The
Robert Brassieur Family
the Huguenot
Robert
Brasseur/Brashear/Brassieur
b. c1597 ? France d. ?
m. unknown
b. .................. d. ...................
her father: ............. wife:
his father: unknown Huguenot
his mother: unknown Huguenot
| Children |
| Benjamin Benoit
Brassieur*/Brashear |
b. before 1620 France@ # |
d. Dec. 1662 Calvert Co., Maryland |
m. Mary Richford b1621-30
her 2m. Thomas Sterling
(betw. 25 Jul 1663 - 2 Aug 1663) |
| Mary Brassieur* |
b.c.?1622 ? France* |
d. shortly after arrival with name being reused * |
probably didn't marry
|
| John Brasseur* |
b.c.?1624 ? France* |
d. lived Nansemond Co., VA |
1m. Mary Cocke (dau. of Thomas Cocke)
2m. Mary Pitt 1672 (dau. of Robt. Pitt
became a Quaker and many years a member of the Virginia
House of Burgesses |
Thomas Brasher*
(little documentation for inclusion, C. B.*) |
b. c 1626 or before |
d. before 9 Mar 1709 lived in Cecil Co., MD |
m. Catherine d. bef. 17 Jun 1709 (who had a son, John
Brasher, b. 17 Nov 1708) |
Perside "Persie" Brasseur*
(a French feminine name) |
b. 1628 * |
d. 1665 |
m. (?possibly John Cobreath) |
Robert Brasseur Jr.*
(called himself "The Elder") |
b. c 1630* |
d. 5 Dec1665 Calvert Co., MD.@ |
m. Florence (?Rey) |
| Katherine "Cabell" Brassieur* |
b. 1632 * |
d. between 27 Oct 1687 and 6 Mar 1688/9 |
m. (?possibly Mark Clare) |
| Martha Brasseur* |
b. ?1636 Isle of Wight Co., VA* |
d. |
1m. Capt. William Moseley (prior to 21 Jan 1659 - d.
after 13 Dec 1675)
2m. Capt. George Taylor
(prior to Feb 1683) |
| Margaret Brasseur* |
b. 17 Jul 1642 Isle of Wight Co., VA*@ |
d. 7 Dec 1706 Chuckatuck Par., Nansamond Co., VA |
m. Thomas Fleming Jordan, JR. c1658 , (1634-1699) "she
became an ardent Quaker"* |
| Mary Brasseur* |
b.3 Jan 1645/46 Isle of Wight Co., VA* |
d. before 1713 |
1m. James
Biddlecombe
2m. Col. Samuel Peachey |
* family according to
Brashear, Charles and McCoy, Shirley Brasher. A Brashear(s)
Family History, Vol. 1 (of eight) The First Two Hundred
Years of Brashears in America, Charles Brashear/Shirley McCoy,
1998
@ children as listed with Russ Williams using Judge Price
research on the Bolling Family prior to 1958
% records in the LDS files
#birth place based on Benjamin's citizenship paper where he
declares he is "a subject of the Crowne of France" and assumption
that both Robert and Benjamin were here before 1637.[Back]
Children speculated for this family vary widely from one
researcher to the other. I offer here the latest speculation and
most thoughtful research on this Brashear family to date. We are
deeply indebted to the careful and detailed analysis of Charles
Brashear and Shirley McCoy for the latest book on the Brashear
line published Fall of 1998. (see Charles Brashear to
order). Their book A Brashear(s) Family History, Vol. 1,
The First Two Hundred Years of Brashears in America, is
the first of eight volumes on the Brashear families under
construction.
Charles Brashear based much of his initial information on the
work of Col. Troy Back who stated even in 1963 that "with the
exceptions of Robert and Florence, the relationship of the
persons named (in the land patent of 1653) is not shown. Since
it was customary to show the children of those listed, as such,
it can be assumed that a parent-child relationship did not exist
in this group. It seems likely that, other than Florence, they
were brothers and sisters." [Back p.7]
The family name Brassieur/Brashear is spelled many different ways in
records for this family. It is common to find the same ancestor with
records spelled in any number of the following ways: Brashere,
Brassure, Brasseur, Brasheure, Brashear, Brasheare, Brasheer,
Braysier, Brashairs, Brassieux, Brassier, Brassewr, Brassere,
Brasshear, Breshears, Bresshears, Brasher, Bosher, Boucher,
Breshiers, etc. According to one researcher there are calculated to
be at least thirty-five variations of the name.
Our particular Robert Brasseur came to the new world very early
in the development of the Virginia Colony. Jamestown was first
established in 1608 and Robert Brassieur is assumed to be here
already by 1637. At this date the total population of Virginia was
only a few thousand. According to Troy Back, "George Washington's
great-grandfather, was only four years old and the Declaration of
Independence would not be signed for another one hundred and
thirty-nine years. " [Back p. 6]
Charles Brashear is convinced that we have no idea who Robert's
wife may have been. Several researchers have listed that Robert
was married to Elizabeth Fowke of France and others that it was
Florence. He has found no evidence to support either of these
marriages to this first Robert.
1637, November 24, A land-lease contract is filed in Virginia for
another individual that the land is "bounded... West on land of
Robert Brasheare"
[VA Land Patents, Book 1, p.503]
It does not appear that Robert Brashear owned the land on which
he lived but three months later he files the following patent
registered as "Robert Brassure and Peter Rey" on "Warrisquicke
Creeke and butting upon Nanzemond river".
"To all to whom these presents shall come: I, Sr[Sir] John Harvey,
Kt [Knight], Gorvernor, &c., send, &c. now know yee that
I, the said Sr John Harvey, Kt., doe with consent of the Councell
of State accordingly give and grant unto Robert Brassure and Peter
Rey six hundred acres of land seituate, lying and being in the
upper Countie of New Norfolke [land now in Nansemond County,
Virginia] lying north east and south west along the south side of
Creeke upon the head of said Creeke and butting upon Nansemund
river, alias Matrebers River. The said six hundred acres of land
being due unto them, the said Robert Brassure and Peter Rey, by
assignment from Peter Johnson to have and to hold, &c. dated
24th of February 1638."
[VA Land Patents, Book 1, p. 622 / Back p. 7]
1653, April 12 - Another patent was issued to Robert for twelve
hundred acres "in the County Nanzemond at the head of the southern
branch of Nanzemond river"
These patents were intended to reimburse the colonist for the
cost of the passage. Each person that paid their own way or the
passage of another was given fifty acres. Robert's patent was for
twenty-four persons including "Robert Brasseur, Florence his wife,
Mary Brasseur, Persid (undoubtedly intended for the French
feminine name "Perside") Brasseur, Kathe. Brasseur, Bennet
Brasseur." Along with these Brasseurs were also "Marg. Stockwell,
Geo. Juory,... W. Wroten, Tho. Parker, Jno. Sutton, Jon. Stephens,
Step Dordan, Jon. Loyd, Jon. Bott., Symon Iron, Jon. Barefield,
Eliz. Patemen, Geo. Daldye, Wm. Ball, Nicho. Maroise (?), Tho.
Pursell, Ra. Ellis, and Jon. Abby."
[VA Land Patents, Book 3, p. 33]
Also on this date , a patent was issued to Benjamin Brasseur for
three hundred acres on a "a creeke called Indian Creeke being a
branch of Nansemum river" for the cost of trasporting six persons
into the the colony. "
[VA Land Patents, Book 3, p. 33]
Since Benjamin was given a patent it seems reasonable to assume
that Robert and Benjamin were traveling together and that both of
them had been in the colony before November 24, 1637. It is
conceivable that Robert Brasseiur Sr was the individual here
earlier as Russ Williams contends and that both Robert Jr and
Benjamin came later but my bet is with the brothers. Benjamin's
patent was renewed and recorded again on March 26, 1656. It was an
apparent precaution against litigation.
[Va Land Patents, Book 4, p. 40]
Benjamin's Citizenship papers state that
"..Whereas Benojs Brafseuir late of Virginia and subject of the
Crowne of France haveing tranfported himselfe his wife and
Children into this Crownes hereto inhabite hath besought us to
grant him the said Benojs Brafseuir leave here to inhabite and as
a free Dennizen freedome and to hime and his hieres to purchase
Known ye that wee willing to give due encourgement to other
subjects of that Crowne doe hereby declare them the said Benois
Brafseuir his wife & children as well those allready borne as
state hereafter to bee borne to bee free Dennizens of this our
Province of Maryland..." signed Charles Calvert, December 4, 1662
[Hall of Records of Maryland, Council Proceedings, Liber HH,
ff.157,158]
sources:
Ancestral Rolls, South Carolina Daughters of the American
Revolution, Compiled 1938 by Mrs E. T. Crawford, State
Registrar.
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) 1998 Charles
Brashear/Shirley McCoy, P.O.Box 38, Clearlake Oaks, CA 95423-0038,
707/998-1008, email- brashear@mail.sdsu.edu
Mann, Col. Robt. Neville and Catherine Creek-Mann, Camp-Kemp
Family Hist., Vol. II, 1969
Landrum, Dr. L. B. O. . History of Spartanburg County, South
Carolina 1900, reprinted 1954.
Williams, E. Russ, Jr.The Kemp, Turner and Roberts Families on
Little Silver Creek, Washington Parish Louisiana. 1992,
Williams Genealogical Pub., 514 Cole Ave, Monroe, LA 71203
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