George’s three sons, Isle of Wight

George Branch Senior of Surry / Isle of Wight, Virginia married to Ann England:

George Branch Jr. of NC

Francis Branch Sr. of VA

John Branch of IOW VA

And two daughters, Sarah Lupo and Ann Hodges…

George Branch Sr is the first well documented Branch of “Our Line”. Meaning NC Branch families. Yes there is a large New England based Branch family tree and a large Christopher Branch line of Virginia but these groups are generally not intertwined.

In addition, there are other people that immigrated over to the New World named Branch that appear on various ship’s lists. One person without descendants we can trace. Without documented descendants or males carrying the Branch name — they don’t fall into Branch groups that we can research. And after decades of research, I would estimate that 90% of the Branch families in NC before 1850 are from George Branch Sr. The settlements south of the James River in Virginia – Surry, Isle of Wight, Southampton: All descendants before 1850, I have found were from the George Branch Sr. tree. For North Carolina, I will assert the same thing. Migration was south to North Carolina and most of these people before 1850 named Branch counted George Branch Sr. of Virginia as their ancestor.

George Branch was born as late as 1641 but more likely around 1637. However, George’s origins are obscure. He was either the offspring of a Jamestown era Englishman or he hopped on a boat from England. One or the other. BUT we have no hard evidence of either. I have theories and some evidence and plentyof speculation. But, that will have to wait as we explore the “Three Sons of George”.

Note however that more than a few online “genealogical trees” may have shown George as a fourth son of Christopher Branch of Henrico. This is WRONG. Please remove this erroneous info. Lots of evidence surrounds Christopher Branch’s genealogical lines and not the least of which is his will which is widely available. George Branch Sr. is not of that line. George Branch Sr. is not related to Christopher Branch.

The definitive document regarding George’s age is that he AND his young adult son were on lists as loyalists defending Gov. Berkeley during Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676-1677. So forty years gives time for George’s birth, marriage, and the birth of the oldest son, George Jr. to place George Branch’s birth around 1637. I’m sure many people will find holes in this estimate but sometimes we have to choose a path to move forward in genealogy. George Sr. may in fact be older but really I doubt it.

George Branch Sr. birth estimate 1637 and death 1688 at age 51 in Isle of Wight, Virginia.

George Branch Jr. birth estimate 1657 and death 1696 at age 39 in Province of Carolina.

Another pivotal document is the will of Francis England, and later the 1677 will of his second wife Joyce Flake. The wealthy Joyce had pledged to write the children of step-son George Branch in her will. In 1677 George Branch and Ann England Branch’s sons are named: George Jr., Francis, and John. Two daughters were Sarah Lupo and Ann Hodges; Sarah dies in Virginia and Ann’s family migrates to NC in later years.

I like to think of the three sons, George Jr., Francis, and John in geographic terms.

1 George Branch Jr. of Chowan NC: George Jr. is the first son who moves south into the Albemarle/Chowan region of northeast North Carolina. In fact, all three of these men have descendants that move south to North Carolina in about an 80 mile distance.

George Jr. marries Susannah Corker, his children are born in Isle of Wight VA, and then he moves the family about 1693 into the Albemarle region near the Chowan River. George was described in a document as a “master carpenter” and at least one of his sons, William continued in that profession. Grandsons also continued the “master carpenter” tradition in Chowan. However, contrary to any other theories, this family does not populate the rest of NC. Due to various factors the descendants of George Branch Jr. happen to stay in this region around Edenton – today’s Chowan & Perquimans Counties. By stay, I mean I cannot find evidence of further migration south or west of the Chowan River and Albemarle Sound before 1850. The sons of George Jr. are William, George (III) and Frances. George Branch Jr. lived from about 1657 to about 1696 and lived to be only about 39 years old. Only William Branch of Chowan had male descendants so the headship of the family carried on with son Isschaar Branch of Perquimans County, NC.

2 Francis Branch of Isle of Wight VA: Francis is named after his grandfather, Francis England, and marries Elizabeth Norwood in Isle of Wight VA (the southern part becomes Southampton County in 1747). Much of his later descendants populate Southampton County VA, Northampton County NC, and one branch goes to Tennessee before 1800. Francis likely has the greatest number of descendants from this group.

Frances Branch Sr. lived from about 1662 to around 1717 with a final age of 55. His probate documents his sons and daughters as well as the apparent widow of his brother John – Katherine Branch. Francis’s widow, Elizabeth Norwood, lived far later in her 80’s to about the year 1749. Her probate is in the Southampton County records and her executor is youngest son Benjamin. The couple had 8 daughters and 3 sons. The sons are Francis II, George (VI?) and Benjamin, who was named after a maternal grandfather or uncle. Francis is not heard from in official records and may have died young. This George has a large family in Virginia. Benjamin is noted in Southampton County Virginia records as being appointed one of the local constables in 1749. In 1750 he moved to Northampton County North Carolina. The descendants of Francis Branch Sr. go thru middle son George Branch (III) of Southampton County Virginia and youngest son, Benjamin Branch of Northampton County, North Carolina.

3 John Branch of Isle of Wight VA, Upper Pennisula: John is the most obscure of the sons of George Branch Sr. and seems to stay in the coastal James River area of Isle of Wight long after his brothers and sisters move away. He appears to marry a Katherine who we speculate is “Katherine Ogburn”. I have found several references to “Katherine Branch”. A younger John Branch of Southampton is likely his son. As well as another probable son was Ogburn Branch of Southampton VA which was an unusual name for the time and likely his mother was Katherine Ogburn Branch. Since Katherine is remembered in brother-in-law Francis’s will, it is likely that John died before 1717. Therefore John likely lived from about 1664 to 1716 or perhaps to age 52. This line has less documentation and is more prone to corrections in the future as new information arises. Note that a 1722 patent of land in Isle of Wight (a portion that later became Southampton) to a John Branch is very likely John Branch Jr. and may be the John Branch who settles in Halifax NC. Ogburn Branch is likely a son from this family and his descendants populate much of central NC. So John Branch and Ogburn Branch continue the headship for this line.

To recap:

George Branch Sr. by 1677 had three sons: George Jr., Francis, John. The second generation.

By 1750 five men of the third and fourth generation continue the lineage of George Branch Sr. They are the ancestral headships of George’s line who begat male descendants: