The Church That Bramel Built

The year was 1814, and the United States was at war with Great Britain and her allies in North America. In August, British General Robert Ross led a march across southern Maryland and defeated American troops at Bladensburg before torching the capital city of Washington. Ross's fleet had sailed up the Patuxent River and anchored near the boundary of St. Mary's and Charles Counties along the banks of the recently evacuated town of Benedict. The British rowed ashore, over 4,000 troops with cannons and provisions, to a rallying point on or very near the property that Jonathan Bramhall had sold just a couple years prior. The Bramhalls had relocated their tobacco operation to Kentucky and managed to avoid the drama of this war.

Jonathan Bramhall and his brothers James and William had fought against the British during America's Revolutionary War just a few decades earlier. They were the sons of William and Margaret Bramhall, a surname that evolved to Bramel and many similar spellings. Jonathan, his wife Thompsa, and most of their offspring arrived at the Ohio River town of Maysville, Kentucky around 1812. Jonathan died in 1823 and his wife in 1832. They were my fifth great grandparents.

In the decades to follow, the descendants of Jonathan and Thompsa Bramhall/Bramel acquired huge parcels of land between Maysville and Flemingsburg in southern Mason County into Fleming County. Woodlands were cleared for crops and stock, and timber was milled for the construction of grand farmhouses and giant tobacco barns. Large families occupied these farms, and the property was divvied between heirs for the next one hundred years.

In the late 1830s, a band of Disciples of Christ reformers settled next to Mill Creek eleven miles south of Maysville on the Fleming Turnpike, modern day Kentucky Route 11. For the next decade, the small congregation met at a log cabin next to the creek. Then in 1847, construction began on a proper sanctuary after the lot on which the original cabin stood was purchased for $100. Brick was fired on site, and the lumber was milled from trees on the plot.

Mill Creek Church, circa 1900. How many Bramel kin in this photo?

According to family lore, the total expense of the church plot and the building materials was funded by a $200 donation from James Alexander Bramel, known as Alex. Born in Maryland in 1791, Alex was the youngest son of Jonathan and Thompsa and had married Mary Wood in 1811, a year prior to the family's relocation to Kentucky.

The Bramel party traveled overland to western Pennsylvania, perhaps utilizing the Potomac River as far west as Cumberland, Maryland (Fort Cumberland at that time). The next phase of their journey required a traverse of the Allegheny Mountains for eighty miles to the confluence of Redstone Creek with the Monongahela River at Brownsville. There, they could purchase flatboats, or "Kentucky boats," and perhaps hire an experienced river guide for the ten-day or so voyage down the Ohio River to the landing next to Limestone Creek at Maysville. The Navigator, written by Zadok Cramer in 1801 and updated a dozen times over a quarter century, guided pioneers who chose the river route to western destinations.

The Navigator, Eighth Edition, title page with description

Pioneers on Ohio River, illustrated by F.O.C. Darley (colorized)

Excerpt from The Navigator, Eighth Edition page 110

At least ten children who lived to adulthood were born to Alex and Mary Bramel, my fourth great grandparents, by 1834. The Mill Creek Christian Church, in addition to it's role as a house of worship, became a center for social activities for the Bramels and other area farm families, as well as for the residents of the Lewisburg, Mt. Gilead, Wedonia, and Helena communities. The "church by the side of the road," as it came to be known by the locals, remained  essentially unchanged for over half a century before upgrades were made in 1905. The changes were subtle; new pews, double windows, and a coal furnace. A partition was added to create private space for Sunday school classes.

Southeastern Mason County in 1876, with Bramel residences highlighted.

Another half century passed and a couple more generations of Bramels passed through the church. It was time for some upgrades. A fundraising letter was sent out to the church membership late in 1949 to gauge the congregation's ability to cover the projected cost of $14,000. The project moved forward and was completed by the following summer, in spite of unforeseen setbacks including the collapse of the south wall during the excavation of a basement beneath the sanctuary. The basement added space for three Sunday school classrooms and a fellowship hall with a kitchen and restrooms. Hardwood floors were installed, and to the delight of many congregants, the pulpit was relocated from the front to the rear, thereby allowing the latecomers to sneak in without detection or judgment. A baptistry was added to eliminate the practice of conducting baptisms on the muddy banks of the creek out back. The interior received a complete paint job over smooth plaster, new light fixtures and carpet runners. Perhaps most notable to the casual passerby, the brick exterior was brightened with a coat of white paint.

Original church sanctuary facing the front doors.

In 1952, a modern parsonage was built adjacent to the church, housing for a minister and his or her family. The church received a loan from Abner Pierce Bramel for the parsonage project. Abner served as a deacon for the church for 35 years and had been elected elder and chairman of the board. Additionally, he held the office of county commissioner for twelve years. The historic church was featured in an article in the Lexington Herald Leader in 1962.

Abner Bramel, born in 1871, and his nine or so siblings descended from Jonathan and Thompsa Bramhall on both their maternal side (Emmerine Wilson Bramel < Samuel Bramel < Samuel Allison Bramel < Jonathan Bramhall) and their paternal side (Samuel Allison "Al" Bramel < James Alexander Bramel < Jonathan Bramhall). In 1898, Abner married his own distant cousin Carrie Jane Bramel (William Washington Bramel < James Alexander Bramel < Jonathan Bramhall), although the couple remained childless. Carrie Jane, daughter of William Washington Bramel and Nancy Jane (Thomas) Bramel who were my third great grandparents, was one of six children named in the will of their parents. She and Abner farmed a plot of land that was deeded to her after her father William died in 1899. His widow, Nancy Jane died in 1904. Nancy Jane was a daughter of Staley Thomas and a granddaughter of Nathaniel Thomas, another former Marylander and patriot of the Revolutionary War who was injured at the Battle of Trenton.

Maysville Ledger July 1, 1899

... Third: I will and bequeath unto my daughter Carrie J. Bramel, wife of Abner Bramel, 88 acres of land on which she now resides, and at the death of my wife, the said Mrs. Carrie J. Bramel is to be charged for same at the rate of twenty dollars per acre, and the proceeds divided equally between my six children. -from the will of William Washington Bramel

Maysville Ledger August 15, 1899

Maysville Ledger October 3, 1904

Carrie Jane was 11 years older than Abner, and she died in 1950 at the age of 90. Abner remained active with the church until his death in 1963.

1958 article featuring Abner Bramel's 89th birthday.

Abner and Carrie Jane Bramel, when they prepared their wills in 1939, had made arrangements to leave their entire estate to the Mill Creek Christian Church, a gift valued at approximately $150,000 at the time the will was probated. This would be the equivalent of about $1.5 million today, adjusted for inflation, as of 2025. $25,000 was put in a trust to assist with salaries for ministers. The remainder was designated for a new church at or near the site of the existing structure, with Abner's trustees to approve any such plans.

After months of review, it was agreed that the existing structure would be restored and converted to classrooms, an office, a nursery and other facilities. The exterior would be updated with a brick veneer to match the new addition. A new sanctuary addition, 72 feet long by 40 feet wide, would be constructed to the south of the existing structure, along with a new fellowship hall in the basement level. Ground was broken in August, 1964. During construction, services were held at the Lewisburg School three miles up the road. Around this same time, the church was able to acquire a half acre lot next door at the intersection of Ky. 11 and Mill Creek Road when it was offered for public auction, a portion of which would be used for parking. 

Construction was completed in June, 1965, and a dedication ceremony was planned to commemorate the grand opening of the beautiful new church.

Dedication service June 20, 1965

Carrie Jane's brother Alonzo Wellwood "Wood" Bramel married Mary Amelia McIntyre of Mason County's Fernleaf community in 1885, my great-great grandparents. The local newspaper reported on their big day:

An occasion of more than ordinary interest was the marriage of Miss Mary McIntyre to Mr. A.W. Bramel, of Lewisburg, which was solemnized at the home of Mr. B.F. McIntyre, brother to the bride, on Thursday last, at three o'clock p.m., by Rev. Willie Hall, who, in a beautiful and impressive manner, administered the marriage rites and pronounced them man and wife. The bridal party came in from the rear parlor, preceded by two attending couples and lastly the bride and groom. The bride's costume was exceeding handsome of garnet silk. She is a lovely and accomplished lady, a brunette with brown eyes. Many were the friends who gathered there to witness the ceremony and many were the words spoken of her who was soon to be united in fate and fortune with the man of her choice and, then to depart for their new home. The presents bestowed so generously up the twain were numerous and handsome. After the ceremony the bridal party and a few invited guests repaired to the home of the groom's parents, where a bountiful repast was in waiting for them which all enjoyed. We join with their many friends in wishing them a smooth voyage over life's seas. -Maysville Daily Bulletin, April 8, 1885

Wood and Amelia owned and operated a large farm in the vicinity of the Mill Creek Church, 208 acres with a large 10-room farmhouse, a tobacco barn, a stock barn and a double corn crib. Much of this parcel was passed down from Wood's grandfather Alex and his father William. They raised four children on the farm before moving into Maysville, where Wood Bramel engaged in various business ventures, including a tobacco warehouse and a farm implements shop.

1908 advertisement, Maysville Daily Ledger

Their first born, George Pierce Bramel, was my great grandfather. His siblings were a brother, Leslie, and two sisters, Nancy Mae and Miriam Hassel. George, who seems to have been known as Pearce Bramel as a youngster, was greatly influenced by his upbringing in the Mill Creek Church community. At the age of fifteen, Pearce ran away from home, taking the train to Lexington. His unauthorized journey might have been a reconnaissance mission to explore the College of the Bible, where he would later enroll.

Maysville Daily Ledger, May 20, 1901

The list of notable lay ministers at Mill Creek includes John William McGarvey. McGarvey was an author and a long-time professor at College of the Bible, teaching Sacred History for 46 years. In addition, he served as President of the institution from 1896 to 1911. His visits to the Mill Creek Church might have inspired Pearce to pursue a career at the pulpit. Pearce lived in Lexington from about 1903 to 1907 while attending the school now known as Lexington Theological Seminary. He was invited to deliver the sermon at the Christian Church in Maysville while home on breaks.

Maysville Daily Ledger, May 3, 1906

While in Lexington, Pearce met and courted Sallie Mae Nolan. They were married at the home of her parents in November of 1905. A daughter, Esther Mae Bramel, was born December 6, 1906. After school, the young family moved frequently with Pearce's preaching assignments at small town Christian churches throughout the midwestern states. Three sons, Vernon, Malcolm, and Henry, were born along the way.

Wood Bramel died in 1916, and Pearce returned home to Maysville to assist with family matters. His mother Amelia Bramel assigned him as executer of Wood's estate. With none of the heirs interested in operating the old farm, it was auctioned off in 1919.

Maysville Daily Ledger, November 6, 1916

Bourbon News, December 2, 1919

Bourbon News, December 23, 1919

The Mill Creek Christian Church continues to serve a small congregation in the modern day. It is one of the oldest houses of worship in Northern Kentucky. While most of the Bramel families of historic Mason County have spread out around the country, the "church by the side of the road" will always be an important part of our proud heritage.

The church's original communion set is still on display.

The church's exterior, modern day.

A look at the sanctuary, modern day.

Links:

Follow the next chapter, the stories of George Pierce Bramel's offspring: The Search For Malcolm Bramel's Heirs

Explore the Bramel DNA project: Bramel DNA: Our Link to Medieval Times

Sources:

Mill Creek Christian Church; Facebook Group Page

The Navigator, Eighth Edition; Zadok Cramer, 1814; Cramer, Spear, and Eighbaum

 

Vernon W. Bramel

Vernon Bramel (October 9, 1935 - April 5, 2025)

Vernon William Bramel, Jr., 89, of Danville, Kentucky died peacefully in the early hours of April 5, 2025 at the Morning Pointe Alzheimer's Center in Danville.

Vernon was born in Bettsville, Ohio on October 9, 1935 to Vernon and Marietta (Semer) Bramel, the youngest of five brothers. He is survived by one brother, Malcolm Earl Bramel (Katherine) of Charlottesville, Virginia, and a sister, Sally Darlene (Michael) Kear of Sebring, Florida. Vernon was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Richard Eugene Bramel, Charles Everett Bramel, and George Raymond Bramel.

Vernon graduated from Bettsville High School and was active in the athletics programs there. He proudly played point guard for the undefeated Seneca County champion basketball team in 1954. He worked before school making donuts at the Pie House Restaurant, and in the summertime, he was one of the first lifeguards at the H.P. Eells Park near the village. Vernon enlisted in the Army after high school and left for basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He returned home and married his high school sweetheart, Sharon Lee Jeanette, on December 9, 1954 in Auburn, Indiana. The couple recently celebrated their 70th anniversary, and she was there by his side when he passed.

Vernon returned to Fort Knox for additional training before deploying to Heidelberg, Germany for a three-year assignment at 5th Surgical Hospital (Mobile Unit) Headquarters section, where he was honored as Soldier of the Month. "Private First Class Bramel's performance of duty, his off-duty habits, immaculate manner of dress, gentlemanly conduct, and soldierly manner are beyond reproach, and have served both as an inspiration to his section, and the unit as well."

Upon completion of his service, Vernon returned to Bettsville, where he and Sharon raised five sons and one daughter. He attended college at nearby Tiffin University, where he also played for the school's basketball team while working as a bookkeeper at local businesses. His newfound love of golf led to new affiliations that opened the door for career opportunities. For the sake of his family, he passed up an opportunity to become one of the founding fathers of the Nature Trails Golf Course where he won multiple club championships through the 1970s.

Vernon worked for the Whirlpool Corporation in Clyde, Ohio for much of his career. In 1979, a transfer opportunity resulted in the family's relocation to Danville, where the three younger children graduated from Boyle County High School. He attended many sports functions there, following the exploits of his children and grandchildren. His golf prowess earned him several honors at the Danville County Club. After retirement, Vern and Sharon vacationed frequently in Central Florida. They were among the very first residents of the Ridgefield Farms community in Danville.

60thAnniversary 2014

Along with their many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all six children of Vern and Sharon survive: Mike (Kathy) of Upper Sandusky, Ohio; Randy (Joan) of Bardstown, Kentucky; Rodney (Peggy) of Kirkland, Washington; Kurt of Baltimore, Maryland; Kerry (Eric) of Danville; and Steve (Katy) of Danville. 

Military funeral honors and interment will be scheduled at Camp Nelson National Cemetery for a later date.

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Text of Eulogy, 25 Apr 2025, Camp Nelson National Cemetery, Jessamine County, Kentucky

SOLDIER OF THE MONTH

OCTOBER 1956

Private First Class VERNON WILLIAM BRAMEL

"Excellent and beyond criticism" are the words that have been used to describe PFC Vernon Bramel's work since he has been a member of the 5th Surgical Hospital (Mobile Army) Headquarters section.

Private First Class Bramel was born at Bettsville, Ohio on the 9th of October, 1935. He graduated from the Bettsville High School in June, 1954. PFC Bramel is married and is the proud father of a fine son.

PFC Bramel entered the service on the 22nd of September, 1954, and underwent his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Following basic training, PFC Bramel spent the next eight weeks at the Division Training Center, Fort Knox, Kentucky. He arrived in Germany on the lst of March, 1955, and was assigned to our unit; the 5th Surgical Hospital (Mobile Army). Once assigned to our unit, he was attached to Headquarters Section, where he is assigned as personnel clerk. He was promoted to his present rank in July, 1955.

PFC Bramel's performance of duty, his off-duty habits, immaculate manner of dress, gentlemanly conduct, and soldierly manner are beyond reproach, and have served both as an inspiration to his section, and the unit as well. Congratulations on being selected soldier of the month by the non-commissioned officers of the 5th Surgical Hospital (MA). Keep up the fine work .....

___________________________________________________

Ladies and gentlemen, friends, family, and neighbors, we’re gathered here today to bid a fond farewell to Vernon Bramel — our dad, our papa, uncle, friend, colleague, and the steadfast husband who walked hand-in-hand with his bride of seven decades. Now, when my parents prepared their final wishes a few years back, they didn't want a fancy send off. Even this brief statement might have been perceived as "over-the-top." But something needed to be said, and I've been bestowed with the honor of delivering a few quick stories to paint you a picture of the man we loved.

Let me start with a memory, one I’d completely forgotten until I sat down to write these words. It’s a true tale, and I’d wager it’s news to all of you. When I was a lad of sixteen, Dad was offered a fine promotion—a chance to climb the corporate ladder, but it came with a catch. It meant uprooting the whole Bramel clan from our little village in northwest Ohio and transplanting in the rolling hills of the Bluegrass. Now, that was the only home we’d ever known—where Mom and Dad were raised, where their folks still lived, and where my three older brothers had already crossed the high school stage, diplomas in hand. Before he broke the news to the rest of the family, Dad pulled me aside, “Son,” he said, “you’ve got two years left until you graduate, and a move like this would hit you harder than the others. If you want to stay put, if you don’t want to change schools, I’ll turn down the offer, and we’ll keep our feet planted right here.” Well, you know how it turned out—I gave him my blessing, and before long, I was a Junior at Boyle County, Kerry was a Freshman, Steve was in seventh grade, and here we all are, right?

It doesn't take a philosopher to see how one choice can send ripples through a lifetime, changing the course of a whole lot of folks. Dad made plenty such decisions, always with his family first in his heart. He didn’t have to do any of it, but he did, and I'd say things turned out for the best.

Now, Vernon Bramel came from humble stock; his folks had enough for the bare necessities, but little more. As a teen, he’d rise before the roosters to make donuts at the local eatery, just to afford a sharp pair of trousers. The Bramel house lacked many niceties, such as an indoor privy and a shower, so he’d scrub up in the school locker room. That little school of ours had its moment in the sun, too, and Dad never tired of bragging about that undefeated Bobcats basketball team that clinched the county championship—though he’d swear on a stack of Bibles that the refs robbed them in the district playoffs.

"Pebbles" Bramel #4 far left

After high school, he followed his four brothers into the armed services, marching off to Germany and back. When he returned, he enrolled at Tiffin University, compliments of Uncle Sam and the GI Bill. Mom always said the Army's ways turned him fussy and particular—he was the only one who could fold a bedsheet corner sharp enough to suit himself and Mom's side was never quite up to snuff. But I believe he was born with that streak, and it only grew with age. In his later years, he’d sometimes shave multiple times per day, read the instructions on a new gadget until the ink wore thin, and underline them for good measure. Thrifty? Oh yeah. He’d buy restaurant gift cards on 4X fuel point days and orchestrate the Bramel caravan at the gas pump before the points could expire, squeezing every drop of savings out of the maximum 35 gallons. I'm confident there's still a stack of gift cards stashed away for safekeeping in a place he long ago forgot about.

My folks raised us to stand on our own two feet, handing us just enough tools to wander out into the universe while leaving plenty of mysteries for us to chase. But there was always a comfort, like a warm quilt on a winter night, knowing Mom and Dad would move heaven and earth if we stumbled. My brother Randy recalls golfing with Dad as a young fellow, pleading for strokes to level the playing field—Dad was a regular wizard with a nine-iron, you see, although maybe not so great with the putter. “No strokes,” Dad would say. “Just play better.” It wasn’t just about golf; it was about being a better man.

Come Sunday, you’d find Dad on the golf course, his holy ground, where the fairways whispered peace to his soul. But he was a man of faith in his quiet way, praying each night for his family, his great grandson Wes or anyone else wrestling with affliction. Folks often asked the secret to his long marriage with Mom. “Never hold a grudge,” he’d say, simple as that. Mom told me when times got lean, he’d comfort her and promise, “Hang in there, my love, because we’re gonna have a grand retirement.” And by God, they did.

As the years piled up, Dad started talking more about going home. He’d dream of seeing his own mom and dad, and sometimes he’d wake from a nap, holler “EARL BRAMEL!”—his brother’s name—for no reason at all, then drift back to sleep. I recall the first time I noticed his mind slipping a few years ago, when he swore the NBA had up and changed the playoff rules, though nothing was different. Even when the games on TV turned to a complete jumble in his head, it was still a comfort to sit beside him, sharing the quiet of the moment.

I picture him now, strolling off the 18th green, his swing as smooth as ever, with the whole heavenly clubhouse waiting to pat him on the back. It pains us to let him go, but our hearts are full with gratitude for the years we had, how fortunate we have been that he was our dad. Vernon Bramel was a man who lived plain, loved deep, and left us all a little better for knowing him. And if that's not a life well-lived, I don’t know what is.         -Kurt Bramel 4/25/2025

Links:

How the Bramels got to Bettsville: The Search For Malcolm Bramel's Heirs

Grandpa Bramel wasn't expecting this: Vernon Bramel's Big Inheritance

Bramel DNA: Our Link to Medieval Times

Research of the Bramel ancestral lineage had hit a brick wall. The paper trail ended, and it seemed is if we would never find our link back to the motherland. But as new technology emerges, so do new clues.

Over the past decade, the popularity of DNA testing among curious genealogy enthusiasts has exploded. The most popular test, sometimes called "family finder," reliably identifies matches as distant as fourth or fifth cousins along any of our ancestral branches. From there, it's not so difficult to determine the common ancestor as far back as say a great-great-great grandparent. This test also offers an estimate of our origins, which in our case confirms the strong ties back to England.

But what if we have already identified those "family finder" ancestors and want to explore even further back in time? The Bramel paternal line is certain as far back as my sixth great grandparents; they are William and Margaret Bramhall (various spellings), who settled in Charles County, Maryland in the mid to late 1700's. Their descendants settled in Kentucky and then spread out across North America. But any connection researchers have made between this William Bramhall and his forefathers remains purely speculative at this time.

Vernon Bramel ethnicity estimate

Why Ask "Y"?

I decided to invest in a different type of DNA test this time in an effort to expand the research. The Y chromosome is passed down from father to son through the generations, almost unchanged. Girls get two X's and boys get an X and a Y. So by submitting a Y-DNA sample, I was hoping that distant relatives in England with a similar last name had also participated in the same test. The service I selected is Family Tree DNA, and I used my father's sample, even though I'm pretty certain he and I would have the same results. I selected a test of 37 different markers, which is more expensive but also more precise than the 12-marker and 25-marker options. It also provides the opportunity to upgrade in the future to the 67-marker or even the 111-marker comparisons for a greater degree of confidence. But for now, 37 markers is plenty.

The initial results have been very satisfying. At the 37-marker comparison, we match up with 51 other participants in the study, and more are sure to be added as more participants join in. They all match within what is described as a "genetic distance of four," which at the 37-marker level is as far off as a match can be and still be considered a match. Normal mutations occur randomly every few generations, which means the score of a marker passed from a father to a son can change by a point here or there. If two of the markers are off by one point, then that would be a genetic distance of two. Generally speaking, the smaller the genetic distance between two matches, the fewer generations there are between the two matches and their common ancestor.

Liverpool Bramhills and Epworth Bramhills

Before the Bramels relocated from Maryland to Kentucky a couple hundred years ago, our surname was spelled "Bramhall" along with many other variations in official records. People in colonial and pioneer times weren't so interested in minor details like spelling. Within our list of DNA matches at 37 markers, there is only one with the Bramhall spelling. There is also a Bromwell and a Bromell. The most popular spelling within our matches is "Bramhill," with four occurrences. If we compare at the 12-marker level, there are more variations, including one Broomall and three Brimhalls.

We all share a common ancestor!

One of the great features offered by Family Tree DNA is the ability for matching participants to contact each other. Within a few days of our results posting, I received a message from William Bramhill of Colchester, a town in the county of Essex in southeast England. Will has done extensive research back to his most distant known ancestor born about 1790, a gentleman by the name of Thomas Bramhill. Will seems to be the primary keeper of research for a branch they call the Liverpool Bramhills. Since we have a genetic distance of four with Will, chances are that our common ancestor is still quite a few generations prior to that era.

Then a message arrived from Peter Bramhill, a much closer match with a genetic distance of just one. Peter descends from a different grouping known as the Epworth Bramhills. Will writes, "you look to have a more recent link with the Epworth Bramhills, which would put your ancestors over towards Nottinghamshire (Ollerton) and Lincolnshire (Epworth / Isle of Axholme). It is very likely that they all came from Bramhall Hall and Cheshire originally but the family was already well spread out by the 1650s."

It's important to note that England is a pretty small place with an area roughly the size of Alabama. If you add in the rest of the United Kingdom (Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland), then it's still only the size of Michigan. So a migration from Bramhall Hall to Epworth is about like traveling from Tuscaloosa to Montgomery.

Will adds that, "The Epworths have traced their family back to the 1700s and a ferryman on the river Humber in the east of England." With this new information, the odds are much better that we'll one day know the identity the first Bramel in America.

Bromwell of Dorchester County, Maryland

The Bromwell match on our list traces to an ancestor named Levin Lake Bromwell, born 1805 in the northern Dorchester County, Maryland community of Tobacco Stick. This is Maryland's Eastern Shore, along the Chesapeake Bay, and it is of particular interest to me since my ancestors from the Bramhall line had settled just across the bay in Charles County, Maryland, near the town of Benedict on the Patuxent River. I was able to trace the Bromwell line further back to Jacob Bromwell, born about 1700, in Talbot County, the next county north of Dorchester. In the southern end of Dorchester County, many generations of a Bramble family have roots, but to date, I have not been able to make a paper or DNA connection to this family.

Tobacco Stick, Maryland, on the Little Choptank River

According to Family Tree DNA's analytics, there is a 91.3% chance that the Bromwell match and I have a common ancestor within 12 generations. This makes sense considering the proximity of the two families in early Maryland. The earliest possible Maryland ancestor I have discovered is William Bramall/Brumile who arrived around 1650 and owned a plantation in Calvert County, between the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River. There is now strong speculation that these Maryland Bromwell and Bramhall families may have descended from this William Bramall. I have included a link at the end of this article to my stories about the Bramall Plantation.

Way Back Before Surnames

Not surprisingly, there are dozens of other names on our list of matches. People did not use surnames before Medieval times. Once they came into fashion, generally between about the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, people tended to take the name of their occupation or of the place where they lived.

The first instance of our surname traces back to before 1086 and to a manor in East Cheshire known as Bromale. An early proprietor of the manor became known as Matthew de Bromale. The property was passed down through several generations of his descendants while other Bromale relatives spread across Cheshire and much of England. Eventually, there was a generation without a male heir at the manor; Alice de Bromale, daughter of Geoffrey de Bromale, married John de Davenport in 1350. They inherited Bramall Hall and it remained in the Davenport family for over 500 years. While it has been rebuilt and renovated over time, the Tudor style Bramall Hall still stands today as a historic landmark and museum near the city of Stockport south of Manchester.

Bramall Hall in the 1920s

Some of those other family names on our match list can be traced back to locations in East Cheshire not far from Bramall Hall. Carrington (three matches plus one Carr), is also a place name just ten miles west of Bramall Hall. Similarly, there are five matches with the name Higginbotham (different spellings), and four matches named Royal (including Ryall and Riley). The Higginbotham line traces back to Otwell Higginbotham who died in nearby Stockport about 1560. We share a common ancestor with each of these matches, but from Medieval times, the days before surnames became established.

Links:

Some descendants of William and Margaret Bramhall left Maryland and settled in Kentucky: The Church That Bramel Built

Here's a link to my research about the Bramall's who arrived in North America around 1650: Bramall Plantation of Calvert County, Maryland

Anyone interested in participating in the Y-DNA project, check out: Bramhall Y-DNA Project

Here's a link to research topics surrounding Bramhill ancestry:

bramhill.ca

Bramall Plantation of Calvert County Maryland

Note: See DNA project links at the end of this article.

A couple hundred years ago, my family's name evolved to "Bramel" from it's original spelling of "Bramhall." My branch of this family settled in Maryland before migrating to Kentucky around 1814. A few years ago, I spent a couple days at the Hall of Records in Annapolis researching my ancestral story from the early days of Maryland in an attempt to link us back to Europe.

The Bramhall story in North America appears to have begun with William Bramall / Bramhall, who arrived in Maryland from England in 1651.  While other Bramhalls arrived in Maine three decades later, it is unknown to what extent, if any, they relate to the Bramhall of Maryland who is the subject of this article.

William Bramall made the long voyage across the Atlantic with his wife Mary and his son Luke. It seems that they initially settled in St. Mary’s County and later relocated across the Patuxent River to Calvert Couny. A second son, Richard, was born either during transit or shortly after the family’s arrival in Maryland. A third son, Charles, was born within their first few years in Maryland. These are the only children of William and Mary mentioned in archived records.

Early Maryland records include a number of spelling variations in the surname, often using different variations within the same legal document. These variations include Bromwell, Bramwall, Bromall, Bramall, and Brumile, among others; but evidence exists to remove any doubt that these records refer to the same person and the same family.

Settlement of Maryland

Maryland was originally established as one of just two proprietary colonies in North America, the other being Pennsylvania, meaning it was owned and governed by an individual. The first proprietor was George Calvert, born in Yorkshire, England, about 1580, of a family of some wealth and social position. His parents were probably Catholic, since there were numerous recorded instances of summonses and fines against the family for non-conformity to the Anglican religion. The Calverts appear to have abandoned Catholicism around 1590, which enabled George Calvert to attend Trinity College, Oxford, and to rise to a position of prominence in the court of James I. He was knighted in 1617, and in 1619 he became principal Secretary of State.

In 1624 Calvert announced that he had become a Catholic, which disallowed him from continuing in public office. However, for his past services King James rewarded him with the title of Baron of Baltimore. Calvert, who had purchased land and financed the dispatch of a group of settlers to Newfoundland in 1620, then turned his full efforts and resources toward the colonization of America.

After receiving encouraging reports from the settlers, Lord Baltimore took his wife and forty more settlers to Newfoundland in 1628. There he saw the hopeless condition of the settlement

and the difficulties of farming in such a cold climate, and after spending a brutal winter there he abandoned the project and returned to England in 1629. On the return trip he stopped in Virginia, which had sustained an English settlement since 1607, and where he had hoped to resettle his colony. Their refusal to submit to Protestant conformity made his group unwelcome there, but Calvert was able to explore the Chesapeake Bay, where he found an abundance of promising unsettled land. Back in England he petitioned King Charles I for a land grant north of the Virginia settlements.

Permission for the Chesapeake Bay settlement came two months after George Calvert's death in 1632, and leadership of the colonization effort passed to his son Cecilius Calvert, the Second Lord Baltimore. The charter granted to Lord Baltimore gave him almost regal powers in the new colony, including the appointment of all officials, control of the courts, militia, feudal manors, trade, taxes and custom duties, and ownership of all the land, which was in turn used to attract colonists and investors.

The first Maryland settlers left England in 1633 on two ships, the Ark and the Dove, led by Governor Leonard Calvert, who was subsequently appointed Royal Governor of the new colony by his brother Cecilius Calvert, Lord Baltimore. Passengers

Leonard Calvert

included both Catholic and Protestant settlers along with two Jesuit priests and two Brothers. With stops in Barbados and other Caribbean islands and at Point Comfort, Virginia, they sailed up the Chesapeake and landed at St. Clements Island, about 25 miles up the Potomac River. After negotiating with the local Indians, who were friendly, and exploring the area, they decided on the location of their first permanent settlement, St. Mary's City, on the St. George River. They celebrated mass to mark the formal possession of the colony on March 24, 1634. The area originally acquired from the Indians correlated roughly with present day St. Mary's County, Maryland.

Replica of The Dove, St. Mary's City, Maryland

By 1642, the taxable-age (12 and over) male population of St. Mary's County had reached 225, of which 173 were free and 53 indentured servants. Males outnumbered females by four to one. Most lived on manors or individual farms spread along the various navigable creeks and rivers emptying eventually into the Potomac River. The majority lived in one-room houses, maintained vegetable gardens and livestock for food, and raised a cash crop providing yearly incomes of two to three hogsheads of tobacco, valued at 8 to 15 pounds sterling. In the early years, farm animals were acquired from Virginia, but the Maryland settlers soon became self-sufficient in that regard. With few fences, livestock roamed free, and were identified by clipped ear marks. Livestock theft was a serious offense, possibly punishable by death.

As the settlements spread, they were divided into regions called "hundreds," originally intended to incorporate about one hundred families. In the early years the colonists were concentrated mainly in St. George's, St. Michael's, St. Clement's and Mattapanient Hundreds. St. Mary's City, the site of the provincial government, consisted of about 10 residences, a mill, a forge, and a Catholic chapel. Government and court functions were carried out in the Governor's or Secretary's residences until the 1660's, when the first state house was built.

Cary Carson's Drawing of St. Mary's City 1634

Bramall Plantation

William Bramall was apparently a man of some means. During the decade of the 1650’s, he sponsored a number of immigrants who could not afford the trip from England to America. Those who were initially sponsored by William include Francis Douglas, Thomas Bouges, Joseph Delvines, and John Cassell. Additionally, no fewer than four men were sponsored between 1652 and 1656, and at least a few more before 1660. These men agreed to work for William as payment for transportation to the new colony, a practice known as indentured servitude. 

To promote the settlement of the Colony, English citizens who agreed to relocate to the Province of Maryland were granted free land there, and those who paid the way for others qualified for even more land. Lots of 100 acres were assigned to individual colonists paying their own way, and for those financing groups of colonists, manor lots of 1000 acres were given for each five men transported and equipped. Annual rents were paid to the Lord Baltimore, proprietor for the Colony. The land grant system continued until 1684, after which land was purchased directly.

Original Land Grant from Maryland State Archives

William Bramwall appeared before the Provincial Court in Saint Mary’s on November 20, 1656 to enter his rights to land. A parcel of approximately 500 acres was surveyed by Robert Clark along the Patuxent River on the north side of Hunting Creek. This would become the plantation known simply as Bramall (or Bromall in some records). Annual rent of ten shillings sterling in silver or gold or commodity would be paid in St. Mary’s to the Proprietor, either in full or in two equal installments during the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and at the Feast of St. Michael the Arch Angel. This area, a peninsula between the Chesapeake Bay and east of the Patuxent River, did not become known as Calvert County until 1658. From 1654 to 1658, it was called Patuxent County, and it was originally settled in 1650 as Charles County, not to be confused with the present-day Charles County on the western banks the Patuxent River.

Site of the Bramall Plantation, Calvert County, Maryland

Life for early settlers was difficult and laborious.  Those who came as indentured servants were bound in service for a specified number of years, typically five. Six days per week of 10 to 14 hours work were required.  Corporal punishment was allowed, although mistreated servants were entitled to a hearing in court. Upon completion of the indenture, many of the servants worked on for wages or by sharecropping to acquire additional capital in the form of tools and supplies needed to farm the 50 acres to which they were entitled.

For those who made the voyage to America, the trip was long and miserable, with crowded conditions and frequent outbreaks of various diseases. One of Bramall’s sponsored men, referred to in Provincial Court records as simply Bramhall’s servant, became a key figure in a trial resulting from a bizarre set of circumstances during his voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Gravely ill and possibly delirious, he suggested that during the rocky voyage over to Maryland another servant committed a variety of heinous acts, including infant murder. He accused Judith Catchpole of murdering her newborn child, secretly wounding people so that they might suffer from an incurable blood loss and committing untraceable surgical procedures that similarly resulted in the death of others while on board ship. Whatever motivations drove the servant to suggest that Catchpole had engaged in such dubious activity, by the time the verdict was delivered that too little evidence existed to indict her, the unnamed servant was dead and virtually forgotten. (Source: Archives of Maryland Online, Judicial and Testamentary Business of the Provincial Court, 1649/50-1657, volume 10, page 456)

Violent crime was rare in colonial Maryland, and yet a case was heard in 1663 over the shooting of Richard Morton by Patrick Due, overseer of William Bromall’s plantation, on the Bromall land. Morton, a resident of Wapping, England in Middlesex County, east of London, was a crew member on a ship captained by Ralph Storye. On March 14, 1662, Storye and his crew sailed up the Patuxent River and into the mouth of Hunting Creek. They landed at a cove on the Bromall property, having been instructed to pick up a hogshead of tobacco for a Mr. Cooke.  One of the crew, Tobias Dunkin, went ashore to the plantation and approached a woman there. She verified that it was the Bromall plantation and that Patrick Due was overseeing the operation.

Dunkin then approached Mr. Due, who confirmed that there was a hogshead of tobacco for Mr. Cooke. Due asked where they had landed, and he became agitated to learn that the crew was near the canoe, as he had worked all morning collecting oysters, which were now housed within the canoe. He feared that the crew would help themselves to the oysters. Dunkin assured him the crew would not disturb the oysters and went to the tobacco house to roll the hogshead to the shore. Due sent a boy who was working for him, sixteen year-old Robert Hobbs, to the shore to warn the crew not to take the oysters.

Then Mr. Due went to secure a shotgun, gunpowder, and buckshot and made his way to the shore, along with his two dogs. Meanwhile, some of the crew members, including Elias Chandler and John Addams, had indeed noticed the oysters in the canoe and decided to help themselves to a snack. The boy, Hobbs, came down the hill from the plantation and asked them what they were doing. Chandler told him not to be angry, that the oysters had not cost anything. The boy replied that it had cost him his labor all morning in collecting them. The crew offered to pay for the oysters they had eaten, Addams tossing a coin to the shore.

Then Mr. Due appeared with the dogs and his shotgun, cursing at the men in the canoe, calling them “sea dogs,” and threatening to kill them. He said he did not want their money and fired at the men, wounding Morton in the arm and chest, and striking Chandler in the cheek. Due then sent his dogs onto the men, chasing them hip deep into the water.

Morton was treated by Stephen Clifton, a surgeon from Calvert County, on the day of the shooting. Clifton testified that Morton had been mortally wounded with buckshot having pierced his lung through the rib cage. Three days later, on March 17^th, Morton was pronounced dead.

A petite jury of the Provincial Court found Patrick Due guilty not of murder, but rather of manslaughter. The key witnesses in the case were interviewed by John Bateman and William Turner. Turner was a neighbor and good friend to William Bramall and his family, and he and his son would become a key figures in the Bramall story.

Bramall Court Records

Early records document several appearances by William Bramhall before the Provincial Court (Source: Judicial and Testamentary Business of the Provincial Court, 1649/50-1657):

Page 424, Court and Testamentary Business, 1655: William Bramhall having been formerly Convicted of Subscribing to a Rebellious Petition, and now againe hath Subscribed another to that effect, It is ordered that the Sd Bramhall Shall be at the Charge of building a pair of Stocks and See it finished within one Month, And that the Sheriffe Shall Cause this order to be performed.

Page 432, Court and Testamentary Business, 1655: John Boone acknowledgeth in Court to Serve William Bramale two yeares.

Page 476, Court and Testamentary Business, 1656/7:The differrence depending between William Bramaell plant and mr John Potts defendt is referred to the next Provll Court.

Page 478, Court and Testamentary Business, 1656/7:Timothy Gunton Sworne and Examined in open Court Saith that mr John Potts was to give William Brammaell 7 barrells of Corne a Share for 4 Shares, and the Said mr Potts did give the aforesaid Brammaell Earnest to bind the game when he bought the Corne and farther Saith not timothy Gunton.

John Merthe Sworne and Examined in open Court Saith that mr Iohn Potts was to give William Bramaell 7 barrells of Corne a Share for 4 Shares and that the Said mr Potts was to Come downe the Munday following to See the Corne; and the Said Brammaell Said he had no accomodation for him, whereupon mr Potts Said he would Send down his man, and gave the Said Brammaell Charge of his hogs which were in the Corn field to the Number of fifteen or Sixteen, and the Said Brammaell replyed he would be more Carefull then formerly he had been, And further Saith not Signum John 0 Merthe.

The Death of Bramall

The three sons of William and Mary became orphaned at a young age. William died in 1660, Mary having preceded him in death. In his last will and testament, dated December 1660, William names all three children as heirs, leaving them his entire estate. Further, he entrusted his “beloved friends William Turner and William Parrott” to settle his estate.

Will of William Brumale from Maryland State Archive

William Brumale his will

In the name of God amen. I William Brumale being sick and weak in body do first bequeath my soul unto God that gave it and my body to the earth from whence it came knowing assuredly that I shall arise to meet him and his glory and to my comfort. And having a desire to dispose of my earthly goods I first of all give unto my three sons, Luke Brumale, Richard Brumale and Charles Brumale unto these my three children I do give my whole Estate and land cattle and Premises hereunto and all manner of Household goods and other goods as tobacco now and made or housed or shall be made. Also all manner of debts whatsoever I have a desire that my children may have my Estate divided into three parts unto every child his portion equally and that these my three children may have education it is my desire also. I make and ordain my well beloved neighbors William Parrott and William Turner my true and trusty friends the executors of this my last will and testament and that they may do all and everything according as God shall guide them and that my beloved friends William Turner and William Parrott do pay all debts and of my Estate that can justly be made apart. I William Brumale do freely give unto Joseph Dawkins at the expiration of his servitude one two year old heifer. My will and desire is that my last will and testament may stand in full aforesaid and Vortuo and all other and do be void and of no effect. To the true purpose named where of I set my hand and seal the mark of W. William Brumale.

In the years following the death of William Bramhall of Calvert County, the guardianship of his sons was addressed several times by the Provincial Court.  William Turner apparently died before 1665, and his children, along with Bramhall’s sons, were placed under the guardianship of Dr. John Stanesby.  It seems that one of the sons, Charles, died sometime between 1660 and 1662, as he is not mentioned in any of the recorded proceedings of the Court.  Whoever had guardianship of the boys also held control over the plantation.  At the request of the boys, guardianship was later transferred to Demetrius Cartwright.

Provincial Court Proceedings, 1665-66, Page 159: Att a Court held 10th June 1665 Luke Bromall Choseth for his Guardian Mr Demetrius Cartwright

Att a Court held 24th Aug 1665 att William Turners by the Appointmt of Mr John Stanesby Guardian of Wm Turners Children, and Thomas Bowdell as Administrator of Docter Cliftens Estate and Demetrius Cartwright Guardian of Bromhals Children

Ordered that the Orphants of Wm Bromall and theire estate be deliuered unto John Stanesby (Guardian of Wm Turners Children) for the use of Wm Turner, prouided that hee put's in security the next County Court to performe a uoluntary Order wch Docter Cliften  engaged to performe in the Court for Bromalls Vse att a Court held the 26th August 1664 

Provincial Court Proceedings, 1665, Page 135: (Dec) 18th Demetrius Cartwright desires summons for John Stanesby to appeare next Prouinall Court to answere the sd Cartwrights Complaint Concerning Luke & Richard the orphants of William Bromall

Page 162: To The Right Honnble the Gouernor And Councell

The humble petn of Dem: Cartwright Sheweth

That whereas Luke Bromall was by Order of the County Court the 20th day of June last past, Ordered to Remaine dwell & abide wth yor petr as his Guardian together wth his Brother Richard Bromall, Now soe it is that the said Court an uertue of an Order bearing date the 24th Aug° last past, hath Ordered the Orphants that they shall be under the Guardianship of John Stanesby Chirurgeon and the orphants being thereunto unwilling and hauing a desire that both there Estates and prsons may be under the Guardianship Charge managemt & tuition of yor petr especially the eldest by name Luke being of Capable age of Eleccon in that Case hauing unto yor petr addressed himselfe and made request that he would Vouchsafe the Guardianship and Charge aforesaid, hee therefore doth humble pray that this honnble Court will please to take the premisses into theire serious Consideracons and giue such further Judgmt and determinacon uppon the sd orphants desire and request as may be sutable to law in that Case, And yor petr shall euer pray &c [p. 163] Demetrius Cartwright plt The foregoeing petn wth the Coppyes of John Stanesby defendant the Orders of the County Court entred in fo: 159 being read It is Ordered That the Orphant Luke Broniall doth remaine undr the Guardianship of Demetrius Cartwright and the Estate remaine where it is according to those two foresaid Orders of the said County Court of Caluert John Stanesby preferrs his Bill of Charge being for 300lb tobacco, which was Ordered to be paid out the said Orphants Estate

Bramall / Bramhall / Bramel Lineage 

Richard Bramall lived to adulthood, but not much past that, and his older brother Luke preceded him in death. Richard’s last will and testament is dated April 16, 1676, and the date of his death was recorded as May 3, 1676. In it, he bequeaths 500 acres of land to his wife, Joyce Bramall. In 1679, Joyce remarried to William Turner, probably a son of the William Turner mentioned in William Bramhall’s will. Thus, ownership of the Bramall Plantation went to the Turners.

The fate of this line of Bramhall genealogy is unclear. There is no mention of any offspring in the wills of Luke and Richard, so it is possible that this line ended with their deaths. Still, some researchers have theorized that prior to his death, Richard may have fathered a son with his wife Joyce, possibly named James, and that this is the missing link in our Bramel lineage.

The "Bramel" variation of the surname appears in some early 1700's records in nearby Prince Georges County. Then in 1755, another William Bramhall, my sixth great grandfather, purchased land next to the town of Benedict in Charles County, on the banks of the Patuxent River just across from the site of the Bramall Plantation in Calvert County. No records have been discovered that would definitively link my Benedict line with the William Bramhall who was granted land in Calvert County by the Lord Baltimore in 1656. Could it simply be a coincidence?

Links:

Some of William Bramhall's descendants relocated from Charles County, Maryland to Mason County, Kentucky in 1812: The Church That Bramel Built

UPDATE January 2021: A DNA project has connected the Bramhall line of Charles County to the Bromwell line of Dorchester County. We now have a Y-DNA group for testing male descendants with one of these (or similar) surnames. You can help by joining the project here: Bramhall Y-DNA Project

For general information about our DNA findings to date, check out this article: Bramel DNA - Our Link to Medieval Times