Valentine   BOSWELL?? Braswell

• General Notes
  • From: "Carey Bracewell" <cbrasul@airmail.net>
    Subject: Re: [BRASWELL] John Valentine
    Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 10:10:23 -0500
    References: <BAY3-DAV28yEfu63tiR0006ce78@hotmail.com>
    
    Hello Joyce,
    
    As you know, VALENTINE BRACEWELL (b.c.1680-Aft 1720's) was almost
    certainly given his mother's maiden name, as per Southern custom. No doubt
    you also know from Boddie that JOHN VALENTINE could not have been SARAH
    BRACEWELL's father since no such daughter was named in his 1652 will. True,
    she could have been born to him postumously, but that would be provoking
    Ockham's razor. It's far more likely she was JOHN's kin from across the
    Ragged Islands on the Nansemond County side and her family's records were
    lost along with the rest of that county's early records.
    
    JOHN VALENTINE definitely did live in the BRACEWELL neighborhood. In
    1642 he received 119 acres "Lying before Ragged Islands commonly known as
    the Long Ponds" and eight years later he bought 100 acres from Capt. JOHN
    UPTON, Rev. ROBERT's neighbor {Boddie} Further evidence comes from WILLIAM
    WEST's 1708 will, mentioning JOHN MARSHALL, one of JOHN VALENTINE's
    executors--
    
    "Item. I give & devise unto my son ROB: WEST ye land whereon he now
    liveth wch I bought of Mr JOHN MARSHALL ye older being about one hundred &
    sixty acres...." {IW Record of Wills, Deeds, Etc. Vol. 2, 1661-1719,
    pp.490-491}
    
    Carey