Francis Brayton (abt. 1611 - 1692)

Born about 1611 in England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 5 Sep 1692 at about age 81 in Little Compton, Newport, Rhode Island

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Beth Golden [send private message] and Ron Cady [send private message]

Unfortunately, the profiles for Francis Brayton's descendants have gotten messed up by other contributors. Any and all help in sorting these errors out is greatly appreciated!

Biography

Francis Brayton was born about 1611 (in 1671 he gave a deposition in Middlesex courts, saying he was about 60)^[1]

Francis Brayton married Mary Unknown.^[2] They are said to have had at least the following children:^[3]

• Francis, married Mary Fish
• Stephen, married Ann Tallman
• Martha, married --- Pierce
• Sarah 1643, married Thomas Gatchell
• Elizabeth, married Jared Bourne
• Mary, married Joseph Drevol

Francis wrote a will 17 oct 1690.^[4] He left legacies to:

• to wife
• to eldest son Francis
• to second son Stephen
• to eldest daughter Martha Pearce
• to daughter Elizabeth Bourne
• to daughter Sarah Gatchell
• to grandson Francis, son of Francis
• to grandson Preserved, son of Stephen
• to grandson Francis Pearce
• to granddaughter Mary, wife of James Tallman
• wife Mary, exec.

overseers George Brownell, John Borden, John Anthony

The will was proven 5 sep 1692.

Research Notes

Please see an article by Frederick Wead in TAG 27:97-99, abstracted here:

On 27 apr 1671, Francis Brayton wrote a letter to Michael Bacon on behalf of his relative Mary Ball. Mary Ball was the daughter of John and Elizabeth Pierce of Watertown. She had gone to live with her uncle Robert Pierce after her mother died, and she was put to work for Michael Bacon. She became pregnant by Michael Bacon, and fled to her "kinsman" Francis Brayton in Portsmouth, R.I. Francis Brayton took this to the courts. Michael Bacon agreed to support the child. In the course of the court case, Francis Brayton made the statement that Anthony Pierce was his "brother."

Three possibilities arise from this: (1) Anthony Pierce and Francis Brayton married sisters, (2) Anthony Pierce married Francis Brayton's sister, (3) Joseph Pierce married Martha Brayton (using common convention that fathers of married couples were brothers). Since Martha Brayton is shown to have married a Pierce, it may be that item (3) is the case, though not yet proven.

Note: Francis Brayton married a Mary. Joseph's sister Mary married Ralph Read.

additional facts

Francis Brayton, the father, left legacies to daughter Martha and grandson Francis.

Francis Brayton had a daughter Martha who married a Pearce. One researcher (Austin) says this was John Pearce, but no sources were given (and I can find none). There is a marriage cited by Torrey, between Martha Brayton of Portsmouth and John Pearce "by 1682." (but Torrey cites Austin). There is no evidence of a son Francis to John Pearce, so far.

Joseph Pierce of Watertown and Martha had a son named Francis. Joseph Pierce was Mary Ball's cousin.

conclusion

The question is: how is Francis Brayton related to Mary Ball (probably through a Pierce)?

Sources

1. ↑ Middlesex County, MA: Abstracts of Court Files, 1649–1675. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2003), (Unpublished abstracts by Thomas Bellows Wyman, "Abstract of Middlesex court files from 1649," n.d.), image available at americanancestors
2. ↑ New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015, image available at americanancestors
3. ↑ Dutchess County, NY: The Settlers of the Beekman Patent (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2016), (Orig. Pub. by Frank J. Doherty, Pleasant Valley, NY. Frank J. Doherty, The Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York: An Historical and Genealogical Study of All the 18th Century Settlers in the Patent, ten volumes. 1990–2003). image available at americanancestors
4. ↑ John Osborne Austin, The genealogical dictionary of Rhode Island : comprising three generations of settlers who came before 1690 : with many families carried to the fourth generation, (Albany : J. Munsell's sons), 1887, p 250.

See also:

• Wilbour, Benjamin Franklin. Little Compton Families (Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003) Vol. 1, Page 55

• S32: Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Title: Gale Research, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2009.Original data - Filby, P. William, ed.. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research, 2009.Original data: Filby, P. William, ed.. Passe)