By Staff
I have received the most interesting email from Brian Nilsson, whose material has been the source of much of my writings on the Brewton family. I ran across his name a long time ago when I was searching the genforum.com website. He had the most extensive and, obviously, the best researched material that I have seen on this particular family.
He has corrected me on some things that I believe you will want to know.
To begin with, most of the information I have seen concerning the matriarch of this family has been that John Bruton was married to Isabella and they were the ancestors of the family who settled in Escambia County, Ala. Nilsson now believes this is not the case. According to the records he has researched, he is quite certain that Isabella Bruton Askew was the mother, but the father may have been named Benjamin instead of John. The John Bruton who fought in the Revolutionary War is probably kin in some way.
He also says that the name of Bruton was used by all the family while they lived in North Carolina, South Carolina and even in the early records of Georgia. There is no evidence that Nathan Bruton had the middle name of Jackson either. Nilsson says that there has never been even an initial in the records.
Last week I told you what I have collected about Emanuel Brewton, which is very little. Nilsson has sent me additional information and I will include it here. For those who are interested in this family I recommend that you contact Brian Nilsson at BHNilsson@aol.com
"Emanuel Brewton was a son of Nathan Brewton, Sr., and Nancy Fontaine Brewton. He was born on May 3, 1801, in Tattnall County. There has been much speculation that Emanuel was named for his grandmother Isabella's maiden name, but I have found no evidence of this. Through my research I have come to the conclusion that Nathan named his son Emanuel based on current events at the time of Emanuel's birth. In 1812, Emanuel County, Ga., was created and was named in honor of David Emanuel, a native of Pennsylvania who was born to German parents in 1744. He had fought in the American Revolution in Georgia and then served in both houses of the Georgia General Assembly and was three-times the president of the Georgia Senate. In March 1801, the Georgia governor, James Jackson, resigned his position to become one of Georgia's U.S. senators. Because David Emanuel was the president of the Georgia Senate at the time of Gov. Jackson's resignation, he became governor of Georgia until an election could be held. David Emanuel served as Georgia's governor from March to November 1801, when the newly-elected governor, Josiah Tattnall, took office. Nathan Brewton's son, Emanuel Brewton, was born on May 3, 1801, during the nine months that David Emanuel was governor. I believe that he was named for the new Georgia governor."
I will continue with this next week.
HAPPY HUNTING!!!