* 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 the link below for more details). 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]

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 1636. The first known record of Robert Brasseur is the renewal of his promissary note in Warrisquicke Co., VA, on June 1, 1636 [Nugent, Cavaliers and pioneers, v. 1, p.41] 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] This implies that Robert had been here long enough to borrow money, buy land and have the note come due. [Brashears/McCoy p. 4]

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. Robert Sr. was certainly in the colonies by 1636 and had grown children by 1653, if his wife was left at home she would have been rather elderly by her immigration if she was indeed the Florence who came over in 1653. Is seems more likely that it would be the new wife of Robert Jr. who went back with his brother to bring in the relatives.

Robert and Benjamin Brashear are listed in the Register of Huguenot Ancestors. There are a couple of things wrong with the following registration.  One is that the Isle of Thanet parish was off the coast of Kent County, England only separated by a sand spit but certainly not part of France.  The family may have moved there as a first refuge from French persecution and then later traveling to Warrisquicke Co., VA. This is on the south side of the James River rather across from Jamestown and the present-day Isle of Wight and Southampton Counties. The birth dates are also probably incorrect and doesn't fit the known facts. 

Brashear, Benjamin (Benois Brassieur)
Born: France, Isle of Thanet, 1590; to Nansemond Co., VA. 1637; to Maryland, 1658
Died: 1663, Calvert Co., Maryland, at Upper Bennett
married: Mary (Richford?) , 1645 at Nansemond Co., VA
Generation 2 - Robert, Martha, Elizabeth, Susannah, Ann, Mary, John, Benjamin Jr. Virkus - Vol., III, 835
T. Bach & L. Brashear - Brashear Family, pp. 1-17
Maryland Archives, Vol., 25, p. 465
Greer - Early Immigrants to Virginia
Citizenship 1662 in Maryland

Brasseur, Robert Sr. ( Brashear) Born: Isle of Thanet, France, 1590; to Va. 1637
Died: Calvert Co., Maryland, 1665
Married: Florence (Rey?) Elizabeth Fawkes; Mary ---
Generation 2 - Robert
Proceedings Hug. Soc. PA, 1957, Vol. 19, p67
William and Mary "Quarterly, Vol., 27, p. 122
Winslow - History of Perquimans Co., N. C.
Cavaliers & Pioneers, p. 244
Cyclopedia of Virginia Biog. Registe, Vol, 1, p 192

[Cobb, Georgia Nellie Chandler. compiler. Register of Huguenot Ancestors, 1975 , The National Huguenot Society, 1307 New Hampshire Ave., N. W., Wash. DC 20036]

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]

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 transporting 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]

1658 - Benois Brasseur is in records in Calvert Co. Maryland on a tract of land called "Bennett". This is Benjamin Brassieur of the earlier record.

1659- Margaret Brasseur, daughter of Robert Brasseur, marries Thomas Fleming Jordon, son of Thomas Jordan who was born in 1600 in England.  Thomas Jr. was born in 1634, he died 8 Oct 1699.  They lived in Chuckatuck in Nansmond, Virginia. Thomas and Margaret became a Quaker in 1660 for which they were persecuted beginning in 1664.  Thomas was fined and imprisoned several times for his beliefs.  Their son, Robert Jordan, born 11 July 1668 and died in 1728, became a prominent Quaker minister.   Thomas Jordan Sr. was "a soldier under Sir George Yeardley.  He settled in the present Isle of Wight, and was burgess for Warrasquoacke at the sessions of 16 October 1629, of 21 February 1631-2, and 4 September 1632.  On 2 July 1635, he patented 900 acres in the County of Wrrasquioake, "neare the old Indian Towne, at an oake mark'd w'th three notches, being upon the North west side of the river running West North west into the woods a mile; and soe runing down the river, to a Cross Creek, a small oake being there, marked with twoe notches."[William and Mary College quaterly historical magazine, Vol. 27, page 122]

Living in Virginia was not without its trial and tribulations.  Being a Huguenot or Quaker in an Anglican controlled area became uncomfortable enough that Benjamin Benois Brasseiur moved his family into Maryland where he became a citizen. 

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) Charles Brashear/Shirley McCoy 1998 email- brashsear@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.
William and Mary College quarterly historical magazine, Vol. 27, page 122. Whittet & Shepperson, Printers. Richmond, VA 1920
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

For more on the Brassieur / Brashear line see Cheryl's Pages

Elroy's Family Index | Ancestor Chart #192 | French Huguenot History

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