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A roundup of my notes on the Halifax, VA/Pennsylvania Brandon convergence, for other descendants who might be considering taking the DNA plunge:
The DNA Project and test information is here, with the members’ values on a chart at the bottom, listed by Earliest Known Ancestor. (Gerard is wrong, he should read “Charles b.1750 York Co PA to SC.”)
http://www.familytreedna.com/public/BRANDON/
My compilation of the Pennsylvania Brandons’ information is here and I think I worded the Notes sections so you can get an overview of their entry to America reading the first few pages. I believe John Brandon b.1691 came over first of the five brothers.
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/r/a/Sally-A-Brandon-MD/GENE7-0001.html
I do not agree with Archibald Bennett’s book. I believe the Virginia migration came first from County Fermanagh, Ulster while the Pennsylvania migration began c.1730.
My notes quote http://www.oldhalifax.com/county/brandon.htm
"The Brandon family traces its origins in the region to 1746 when Francis Brandon purchased land in the Halifax County portion of what was then Lunenburg County from the Byrd family of Westover, Charles City County. In 1750 a William Brandon purchased land in the area from William Byrd II. In 1758 David Brandon and William Brandon were appointed ‘processioners’ by the vestry of Antrim Parish, the Anglican Parish that formerly incorporated all of Halifax County. "
Although kinsmen, the precise relationship of these various Brandons is uncertain as their reported birth dates are quite spread out. But for the Virginia migration to have preceded the Pennsylvania arrivals, these men should be born in Virginia.
A Hugh Brandon is recorded in Virginia in 1623 and Virginia land grants put Brandons in Nansemond County as early as 1653.
As you can see, I am of the camp that believes the 5 “brothers” of VA (David, Francis, William, Thomas and John) and the 5 “brothers” of PA (Thomas, William, John, James and George) were separate migrations. Maybe the PA boys’ dad (NO evidence of him in America) talked of his older brother or cousin’s success in Virginia so his sons followed, winding up in Lancaster County beginning c.1730, but not all traveling together. We have some evidence the PA crews arrived at New Castle, making Lancaster County the natural path northward up the Brandywine and the preferred path to one’s own farm in that time frame. I’d surmise the Halifax batch arrived at a Virginia port and naturally went westward inland from there. Historically, the earlier settlers of VA entered America before the Scotch-Irish of PA, when Virginia ports were the popular ones. Also backing up PA as the second Brandon migration from Ulster is the fact that they married Presbyterian women back home and were nearly fully integrated into the so-called Scotch-Irish in Pennsylvania. Halifax’s earliest Brandons blended seamlessly with the Anglican community, the Brandons’ true heritage before the 1690 Williamite cooperation between the English and Scottish planted in southwest Ulster.
(John Archdale of Suffolk - home of the knights Brandon - planted a portion of Fermanagh in 1612 and they’d be blasé Anglicans, according to Linda Merle of the Scotch-Irish list. County Monaghan was planted by the Scottish and they were devout Presbyterians. All Protestants ran to Derry or Enniskillen in 1690. Monaghan was completely emptied of non-Irish, according to the histories. I figure Enniskillen’s where the Brandons met the Catheys. The first Cathey came to Delaware/Maryland early, too, c.1718, fanning out to both Virginia and Pennsylvania later, and no doubt sent back reports. I’m surprised there’s no Cathey connection with Halifax but could be further support for a pre-1690 emmigration for the Halifax Brandons, a generation before all those Presbyterian wives.)
Archibald Bennett’s target, James Brandon b.1704, son of William b.1688 of the 5 PA brothers, supposedly up and moved to Halifax for no reason.
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/r/a/Sally-A-Brandon-MD/GENE7-0003.html#CHILD9 )
Other troubles with that James,
1) He appears to be the man in Rev. Roan’s account book for 1756, but Halifax’s Francis Jr. says in his pension application he was born in Halifax in 1756. Would five of his sons leave him?
2) There are extra Brandons in 1770-80’s West Hanover township, Lancaster County involved in patriarch William b.1688’s inherited properties. They can only belong to the “disappeared” James, as the brother William named all HIS children in his will.
3) Rev. Sankey of the Old Hanover, PA congregation did move with many of his people to VA but it was c.1760, Brandons are not on any of his lists in VA and they went to Hanover, VA, which ain’t Halifax.
4) There’s a report James’ wife was a Petticrew, a leading family that remained there in Pennsylvania into the 1790’s.
But this group has many inconsistencies and loose ends so I admit I’m floundering a bit.
In any case, it looks like we all came from Ireland and probably County Fermanagh. One of our Project members is thinking of hiring an Ulster researcher. I hope he can find something in the Archdale Estate Papers. Brandons are found later around Enniskillen, primarily in Magheraculmoney parish, and the early Pennsylvania wives came from County Monaghan (Catheys) and Fermanagh (Armstrongs). Boatloads of Irvines there, too! Project match Andrew of Australia starts his line with a John Brandon m. Mary Irvine in Fermanagh, moving to Scotland c.1840, too.
Sally Brandon
Coordinator, Brandon DNA Project, Lineage I Group
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