Joseph Brittain (1723 - 1774)

Born 1723 in Frederick Co., Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Engeline Brittain — married [date unknown] in Burke

Descendants

Died 22 Aug 1774 at about age 51 in Rowan, North Carolina

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Biography

Joseph Brittain was part of a Southern Pioneer Family.

Joseph Brittain is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: 523976
Rank:

Joseph Brittain. ^[1][2] was born in Virginia in 1723.^[3] We do not have proof of the parents of Joseph Brittian, yet several family histories state he was a son of the James Brittain "from Wales to VA., to NC."

Several Brittain’s moved to northern VA and lived in the Winchester, VA area with Joseph selling land in Hampshire Co., VA (now WV, just west of Winchester, VA) in 1764 when he was living in Orange Co, NC. Several other families that were in Frederick Co., VA and then moved to Orange and Rowan Cos., NC were connected to the Brittains on deeds, juries, road work, court minutes, etc. ^[4]

Some genealogists think Joseph was married first to Mary and then Jemima (family names unknown). Their children were:

1. Philip (b. 1750-55),
2. Mary (ca. 1754, Orange Co., NC),
3. James, (b. ca. 1755),
4. Phoebe (b. 1756, Orange Co., NC,)
5. Joseph (b. 1756, Wilmington, NC),
6. Benjamin (b. ~1759),
7. William (b. 1762, Orange Co, NC),
8. Aaron (b. in 1760’s), and
9. Samuel (b. before 1774)

Joseph is thought to be the progenitor of all Britain’s in Western North Carolina.

Joseph’s will was written in 1773 and probated in 1774 in Rowan Co. (an area that included all of northwestern NC at the time).

His wife Jemima was referred to as “widow” Brittain and based upon Orange Co., NC road work records, lived in modern Durham Co., probably along Old Oxford Rd. (Hwy) just NE of Durham and just west of Little River and the Granville Co. line.

By 1790, Jemima and her sons were living in Burke Co. but lived in scattered areas. Aaron lived in modern McDowell Co. before moving to the Morganton area while William was in what is now Buncombe Co. Philip and Jemima lived south of Morganton, toward the South Mountains.

Sources

See also:

• DNA Brittain Family
• Monograph 66, Shirley B. Cawyer, The Heritage of Old Buncombe Co., NC, Vol. II, The Old Buncombe County Gen. Society, Pub. Hunter Pub. Co., Winston Salem, NC.
• Ancestors of Alma Love, Geneology.Com, *Family Tree Maker
• Rowan County, North Carolina Will Book A, page 133, N.C. Archives
• Abstracts of the Minutes of the Inferior Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions of Orange County, N.C. 1777-1788, NC Archives
• 1790 Burke Co. Census
• Deed Index of Buncombe Co., N.C. 1795; Bk. SI-2: page 82; March 1834: Bk. E. p. 94
• Burke Co., NC, Minutes of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, 1799-1803, Daniel Swink, 1988, Private Pub., Burke Co. Public Library
• Burke Co., Record of Estates, 1777-1934, N.C. State Archives, Microfilm GSU 1976859, Box 51, Copy at Morganton Public Library
• Haywood Co., NC Deeds, Books A and E
• Revolutionary War Soldiers of Western NC: Burke Co., Vol. 2, Emmett R. White, Southern Historical Association.
• Abstracts of the Minute Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Burke Co., NC, 1791-1795, Daniel Swink, 1986, Private, Pub., Morganton Public Library
• Revolutionary War Soldiers of Western NC: Burke Co., Vol. 1, Emmett R. White, Southern Historical Press, Inc., Easley, SC, 1984
• Goodspeed's History of Tennessee, p. 886
• Revolutionary Patriots of Marshall Co., Tennessee, by Jane Wallace Alford, Robert Lewis Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, 1976
• Sketches of the Pioneers in Burke County History, Thomas G. Walton, Southern Historical Press, Easley, SC, 1984
• The Heritage of Burke Co., Vol. 2, 2001, Mono. 217 "Mark Brittain" by Lane D. Weaver, Burke Co. Historical Soc., Walsworth Pub. Co., Waynesville, NC

Joseph was born about 1723. He had seven sons and two daughters with his wife, Jemime. According to Joseph's will and probate records, the children of Joseph Brittain (Britton) and Jemime are as follows: Aaron, Benjamin who married Comfort Dunnigan, Mary who married Elrod, Phillip who married Mary Walker, Phoebe who married John Poteet, Samuel who married Mary Perkins, James who married Delilah Stringfield, Joseph who married Dorothy Herner, and William who married Rachael Brank. ^{[5] [6] [7]} Joseph's will was recorded with the Court in August 1774, Rowan Co., NC, Will Book A, p183. Witnessed by Joseph Morgan, James Stringfield, and Thomas Walker. ^[8] He died between August 2, 1773 and August 22, 1774, in Rowan County, North Carolina, per the will and probate records.^[9]

Notes

Joseph Brittain is listed on Quaker Meeting information ^[10]

This information is found in the book The Geneological Study of James Brittain written by Shirley Brittain Cawyer.

Notes from buncombe county genealogical society on Joseph Brittain [1] BEVAN BATES ATKINSON and KIDD Ancestries - with a MULTITUDE of Cousin Lines! Has done extensive study on the Brittain/Britton line and related lines with DNA information as well.

William Wade Hinshaw's Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, VI p.370.1748, 6, 10. Joseph Britton and Mary Britton. ^{[11] [12]}

Sources

1. ↑ Brittain Family of Burke County, North Carolina
2. ↑ Jospeh Brittain
3. ↑ NSDAR #523976 DAR Records
4. ↑ Hampshire County, Virginia Records, 1764, N.C. Archives
5. ↑ "North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:SQWX-XC3X-9?cc=1867501&wc=32L2-L29%3A169928201%2C170870501 : 21 May 2014), Rowan > Wills Index, 1757-1837, Vol. 01 > image 16 of 423; county courthouses, North Carolina.
6. ↑ "North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:SQWX-XC37-9?cc=1867501&wc=32L2-L29%3A169928201%2C170870501 : 21 May 2014), Rowan > Wills Index, 1757-1837, Vol. 01 > image 17 of 423; county courthouses, North Carolina.
7. ↑ "North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:SQWX-XCMC-9?cc=1867501&wc=32L2-L29%3A169928201%2C170870501 : 21 May 2014), Rowan > Wills Index, 1757-1837, Vol. 01 > image 19 of 423; county courthouses, North Carolina.
8. ↑ "North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:SQWF-N7NJ-9?cc=1867501&wc=32L2-16D%3A169928201%2C170955601 : 21 May 2014), Rowan > Wills, 1757-1778, Vol. A > image 195 of 282; county courthouses, North Carolina.
9. ↑ https://www.obcgs.com/brittain-joseph/
10. ↑ http://haygenealogy.com/hay/quaker/quaker-VA.html
11. ↑ http://haygenealogy.com/hay/quaker/quaker-VA.html
12. ↑ https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015051447657;view=plaintext;seq=41;skin=mobile

Acknowledgements

• Living Black created WikiTree profile Joseph Brittain on December 27, 2014.