Brenton Family Reunion - 1911

Report given at Brenton Family Reunion 1911, Lebanon, IN
Submitted by: Peggy Curtis Smith

"Taken from Uncle Bill's report of the family as compiled by him and read at the reunion of the Brenton relatives at Lebanon, Indiana, 1st September, 1911. Copy made by Alva B. Caldwell 1938":

Great-great grandfather Brenton had a large family. Great-uncle Samuel Brenton (Unc) said that 3 of his uncles came to Indiana, and settled in the SW part (Pike Co.) These were Peter, Andrew and Adam. Petersburg, the county seat of Pike County, Indiana, is said to have been laid out by him and named for him.

Two of these great uncles were slain by Indians near the present location of Cincinnati. One aunt, Peggy Brenton, is thought to have been the widow of one of these great uncles, and an uncle, William Sweeney, mentioned in treasured letters of aunt Betty Everman is thought to have been the husband of one of the sisters. Great-great uncle Adam Brenton must have settled at or near Bloomington Indiana. He called it a good country in a letter to "Unc" and urged that Levy Brenton go to Bloomington to follow the carpenter trade and work on buildings being erected for a state university. In that letter he scolded Uncle Levy for forsaking the carpenter's trade to engage in driving hogs to South Carolina.

The most accurate information obtained regarding Great-great grandfather Brenton does not give any clue to the origin of the name but does locate his early residence near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He moved from there to Kentucky in 1786 [After 1790.] The name is said to be of English origin. The name of this great-grandfather was Robert Brenton - birth place unknown. He married Elizabeth Steel 10 April 1781. Their children were:

Sarah Brenton b. 22 Feb 1782. Married Plummer. Lived in Kentucky mountains. Had large family.

Mary Brenton b. 5 Aug 1783. Married Prater. Lived at West Liberty, Grayson County Kentucky.

Robert Brenton b. 1 Jan 1785 d. 1863 in Indiana. Came to Indiana 1828. Settled on "Twelve Mile Prairie" which was too wet so moved to Boone County and settled 2 1/2 miles NW of Lebanon.

Samuel Brenton (Unc) b. 6 \ Aug \ 1786 d. 1876.

James Brenton b. 22 Aug 1788 (No information).

Elizabeth Brenton b. 9 Nov 1790 d. 22 Sep 1858. Married John Allen; came to Indiana in 1830.

Ann Brenton b. 3 Feb 1793 d. 1855 (Unmarried).

Simeon Brenton b.9 Apr 1795 d.1840-17. Died in New Orleans of yellow fever.

Martha Brenton b. 23 Feb 1799 d. 1836? Married Brown?

Levi Brenton b.21 Feb 1801 died while driving hogs to South Carolina of cholera -- date unknown.

John Brenton b.18 Feb 1803. Came to Indiana near Lafayette about 1830 and wandered off about 1836-43.

William Brenton b.1 Feb 1805 our mother's father.

Lucinda Brenton b. 26 Feb 1807.

These great grandparents lived to a ripe old age. They were religious and probably of the Methodist church. Great grandfather died of a paralytic stroke about 1838 or 1840. Grandmother died in 1846. Ann (Nancy) Brenton and Samuel Brenton did not marry but lived with their parents as long as they (parents) lived. Then "Unc" and "Aunty" lived together until she died in 1855. Then "Unc" lived with grandfather Brenton and following his death with uncle Bill-William Brenton, Jr.

William Brenton was born 1 Feb 1805 in Nicholas County, Kentucky and resided there until 1855. He was a strong man, being six feet two inches tall and weighing 220 pounds. He was a farmer and was noted for his good Judgment. He was frugal, sober and honored for his integrity. He accumulated considerable property, gave some to his children and had 24O acres at the time of his death. On March 20, 1827 he married Rebecca Wiley, daughter of Hugh Wiley Sr. They lived in a small log cabin until sometime in the late 1830's when William bought his father-in-law's farm and moved into it's two story brick house - this in Nicholas Co. Kentucky. There they lived until 1855 when they moved to Indiana. He sold his Kentucky farm for $50/acre in 1854, came to Indiana that same fall, bought a 320 acre farm from Robert McCann for $20/acre. He returned to Kentucky, bringing his family in the spring of 1855. Grandmother Brenton left wool at Greensburg Indiana where several blue and white bedspreads were woven. The horses, cattle, and wagons were started here in February 1855 in care of Hugh and Robert Brenton (sons) and Richard Fletcher (a son-in-law), and a nephew Levi Brenton who was John Brenton's son.

When the William Brenton family settled in Boone County, it was a dismal prospect-- swamps, mud, and corduroy roads. All roads wound about trying to avoid swamps, gigantic trees, and heavy growths of shrubbery were general. Deer and wild turkey lurked in undergrowths at roadsides as well as elsewhere. After hard struggling the family was housed in a two room log house on the banks of Brown's Wonder Creek. They lived here as long as William Brenton lived, the family continued there until death and sale removed them. William Brenton Sr. died 8 Nov. 1862, his wife Rebecca (aged 55 years) died 14 Feb. 1865. Follows dates of birth, marriages and deaths of the descendants of William and Rebecca Brenton:

Elizabeth Ann Everman b.25 Dec.1827

Mary Jane (Polly) Woods b. 2 June 1829

Simeon m. Hawkins b.11 Jan.1831

Martha Emily m. Fletcher b. 3 Feb. 1833

Hugh Wiley m. Euphrasia Curtis b.25 Jan.1835

Rebecca Everman b. 2 Jan. 1837

Robert Newton m. Powell b. 19 Oct. 1838

Dorcas Margaret m. Erastus Curtis b.27 Sept. 1840

William m. Swope b. 6 Aug. 1845

Isabella m. Caldwell b. 22 Sept. 1847

Besides these children of William and Rebecca Brenton there were three who died in infancy. All others lived to maturity and had families. Isabel was the youngest and first to die. Elizabeth was the oldest and was the last of the sisters to die. William and Rebecca Brenton are buried at the Salem on Mud Creek burying ground as is Samuel (Unc). His father, Robert and mother are buried in what is known as the Brenton burying ground three or four miles northeast of Moorefield, Kentucky. This graveyard is in a field and much neglected. Robert Brenton and his wife Elizabeth were married in the year of our Lord 1781 (Copied from an old, yellow and faded Bible record sheet in Elmer Brenton's possession). Copied December 1938.
John Prater and Mary Brenton were married 28 Nov. 1806

Sarah Prater b. 21 Sep. 1807

Robert Prater b. 7 Oct. 1808

Archibald Prater b. 28 Oct.1809

Samuel Prater b. 14 Jan. 1811

Elizabeth Prater b. 17 June 1812

John Prater b. 16 June 1814

Nancy Prater b. 19 Feb. 1816

William Prater b. 17 Sept. 1817

Elijah Prater b. 1 Dec. 1819

Mary Prater b. 28 Aug. 1820

Thomas Prater b. 16 Aug. 1824

Thomas Plummer and Sarah Brenton were married 16 Sept. 1802

Mason Plummer b. 14 July 1803

Hyram Plummer b. 12 April 1805

Lewcidy? Plummer b. 16 May 1807