Did You Know #17

In exploring the vast connections of the Bragg family throughout our well over 400 years in America, I noticed recurring confluences of the Bragg and Lincoln families. A branch of the New England Braggs, descending from Edward Bragg (b. 1616):

• William Bragg married Lucinda Lincoln
• Polly Bragg married Perez Lincoln
• Eunice Bragg married Daniel Lincoln

While probing these intermarriages I came across an even closer connection as our section of the Bragg family tree intermarries with the Hull family (my great-great grandmother, Rebecca L. Hull, wife of William Bragg), and then with the Burr family (Elizabeth Burr, wife of Daniel Burr and my 7th great-grandmother). The Burr family then had a number of intermarriages with the Lincoln family:

• Jonathan Burr married Mary Lincoln
• Hannah Burr married Daniel Lincoln
• Mary Burr married Moses Lincoln

Sifting through the various branches of the Lincoln family is a challenging proposal. According to the Hingham County, MA history, there were four adult Lincoln men named "Thomas." These were distinguished from each other by supplying each a middle name by each man's vocation. The result was:

• Thomas "the weaver" Lincoln
• Thomas "the husbandman" Lincoln
• Thomas "the cooper" Lincoln
• Thomas "the miller" Lincoln

Thanks to the frequent intermarriages between each of these branches increases the likelihood that one can make a strong case for a relationship with President Abraham Lincoln. After placing all the data I could find into my computer program, with an eye toward the frequently contradicting published family trees, I arrived at the following conclusion:
Martha Lincoln is my 5th cousin 8 times removed, both descendants of Symond Burr. Martha is also the 3rd cousin 2 times removed of Pres. Abraham Lincoln (both descendants of Samuel Lincoln and Martha Lyford).

The following chart traces out this conclusion:

Descendant List from Symond Burr & Joan Saunders

Henry Burr b.1556 ***** Jehue Burr b.1596

Simon Burr b.1616 ***** Jehu Burr b.1603

John Burr b.1659 ****** Jehue Burr b.1625

Jonathan Burr b.1697 ** Daniel Burr b.1660

Mary Burr b.1721 ***** Elizabeth Burr b.1696
(wife of Moses Lincoln) (wife of Nathaniel Hull)

Martha Lincoln b. 1745 Nathaniel Hull b.1726

********************* Ezekiel Hull b.1765

********************* Platt Hull b.1787

********************* Ezekiel Hull b.1813

********************* Rebecca L. Hull b.1841
********************* (wife of William Bragg)

********************* Orval Bishop Bragg b.1895

********************* Don Cicero Bragg b.1920

********************* David Bragg b.1958

Descendant List from Samuel Lincoln b. 1622 and Martha Lyford

Daniel Lincoln b.1652 ** Mordecai Lincoln b.1657

Martha Lincoln b.1694 * Mordecai Lincoln b.1686

Moses Lincoln b.1718 ** John Lincoln b. 1716

Martha Lincoln b. 1745 Abraham Lincoln b. 1744

********************* Thomas Lincoln b. 1778

********************* Pres. Abraham Lincoln b. 1809