Branch 1
For much more detail about the branch 1 Braunds, read our book Roots of the Tree. For information about the Braund family in the centuries before William of Keneland appears in Devon, read Before Braundsworthy. For genealogical information about this branch of the family, contact us. If you would like to be put in touch with other members of branch 1, please ask for your contact details to be passed to Michael Braund, the branch co-ordinator. The family trees will enlarge if you click on them.
Branch 1 is the Braund family tree that goes back the furthest and it is likely that all other branches link to it at some point. In some cases, the link will be in the period before the key genealogical records began. At the top of branch 1 is William Braund of Keneland Farm in Black Torrington, Devon. He was probably born about 1465. We don’t know the name of his wife but it may have been Joanna, as he had two granddaughters by that name. William had at least two sons, John, born in 1492 and a younger son called William. William senior paid ten shillings a year to lease Keneland Farm from Ludovic Daniels. It was William’s grandson, Richard, who leased Braundsworthy Farm from Sir John St. Ledger in 1569 and the family remained there for three centuries.
The similarity of the name of the farm, then Brendisworthy and the tenant may just be co-incidence. Braundsworthy means a farm built on land cleared by burning. Alternatively, it may be that Richard was leasing a farm that had been in the family in previous years and therefore become Braund’s Worthy.
All present-day branch 1 Braunds share the first seven generations of their family tree and descend from Humphrey and Margery Braund, who lived at Braundsworthy Farm in the second half of the seventeenth century. Two of Humphrey and Margery’s sons are the ancestors of all known living branch 1 Braunds. Most descend from the eldest of Humphrey and Margaret’s sons, also Humphrey, who with his wife Grace née Coham, had a son called Lewis. The remainder descend from the younger son Samuel, through his son Philip.
Lewis married Dorothy Hockin and five of Lewis and Dorothy’s sons are the ancestors of many modern Braunds.
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Their eldest son was yet another Humphrey who settled in Broadwoodwidger, Devon. There are a large number of his descendants in the USA, notably Wisconsin.
The second son, George, remained in Black Torrington to farm at Braundsworthy. Members of this branch of the family became solicitors and clergymen, some moving to Exeter, Devon. Braunds that descend from George’s son, Lewis, are also branch 4 Braunds, as Lewis’ wife, Frances Perkin, was a branch 4 descendant. The Armidale Braunds descend from George. A book about the Armidale Braunds will be available shortly.
There are fewer Braund descendants of Lewis, the third son. Lewis and Dorothy’s fourth son, William, left many descendants who span the globe. Arscott’s descendants moved to Bristol and many living Braunds have Arscott as their ancestor.
To return to Samuel and Eleanor Braund, all those Braunds who are known to descend from this couple, do so via their granddaughter, Mary of Black Torrington. Mary had an illegitimate son, Philip about 1794. Several of Philip’s twelve children emigrated, notably to Dunville, Ontario Prospect, South Australia and Echuca, Victoria.