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5/6/80
Dear Cousin Jett,
It was a thrill to find that we have long lost relatives in Texas,, in Florida I met a Baptist preacher form Alabama that was a Bracewell that traced his heritage back to Laurens County Georgia. Sorry that I do not have a great deal to report personally about Ta rboro N.C., as it was a weekend & everything closed. We spent Saturday night there & checking phone book found several Braswell names., in Rocky Mount there were a lot of Braswell names, but don’t let that shake you too much, as the old records wer e handwritten & sometimes spelled Bracewell & sometime Braswell. In this County, Walton, there is a Braswell community that traced their family to Edgecombe County N. C. & according to that professional check, some deed was misspelled as Braswell & a portion of the family just continued using that spelling. I also visited Isle of Wight County Virginia on our family visit to Washington, also Williamsburg & Carter Grove Plantation (a few miles south & across the James river from Isle of Wight & records show a Bracewell in 1657 witnessed a deed along with original owner Mr. Burwell. In checking records of I. of Wight, I believe that I may have solved one of the misteries of the word of mouth Bracewell folk lore. The British Crown Governor wouldn’t let the settlers do anything about the Indians stealing Cow, horses etc, so they rebelled and raided the Indians anywa y—called the Bacon’s rebellion. The leader was sentenced to hang, but a large number of people signed a petition for clemency, with seve ral Bracewell’s and Braswell represented, a t bottom was statement that it was presumed that most were in rebellion. Bracewell’s begun selling Va. Land at this time & moving to N.C. Our folklore said that one Bracewell got in trouble on the Isle of Wight (I had always assumed England, but couldn’t understand it as we were supposed to have came from Yorkshire. Two cousins left with the one in trouble & in Laurens County today, there are three distinct families of Bracewell’s, w e knew we were distantly related, but no one seemed to know just how. Was the trouble the invoIvment in Americas first rebellion.?
I like the fancy way you handle your re-union, printed paper & all & glad you are taking a interest in your “roots”. I would be interested in knowing how the Texas branch made out in the new country, that would probably make an interesting story.
My dad was Ira, my grandfather was Sampson (Sam) Asbury Bracewell, G. Grandfather W. S. A (William Sampson Asbury Bracewell) a Civil War soldier & large Planta tion owner. Most of Bracewell’s at re-union are his desendants. His father was Sampson (Jr. we think) which would make his father Sampson (senor) --- Sampson Sr. received a land grant in this county in 1824 of 250 acres as a orphan of a Rev. War soldier. We think that his father was Richard Bracewell. I have volumes of r esearch information, but have not found the time to scientifically organize it – maybe I can firmly tie it into your Richard. The Bracewell Family was featured in the Sunday Atlanta Journal Geneology section, I will include a copy, which should be of interest at your up coming re-union. If you get to Dublin, be sure & look up Otis Bracewell, he lives in house closest to Rock Springs boiling spring & neqr Rock Springs Baptist Church. He is best of folklore & is getting old. His father, Marion, spoke in old English that sounded like shakespear.
I am 55, born near Rock Springs, Laurens County. My family move to Florida in 1938, during WW2 the Army sent me to N.D. Sta t College to study Civil Engineering, but afterwards I graduated U. of Ga. in Agriculture & within two years went into Home building & S/D development in Plant City, Florida. In 1957 the old W.S.A. home place came up for sale & I bought it. He was my inspiration, I wanted to own as much land as he did, but I can’t find out exactly how much he owned. I now have 1300 acres in Georgia, including the recreation property at High Shoals & still have a trailer park & houses in Florida, where my mother still lives. I have spent 2 1/4 years trying to self educate myself in Hydro-Engineering & have an application to FERC in Washington for a Federal License to develop a small Hydo Electric Plant of about 1 megawatt capacity of my High Shoals property. The red tape is much more horrible than anything you just read a bout. If I am lucky, maybe the Bracewell family will have a plant under construction by late fall. I am trying to buy an old retired plant & put it into energy production. I have gone bananas about Hydr power. Hope that I am right.
It is 3 AM, so had best get to bed. Hope that you have a good re-union & keep me posted on the Texas Bracewell’s
Best regards,
(signed) Gaynor Bracewell
P. S.----Home phone is *removed*
Club *removed* Try your Watts line some time. or fly into our private strip at High Shoals & see us, if any of our Texas cousins are flying enthusiasts.
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