New Book

In a previous post I mentioned my new book being published by the Gospel Advocate, Co. in Nashville, TN. I am pleased to report that the book is scheduled to become available this week (March 7, 2007 to be precise). For more information, follow the link at the bottom of this page to my personal website or visit http://www.gospeladvocate.com/

Dave

Cat Antics

Cats are unusual. Some cats, however, may have taken their "unusual" status too far. They may start doing "paw"stands,
climb walls,
fly,
or just become a bit rebellious.

[Note: none of these pictures have been "doctored" in any fashion.]

Did You Know #4

The name "Bragg" actually describes those descended from Chief Brego, who were lively and cheerful [1], a state that can easily lend itself to boasting [2]. The Braggs of England were well established (especially in Devonshire), having "continued in England for over one thousand years ... [having] a long history and were prosperous and thriving" [3]. Cordell H. Bragg believes that theory to be just a few miles off. Admitting that he has no evidence to support his theory, only hope and instinct, he writes, "The name BRAGG also has an origin in IRELAND which has the spelling of BRAUG. In SHANNON IRELAND there is a BRAGG HOUSE, I’ve been told. This HOUSE is dedicated to the family name of BRAGG, BROUG, BRAUG etc. There seems to be several different spelling versions of the name of BRAGG" [4]. The latter is clearly established that during their initial generations in the "new world," a few of the Braggs kept in touch with each other through letters and over the years some branches of the family altered their names with various spellings (Bragge, Brag, Brage, Braggs, Braig, and Brague), adding to the family's overall size and making the research of future generations even more difficult.

From these various records emerge the claims that the Bragg family is related to President Calvin Coolidge, the "Poore" side of the "Standard and Poore's" of Wall Street fame, with two "witches" hung in the infamous Salem Witch trials, and intertwined in the ancestry of Daniel Boone, although the exact relationship is not clearly established [5].

The Bragg family can also be linked to various places, such as:

• Bragg, TX
• Braggs, OK
• Bragg City, MO
• Even the moon: "Bragg is an ancient lunar crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, just beyond the northwest limb" [6].

The Braggs have produced governors, senators, judges, preachers, an Indianapolis 500 racer, popular writers (i.e. Rick), singers (Billy) and countless honest, hardworking farmers. But we also have stories of abandonment and murder (among other things) lurking in our ancestral closet.
____________________
[1] Janet Greer Barnum, Cousins of Lincoln County.
[2] From Surnames and their meanings: "BRAGG (British). "Proud arrogant; brisk,brave" (Celtic);”" cf. surname-meaning-b.htm.
[3] Stephen Parker Hutchens, Descendants of Levi and Sarah Bragg Parker.
[4] Cordell H. Bragg, Re: Origin of Bragg Surname, Bragg Family Genealogy Forum,http://genforum.genealogy.com/bragg/messages/404.html
[5] Descendants of John Boone.
[6] Wikipedia.

Did You Know #3

Did You Know #3
What Does it Mean to be "Removed"?

Being a confessed novice in the field of genealogical studies demanded some effort in understanding the terms often used in such studies. Perhaps you have heard some refer to a relative, especially one to whom they are more remotely related, as being a second or third cousin twice removed. If you are like me, you also wondered what that phrase meant.

Rhonda R. McClure, a genealogist working with Biography Magazine clarifies the double aspect of what was once a rather ambiguous declaration("All For You," November 2002, 10). The number associated with the "cousin" (i.e. first or second cousins) describes the number of generations two contemporary cousins must count backwards before they can identify common grandparents.

First cousins share the same grandparents.
Second cousins share the same great-grandparents, etc.
For each additional "great" added to the "grandparents" the initial number increases as well.

The "removed" quotient applies to cousins from different generations and is derived by counting the number of generations separating them (one may share a common grandparent while the other shares a common great-great grandparent).

These two concepts can be illustrated by establishing the relationship between our branch of the Bragg family and the celebrated General Braxton T. Bragg (unfortunately, we can't do the same with General Edward S. Bragg only because of incomplete records, despite the fact that his relatives recognized that the two generals were related to each other).

The two charts below demonstrate these concepts. The top chart shows that, from the contemporary cousins (William and Braxton), we must go back two generations to find first cousins (Joseph B. [1690] being the Great-Great-Grandfather of both men, Joseph [1719] and John [1733] where half-brothers [same father, different mothers], Richard [1760] and John [1741] were first cousins) making William and Braxton third cousins.

To illustrate the "removed" principle, the lower chart shows the forward progression of these two families. Since we were born in the twelfth generation and William and Braxton (he had no sons to carry on the family name) were born in the eighth, there are four generations between us. Our great-great-grandfather William and Braxton were third cousins. Therefore Braxton T. Bragg is our third cousin (based on William's relationship to Braxton) four times removed (based on our relationship to William, i.e. the number of generations seperating us from the two contemporary cousins: William and Braxton).

Dave Bragg

Did You Know #2

Happy Birthday, MOM!!!

January 15th has always been a special day for me, but not just me. For thirty years before I was born in Dr. McLaughlin's VW Beetle, parked alongside the highway in Dalton City, IL, someone very special to us all celebrated the day as her special day.

Over the past few months I have devoted some time to tracing out our family history. In that process I discovered that the 15th of January held special significance for many others connected to our family. Consider the following individuals born on January 15:

Marvin Bragg (1946). Tracing his family backwards looks like this: Marvin, son of Alrick, son of Nathan, the first cousin of Frank Bragg, my great-grandfather.

Marcus E. Bragg (1859). He was Frank Bragg's brother.

Thomas Jefferson Bragg (1813). From my generation you have to go backwards seven generations (Don, O.B., Frank, William, Hugh Lewis, Richard, and John). John, who was born in 1733, had a half-brother (his father married twice) named Dozier. Thomas is believed to have been Dozier's grandson.

Homer Jesse Bragg (1899). John, born in 1733, had another half-brother named Joseph (born in 1719). That Joseph had another son named Joseph (1756), who had a son named John, then came John W. (a famous pioneer preacher who raised a very large family), his son Lewis Alderson Bragg was the father of Homer Jesse.

Another individual was Thomas Milton Bragg II, but I'm not sure how his family and our's are connected.

On Mom's side of the family January 15th pops up again as the birthday of her great-great grandfather, Franklin H. Standerfer.

January 15 had special significance for other portions of the Bragg family:

Joseph Bragg (1830) and Catherine R. Comer were married on January 15, 1851.

Glenna Georgia Bragg was also married on January 15th, but in the year 1955.

Lon Hampton Richmond, whose mother was Martha Ellen Bragg, was born in Summers Co, WV on September 7, 1885 and died January 15, 1970 at the age of 84.

James Milton Bragg II, who was born in 1880, died on January 15, 1929. Tracing his family backwards: David G. Bragg, (1808-1863), John Bragg (1786-1854), and Joseph Bragg (1756), and Joseph Bragg (1719; our family is traced back through this Joseph's half-brother, John, who was born in 1733).

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

2006 has been a year with an exceptional mix of joy and sorrow for our family. While none of us know with any certainty what awaits us in 2007, it seems good that the New Year somehow brings a "clean slate," an opportunity to make a new beginning.

For those who will be traveling over the coming weeks, my prayers are with you as you travel.

Dave

Update

You can now download a free copy (PDF format) of Gospel Advocate's new catalog by visiting thier site, www.gospeladvocate.com, and clicking on the link for catalog download.