The Bragg family tree, through John Pearce's mother Margaret Wallace, extends back to the earliest settlers. Thomas Bragg, a great grandfather, came to Jamestown from England. A direct descendent of his line Hannah Bragg, married Thomas Martin Wallace. His son John Bragg Wallace, was the father of Margaret Wallace, the mother of John Pearce and grandmother of Muriel Pearce Townes.
One of the most notable great grandfathers in this line was Adm. Christopher Newport, an adventurer who was the captain of the first ships to transport passengers to Jamestown. His daughter married Thomas Bragg, who reportedly was a crew member on the ship.
A less esteemed member of the Bragg family (who was related but not a direct ancestor) was Gen. Braxton Bragg. He was a notoriously poor Confederate general, who some say had a role in losing the war for the south.
Much of the following information on the Bragg family was gathered by Dr. Louis Alderson Bragg, in the 1960's. Information has also been compiled and presented in "The Shetterly Bragg Family Tree" on the Moultrie County IL GenWeb site, hosted by Greg Hamblin.
A full history of the Bragg family can be found on the website http://www.e-bragg.com/
THOMAS BRAGG was born Abt. 1580 in England. He married MARY (MOLLY) NEWPORT (Abt. 1615) in Jamestown. She was the daughter of CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT and KATHERINE PROCTOR.
There is a common folk-tale of "Six Bragg brothers in England. Three went North, three went South." Thomas, William, and John being the ones who went South in England.
The ship Susan Constant under Adm. Christopher Newport's command carried two Bragg teenagers, Thomas and John. Thomas Bragg and Molly Newport were married about two years before Christopher Newport's death.
Born in England around the year 1580, Thomas served a stint in the British Navy prior to being hired by his future father-in-law. Little is known about his life in England. But he and two brothers, John and William, came to America, settled, and became the ancestors of the vast majority of Bragg families currently living in the United States.
Having "obtained land grants from the Crown" for his services in the Navy, Thomas and his new bride, Molly Newport, settled down to begin raising their children, the first Braggs born in America, William and John Bragg. Little is known about John and his family, but the descendants of his brother William have been extensively researched. William had a son (John) in 1647. The child was born at Old Rappahannock, Virginia, the location to which William migrated.
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