We're part of the Lineage I group of Brandons of colonial Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and beyond, joined through the Brandon DNA Project at Family Tree DNA.
The study group is exploring origins in England, Scotland and Ulster, as well as descendancies in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Ohio and western U.S., as well as Scotland-to-Australia.
Our newest member is off the Halifax, Virginia Brandons. An apparent separate migration from the colonial Pennsylvania Brandons, but the DNA matches exactly. A Hugh Brandon is recorded in Virginia in 1623 and Virginia land grants put Brandons in Nansemond County as early as 1653.
As to my John Brandon b.1753, his father Thomas b~1730 appears to have immigrated from County Fermanagh, Ulster, Ireland c.1750 to New Jersey, with two sons moving on to Pennsylvania, John to the western part of the state about 1776. Allied families include Hall, Guthrie and Kuhn.
There are many I must thank for their help in this compilation. Elaine Oakes is a font of knowledge and her assistance has been invaluable (and she has the patience of a saint). John Abernathy's scholarship is inspiring - I couldn't have made sense of things without him. Dr. E. Henry Cathey and Boyt Cathey went out of their way to let me in on their findings - and Dr. Cathey included me in some exciting work on colonial Pennsylvania. Theresa Brandon's tree was the skeleton for this work and I couldn't have imagined starting this collection without it....
For my own line of Lt. John Brandon b.1753, s/o Thomas, I'd like to thank Connie and Carla Currie of Indiana, PA for their years of work and dedication and John Richard Cope for tracking down details, dates and in-laws tirelessly.
And thanks to Phyllis Brandon, administrator of the Brandon DNA Project! And Theresa Brandon, Keith Brandon, Arthur Brandon, Edwin Brandon, Karen Brandon, Michael Brandon, Kolleen Moss, Troy Brandon, Carolyn Brandon, Stephen Brandon, Stan Brandon and the Davids Brandon for their data and analytical skills...and my brother Bruce - for swabbing!
And at the heart of it all, my father, Gilbert "Gib" Brandon. His years of tromping through graveyards and squinting at documents got our branch back to 1753. And I got the genealogy bug and his Suitcase of Knowledge. Dad rests at Arlington National Cemetery now, with his parents and brothers.
Thank you to all.
Any and all inquiries welcome and corrections solicited...
Notes:
- When female Brandons married, I often left the new family group incomplete, unless intermarriage brought them back around. So there are other siblings unrecognized in these trees.
- I’ve named locations as they were called at the time each record was made. For example, Monongalia Co, VA = Monongalia Co, WV = Preston Co, WV. All the same place, but you’ll find the records distributed along these divisions and the names jump as the years progress.
- Another George Brandon has popped up in York County, PA in 1743, possibly the George said to have sired the Union, SC Brandon siblings that include Gen. Thomas Brandon. (Source for parentage: Logan's History of Upper Carolina Vol. II.) I place that tree under his name, George Brandon, Sr., for the time being. It is currently being updated and corrected with the help of descendant Brent Holcomb.
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