In the widely accepted version, Robert Brasseur, of Calvert County, the father of my ancestor Margaret Jordan, is held to have first settled in Nansemond County, VA (now the City of Suffolk) in the late 1630s before moving to Calvert County, MD around 1658 and dying there in 1665 shortly after writing his will [for the will, see https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C914-L4FM-8?cat=25...].
A lot of citations on existing family trees and profiles come from 20th-century abstract compilations and family books (some of them quite well researched). However, I would like to go back to the original primary source documents to argue that the Robert Brasseur who was granted land in Nansemond County was not the same as the Robert Brasheur who died in Calvert County.
Facts from Primary Source Documents
1) According to the obituary composed by her son Benjamin Jordan and entered into the minute book of Chuckatuck Monthly Meeting of Friends in Nansemond County, Margaret Jordan (from other evidence wife of Thomas Jordan) was the daughter of a Robt Brashare and had been born in the 7th Month (i.e., September) 1642 [Lower Virginia Monthly Meeting of Friends: Minutes, 1673-1756, p. 114 in original (viewable at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2189/images/42483_...), p. 62 in typescript (viewable at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2189/images/42483_...)]. Note: the Chuckatuck Monthly Meeting probably met somewhere along Chuckatuck Creek in the northernmost part of Nansemond County; for location of the creek, see https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Chuckatuck%20Creek#map=1...
2) At the marriages of Margaret Jordan’s sons John and Robert (both of “Chuckatuck”) in February 1688, a John Brassere/Brassewr each time signed the marriage certificate right after Margaret as the groom’s “ouncle” [Lower Virginia Monthly Meeting of Friends: Minutes, 1673-1756, pp. 17-18 in original (viewable at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2189/images/42483_... and following page), pp. 66-67 in typescript (viewable at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2189/images/42483_... and following page)].
3) On 17 April 1667 a John Brasseur was granted 400 acres of land in Nansemond County, “Three hundred acres parts of that Land being formerly granted unto Robt Brasseur and Peter Rey by pattent dated the 24th of Ffebruary 1638 & said pattent contayning 600 acres the moyety [that is, one-half] being 300 acres is due unto the said John sonn & heire of the said Robt”; the remaining 100 acres were newly granted to John for transporting two persons [Virginia Land Office: Patents, vol. 6, p. 72; viewable at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLZ-PSK2-F?i=75].
4) The original grant to Robert Brassure and Peter Key of 600 acres on 24 February 1638 [likely an old style date, thus 24 Feb 1638/39] described the land as “lying and being in the Upper County of New Norfolke lying North East and South west along the South side of a Creeke upon the heade of the saide Creeke and butting upon Nansemond river als. Matrebers river” [Virginia Land Office: Patents, vol. 1, p. 622; viewable at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C37S-3SKG-J?i=627] Robert Brassure and Peter Key had obtained this land from Peter Johnson, whose original grant for this land on 1 June 1636 described it as “lying and being in the Countie of Warrisquiocke lying North east and South West along the South side of Warrisquiock Creeke upon the heade of the said Creeke and butting upon Nanzemond river” [Virginia Land Office: Patents, vol. 1, pp. 354-355, viewable at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C37S-3SK6-B?i=354 and following page].
Note: Warrosquoake County was renamed to Isle of Wight County in 1637, and Warrosquoake Creek is commonly held to have been the present-day Pagan River (emptying into the James River near present-day Smithfield, county seat for Isle of Wight County). However, based on other land grants from the late 1630s (including to a Thomas Jordan), I believe Warrisquiock (or similar) Creek actually referred to the present-day Chuckatuck Creek. This is also suggested by the 1638 grant, which located the land in Upper New Norfolk County (which became Nansemond County) rather than Isle of Wight County. Thus, the land granted 1638 to Robert Brassure and held in 1667 by his son John apparently lay between Chuckatuck Creek and Nansemond River.
Additional note: On 7 Jun 1670 a Nansemond County jury found that the 300 acres held by John Brasseur, son of Robert Brasseur, that had originally been granted to Peter Johnson in 1636 had escheated to the crown because Peter Johnson, Peter Rey, and Robert Brasseur had all been aliens [Library of Congress Manuscripts Division: Virginia Miscellany, Foreign Business and Inquisitions 1665-1676, p. 147, as abstracted in [J. F. Dorman], “Inquisitions on Escheated Land 1665-1676,” The Virginia Genealogist, 20 (1976): 23-24. I have not found an online copy of the original document, which is described in [J. F. Dorman], “Inquisitions on Escheated Land 1665-1676,” The Virginia Genealogist, 19 (1975): 128]. As a result, John Brasseur obtained a regrant of these 300 acres on 6 Apr 1671 [Virginia Land Office: Patents, vol. 6, p. 346; viewable at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLZ-PSLQ-8?i=351]
5) On 6 October 1640 a Robert Brasseur was granted 100 acres of land “in the County of Upper Norfolke . . . upon the Westerne branch of Nansemund river” [that is, south and inland from Chuckatuck Creek] for the transportation of two persons; this land was “to bee augmented and doubled when hee or his assignee shall have sufficiently peopled and planted the land” [Virginia Land Office: Patents, vol. 1, p. 736; viewable at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C37S-3SKM-R?i=741].
Note: On 18 Nov 1671 a Nansemond County jury found that this land (which had indeed been doubled to 200 acres when it was surveyed by Col. Jno. Blake 10 Dec 1652), which had been bought by Jno. Crowden after Robert Brassiere’s death, had escheated to the crown because Robert had been an alien [Library of Congress Manuscripts Division: Virginia Miscellany, Foreign Business and Inquisitions 1665-1676, pp. 179-180, as abstracted in [J. F. Dorman], “Inquisitions on Escheated Land 1665-1676,” The Virginia Genealogist, 20 (1976): 114]. As a result, John Crueden on 18 Oct 1672 obtained (for additional payment, of course) a regrant of the 200 acres in Nansemond County formerly granted to Robert Brassiere [Virginia Land Office: Patents, vol. 6, p. 407; viewable at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLZ-PSL3-2?i=418].
6) On 12 April 1653 a Robert Brasseur was granted 1200 acres of land “in the County of nanzemond at the head of the southerne branch of nanzemond river” [i.e., even further south and inland than the previous two grants] for the transportation of 24 persons, including “Robt. Brasseur, Florence his wife, Mary Brasseur, Persid Brasseur, Kathe Brasseur, and Bennet. Brasseur.” 600 acres each were located north and south of the branch; the portion on the south side was described as “being an Indian Towne” [Virginia Land Office: Patents, vol. 3, p. 33; viewable at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLZ-BQCM-Y?i=456].
7) A partially preserved deed in the badly damaged deed book vol. 2 of Old Rappahannock County, Virginia (now Essex County) reads something like this: “’...is Indenture made this 31st January. Witneseth that whereas Robert … formerly of the county Nazemun gent. but now deced. did by his last [w]ill & Testamt. give … Daughter Martha now wife … m Moseley as part of … [p]ortion seven hundred & f… [l]and si[t]uate & being … Nansemun called by … the Indian towne … doth appear b… of the aforesaid county now know all men by these presents that I the said William Moseley & Martha my wife do hereby acknowledge to have sold alienated & conveyed all owr right title & interest of the aforesaid Land from us our heirs Exrs. or assignes unto Richard Staples of the county Nansemun to him his heirs or assignes for ever the said Land to hold with all priviledges thereunto belonging in as full & am… manner as was granted unto the said Robt. Brusner by his pattent or convey… now know further that one hundred & fifty acres of the aforesd seven hundred and fifty was purchased of one Thomas Mumf…, the other Six hundred taken up by the aforesd Robert Brusner now therefore … that we have hereby sold alienated & conveyed & do hereby sell alienate & con… the said Richard Staples his heirs Exrs. & assignes our due right title & interest … afores... Land for Ever for a certaine satisfaction in hand reced & in witness that this is truth & ou… ntary act & deed we have both the said William & Martha hereunto sett our hands this day abovementoned being the 31th January 1659” [Old Rappahannock County (VA): Deeds, vol. 2, pp. 99-100; viewable at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9P6-3D1C?i=71].
Note: On 19 Nov 1670 a Nansemond County jury found that Rob: Braseur had bequeathed 1200 acres of land to his daughters and that the 600 acres lying on the south side of the branch, which had been sold on by John Staples, married to one of the said daughters, and which by 1670 was held by a Jno. Newton, had escheated to the crown because Rob: Braseur had been an alien [Library of Congress Manuscripts Division: Virginia Miscellany, Foreign Business and Inquisitions 1665-1676, p. 171, as abstracted in [J. F. Dorman], “Inquisitions on Escheated Land 1665-1676,” The Virginia Genealogist, 20 (1976): 111]. As a result, Jno. Newton on 23 October 1673 obtained a regrant of the 600 acres in Nansemond County formerly granted to Robt. Brashure [Virginia Land Office: Patents, vol. 6, p. 480; viewable at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLZ-PS2N-F?i=491].
Additional note: On 18 Nov 1671 a Nansemond County jury found that the 300 acres lying on the southern branch of the Nansemond River that Robert Brassiere had bought from Thomas Mulford and which Richard Staples, married to a daughter of Brassiere, had sold on to a Jno. Bailey, had escheated to the crown because Brassiere had been an alien [Library of Congress Manuscripts Division: Virginia Miscellany, Foreign Business and Inquisitions 1665-1676, p. 178, as abstracted in [J. F. Dorman], “Inquisitions on Escheated Land 1665-1676,” The Virginia Genealogist, 20 (1976): 113-114]. As a result, on 28 Oct 1672 John Bailey obtained a regrant of the 300 acres in Nansemond County formerly granted to Robert Brassiere [Virginia Land Office: Patents, vol. 6, p. 406; viewable at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLZ-PSL7-N?i=417].
Analysis
The last deed above and the subsequent escheat proceedings clearly show that Martha Moseley, wife of Capt. William Moseley, of Old Rappahonack, as well as the unnamed wife of Richard Staples (presumably Elizabeth Staples, though I have seen no primary source evidence of a first name Elizabeth) were daughter of a Robert Brusner/Braseur/Brassiere of Nansemond County who had died by Jan. 1659 (O.S., that is 1659/60) and thus absolutely cannot have been daughters of the Robert Brasheur who wrote a will in Calvert County, MD, in 1665 (also noted late 2022 in a Wikitree discussion here, without resolution so far: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1501258/commonly-identify-martha-brass...).
If we then assume that the 600 acres called the Indian Towne in Nansemond County bequeathed by Robert Brusner/Braseur are the same as the southern half (“being an Indian Town”) of the 1200 acres in Nansemond County granted in 1653 to a Robert Brasseur, and that this Robert Brasseur in the 1653 grant is the same as the Robert Brasseur of Nansemond County in the 1638/39 and 1640 grants whose 1638/39 land in 1667 belonged to his son and heir John (all reasonable assumptions given that land from all three of these grants was held in 1670/71 to be escheat because the grantee had been an alien), then it follows that John Brashear was also a child of the Robert Brusner/Braseur/Brassiere of Nansemond County who had died by Jan. 1659/60 and thus also not a child of the Robert Brasheur of Calvert County, MD, who wrote his will in 1665.
Finally, if we further assume that Margaret Jordan of the Chuckatuck Creek area of Nansemond County, son of a Robt. Brashare and brother of a John Brassere, was indeed the brother of the John Brasseure who by 1667 had inherited the land along Chuckatuck Creek granted in 1638 to his father Robt. Brassure, then she, too, was a child of the Robert Brusner/Braseur/Brassiere of Nansemond County who had died by Jan. 1659/60 and thus not a child of the Robert Brasheur of Calvert County, MD, who wrote his will in 1665.
It has commonly been held that the Robert Brasseur who received the land grant in 1653 was the same as the Robert Brasseur with wife Florence and four other Brasseurs (presumably their children) for whose transportation that land was granted. But I do not see anything in the grant that compels this conclusion. It seems at least as likely to me that the Robert Brasseur with wife Florence and four children was a nephew, cousin, or other relative whose transport shortly before 1653 had been financed by the Robert Brasseur who was already established in Nansemond County, and that it was this relative who subsequently moved on to Calvert County, MD.
Conclusion
Thus, it seems to me that the Robert Brasseur who is documented in Nansemond County in 1638/39, 1640, and 1653, who was dead by January 1659/60, and who had children Martha, John, Margaret, and the unnamed wife of John Staples, should be separated from the Robert Brasseur of Calvert County, MD, and also from the Robert Brasseur married to Florence with (presumed) children Mary, Persid, Kathe, and Bennet.
P.S.:
The overview asserts that “The first known record of Robert Brasseur is the renewal of his promissory note in Warrisquicke co., VA, on June 1, 1636 (Nugent, Cavaliers and pioneers, v.1, p.41)”. This is a misreading. The cited statement by Nugent [viewable at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/48408/images/Caval...] is in her abstract of the above grant of 600 acres to Peter Johnson on 1 June 1636, where she states: “Note: Renewed in the name of Robert Brasseur & Peter Rey.” In other words, Nugent is simply noting the regrant in 1638 to Robert Brasseur and Peter Rey of the 600 acres originally granted in 1636 to Peter Johson. There is no mention, either here by Nugent or in the original Virginia Land Office records, of a promissory note by Robert Brasseur supposedly renewed in 1636. Thus there is also no evidence that this Robert Brasseur ever resided in what is now Isle of Wight County.
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