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m. 12 Aug 1822
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| Born |
23 Nov 1824 |
Bedford Co., Tennessee  |
| Died |
11 Oct 1895 |
Calhoun Co., Arkansas |
| Buried |
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| Sources |
- [S3] Mary Frances Reynolds Eggleston, http://members.tripod.com/abw_fww/fsbees.html.
Francis Scott Brandon and Elizabeth E. Stanfield
by
Ann Talbot Brandon Womack, and Farris Wade Womack
September 2001
This is a story about two remarkable people. They were born at the beginning of the 19th Century, grew to adulthood in Southside Virginia, and, while very young, joined thousands of others in the great migration westward. Their exemplary lives are a source of honor for the thousands of descendants who are proud to be of this house and lineage. The page is dedicated to all their descendants. Accordingly, we request comments, suggestions and corrections. Please direct email to: fwwabw@bellsouth.net
Francis Scott Brandon was born in Halifax County, Virginia in 1804, probably the 13th of the 14 children born to Francis Brandon and Sarah Lee Scott. His given name honored his father and grandfather while his middle name was the surname of his mother. His father, Francis Brandon, a soldier in the American Revolutionary War, was 48 years of age when Francis Scott was born and his mother was 40. It seems that all of his older brothers and sisters were yet at home when Francis Scott was born.
His birth in 1804 coincides with other historical events that are important in our American history. Thomas Jefferson, also a Virginian from Albemarle County located about 100 miles from Halifax County, was at the end of his first term as the third President of The United States. Jefferson had acquired the Territory of Louisiana from the French and already two other Virginians, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, had set off on their assignment to explore this new land, the purchase of which had more than doubled the land mass of The United States. Louisiana took up the area of present-day Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota (West of the Mississippi River), North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas, part of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado (East of the Rocky Mts.) and Louisiana (West of the Mississippi River but including the city of New Orleans). But the prospect for vast amounts of free or inexpensive land had already begun to affect the Southside Virginia frontiersmen. Indeed, Virginians had been crossing the mountains long before the lands to the far west were anything other than a distant prospect. Many of the settlers acquired the lands as a part of the bounty they had earned or they paid the princely sum of $1.25 per acre.
When Francis was eight years of age, the United States had its second war with the British, a conflict that saw the burning of the White House but ended with the splendid victory of General Andrew Jackson and his Tennessee Volunteers in New Orleans. The American and British War of 1812 lasted for over 2 years. This was the war that confirmed the American Independence once and for all. Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner," America's National Anthem, when he saw the United States flag still flying over Fort McHenry in Maryland after heavy British attack. When Francis Scott Brandon was a 15 year old teenager, the United States acquired Florida. In the course of his young life, he had witnessed the expansion of the country from a collection of states chiefly along the Atlantic Coast to a young nation with boundaries that stretched now to the Pacific Ocean, more than 3000 miles away.
Francis Scott Brandon was only 14 years of age when his mother died, leaving his father, Francis, a widower with a son and four or five daughters at home. The loss of one's mother while still quite young is a dreadful tragedy that has been visited upon many; it surely must have been a heartbreaking experience for young Francis.
An excerpt from the 1820 Census, shown below, discloses the occupants of the Francis Brandon household. Although the only names actually listed in the Census were those of the Head of the Household, it seems reasonable to conclude that the male over 45 was Francis Brandon and that the male whose age was between 10 and 16 was Francis Scott Brandon. His four sisters were also counted but, without names, their individual identity cannot be established. According to the records now available, there would have been five females at home in 1820. The Census also collected information concerning the number of males over 15 engaged in agriculture. Francis reported that there were six. That number was the sum of the two white males and the four male slaves. Francis reported that there were 12 slaves in his household.
The table also shows the families living nearby. While current research has not determined the relationship of the other Brandon families to that of Francis, it has been determined that several Brandon families, probably a father and his three sons, had come to Halifax Virginia many decades before and that they had settled on adjacent properties and, further, that their descendants had continued to live on the same lands. Accordingly, it seems indisputable that these Brandons were related to each other. Although not shown below, the Census page from which this excerpt was taken discloses that there were many large families living in the general vicinity. In fact, there were at least 26 other youngsters, male and female, who were in the same age group as Francis Scott Brandon.
1820 Census for Halifax County, Virginia Names Free White Males Free White Females Agri
Slaves
<10 10-16 16-18 16-26 26-45 45> <10 10-16 16-18 16-26 26-45 45> Males Females
<14 14-26 26-45 45> <14 14-26 26-45 45>
Thomas Brandon, Sr . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . . 1 . 11 2 1 2 2 8 2 2 2
Alexander Brandon 2 . . . 1 . 3 . . 1 . . 5 2 . 3 2 . .
William Scott 1 . . . . 1 . . 2 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
William Brandon, Sr. 2 2 . 1 . 1 . . . . 1 . 8 3 3 1 . 5 2 2 2
Francis Brandon . 1 . . . 1 . 2 2 . . . 6 . 1 1 2 5 1 1 1
John Kirkland 1 . . . 1 . 2 . 1 1 1
Elizabeth E. Stanfield was born in 1804 in Halifax County, Virginia, the daughter of Ephriam Stanfield and his wife, Sarah "Sallie" Powell. Records show various spelling of the name. Sometimes, the name is "Stanfield" and occasionally the name has an added "d", thus, "Standfield". Elizabeth was the first child of Ephraim and Sarah but there would be 12 more to follow her.
Elizabeth must have had many of the same experiences during her childhood that were described above for Francis. Indeed, it seems quite likely that their families had been neighbors for all of their young lives and that they probably had known each other from very early childhood.
On August 12, 1822, Elizabeth Stanfield was married to Francis Scott Brandon. They were 18 years of age. Even for that period, they were younger than many couples although not by much. Weddings among the young were not uncommon especially for females but at 18, they would have had very little maturity to help equip them for the challenges of marriage and the rearing of children. But wed they did and soon they were on the way to the west.
Soon after the marriage of Francis and Elizabeth, they joined Elizabeth's parents ion the relocation to Tennessee. Although we don not know with certainty, it seems likely that the Stanfield Family moved to Tennessee to claim the more fertile land that could be obtained at a reasonable price and sometimes without cost.
Their decision to move from the cocoon of their birth raises many questions. Why would they leave an environment that had nurtured each of them for their entire lives. It could hardly have been the need to acquire land of their own for Francis Brandon had sufficient lands for young Francis Scott to farm. At any rate, land was not expensive and by 1822, much of it was still available in Southside Virginia at favorable prices. Whatever the reasons, they had arrived in Bedford County, Tennessee by 1824 and there their first child, William Francis Brandon, was born.
A careful search of the 1830 Census records for Tennessee failed to disclose the Francis Scott Brandon family. Equally troublesome, the search failed to turn up the Stanfield family. Perhaps they were missed or perhaps they were living in another place, the list of possibilities while not limitless is surely large. Although the search continues, its importance multiplies because it would fix a family size. And as we shall soon see, this Brandon family had many infant deaths.
By 1840, the family was living in Madison County, Tennessee where they were enumerated. Living next door was Ephraim Stanfield, very likely the father of Elizabeth Stanfield Brandon. Their absence from the 1830 Census and their presence on this one taken ten years later raises many questions but answers few. Because the 1840 Census listed by name only the head of the household, it is not possible to know with certainty the identity of the children but almost certainly the two males were Jesse, born in 1836 and William Francis, the oldest child, born in 1824. The two female children are equally difficult to identify but the child under five was probably Martha while the child between 10 and 15 cannot be determined but clearly she was one of the four females who had died by the 1850 Census and whose name has not been discovered. Brandon reported that there were two engaged in agriculture and that would surely be himself and one other, presumably his son, William Francis.
Ephraim Stanfield and his wife Sarah, almost surely the leader of the clan that left Virginia to settle in Tennessee was living next door to his son-in-law. Three of the 13 children in the Stanfield family were still at home. While somewhat speculative, it appears that the three sons at home would have been Ephraim and Milton, the two younger sons, and the third one at home was likely either Calvin or Joseph. But the number of slaves that he owned would suggest a man of some wealth because slaves in 1840 were more valuable than land and Ephraim had 19, a fairly large number compared to others in Madison County. Stanfield reported that eight (8) person were unengaged in agriculture, presumably himself and seven slaves. In addition, he reported that one person was engaged in manufacture or trade, quite likely one of the slaves who served as blacksmith, carpenter, and cooper.
1840 Census for Madison County, Tennessee - page 72 Name Males Males Males Males Males Males Males Males Females Females Females Females Females Females Females
< --5 5 - 10 10 - 15 15 - 20 20 - 30 30 - 40 40 - 50 50 - 60 < --5 5 - 10 10 - 15 15 -20 20 - 30 30 - 40 40 -50
Robert Standfield - - - - - 1 - - - - - 1 - - -
Francis S. Brandon 1 - - 1 - 1 - - 1 - 1 - - 1 -
Ephraim Stanfield - - 2 - 1 - - 1 - - - - - - 1
Henry D. Standfield - - - - 1 - - - - - - - 1 - -
Thomas Standfield 2 - - - - 1 - - - - - 1 - - -
( Francis S. Brandon reported one female slave between the ages of 10-24 for a total of 7 persons in the household.. Ephraim Stanfield reported nine (9) males slaves and ten (10) female slaves for a total of 24 in the household.)
By 1850, the family had moved further west and were now found in Madison County. Francis Scott reported that he was a Methodist Minister. Although considerable research has been done to locate a record of his ministry, that effort has not been successful. William Francis Brandon had left home and he may have been living in Henderson County and busily engaged in the study of medicine under the supervision of Dr. John Dickson. In the household next door was a family of Stanfield. Whether this family was related to Elizabeth has not been determined and the nearness may only be a coincidence but the presence merits comment. The occupants were Sarah, E. A., James E., John M., and William H., ages 34,23,35,8, and 5, respectively. Sarah and James reported that they had been born in Virginia while all the others listed Tennessee as the birth place.
1850 Census for Madison County, Tennessee, Dist # 7, page 274 - 23 September 1850 Name Age Sex Col Occup Real Val Birth Place Attended
School
Francis S. Brandon 46 M W Methodist. Minister 2000 Virginia
Elizabeth E. 46 F W
Jesse S. 14 M W Yes
Martha F. 12 F W Yes
John M. 10 M W Yes
James H. 7 M W Yes
Elizabeth B. 9 F W Yes
Milton S. 5 M W
Emma 3 F W
The 1850 Census also included Slave Schedules and Francis Scott Brandon reported that he was the owner of four slaves, ranging in age from 28 years to eight months. The Sarah Stanfield family mentioned above also owned slaves and those were listed on the census sheet immediately following the Brandon residence. Sarah Stanfield owned six slaves ranging in age from 39 years to one month.
Francis Scott Brandon died in 1852 but sometime between 1850 and 1852, the county of residence changed. It may be that Madison was subdivided to create Haywood but at any rate, the family was living there when Francis Scott died and they were still living in Haywood County when the 1860 Census was taken.
1860 Census for Haywood County, Tennessee, Dist 5, Wellwood, page 431, 20 July 1860 Name Age Sex Col Occup Real Val Pers Val Birth Place Attended
School
Elizabeth E. Brandon 55 F W Farmer 2137 3050 Virginia
Jesse S. 22 M W Teacher Tenn
Elizabeth B. 17 F W Tenn Yes
James H. 16 M W Tenn Yes
Milton S. 13 M W Tenn Yes
Virginia E. 12 F W Tenn Yes
Elizabeth Stanfield Brandon died in 1870. The cemetery where she and Francis were laid to rest has not been located but it was likely near the village where they spent their last days. The 1870 Census listed Milton S. Brandon in Stewart County, Tennessee. While we do not know that this is the same Milton Brandon who was the son of Francis and Elizabeth, it may very well be.
In 1880, William Francis Brandon, the oldest child then living in Calhoun County, Arkansas, reported that he was one of 14 children of Francis Scott Brandon and Elizabeth Standfield but that, tragically, he and one other were the only ones then living. That fact was contained in a description that he gave for publication in Goordspeed's history of Calhoun County, Arkansas. The text follows:
William Francis Brandon, M. D., of Moro Township, Chambersville post-office, was born in Bedford County, Tennessee, November 23, 1824. His father, Francis Scott Brandon, a farmer and Methodist preacher, was born in Halifax County, Virginia, in 1804, a son of Francis Brandon, Sr., who was born in 1756, and was a soldier and officer in the Revolutionary War, under General George Washington. The Brandons were of English and Scotch descent. The father of the subject of this sketch was married in 1822 at the age of eighteen, in Virginia, to Miss Elizabeth E. Stanfield, a native of Halifax County, Virginia, born in 1804. This Union was blessed with fourteen children - seven sons and seven daughters - only two of whom, our subject and a brother, are now living. Mr. Brandon, Sr. died in 1852, in Haywood County, Tennessee and his wife died in the same county in 1870. Our subject was the eldest of the fourteen children, and was raised in Tennessee, where he resided until 1850, receiving a good education. In 1846, he began teaching school, and followed that occupation until 1850, when he left that State. He then came to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where he taught five months. Dr. Brandon began reading medicine in Henderson County, Tennessee, in 1847, under Dr. John H. Dickinson, and in 1851 he began the practice of medicine at Plum Bayou, Arkansas. He practiced his profession almost exclusively until 1874, since which time he has not been engaged in active practice. He practiced from 1852 to 1870, in Bradley County, when he moved to Hampton, Calhoun County, and in 1871 purchased a farm of 400 acres, about seventy of which are under cultivation. Dr. Brandon was married in 1851, to Miss Martha Drake, great-grandniece of Sir Francis Drake, by whom he had one child. She died January 5, 1852, and August 12, 1852, Dr. Brandon was again united in marriage, this time to Miss Hearnsberger, of this county, though a native of Georgia, by whom he had eight children, two of whom are now living, viz: Francis S. and William H.. Politically, Dr. Brandon affiliates with the Democratic party. He was formerly a Whig, and cast his first vote for Zach Taylor. He is a member of the Chambersville Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Dr. Brandon has been successful as a physician. He is a good honest citizen, highly respected by all, and justly worthy of esteem accorded him.
The 1782 Halifax County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List Names Tithes Negroes Horses Mules Cattle
Brandon, John 1 4 5 14
Brandon, Thomas 3 10 11 0 18
Brandon, Francis 2 6 13 - 20
Brandon, William 1 - 7 - 29
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