Braddon Family History

Date this site was last edited: 5 December 2010

Braddons in North America

This page really is in the early stages of planning and construction and contains very little first hand material!

The first Braddon in North America would appear to be Nicholas Braddon from Colyton, Devon, who in 1685 was transported there as a slave in punishment for his part in Monmouth's rebellion against James II that same year. While there is a reference to a petition for his return after James' overthrow in 1688, I don't know if he did return to England.

The Origins of North American Braddons - a complicating factor. The male Braddons who appear in the nineteenth century USA censuses include those born in England, some born in Ireland, others with birthplaces including Russia and Norway and Afro-Americans.

The first grouping are presumably straightforward migrants originally from the Braddon heartlands of South West England. The Irish may be descendants of English Braddons who migrated to Ireland or may have taken their name from Port Braddon in County Antrim. Those born in such non English speaking countries as Russia presumably anglicised their names on arrival. How the former slaves came to take the name Braddon would be a fascinating study.

Distribution of Braddon households in the United States 1820 -1994

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