Did You Know? #9

As one writer presented, the prominence of the Bragg family, at least in Texas and Oklahoma, and the reputations associated with their name was confirmed in the fact that the "Negro slaves" living among them not only freely took the Bragg name, but they stood side by side with them to brave the same dangers as their former white "masters," accounting for the large Bragg African-American families of today [1]. Many African-Americans proudly wear the Bragg family name, despite its apparent origins in white English and Europeans. One of the most prominent among the black population following the American Civil War was George Freeman Bragg (1863-1940). In addition to his work as the Rector with the St. James Church, in Baltimore, MD, he was the source of one of the earliest dissertations on slavery from the slave's perspective.[2].

Felicia Quintana Bragg wrote of her great-grandmother, Maggie Bragg, who "was a slave who was apparently born in Virginia. My first record of her is an 1870 census in Harris co., Tx" [3]. Maggie's children, Adam, Sally (Sarah) and Sandy, were born in Arkansas with very little additional information being known of them or their family. The depth of which the Bragg family of Virginia had become involved in the institution of slavery is indicated in Kathryn Rogers' reply to Felicia's posting, citing a family reference discovered on her family's tree, someone had made the notation "under the entry for Mary Polly (Bragg) Key (b. 6-11-1861) who was married to Larkin Key," that this couple had a Virginia plantation "with 999 Black Slaves" [4]. One of the most prominent Southern African-American Braggs may have been Andy Bragg, a "Mulatto male" who became "the first settler in Cherokee County, TX, where a settlement for freed slaves had been established [5]. This little town was first named after Bragg, but its name was later changed to Cuney, TX.

Another researcher on the internet, identified simply as " Dena," had examined some documents identified as the “Special Collections Division of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.” She was especially interested in a 'bill of sale" for slaves. This receipt, dated December 31, 1860, confirmed that Branch V. Bragg, the son of slaveholder James T. Bragg, of Clay Township, Bradley County, AR, sold nine slaves in accordance with his deceased father's estate. The slave sale netted Branch the tidy sum of $10,695.00. Then Dena provides detailed information regarding two of the slaves included in this sale:

Sterling, sold to Robert Bragg for $875.00
Tempess, sold to Mary C. Black for $905.00

Just ten years later, in the 1870 census, two of these slaves, now former slave, show up in the census listing of Sterling Bragg (59), wife Sallie (52), and children: Amanda (20), Tempess (19), Margret (9), and Rufus (5). From this, and other information, she concludes that this family, which had been divided by slavery, was now reunited [6].

Regardless of one’s political views, it is wonderful to see the national and individual healing of slavery’s terrible wounds.

___________________

Notes

[1] Janet Greer Barnum, Cousins of Lincoln County, [fhcousins.html]; s.v. George A. Bragg--Son of Jesse.

[2] George Freeman Bragg, Church Advocate Press, 1914; URL: http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/bragg/bragg.html. According to Bragg's research, "In the record office in London, in 1712, there was a list of "Christian" men and women and children, and also black slaves in Maryland. According to this list there were then, in Maryland, 38,000 whites and 8,000 blacks. In 1790, there were over 208,000 whites and nearly half as many slaves in Maryland. Of the 2,290 blacks imported into Maryland between 1699 and 1707, all but 126 were brought in London vessels"
[3] Felicia Quintana Bragg, MyFamily.com, Inc, Re: American Bragg Family Slave Descendants, page 1172.
[4] Kathryn Rogers, MyFamily.com, Inc, Re: American Bragg Family Slave Descendants, page 1172., page 1171.
[5] James Smith , MyFamily.com, Inc, Re: American Bragg Family Slave Descendants, page 1842. James Smith, he reported that Andy's son, John, "married into my family, the McClendons" (1842).
[6] Dena, AfriGeneas.

Oak Ridge Boys Visit Cape Girardeau

These pictures were taken Monday evening, Dec. 8, 2008

A Hard Year

Having passed through security at the Las Vegas airport, and while awaiting to board our plane for our return to St. Louis after a week-long vacation to Utah and northwestern Arizona’s national parks seemed like a good time to call home and wish my father a happy 88th birthday. It was then that I learned that my call had been proceeded by another of a much different nature. That prior call bore the sad news that earlier in the morning my father’s oldest sister had passed away.

This has been a hard year for my family. In December my father’s younger brother, Duane, laid to rest his second wife, then just a few months later, on June 2nd, he passed away. Three weeks later another uncle, Forest Ledbetter passed from this life. His death was followed by that of his wife, my father’s older sister, Ellen Jane Ledbetter on August 8th at the age of 90.

Aunt Jane was a graduate of Windsor, IL High School and the Paris School of Nursing. As a RN she served as a WWII Army Nurse, attaining the rank of Lieutenant. As her obituary states, after the war she became “the Director of Nursing for the Mattoon Memorial Hospital and was instrumental in merging the Mattoon and Charleston Hospitals into Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center.” In an e-mail from one of my cousins I learned that Aunt Jane “was part of a team that built hospitals in whatever buildings were available in New Guinea.” I was not able to attend the funeral, but my cousin did, and she shared the following with me: “Her youngest great grandson helped the funeral director steer the casket into the hearse and then, at the cemetery, saluted as the honor guard saluted his grandma. I don't think too many Sullivan women are honored with a 21-gun salute as Aunt Jane was.”

Of the five siblings who survived childhood, only two are left. My prayers are with them. While they lost two siblings in just a few short months, Aunt Jane’s daughter, Sherry, has lost her mother and step-father in just a few short weeks. My prayers are with them as well.

Earlier in the year my mother lost one of her sisters, Lois Whitely. This has been a hard year, and while I hope that my parents will be spared in the remaining months of this year from having to stand beside the graves of other loved ones, I am also thankful for the long loves each of these have been allowed to live.

Another Passing

We were saddened to learn of the death of our uncle, Forrest Ledbetter, husband of Aunt Jane, Dad’s older sister, He passed away on June 23, 2008 at the age of 89. Over the past few years our paths only crossed at funerals, but we do have fond memories of past family gatherings. My personal memories of “Frosty” revolve mainly around his sense of humor. As just a kid back in those days, I never had a clue that while serving in Europe during WW II that he was wounded, captured, and for a time held as a POW in a German prison camp.

Like my own father, his recently deceased younger brother Duane (below), and another brother Earl (pictured to the left; Uncle Earl passed away on August 20, 2001 at the age of 79), and of course Aunt Jane, Frosty was a member of what has appropriately become known as the “greatest generation, their selfless service in defense of our country is deserving of the greatest honor. Our hearts should be filled with pride at their powerful example of patriotism.

Fondly Remembered

It was always a treat when I was a child to visit Uncle Duane, Aunt Doris, and Roger. Uncle Duane seemed to always be in a good mood. He loved working with his cows, and other outdoor chores. It was there that I first saw a milking machine in action. I was so amazed, giving the fact
that one of our twice daily chores was to milk our two cows the old fashioned way, by hand.

Long after I moved away from central Illinois, it was always a treat on our visits home to see Uncle Duane. Not only was he eager to catch up with what we were doing, he was happy to bring us up to date about his latest project or adventure. The last time I saw Uncle Duane was at the 80th birthday celebration held for my Mother back in January, just a month after the death of his second wife, Joyce, for whom he had tenderly cared. And he was so proud of Roger, Jill, and the grandchildren Hillary and Allison, to whom, as well as to Uncle Duane’s surviving siblings: Don Bragg, Jane Ledbetter and Ruth Stone, our sincere condolences and prayers are offered.

While we were in Sullivan in January we received word of the declining health of Mom’s sister, Lois Whitely. Aunt Lois passed away just a few weeks later, on March 6, 2008. It had been a few years since the last time I had seen Aunt Lois. I had returned to Sullivan to conduct a funeral. On the way into town I stopped off the grocery store to pick up the most recent copy of the local paper. After purchasing the paper, on my way out of the store I hesitated after passing another check-out station. The woman purchasing her grocery looked so much like my Mother, and I was sure it was Aunt Lois. I waited for her to complete checking out to visit with her, and we had a very pleasant visit. After returning home I received the most beautiful card with the nicest handwritten note from her. She, too, continues to live in our memories of the days when the family would congregate at Grandpa Ethington’s Allenville farm, or at our home for Thanksgiving and other special occasions. Now, only three sisters from the Luther and Mercedes Ethington family survive: Irene Parker, Mary Bragg, and Eva Ethington. Although it has been three months, we want to again express our sympathy and prayers to Aunt Lois’ children, Neal Whitely and Donna Bornhoff, and their families as well as to the sisters who deeply miss her.

Senior Pictures

Over the years, on our parent's living room walls, was a growing collection of senior pictures. Carefully hung in order, it served as a "rite of passage" as we completed our public school education and navigated the transition, whether it be college, work, or military service. Although those pictures no longer adorn their walls, those pictures still remain. Here is that collection (plus a couple of other pictures) of each member of our family taken (as best as I could guess) when the subject was about the age of 18.

Did You Know #8

In the fifth installment in my “Did You Know” postings we examined one of the most popular accounts of the arrival of our Bragg ancestors in Virginia. In this posting let’s consider other Bragg families who were flourishing a bit to the north of William and Molly Newport Bragg. It is not really clear whether these are the offspring of Thomas' English-born brothers, John and William (although it is very likely some of them were). A strong concentration of these families made their homes around Salem, MA (the Boston area). One of these the groups descend from the English-born Edward Bragg (in 1616), who married Elizabeth Whittridge in Ipswich, MA, near Salem, sometime near April of 1642 [10]. Other Bragg families trace their lineage from Henry Bragg, who was born in Salem, MA in 1659 (no information has of yet surfaced to identify his parents) and his wife, Elizabeth Mackmollen (or MacMillan) [1]. About twenty years after their marriage, on December 17, 1677, their family had moved to Rhode Island, where Henry passed away in 1723. One of Henry's sons, Nicholas Bragg, Sr. (who was born on May 23, 1696), became a sea Captain and, just seven years after being married to Bethia Howland (on May 19, 1725 in Bristol RI) died in Surinam, South America (on February 8, 1732).

A third group is the descendants of John Bragg, who had been born in England about 1659, who married Elizabeth Miller on October 12, 1684 in Rehoboth, Bristol, MA. He married Elizabeth Miller October 12, 1684 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Mass. When the couple died in the mid 1740's their family had moved to Bristol, RI. The relationship between these three patriarchs, if any, is not clearly established. Yet, it is interesting that each group settled in or near Salem, MA and subsequently relocated to Rhode Island sometime between the 1680's and 1740's. What happened between those years? Salem, and that entire area of Massachusetts, was embroiled in the hysteria surrounding the "witch trials," in which twenty innocent victims were executed as witches [2]. Six men and fourteen women were killed, unlike the popular notion that they were burned at the stake, most of them were hung while one was killed while being "pressed" by heavy stones in an effort to extract a confession (1692). One family hit particularly hard by this insanity was the Towne family. William Towne, who was born in England around 1600 in a highly respected family. He immigrated to America with his wife, the former Joanna Blessing, and their six children, making their home at Salem. In the following years two additional children were born into this family. The children all grew up, starting families of their own, and settled in the Salem area. The curtailing of the "witch" hysteria began to curb following the execution (hanging) of two women, Rebecca Nurse (or Nourse) and Mary Estey, who refused to confess to being a witch, and thereby escaping the death penalty, and challenging the evidence upon which they were convicted, the charges of young girls who said they were being afflicted by their spirits. Both of the condemned women were daughters of William and Joanna Towne. In 1694 a grandson of William and Joanna, also named William Towne, took as his third bride widow "Margaret Willard, whose first husband, John Willard, had been executed on the charge of witchcraft at Salem, some two years previous" [3]. Another interesting marriage occurred on October 12, 1684 as Elizabeth Miller, a granddaughter of William and Joanna Towne, became the wife of John Bragg, from whom the third of the three groups of Braggs introduced in the previous paragraph [4]. The condemned witches, Rebecca Nurse and Mary Estey, would have been John's aunts by marriage.

These were obviously dangerous times, especially in that part of Massachusetts. While there is no evidence that the Salem hysteria prompted the relocation of the Bragg families to Rhode Island, it is clear that the family did relocate either during or shortly after this terrible miscarriage of justice transpired. Following the death of Henry Bragg, the patriarch of the second group of Braggs settling near Salem, some of his descendants continued migrating northward. Alexander Bragg [5], Henry’s sixth grandchild (through Henry's fifth son, also named Alexander), showed up with his brothers, Nicholas and William Bragg, and a nephew, Nicholas Bragg, Jr., in the 1800 Vermont census [6]. Others, descending from Edward Bragg, were moving into Maine. The first Bragg on record as being married in Maine was Nathaniel (1766), with his son Thomas being the first Bragg listed as being born in that state (1768). Others of this clan migrated into Massachusetts. Still, there are only a few cases of westward migration as many settled near their relatives and began raising generation after generation in the same geographic area. Exceptions, of course, can be found: Irving Albert and Mabel Bragg moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and two sisters (daughters of David and Eliza Bragg), Lucinda and Keziah (she married Alexander Carr) settled in Alpena, Michigan [7].

Notes

[1] New England Historic Genealogical Society.

[2] Robinson Genealogy.

[3] The Descendants of William Towne.

[4] Ancestry of Albert Fish. Fish was six/great grandson of William and Joanna Townes. He is remembered as a infamous killer and cannibal, having "killed his first victim in 1910. He Mutilated and tortured his victims, most of which were young children. Fish claimed that god-like voices told him to kill. Fish's most famous murder was that of Gracie Budd ... who was nearly 11 years old." Six years after Gracie's "disappearance," her family received a letter from her killer, which eventually led to his arrest and conviction. "The letter told in detail what happened to Gracie. The letter was traced back to Albert Fish. It told about how Fish had chocked Gracie to death, and then cut up and ate her body. Fish was also suspected of the kidnapping of Billy Gaffney and Francis McDonnell" (Ancestry of Albert Fish).

[5] Ancestors from New England and Europe.

[6] 1800 Windsor, VT Census.

[7] Descendants of David Bragg.