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John Branson Sr (1764 - 1844)

John Branson Sr
Born in North Carolinamap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
Husband of — married 10 Mar 1810 in Ohio, USAmap
Descendants descendants
Father of , , , , , , , , , and
Died at age 80 in Cantrall, Sangamon, Illinois, USAmap
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Profile last modified | Created 9 May 2015
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Biography

John Branson was born January 12, 1764, in North Carolina, a son of Eli Branson and Keziah (Huff) Branson. As a young man, John emigrated to the vicinity of Charleston, South Carolina and married Sarah Jones. John and Sarah became the parents of six children, born in South Carolina. John moved his family to Ross county, Ohio and then to the vicinity of Xenia, Green county, Ohio, while it was still inhabited by Indians. Some of the elder children married in Ohio and remained in Ohio, while John moved again with the younger members of his family to Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving October, 1822, in what is now called "Fancy Creek Township." [1]

Children of John and Sarah (Jones) Branson are:

  • Eli Branson, named for John's father, born in South Carolina, married three times. Died, leaving his family in Fulton county, Illinois. His son, Calvin resided near Ipava, Fulton county.
  • Andrew Branson, born in South Carolina, married Susanna Wilkinson. They both died, leaving several children near Athens, Illinois
  • William Branson, born January 9, 1791, in North Carolina, was taken by his parents to South Carolina, in 1793. In 1811, the family moved to Chilicothe, Ohio, where he was married to Sally M. Graves, in 1815. He moved to Indiana, and from there to Sangamon county, Illinois, about the time his father came; moved to Galena, and from there to DeWitt county, Illinois.
  • Catherine Branson, born in South Carolina, married in Green county, Ohio, to Frederick Stipp. They came to Sangamon county, and two of their daughters reside in Springfield, namely: Mrs. Wood and Mrs. Moody
  • Keziah Branson, named for John's mother, born in South Carolina, married in Green county, Ohio, to Jesse Sutton. They came to Sangamon county, in 1832, moved to Iowa and both died leaving several children in Van Buren county, Iowa.
  • John Branson, Jr. born October 15, 1795, near Charleston, South Carolina. He was a teamster from Ohio, during the War of 1812, and his had was crippled while he was on active duty. John married September 12, 1817, in Clarke county, Ohio, to Ann Cantrall, daughter of Zebulon Cantrell
  • Thomas Branson, born February 1798, in South Carolina, married August 12, 1829, in Clarke county, Ohio to Eleanor Thomas. They came to Sangamon county with his father in 1822. Eleanor died in Sangamon county, January 24, 1840 and Thomas married, secondly, Louisa Cole. In 1857, Thomas and his family moved to Texas.
  • Mary Branson, born in Greene county, Ohio, married September 23, 1824, in Sangamon county, Illinois, to Abraham Onstott. Mary (Branson) Onstott died in June, 1875, in Clinton, DeWitt county, Illinios
  • Rebecca Branson, born in Ohio, married Elijah Harper and died in Clark county, Ohio
  • Benjamin B. Branson, born February 1810, in Ross county, Ohio, married May, 1837, in Mechanicsburg, Sangamon county, Illinois to Mary Thompson
  • Nancy Branson, born June 4, 1806, in Ohio, married in Sangamon county, to Dr. Charles Winn, who was born August 13, 1800, in Virginia.

Research Notes

While there is a marriage record in Ross County, Ohio for John Branson and Susannah Ratcliff in 1810, and a marriage before that between Susannah Poe and John Rateliff [Ratcliff] in Ross County in 1807, there is no direct evidence to show that these were the same Susannah, nor that she was the widow of William Poe who was named in the 1810 census at Chatham County, North Carolina. The migration of Susannah's children to Ohio, when very few Poes of this extended family did, is suggestive. Moreso is the following observation: John Branson's first wife Sarah Jones is thought to be the daughter of Catherine (Bray) Jones and niece of Elizabeth (Bray) Poe, mother of Susannah's first husband William Poe. If these linkages are all correct, then John Branson's second wife would have been the widow of his first wife's first cousin, herself a widow and living nearby in Ohio at the time. It is not unreasonable that they would have known each other for many years, from back in North Carolina, and that he would marry her, recently widowed and living nearby, as a marriage of convenience.

Sources

  1. ↑ History of the early settlers of Sangamon County, Illinois : Centennial Record, by John Carroll Power, Edwin A. Wilson & Company, publishers, Springfield, Illinois, Biography beginning on page 132




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Comments: 1

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Decker-4160 J Decker
I believe John married two women: Sarah Jones, born abt. 1765. She would have birthed John's children prior to 1810, when he married Susanna Dixon. I'm unsure of Susanna's last name, but she was a widow of William Poe 1757-1799, was briefly married to John Ratcliff 1756-1807: married 18 Jun 1807, he died 7 Nov 1807; and finally married John Branson 10 Mar 1810.

It's likely John Branson's children were born of Sarah.

From someone who has researched the family: patperkins264 (three years ago): Benjamin mother Sarah must have died during Benjamins birth ,because John Branson married second wife Susannah Ratcliff in 1810 ,she was twice a widow first husband left her with 7 children WilliaM Poe who died in 1799 Chatham Co NC .I believe Susannah travelled with relatives and neighbors to Ross Co Ohio ,and married John Ratcliff there in 1807 he died that same year .then in 1810 Susannah married john Branson ,they settled in Sangamon Co Illinois where Susannah died in 1841 her headstone lists her age so she would have been born about 1763 .John died a few years later .


patperkins264 (4 years ago) missing is mention of John Bransons second wife that he married in 1810 apparently the widow of John Ratcliff ,had been married to John Ratcliff only a few months when he died ,No mention of this second wife is found in any histories of either Ross or Sangamon Co Il .he married a Susannah Pore or Poe in 1810 want very much to find her actual identity (https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/34230119/person/170193082958/facts)

posted by J Decker

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