"The given name of Benjamin's wife was Mary, but her maiden name has not been established. It is possible, however, that she was Mary Richford, whose passage to the new World is known to have been paid by Benjamin." [Back p.3]

In reading material from "Seventeenth Century Colonial Ancestors"said that he was Benjamin Brasseur, the emigrant from the Isle of Thanet, Eng. Kent; but originally from France .

1637 - Benjamin arrived in the Colonies sometime before 1638 and settled in the Upper Norfolk County which soon became Nansemond County, Virginia. At the time of Benjamin's arrival with his brother Robert, there were only few thousand persons in the colonies. George Washington's great-grandfather observed his fourth birthday, and the Declaration of Independence was not to be signed for a hundred and thirty-nine years. [Back p.6]

24 Feb 1638- Robert Brasseur files a land-lease contract with Peter Rey" for six hundred acres on "Warrisquick Creeke.. and butting upon Nanzemund river" Robert is linked is several later documents to Benjamin as his brother. [VA Land Patents, Book 1, p.622]

1633, 12 Apr - A patent was issued for three hundred acres to Benjamin Brashear. (origina patent apparently has not survived.)

1653, 14 April - A land claim is issued for "Benjamin Brafseure" for three hundred acres on "or being at the head of a Creeke called Indian Creeke being a branch of the western branch of Nancemond river...joining the land of M. John Ganat." This grant was made for paying the cost of transporting six persons into the Colony. These transportation costs gave the person "headrights" to fifty acres a person. Although the patent itself was dated as 12 April 1633 it wasn't registered until 14 April of 1653. Signed by Edward Diggs Esq. [VA Land Patents, Book 3, p.33]

on this same date - , for headrights "Robert Brasseur with Florence Brasseur his wife , and Mary Brasseur. Persid (Preside) Brasseur, Kathe Brasseur and Bennett Brasser" were given land patents for a total of twelve hundred acres [VA Land Patents, Book 3, p.33]

1658 - Probably due to Maryland's more liberal laws on religious freedom Benjamin moves to Calvert County, Province of Maryland. He may have moved up the Chesapeake Bay by boat to settle on 1150- acres plantation known locally as "Upper Bennett." The plantation had been surveyed in 1651, for Richard Bennett, a Virginia merchant and a devout Puritan. This deed was one of several plots that seem to have been reserved for Puritan believers under Richard Bennett's guidance. [Back p.6]

1660 - Benjamin is called for jury duty. (this is the earliest known remaining record of Benjamin in Maryland, most other records were probably destroyed in one of several fires in Calvert Co. Court House) [Maryland Archives, Vol 41, p.419]

1661- He is selected to be Justice of the Peace.

1662, Dec 4 - application for citizenship is filed.

CAELCILTUS, absolute Lord and proprietary of the Province of Maryland & Avalon Lord Barron of Baltemore, &c,

TO ALL PERSONS to whome these presents shall come, GREETINGE in our Lord God Everlasting:

WHEREAS, Benois Brasseuir, late of Virginia and Subject of the Crowne of France, having transported himeselfe, his wife, and children into this Province here to inhabite, hath besought us to grant hime, the said Benois Brasseuir, leave here to inhabite, and, as a free dennizen, freedome land to hime and his heires to purchase; KNOWE yee that wee, willing to give due encouragement to other subjects of that Crowne, doe hereby declare them, the said Benois Brasseuir, his wife and children, as well those allready borne as those therafter to bee borne, to bee free dennizens of this our Province of Maryland; and doe further for us, our heires & successors straightly enjoyne, constitute, ordeine and command the said Benois Brasseuir be in all things held, treated reputed, and esteemed as one of the faythfull people of us, our heires and successors, borne with this our Province of Maryland, and likewise any lands, tenaments, revenues, services, and other heriditam'ts whatsoever with our said Province of Maryland, freely, quietly, and peaceably have and possess, occupie, and enjoy as our faythfull people, borne or to bee borne with our said Province of the Maryland , without the lett, molestatione, vexacon, trouble, or grievance of us, our heires, and successsors, any custome to the contrary hereof of any wise not withstanding.
GIVEN at St. Marys, under the Greate Seale of our said Province of Maryland, this fourth day of Decemb'r, in the one and thirtyth yeare of our dominion over the said Province, Annoq Domini one thowsand six hundred sixty-two.
WITNESS our deare son and heire, Charles Calvert, Esq'r, our Leiuetenn't of our said Province of Maryland.

Charles Calvert
[Council Proceedings, Hall of Records of Maryland, Liber HH, ff. 157, 158]

SOURCES:

Back, Troy L. & Brashear, Leon. Brashear Story: A Family History, 1963, pp 5-45
Brashear, Charles and McCoy, Shirley Brasher. A Brashear(s) Family History, Vol. 1, The First Two Hundred Years of Brashears in America, (of eight proposed volumes) Charles Brashear/Shirley McCoy 1998 email- brashear@mail.sdsu.edu
Council Proceedings, Hall of Records of Maryland, Liber HH, ff. 157, 158
Maryland Archives, Vol 41, pa.178
"Seventeenth Century Colonial Ancestors" that he was a Justice and Landowner ,p 34 .

Return to Brashear Index |Return to Brashear Ancestoral Chart | Huguenot History

Return to Cheryl's Family Index | email to Cheryl Grubb

---

All information and photos included within these pages are here for the express purpose of personal genealogical research and may not be included or used for any commercial purpose or included in any commercial site without the express permission of Cheryl and Elroy Christenson. Copyright Elroy Christenson 1998-2008.

web pages created by Elroy Christenson- echriste@sccd.ctc.edu - last updated 6/20/01