Braddon Family History
Date this site was last edited: 5 December 2010
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Braddon Family History Date this site was last edited: 5 December 2010
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Brief Lives - Braddon biographiesAlthough the five initial brief biographies were of people 'in the public eye', the intention is for this section of the site to be the home for stories of any Braddons, however humble! Another eight biographies have since been added. Do submit any that you think might interest others. Please click the thumbnail images to enlarge. Sir Edward Nicholas Coventry Braddon 1829 - 1904 of India and Tasmania Premier of Tasmania and Privy Councillor.
The only son of Henry and Fanny (nee White) Braddon and brother of the novelist Mary Elizabeth Braddon, he was born in London on 11th June 1829. He travelled to India in 1847 to join his cousin William's trading firm but, bored with life sat at a desk, travelled in India in his work for the Indian Civil Service. He fought as a volunteer during the Indian Mutiny and from 1862 to 1878 served as Commissioner of Excise and Stamps and then as Financial Secretary in Oudh. His duties allowed him to indulge in his pastime of game hunting. The life of a colonial administrator is described in his 'Life in India', published in 1872. On retirement in 1878 he decided to move his family to Tasmania rather than return to England. As well as farming, he became involved in local politics, to the extent of being elected a Member of the Tasmania House of Assembly in 1879, Leader of the Opposition in 1886, Agent General for Tasmania in London from 1888-1893, Premier of Tasmania 1894-9 and being elected as Tasmanian member to the first Australian Federal House of Representatives. He had been knighted in 1891 and created a Privy Councillor in 1897. The less public side of him is revealed in his writings on life in Tasmania for Indian newspapers. There were 5 children from his first marriage to Amy Georgina Palmer on 24th October 1857 in Bengal: Ethel Annie (xd 12th Dec 1858), Amy F S (born c 1860), Edward George ( born 13th Dec 1860), Margaret (xd 11th April 1862) and Henry Yule (born 24th April 1863). His wife Amy Georgina died in 1874. He married Alice Harriet Smith on 16th October 1876; their only child, Alice Gertrude, was born 10th March 1879 in Tasmania. Many Australians are probably most familiar with the name Braddon from the suburb of Canberra named after ENCB. Further reading
My thanks to Colin Stone for supplying much information for this article. Henry Braddon 1759 - 1815 of St Kew Surgeon The son of John and Mary Braddon of Stowford, Henry was christened at Stowford parish church in 1759. A surgeon, he married Sarah Phillis Clode at Lanteglos by Camelford, Cornwall on December 2nd 1782. Sarah Phillis was the sister and heiress of Major William Clode of Skisdon Lodge, St. Kew, Cornwall (SX 007 758), who had made his fortune in India. On his death in 1807 she inherited Skisdon Lodge. Henry was Mayor of Camelford in 1790, 1798 and 1807. He was buried at St. Kew on 4th March 1815 age 56. Their children were:
Henry Braddon 1802 - 1872 of London Solicitor Henry was christened at St. Kew in 1802. A solicitor, he married Fanny White, the daughter of Patrick White from County Limerick in Ireland on 30th September 1823 at Warfield, Berkshire - the home of her married sister.Henry was the father of whom Mary Braddon wrote ' he was his own worstenemy', a feckless man who was unfaithful to his wife and unsuccessful in his professional life, although she does indicate that she knew only her mother's side of the story. He and his wife separated and he later married (bigamously?) Emma Virco Brokenshir. He died on 17th April 1872 in Bournemouth. Their children were:
Rev. John Braddon 1680 - 1725 of Luffincott and St Giles on the Heath Rector The son of Nicholas and Amy of Launcells, John matriculated from Exeter College, Oxford University on 18th March 1697 and in 1713 was installed as Rector of Luffincott (SX 337 944) and St. Giles on the Heath (SX 349 909), nine miles from Launcells. He had married Mary Sharsell (nee Mill), the widow of Rev. Nicholas Sharsell (vicar of Bridgerule) on 24th February 1703 at Launcells. Their children were:
Rev John Braddon was buried at St. Giles on the Heath on 15th January 1725, aged forty-five. John Braddon 1716 - 1789 of Stowford Farmer Rev John and Mary Braddon's son John was christened at Luffincott on 7th August 1716.He was a beneficiary of his uncle William's will in 1738 and was five years later described as a yeoman of Bridgerule (SS 276 027) when he married Mary Martyn at Stowford, Devon (SX 434 868) on 7th December 1743.They lived at the farmhouse of Milford (SX 414 861), for generations the Martyn family home and now the location of the Dingles Steam Village tourist attraction. John died in 1789 and was buried at Stowford on 25th April 1789. ; Mary, his widow, lived until 1806 when, as she requested in her will, she was buried next to her husband. Their children were:
September 1788 at St.Paul's, Covent Garden, London and served as Vicar of Werrington, Devon from 1788 to 1842. He died on 5th March 1842 at Easington, Stowford. Devon.
September 1793 at Stowford..
Laurence Braddon - 1724 of St Gennys and London Political activist in the reigns of Charles !! and James II
He was the son of William and Ann Braddon, the former being a parliamentary commander in the Civil War and MP in the Commonwealth. Living in London and studying to be a barrister, he was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1677 and elected to the Royal Society in 1681. He was probably a member of the Green Ribbon Club of political opponents to the move towards absolutism under Charles II and especially to the prospect of the Catholic James Duke of York succeeding to the throne on Charles' death. His moment of fame came when Arthur Capel Earl of Essex died while in custody in the Tower of London. The official verdict was that he had committed suicide but there were rumours that he had been murdered and even that this was at the behest of the Duke of York. Laurence Braddon busied himself to gather evidence, interviewing those who had been in the Tower at the time and travelling as far as Wiltshire. Although he presented the evidence openly at the Privy Council he was arrested and brought to trial 'for suborning witnesses to prove that the Earl of Essex was murdered by his Keepers'. The trial was presided over by Judge George Jefferies, later to be infamous for the bloody reprisals after Monmouth's rebellion in 1685. LB was found guilty and ordered to pay a fine of £2000 and find sureties for his good behaviour. These he could not raise and so he was imprisoned until James II's overthrow in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. It is interesting to note that he was one of the few not pardoned by James II in 1688, as he desperately tried to broaden his support before the landing of William of Orange. From his release from prison until his death in 1724 LB was persistent in arguing that Essex was, indeed, murdered. Modern historians are divided over whether his accusations were correct. He was called to the Bar as a barrister in 1693, was appointed Solicitor to the Wine Licence Office in 1695 and was Solicitor to the Company of Watermen and Lightermen in 1708. In addition to writing about Essex' death, he also published a scheme for relieving poverty. He died on 29th November 1724. Further reading
Mary Elizabeth Braddon 1835 - 1915 of London Best selling Victorian novelist.
She was born at 2 Frith St., Soho Square, London on 4th October 1835, the daughter of Henry and Fanny (nee White) Braddon. Her parents separated when she was just four, on account of Henry's financial irregularities and his unfaithfulness. From 1852-1860 she toured as an actress, accompanied by her mother and was also starting to write for publication. From 1860 she lived with the publisher John Maxwell; they could not marry as his wife was still alive. As well as bringing up 5 children from that marriage, Mary and John had 6 children themselves: Gerald (1862-1933), Francis Ernest (1863-1866), Fanny Margaret (1863-1955), William Babington (1866-1937), Winifred Rosalie (1868-1899) and Edward Henry Harrington (1870-1933). Less than a month after the death of John's wife, he and Mary Elizabeth were able to marry on 2nd October 1874 at St. Bride's, Fleet Street, London. She died on 4th February 1915, 20 years after John, at her home Lichfield House, Sheen Road, Richmond, Surrey. She was a phenomenally prolific and successful writer. She wrote 80 novels, including the early 'Lady Audley's Secret' (1862) and 'Aurora Floyd' (1863), which established her reputation. She also wrote 5 plays and edited the mass circulation magazines 'Belgravia' and 'Temple Bar'. Her success earned her the title 'Queen of the Circulating Libraries'. While her early books were 'sensational' novels with the themes of murder, bigamy and incest, she later also wrote satires and historical fiction. Her readers and admirers included Tennyson, Dickens, Thackeray, Henry James and Robert Louis Stevenson. The Dictionary of National Biography summed up her appeal: (Her) hunger for actuality gives her best work a quality beyond that of mere sensationalism, and to her joyous acceptance of life in every form must be attributed her popularity, not only among the masses but also among her fellow writers. Further reading
Nicholas Braddon - 1715 of Launcells Farmer and butcher William and Margaret Braddon's son Nicholas was a butcher and farmer of Launcells. In 1678 he bought land in Grimscott, Launcells from the William Braddon of St.Gennys who had served as MP in the Commonwealth parliament. He married Amy Pierce on 15th September 1669 at Launcells. Their children were:
Nicholas died in 1715 and was also buried at Launcells on 24th August 1715 .Amy died ten years later and was buried there on 14th September 1725.
Russell Reading Braddon 1921 - 1995 of Australia Author The son of Henry and Thelma (nee Reading) Braddon, he was born on 25th January 1921 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The key moment in his life was undoubtedly his capture by the Japanese in Singapore on his birthday 25th January 1942, while serving in the Australian Army. He was held in Changi prison for 4 years and seconded as forced labour on the Burma-Thai railway. After the war he became a writer, recounting his experiences in the hands of the Japanese in 'Naked Island' (1952). Among his many other works were the biographies 'Cheshire VC' (1954), 'Nancy Wake' (1956), 'Joan Sutherland' (1962), 'Roy Thomson of Fleet Street' (1965). He lived in England from 1945 to 1993 but then returned to Australia where he died in 1995. William Braddon - 1683 of Launcells Farmer The earliest known direct ancestor in 'my' line of Braddons. A yeoman living in the hamlet of Grimscott (Ordnance Survey reference SS 264 027) in Launcells parish near Cornwall's border with Devon, seven miles west of Holsworthy, he is recorded as signing the Protestation Return in 1641 and paying Hearth Tax in 1660 and 1664. He married Margaret Bayly at Launcells parish church (SS 246 055) on August 15th 1618. Their children were:
In his will made in 1677 William left his land to his son Nicholas. He died in 1683, nine years after Margaret (buried 29th October 1674 at Launcells), and was buried at Launcells on 19th February 1683. William Braddon MP - 1694 of St Gennys Military commander in the Civil War and MP in the Commonwealth In early references to him in 1650, he is described as being 'from Stoke Climsland in Cornwall'. Married to Ann (buried 21st October 1678) they had 4 children: William (died 1668), Henry (died 26th September 1711), Laurence (died 29th November 1724) and Ann (who married Edward Harrington). He first came to prominence in the Civil War. In June 1643 he was involved in the defence of Parliamentarian Plymouth against the besieging Royalist forces and killed Colonel John Arundell, son of the Governor of Pendennis Castle, in hand to hand fighting. He played a leading role in the breakout of the Parliamentary cavalry from entrapment by King Charles I's army in Fowey, Cornwall on 30th August 1644. In 1650 he purchased Royalist confiscated lands in Devon and Cornwall, including the manor of Treworgie in St. Gennys, Cornwall. In 1656 he refused to give evidence against the Quaker, George Fox. The same year he was appointed a Magistrate for Devon. He was elected Member of Parliament in the elections of 1656 and 1659. These positions were, of course, lost after the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. In 1688, in his old age, we hear of him riding to Exeter to join William of Orange's forces in the Glorious Revolution against James II. He died at Treworgie on 3rd January 1694 and was buried in St. Gennys church. His memorial stone reads: In war and peace I bore command Vaine is ye pomp and splendour, sure, Strive not for earthly grandeur, yn. Further reading
William Braddon 1753 - 1823 of Treneglos Farmer A son of John Braddon and Mary Martyn, William was christened on the 29th January 1753 at Stowford. On 21st September 1774 he married Margaret (born around 1752) daughter of John Spettigue at St. Mary Arch, Exeter. He inherited from her father in 1793 the property of Treglith and the manor of Downeckney in the parish of Treneglos. William and Margaret had the following children:
William and Margaret would in the early years of their marriage have lived at Newcot in the parish of Bridgerule, described in 1824 when their son John was living there as 'a small estate of Bridgerule, for a considerable time in the family of Braddon.' His wife Margaret died on 18th June 1801.On 8th June 1805 he married Catherine Wheeler (born around 1781) at Treneglos. The children of this second marriage were :
William lived his last few years at Egloskerry and died on 11th February 1823, being buried at Treneglos. Catherine died on 18th April 1845 at Treneglos. William Braddon 1776 - of Polperro Trader The eldest child of William Braddon and Margaret Spettigue, he was christened at Bridgerule on 13th March 1776. On 9th April 1797 he married Ann Forrest at Lansallos parish church, near Polperro. Their children were as follows:
William received a certificate to act as a gamekeeper at Polperro in 1801. He agreed to give up his inheritance, presumably in return for a loan in 1802 but he was declared bankrupt as a shopkeeper in 1805; he had dealings with Zephaniah Job, the 'smuggler's banker'; it would be intriguing to know more of his life at this time. In 1824 he sent a letter, pleading for a job as a schoolmaster; this is the last we hear of him. His wife Ann is described as a widow in the 1851 census. William Braddon (1802 - 1872) of Dartington and Tasmania: Report of his trial on 19th July 1845 before Judge Baron Platt at Devon Assizes, Exeter, as reported in Woolmer’s Exeter and Plymouth Gazette 26th July 1845 William Braddon (43) was indicted for stealing a ram sheep on the night of the 31st of May, or morning of 1st June, at Totnes, the property of Nicholas Manning. Mr Terrell and Mr Greenwood conducted the case for the prosecution, and Mr Slade that of the defence. The prosecutor is a farmer living at Broombury Farm at Totnes, and he saw the ram on the 31st of May in a field; the ram was a year and a half old when he bought it and since then he had used it three seasons; it was a very fine animal and he valued it very highly; he considered it weighed about 40lbs a quarter; from certain information he was induced to go into the field on the 1st of June, about seven in the morning and there he saw the skin, entrails and sheep’s trotters in the corner, a few yards from the gate; it appeared as if the sheep had struggled very much, and had not been slaughtered by a butcher, as a portion of the flesh about an inch thick had been left adhering to the skin; on the 9th of June he accompanied two constables in searching Braddon’s house; neither he nor any of his family were at home, and therefore they were obliged to make an entrance by lifting the door off its hinges; witness went with the constables into a back room, and saw them take from a salting-tub a quantity of mutton, which had not been cut up by a butcher. Cross examined – The throat was very badly cut, and part of the neck was left on the skin; that was why he thought the sheep was not killed by a butcher. Henry Carthew, a gentleman’s servant, stated that on the morning of the 1st of June he went into Mr Manning’s field for his master’s horse, and there found the skin and entrails of a sheep; he was the first person to give information to the prosecutor. Cross examined – It was a dry morning; there had been no rain overnight; could see no traces of footmarks. Henry Heath, a tailor living at Dartington, knew the prisoner Braddon; on the 2nd of June he met him with a donkey-cart; he asked witness to have a ride; he got up and, after a short time the prisoner took out of his bag a piece of mutton, which he gave witness, saying “It is very good ram’s mutton”; a man named Searle walked by the side of the cart, and to him Braddon also gave a piece. Cross examined – The mutton was very good; could not tell what part of the sheep it was, because he only had a little bit; remembered something about Braddon’s thrashing Searle for cheating at cards. Thomas Searle was going to Diptford Fair on the 2nd of June in the company with the last witness; Braddon overtook them with a donkey cart, having bread in it; on the road he took out a little bag of bread and mutton, and asked Heath if he would have a little bit of ram’s mutton; the last witness asked him what he meant by ram’s mutton, and laughed; the prisoner also laughed; he offered witness some, and in taking it he said, “What do you mean by ram’s mutton?” Prisoner said, “It is some of Mr Manning’s ram at Broomborough.” “Well done,” said witness, “then Mr Manning has lost a ram.” Did not then know that Mr Manning had lost a ram. Prisoner said, “Yes, he has; haven’t you heard of it?” “No, fay I haven’t,“ said witness. Prisoner said, “Yes and one that was worth £10, and now Mr Manning would not sell it for £12 if it were alive now, and the persons who took it were obliged to have Mr Brand’s horse to carry it away.” That is all that passed. Cross examined – Thought it was very good mutton; it was not very fat nor yet very lean; had quarrelled twice with Braddon in his time, but not within the last year; did not remember a quarrel at Mrs Churton’s at Dartington, about cheating at cards; to the best of his knowledge Braddon did not thrash him, and he would swear he never charged witness with cheating; never received a blow from Braddon but once in his life, and that was 4 or 5 years ago, when witness had him before the Magistrates, and he was fined 6s 6d for it; the prisoner had five children. In answer to questions by his Lordship, the witness at last came to “think” Braddon never charged him with cheating, and then to say he would not swear positively that he did not make that charge. James Lidstone, constable, went with Mr Manning to search the prisoner’s house; saw the prisoner’s daughter there, and asked for the key, as the door was locked; she said she could not let him have it; they broke open the door, and he and Holmes, another constable, found in a meat standard 27lbs and a half of mutton, under some beef and pork; it was hacked up in small pieces, and not cut up into joints; remained there all night, but the prisoner did not return; witness enquired of his wife for him; in the morning he went away to get some refreshment, and in 10 minutes he came back; he was going upstairs when he received news that Braddon had gone away towards Totnes; he followed, and found him in the custody of Cole and others at Pollston’s Turnpike Gate. Cross examined – For aught he knew Braddon might have slept in that house all night, but did not believe that he did. By the Judge – Did not go into Braddon’s bedroom. Mr Slade – “Where would you go to find him? In the salt-tub?” (A laugh) Witness – “No! but I didn’t like to disturb his wife.” The Learned Counsel proceeded to cross examine the witness as to how he knew what the time was when he went out for refreshment in the morning; he first said that he saw it was six o’clock by Braddon’s clock, but then he refused to swear that Braddon had a clock at all; he was sure that he was not absent more than ten minutes, for he drank up the beer like lightning – (A laugh) Mr Slade – “Well, and where was the thunder” Witness – “Oh! I didn’t see the thunder – (Laughter) After a few more questions had been put, the witness, who it was apparent had lost his temper, with as much contempt as he could assume, said he should have nothing more to say to him (Mr Slade), which caused a renewed burst of laughter, and even the grave countenance of the Judge formed itself into a smile. Charles Helnes, the constable who accompanied Lidstone to the prisoner’s house, gave the same account of the searching and finding the mutton, which he produced. Richard Tucker, a butcher, gave it as his decided opinion that the mutton was ram’s mutton. It was certainly not properly cut up. He should say that it was the meat of a particularly fat ram; he thought so from the oily nature and softness of the fat. The sheep he should say weighed 35lbs a quarter. Nathaniel Edwards, also a butcher, was of the same opinion, that the meat came from a ram, from the coarseness of the flesh; he was satisfied it was ram’s mutton, and from an old sheep; - in his judgement one of about 4 years old. Manning, the prosecutor, was recalled by his Lordship, for the purpose of making clear how old the ram he lost was. He repeated what he had said in his examination in chief, that he bought it when about 18 months old, and had had it not quite 3 years when it was stolen. William Lee deposed that on the morning of the 10th of June he was in a field by the prisoner’s house; he heard someone come over the hedge – he went to the step, and saw Braddon going through the orchard which lies by the house; witness was behind him, and when he looked round he began to run; witness ran after him. They were then about a mile and a half from the Follaton turnpike-gate – prisoner went in that direction; witness ran as fast as he could, but could not catch him. He communicated to other persons what he had seen. Susan Cole, the wife of the keeper of the Follaton turnpike-gate, stated that on the morning of the 10th of June, between 8 and 9 o’clock, Braddon passed before the toll-house; she called after him, “Mr Braddon, do you know what’s up?” He replied, “Yes” She said, “You had better come back and stop, as they are after you about Mr Manning’s sheep.” He came back and sat in the porch, looking sadly. She asked him if he would have some water to wash. He said “Yes” and washed himself. He then went into the kitchen and sat down, and she invited him to have some tea; he partook of a little. She said it was a sad thing about Mr Manning’s sheep, and asked him how it was; he said he was going to Deptford fair, and had been talking to the tailor and Searle about the matter. Witness said it was a bad thing. He rejoined, “If I am transported, I hope they will take care of my wife and children.” She told him he had better stop there; and he said he would wait, (as he did not like to be taken through the village handcuffed) until Mr Cole came and took him. Subsequently the constables came, and removed him in custody. Mr Terrell here proposed to call the man King, who had been arrained on the same indictment, and pleaded Guilty. The ground on which he claimed a right to examine the man as a witness, he alleged to be Lord Denman’s Act - 7&8 Vic., cap.75. Mr Slade objected, urging that if such a precedent were allowed in the case in which two men were indicted for the same offence, either one or the other might call on his co-defendant to give testimony in his favour. Mr Terrell then rested his claim to call King, on the practice in Common Law, supplying his Lordship with a case in which it had been ruled, that a man who had been convicted on his own confession of felony, before being sentenced, could be called by a fellow prisoner to give evidence, and the Court would receive him as a competent witness. The Learned Judge, after consulting Mr Justice Erle on his return said, that he had discussed the matter with his learned brother, and that he thought this man might be called, and he had convinced him (Baron Platt) that he was right; therefore he (Baron Platt) should examine him. In answer to Mr Slade, his Lordship said he rested his judgement on the Common Law. Thomas King was called and deposed as follows – At the letter end of the month of May I resided at Week; I took a ram sheep, and William Braddon took it with me; on the morning of the 31st May he asked me to come up to his house in the evening; I did so; we went away from his house at about half past ten; we went first into a field where there were some ewes and lambs; then into a second field, and then into a third, where there were some rams; we chased this ram in that field and caught it; having caught the ram, the prisoner at the bar cut its throat; we then skinned it, both of us; he then opened it, and then cut it down with a hook, so as to part it as near as we could, one half for each; we then threw the skin over what we had left, took up our bags and made away home, taking the mutton in the bags; when we came to a cross road, he went his way and I went mine; I had been acquainted with the prisoner about two years and a half before that time; I carried home my mutton that night, and next morning took it into the garden and covered it over with the earth. Cross examined – We had two knives with us; have stolen a sheep from Mr Luscombe, one from Mr Thomas Edwards, one from Mr Whiteway, three from Mr Brown, a lamb from Mr Bidlake, two sheep from Mr Toser, one from Mr Coulton, two sheep and a lamb from Mr Maddick, one from Mr Charles Hall, a sheep and a lamb from Mr Walter, one from Mr Soper, and a sheep from Mr Whiteway of Hole – making in all nineteen sheep and three lambs. Mr Slade – That shows you are pretty fond of mutton – (a laugh); and I suppose you have had plenty of corn, potatoes, and cider, wherever you could put your hands and chose to take it. Witness Yes; we have had some. Re-examined – When you went to steal these sheep did you go alone or in company? Witness – I went along with that man – (pointing to Braddon) William Clare Taylor, who acted as clerk to the Magistrates at the committal of the two men, proved that when King made these disclosures, Braddon said “It’s all a parcel of lies; I know nothing of the man.” John Beer, a resident of Week, proved that King and Braddon were acquainted, and had been so for the last year or two. Mr Whiteway, who accompanied the constables in their search at King’s, deposed to finding about the same quantity of mutton buried in the garden as was found at Braddon’s. Mr Tucker, the butcher, thought he would not swear the mutton found at King’s and the mutton found at Braddon’s were from the same sheep; said he believed they were; they were portions of a fat ram sheep, according to his judgement. This closed the case for the prosecution. Mr Slade addressed the jury for the defence and the Learned Judge, having summed up at great length, the Jury without hesitation found the prisoner Guilty. Mr Terrell, on the part of the prosecution, recommended King to mercy, on account of the good character he had borne, and a belief that he had been led away by Braddon. The Learned Judge, after a very feeling address, sentenced Braddon to transportation for fifteen and King for ten years. The Court then rose, it being past eight o’clock.
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