stood for more than three centuries, located 2 miles from present-day Smithfield, Virginia on route 10.

Historic St. Luke's Church 14477 Benn's Church Blvd. Smithfield, VA 23430

Robert married Rebecca Izard in 1642 in Isle Of Wright County, Virginia. Rebecca (daughter of John Izard) was born about 1615 in London, England; died before 15 Feb 1668. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Will is dated June 26 1711

James married Elizabeth Barcroft. Elizabeth and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]