Some families know a great deal about their roots; others know very little. This site is an attempt to record what I've learned about our family history. In these modern times, families tend to be scattered all over the country, if not the world. One of the goals of this web site is to help our family stay connected even though we live far apart. PRE 1800 - JOHN BRAZIER OF
ST. GENEVIEVE MISSOURI
and
Possible brother of William Brazier
of Fauquier Co Virginia.
Another perspective on William
and John Breshears of Spartanburg SC
PENNYROYAL KY ANCESTORS You may ask ...what is the Pennyroyal? So ...where were the heirs of John Brazier as the other descendants of "THE ORPHAN'S OF WILLIAM" moved from South Carolina to "The Pennyroyal?" The area of the Pennyroyal they moved into was an area that stradled the line between what would become Kentucky and Tennessee and included the "Walker Survey?" It was a "No Mans Land."
1) A John Brazier had land claims in East Tennessee (Old Washington Co.,) before it became the state of Tennessee.
This piece of land is on the Nolichucky River and John is referred to as John Brazier, John Brasure and John Bradshaw.
2) A John Brazer is found on Bayou Pierre (Pearl River)Mississippi.
(Ref: Territorial Papers, )
3) 1803 ...A John Brazer moved onto the "Pennyroyal" about 1803 Was he the Canadian Loyalist? Who are the men with him? This is the correct spellng of the name.
...John Brazer
...William Bazer,
...James Bazer,
...Jonathon Brazer and
...Alexander Bazer,
taking land on the Barren River.
Ref: LDS Film #
4) Before 1800: A John Brazier's executors made a claim (Memorial) to the American Congress for "Territorial Land Claims". "Indemnity for French Spoilation of Land."
Ref: Cong: #26; 29; 31: Sessions #1; 2; 1; Report: #343 & 355. This claim was referred to the committee. This land was in ST. Genevieve, in area that became Missouri.(ID2510)
5) 1810 ...A John Brazier's Heirs (the above Executors) made claim to land Warranted in Missouri, as proprietors.
1820 ...a John Brazier ...1820 StL. Prop.(St. Louis)
1836...A Thomas Brazier's Heirs, Carr. PrpPt. (Carrolton from Ray)
1836 ...A Thomas Brazier's Heirs, Carr. PROP
(Ref: "Ten Thousand Missouri Tax Payers" BK GS# 977.8, R48K )
Note: There was an Alexander L. Brasseur who left a record in St. Landrey Parish Louisiana. An Alexander L. Brasher is a Missouri Pioneer. (Successions-Vol 1).
6) Who was the JOHN BRAZIER who came first to the area near Chareston South Carolina? Hummmmm
You ask what is the Pennyroyal? Think of the forested hills, soft green valleys ...the Bluegrass of Kentucky, watered by the Green and Barren Rivers and tributaries. Bowling Green is in that area.
By 1770 the Virginian and Carolinian frontiersmen had discovered and started settling the Pennyroyal. The area was named for an herb that flourished there called Pennyrile an herb of the mint family. It was used in the Folk Medicine and repelled the pesky mosquitos.
Previously the earlier cultures had left remenants of their culture. The Shawnee, Delaware, and Mingo Indians of the North and the Cherokee, Catabwa, Muscologee and Chickasaw of the south called Kentucky the the dark and blood ground because of their often and fiercely fought battles in the area. The area abounded with wild life and so was coveted by the tribes.
Your next question might be ...why should I be concerned with this area since our Breshears come from Tennessee?
"By 1673 one Jacques Marquette, a French Missionary from Wisconsin along with several other Frenchmen traveled through this area as far as the Arkansas River.
You will recall that in 1747, Dr. Thomas Walker of Albemarle Co., VA, came through the Cumberland Gap, probably traveling down the Wilderness Trail of the Irish Track, into northeastern Kentucky. He and later explorers left reasonably accurate maps.
He mentions Christopher Gist (BEZER RELATIVE), a direct descendant of the the Welsh Settlers from whom the William Bezer (Bradshaw) clan descend who came to the Welsh Colony in Old Chester County Pennsylvania before 1681.
We recognize the John Findley (1767) and Daniel Boon (1769) expeditions. With these early expeditions were Brazier men who left records also seen as Bradshaw.
The Walpole Land Company deals with the transmuted Bradshaw to Brazier name extensively. Thomas Bradshaw was recorded in the Walpole papers as using Bradshaw and Brazier interchangeably.
In 1770 Col. James Knox and a party of hunters from the Holston and Clinch Rivers in South Western Virginia traveled west of the Allegheny Mountains to trap, hunt and shoot game. Nine of these men reached the Kentucky River. They hunted Green River and the lower Cumberland River area. They stayed away from their families for so long that they have ever afterwards been called Long Hunters.
Some of their descendants settled in the area of the Barrens. There are found many families found on Georgenes pedigree Charts. This is the area that Barren, Green and Allen Co., KY, were carved out of. Many of these pioneer sons marched with Andrew Jackson to Orleans in the war of 1812.
News spread abroad fast about this furtile land: ...some families, before 1800, migrated out of Virginia and North Carolina coming to settle, but they really came in earnest when the land was granted to reward their soldiers of the Revolution (1783)for their military service, coming to the military grants in the Pennyroyal.
The settlers from the eastern sea board came through on the wilderness road. They traversed the Valley of Virginia, passed through Staunton, Fincastle, and the Cumberland Gap. In Southern Kentucky they followed the Cumberland Trace along the Cumberland River to the Nashville settlement, later in the area named Tennessee.
The more northerly route down the Ohio River was frought with danger from the Hostile Indians on the north banks of the river. It was down the Ohio route that the Brashears associated with the John Hardin Clan came. The Hardins and Brashears were at Fort Redstone, on the Monongahelia River in Southwest Pennsylvania.
This colony had originally been relocated from New Jersey by the Penns of Pennsylvania resurveys.
Both Brashears and Hardins left accounts of the masaquers that took place in their families. William Bezers widow Sarah Coole Brazier married a John Hardin back in Delaware or New Jersey. It will be remembered that William BEZER was using the name spelled Bradshaw-Bratcher-Bracher-Breshears.
Many of the collateral families on my pedigree charts came originally to the Pennyroyal. The Wisdoms, Hoggs, Gibsons, Collins, Hardins are some who lived and died in this area. However, The Hardin family from the Eastern Shore, Wisdom from the The Welsh Grants in PA, Hogg , Gibson, and Collins families were helping the younger members of their family as they took their land in the Bend Of The River, Tennessee.
We can trace them from the New Jersey (Delaware) colony, to the Yohogania Co., PA, Colony, to the Pennyroyal Colony on the Barren River, then on into Warren County Tennessee and finally to Lawrenceburg TN.
Lets reflect back to the Pennyroyal of Kentucky. This will be the area of Barren, Green, some Allen and Warren Co., KY, so far as our family is concerned. Here is a brief overview of the area.
The area:
I may have to go back and comment more extensively on the colony a few miles from Bowling green. By 1769 Joseph Drake and other hunters from Virginia and North Carolina camped and hunted there near Bowling Green. Drake established a camp in 1775 where they camped and killed deer for their hides. They often dried as many as 500 hides then returned east to sell them. By 1785 we find Andrew McFaddin and Archibald McKinney, settled near Hanging Rock.
By 1796 the area scouted by Jacob and William Stiles to open the Barren River and Drakes Creek for navigation. Flatboats and other navigation came down Barren River as far as Bays Station where they had an inspection station for tobacca, hemp and flour. This land was sold to Joseph Boone in 1805 by previous owner Levi Cumpton.
Below are some of the pioneers to the area.
.Henry Skaggs (Scuggs?-who played a critical part in the setttlement of the Brashears of Barren Run), in 1799 , along with his wife and son Henry Jr.
...JOHN BOUCHER, PETER BOUCHER AND GABRIEL BOUCHER,
Elzie Durham, Jacob Holderman, the Olimacher brothers and the Olermeyer family, all CANADIANS working for the Hudson Bay Company, ...FLED Canada with 50 pack mules laden with furs and gold. They did not stop until they reached the BARRENS in what is now Hart County.
The Scaggs settled on the old Foster place in Allen Co, on the Barren River. This was later known as the SATTERFIELD farm. Other canadians who came were Jean Lock or LOCKLEY (hmmmm ...is this Anna Locks forefather???)
In 1814 we find a John Bishear, a Robert and the Satterfields, heavily envolved in Jury duty in Giles County Tennessee. These families have been found on the Kentucky Pennyroyal.
This is a work in progress, so please contact me if you have any information that might help round out the picture. view my guestbook sign my guestbook |
