BRASWELL

Robert Braswell, the son of Richard Brasewell (or Bracewell) of London, graduated from Oxford in 1631 and became a minister of the Church of England. About 20 years later, he immigrated to Virginia. In 1651, he purchased 300 acres of land in Isle of Wight County from Capt. John Upton, who mentioned this land in his will of January 16, 1652. Two years later, Robert Braswell was elected to the House of Burgesses, but was suspended because he was not in a capacity to serve as a Burgess, since it is unprecedented and may produce bad circumstances. This suspension was evidently because he was a minister and it was contrary to the British principle of separation of church and state for officials of the church to hold public office. His wife was probably Rebecca Izard and their children were Jane, Rebecca, Robert, Richard, and Ann. He made his will February 15, 1667, and it was probated March 1, 1668.

His son, Robert Braswell, married Susan (or Susannah) Burgess. In 1696, he appointed her his attorney and was not recorded after that date. Whether he died or left the county has been a subject of speculation by researchers.  Their children were James, William, Richard, Ann (Riggs) , and Elizabeth.

His son, William Braswell (1679 - 1720) of North Carolina, is most likely our family line. His wife was Mary________ and his known children were William, Benjamin and James. The son William Braswell married Margaret ________ and their children were William, Jacob, Arthur, Patience (West), Dorcas (Hooks), Patty (Bridges), and Samuel.

The son, Jacob Braswell (1735-1823) of Nash County, is our link with our generations that follow. His wife's name is not known, but this children were Jacob, Jesse, William, Brittain, Nathan, Lucretia (Pittman), Mary (Jones), Patience (Thompson), Cloah (Sellers), Selah (Evans), and Patsy (Atkins). By 1820 he was living alone. Three years later his will was probated and in it he mentioned ten of his eleven children. Jesse received all of his father's land, six negroes, and his still.

Is this the Jesse Braswell (1764-1827), who later has a plantation in Brunswick County, Virginia and whose daughter, "Betsy", married Lewis Ball Taylor in 1793??

The Elizabeth "Betsy" Braswell (?-1849) of our family may have been the oldest child. Her sister Sally married five years after Betsy. Her brother John the year after that. Her sister Nancy married John Williams in 1804, but both Nancy and a sister Kizzie Stacy had died before their father in 1827. There were also brothers named Jacob, Peterson G. and Jesse M. Their mother has been identified as Jane Coman - which may be Coleman, a name associated with the Braswells in Brunswick County.