Andersons of Colonial N. Carolina

I was perusing the “Vestry Book: Isle of Wight. Vestry Records 1724–1772” (available at Familysearch.org)…. fascinating stuff… actual history in the actual handwriting of actual people from the period. I run across this matter-of-fact notation at “Image 18 of 133”:

“Ordered That the Church Wardens bind out two Children of John Brantley Dec’d”

The 1704 Isle of Wight Quit Rents:

Ph. Bratley (sic) 200

Edward Brantley 175

John Brantley 364 (remember the area west of the Blackwater R did not open up for settlement until `1700 or so)

But by 1727 the Brantley clan had crossed the Blackwater River into modern Southampton, VA and a couple more “John” Brantleys had turned up… so Who was this guy dying in 1727? …and these 2 children? So I contacted Ken Brantley (the Brantley Association) and he is scratching his head in Georgia and I am scratching mine in Florida.

Here is a map to jog your memory of the area of “old” Isle of Wight the Vestry Book refers to on the NORTH side of the Blackwater River:

Below you can zoom in

Below is a “processioning” account for part of the area shown on the map above. The map however is from the first patents granted mostly for the mid 1600s. The account below naturally reflects the folks from 50+ years later… but many of the names remain… and the puzzle pieces have been shuffled around… got it? Below is Image 21 from the Vestry Book.

Numerous names of interest are mentioned:

Edward and James Brantley

William Braswell (I think this is the guy who deserted his wife after the Rev Braswell died… he skipped out so to speak)

Edward Brantley (again, are there two?)

Note the areas mentioned:

“the County Line From the first Swamp to the head of Drews Mill Swamp”

I’ll give it a rest now… there is more stuff in the Vestry Book…

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Back again…

I have another tidbit from the Vestry Book but first I need to set the table, so to speak… by way of a map, which is my want… if you study this map a bit… all of my motives will become clear (smiling).

If you are really adventurous…type in “brantley” in my search box…

And to satisfy the curious… I do so dearly want to to expose the dirty rotten dog Brantley what knocked up my dear ole Granny…. the sombitch is kin… so I can say that.

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After a bit more head scratching, I have convinced myself this Philip Brantley who has this patent of 1724 in lower Isle of Wight (Southampton) is the son of Edward Brantley the immigrant d.1688. It appears from the Vestry Book entry of 1727 that he and his wife Joyce (Lewis) each lived to a ripe old age. I will give my best shot to substantiate that:

The brother of the wife of Philip Brantley was John Lewis who died 1692… note this is only 4 years after the death of the immigrant Edward Brantley in 1688. Here is the abstract of his will by Chapman:

LEWIS, JOHN: Leg.- Phillip Brantley and his five children; Sister Joyce Brantley; Phillip Pardoe; Elizabeth Pardoe; Sarah Dadway; my mother Rebecca Pardoe. Mother, Extx. D. 1st of Xber 1692. R. Dec 9, 1692. Wit: Thomas Ranckhorne, Richard Piland, John Shelton. Page 320 Pg 34 (Chapman Book)

Joyce (Lewis) Brantley had birthed 5 living children by 1692. This couple were not spring chickens in 1727-

Jn.o Davis was awarded 940 lbs of tobb. for “keeping” phillip Brantley. My assumption is that he was old and infirm since he is being “kept” and Mr Davis is being compensated for it. Recall also that Phillip sold the land left him by his father, the immigrant, to one John Davis-

****.PHILLIP BRANTLEY JUNE 20 1716 ISLE of WIGHT COUNTY
to VIRGINIA
JOHN DAVIS

FOR 4000 POUNDS OF TOBACCO
“tract of land and plantation situated lying and being in Isle of Wight County whereon the said Phillip Brantley dewleth 100 acres being part of a grant of 675 acres dated Oct 20, 1669 to Edward Brantley by the last will & testament and devised to said Phillip.

Witness: Joseph Chapman, Wm Harrison

At the same time on the same page is this:

“To Edward Brantley” for Joyce Brantley 75″ [lbs tobb]

This Phillip Brantley is purported to have a son Edward Brantley. My assumption is that this is the son caring for his mother. As I have not found an Edward near the property of this Phillip Brantly I hazard a guess that this Edward Brantley was the one who settled near the Meherrin River in 1717… it is about 20 miles to the west. …Chapman’s abstract of his will:

BRANTLEY, EDWARD: Of Nottoway Parish. Leg.- wife Elizabeth; son James; son Lewis; son Joseph; son John. Exs, sons Lewis and James Brantley. D. Jan. 26, 1736. R. April 25, 1737.

Wit: Joseph Claud, James Bass, William Spence, Charles Bass. Page 157

Note the very helpful clue in the will: “Of Nottoway Parish”. Remember that Nottoway Parish was formed from Newport Parish in 1734. Remember also that Nottoway Parish was identified as “to the west of Blackwater River”. This clearly proves that this Edward Brantley was not living anywhere near the historical and older Isle of Wight properties to the east of Blackwater.

Note also the witnesses to the will, specifically James Bass and William Spence… but not to slight the “Claud” mention. See my map below:

But alas (sounding all Shakespearian like) , I have still not identified the mystery John Brantley who is the subject of this Post. But according to my notes in the PDF file below, he was not the son of this Phillip Brantley. Ooops, after some thought, the John mentioned below could be a grandson or the son of Phillip’s Sr son Phillip. So I can’t rule out the death of Phillip Sr son John… whew.

Click to access brantley-ph-notes-1.pdf

As a final tedious proof that this Philip Brantley can be identified as the son of the Immigrant in this 1724 patent in modern Southampton I reference a will dated 1752 in which his son Phillip Jr is a witness. The will is for Nicholas Cobb a neighbor.

To belabor the point a bit more… relating to the Edward Brantley property location…

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Well Ken Brantley and I have been comparing notes. According to this Familysearch.org article, Phillip Brantley the son of the immigrant Edward d1688 seems to get lost in some confusion.

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/2993-RRM

Here is my theory…

Edward Brantley d 1688

…Phillip Brantley d 1727 wife Joyce Lewis d 1727

sons of Phillip1 d 1727

…son Edward Brantley d 1736 on Flat Swamp in Southampton near Meherrin River (this guy is mentioned in the will of Edward d 1688 “I do give and bequeath unto Edward Brantley the son of my son Phillip one bay mare”

…son Phillip2 (P his mark) Brantley d aft 1758 inherits the 1724 Southampton property of his father Phillip1

…son John is the one mentioned in the Vestry Book who dies about the same time as his father Phillip1 about 1727 (leaving 2 orphans who are bound out)

This leaves at least two children of Phillip1 I have not accounted for. Remember he had five children in 1692:

LEWIS, JOHN: Leg.- Phillip Brantley and his five children; Sister Joyce Brantley; Phillip Pardoe; Elizabeth Pardoe; Sarah Dadway; my mother Rebecca Pardoe. Mother, Extx. D. 1st of Xber 1692. R. Dec 9, 1692. Wit: Thomas Ranckhorne, Richard Piland, John Shelton. Page 320 Pg 34 (Chapman Book)

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