Person:Brannick Wilkinson (1)

Brannoc Wilkinson was born in 1771, probably in North Carolina. We know of Brannoc's birth place primarily from his children. In the 1880 censuses, first son Henry states that his father was born in Delaware and his mother was born in North Carolina. But sons John and Joseph Brannoc state that their father was born in Virginia and their mother was born in Kentucky. The best explanation is that Henry was the son of Brannoc and an unknown first wife.

In 1781 after the death of Grandfather Samuel, Brannoc migrated with his family to what was then Washington Co VA. And, Brannoc's father is recorded purchasing land between Thompson and Lewis Creeks which are headwaters of the Clinch River near Honaker, Russell Co VA.

After the death of Francis in 1798, Brannoc probably lived with his mother, Rachael; as Rachael is found recorded in the Russell Co VA Property Tax List from the Lower Dist. in 1798. Are these lands in the Lower District the lands originally willed to Francis in 1781?

In about 1800 probably in Russell Co VA, Brannoc married an unknown spouse from North Carolina. With his first wife, he had son Henry and perhaps other children. This first wife died prior to 1/1807. From 1800 to 1802, Brannoc is recorded instead of Rachael from the Lower Dist. of Russell Co VA. Had Rachael left with brother Thomas for Kentucky by 1799? By 1803, the family disappears from records in Virginia.

In 1803 the family migrated through the Cumberland Gap to Knox (now Whitley) Co KY where Brannoc patented land on Meadow Creek north of the Cumberland River. The specific reasons for Brannoc continuing this westward migration are not known. However, this Wilkinson Family became a part of the greater migration pattern which populated the interior of America after the Revolutionary War.

In 1804 brother Thomas patented land on Flat Creek 1/2 mile east of Brannoc. Brannoc disappears from the Knox Co KY records after his 1809 marriage to Polly, but Thomas was enumerated in the 1810 Knox Co KY Census, age 25-44. Interestingly, there is a female in the household, aged over 45. Reasonable conjecture leads to the belief that this is Rachael Brannock Wilkinson, Brannocs' mother.

On 1/15/1807 in Knox Co KY, Brannoc married Polly Slaughter b. c. 1787 in Virginia. Brannoc is found in multiple tax lists and land transactions in Knox Co KY from 1803 until 1808. In 1809 Polly's father, John Slaughter, moved his family from Knox Co KY to Madison Co, Mississippi Territory, and Brannoc disappears from the tax records of Knox Co KY. Did Brannoc migrated in the company of the Slaughter Family?

By 1811 Brannoc and family were living in Tennessee where son Martin was born. Evidently, their migration route took them directly down the Cumberland River from Permon KY to Gainesboro TN. Proof of Brannoc's residence is found in an 1815 Jackson Co TN land record which lists improvements made by Brannoc on lands purchased by Robert Bailey.

In 1817 Brannoc and family are found in Warrick Co IN where he settled down to farm. Reportedly, Brannoc and son Henry were involved in an altercation which resulted in civil proceedings. Afterward, Brannoc and family minus Henry migrated to Ray Co MO.

Arriving in Ray Co MO by 1822, Brannoc settled down to farm again. Note, this territory was opened by Daniel Boone when the lands were still part of Spanish Louisiana.

That part of Camden township, east of range twenty-nine, was originally in Bluffton township, and subsequently in Richmond township; that west of range twenty-eight was formerly a part of Fishing River township, hence, as already stated, the territory embraced in this township was settled at a very early date as early as 1818.

Among the first settlers we mention the following, nearly all of whom were from Tennessee: Jeremiah, Samuel and John Crowley, Thomas English, Richard and Aaron Linville, Branick Wilkinson, William and Henry Morgan, John C. Cates, Sen., Joseph E. Brockman, John Elliott, Frank Jackson, Ballard Hudgins and others.

   "History of Ray County, Mo.," Internet Archive "American Libraries," No Date, <http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofraycoun00miss/historyofraycoun00miss_djvu.txt> 14 March 2009.

In 1833 the new lands of Carroll/Livingston County were opened for settlement. Brannoc settled north of Chillicothe where he is cited as erecting the first/second horse-powered mill in the region.

The first mill in the county was run by horsepower and was built by Brannock Wilkerson, four miles north of the present site of Chillicothe.

   "Livingston County Agri-facts," Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service, No date <http://agebb.missouri.edu/mass/agrifact/livingst/narative.htm> 15 July 2004.

Joseph Cox was the first settler in what is now Chillicothe township, on section 12-58-24, in 1833. As noted elsewhere, it was at his house where the first courts were held in the county. Wm. Linville came in 1834 to section 11. Brannock Wilkerson and Caleb A. Gibbons were very early settlers in this quarter. Elisha Hereford settled on Grand river, South of Chillicothe, near the site of Hereford's ferry in 1834; the previous year he had located on Medicine creek, eight miles east of Chillicothe. Brannock Wilkerson put up a horse mill, which Mr. Boyd's Atlas sketch says was the first in the county, but this is a mistake; Saml. E. Todd's was the first horse mill, antedating Wilkerson's by a year or two.

   "History of Livingston County [MO]," Livingston County Library, No date <http://www.lcl.lib.mo.us/~lcl/History/County/1886/1886chapt20.htm> 15 July 2004.

Brannoc and Polly lived the remainder of their lives in Livingston Co MO. No documentation is found for Polly after the 1830 Ray Co MO Census. In 1843 Brannoc is last documented patenting additional land in Livingston Co MO.

Brannoc was in his "78th year" when he died on 2/4/1848. His obituary was reported in the Chariton Co MO newspaper where son Thomas lived. Brannoc died intestate. Son Martin was appointed by the court to inventory and dispose of the estate. In a court affidavit dated 2/7/1848, Brannoc's sons John N., Martin, and Thomas are cited as living in Missouri while son Joseph B. is cited as living in Mississippi.