We’ve spent many years looking through surnames like Britton, Britten,
Brittan, Britain, and Briton, but just happened onto the Brighton family, and we
think that this may be the family name we’re looking for.
William Brighton was born in about 1825, either in England or at sea, on the
way from England to North America. We believe that perhaps his father may
have been named Samuel. From census records, it appears that he may have
lived in Warren and Butler Counties, in Ohio. William’s wife was Mary, and they
had several children: Adeline [Ida?] (1857), George (1862), Anna (1865),
and Wilhemina (1868). The family is listed in Butler County Ohio in 1860 and
1870, but has moved to Jay County Indiana by 1880, as follows, with the
spelling “Briton”. Adeline/Ida might be the mother of the grand-daughter listed
below.
William BRITON Self M Male W 45 ENG Farming ENG
ENG
Mary BRITON Wife M Female W 44 ENG Kp House ENG SCT
George A. BRITON Son S Male W 17 OH Farming ENG
ENG
Mary A. BRITON Dau S Female W 14 OH To School ENG
ENG
William W. BRITON Son S Male W 13 OH To School ENG
ENG
Wilhelmina BRITON Dau S Female W 12 OH To School ENG ENG
Alma W. MOLLARD GDau S Female W 4 OH SCOTLAND OH
We don’t know whom Ida married, but suspect that these are the marriages of
William’s children:
George A Brighton m. Sadie Paxson 01 Apr 1888 Jay C-F
335
Mary J[?] Brighton m. Thomas E. Welborn 06 Sep 1890 Jay C-G 18
William E[?] Brighton m. Lena Reynolds 20 Feb 1900 Grant 12
545
Willemina Brighton m. Jacob H. Thompson 07 Sep 1885 Jay C-F 44
Alma Mallard m. Charles R Ireland Jay C-G 291
We believe that the mother, Mary, died 29 APR 1889, and William remarried:
William Brighton Sarah Stickler 16 Apr 1892 Jay C-G 201
William seems to have died 11 MAY 1902, in Jay County (Penn Twp) Indiana
George A. Brighton appears to have married Sara Atlanta Paxon 01 Apr 1887 in
Jay Co IN.
Their children were: Hazel (1888), Mary (1890), Addie (1894) and Irene
(1901),
all born in Jay Co IN. A few years later, George and his family moved to
Grant Co IN, perhaps to be near Lewis Brighton, who may have been a brother to
the elder William Brighton.
Does most of this make sense? Does anyone know this line?
Do the names Alva, Edna, or Agnes appear anywhere in this line?
Did this family have relatives who spelled their name “Britton”, and who
may have lived in Bartholomew County Indiana? We’d like to correspond with
anyone who descends from this line or who might know more about these families.
Regards,
Jim Patrick, Tampa, Florida
Researching 4 distinct lines:
1. Hall & House (MD>PA>KY>IN), Presley (MD?,PA?, KY?), Banta
(NJ>KY>IN>IL?),
Britton/Brighton (Eng>OH>IN), Wetzel (Ger>OH>IN), Danner (GER>OH>IN),
Pherigo (KY>IN), Fallis, and Demarest (FR>Eng>NJ>KY)
2. Patrick (PA>NC>IN), Abel/Abell/Able (MD?>KY>IN), Beatty (VA>OH>IN),
Shumway (NY>IN), Downs (OH>IN), Brown (MA>VT>NY>OH>IN), Rockwell,
(NS>CT>NY),
Barney, Shidler, Holman, Jacobs (PA>NC>IN>OH), Dowden, Cheyney, Gaither
3. Groutage (Eng>CO>IL), Fletcher (Eng>IL), Raybould (Eng), Salisbury,
Baker, Bucy, Freeman (NY>IL), Mendenhall, Clark, Plate, Gustine (NY>OH>IL),
4. Brown (VA>TN>IN>IL), Spears (KY?>NC?>TN), Tackett (NC?>KY?>TN),
Casteel
(Native American? NC>TN), Sherrill (NC>TN>IL), Payne, Trobaugh
(VA>TN>IN>IL),
Hull (PA>VA>TN), Lingenfelter (PA), Isom, Byrum, Eaves.