Susannah Bracken was dead at the time of her father' s will in 1749. Her son
William and daughter Elizabeth were beneficiaries under William Bracken's will. Elizabeth Gillehan received "a house and shop and 4 acres of land
where John Lapsley lately lived on the main road to the White Clay Creek."
This land was sold by William Bracken and wife Elizabeth to Zebulon
Cantrell on Feb. 12, 1763 (Bk W, p. 545), indicating that Elizabeth
Gillehan married a cousin, William Bracken. Elizabeth Gillehan had three
uncles named Bracken, any of whom could have been the father of William.
They are Thomas (2), Henry (3) and John (8). William (9), son of Thomas
(2), married Ruth Gregg. William (18), son of Henry (3), married Sarah
Garitt. Elizabeth Gillehan's husband must be a son of John (8). There is
much to support this. John (8) and wife Catherine sold the land he received from his father
William (1) in 1763, the same year William and Elizabeth sold the land she
inherited from her grandfather William Bracken (1). John's deed was
witnessed by William Gillehan and William Brackin, Jr. (Jr. here is suspected
to mean not son of William but rather a younger William in the com-
munity, a custom often followed in those days.) John (8) Brackin moved
to Orange Co., N. C. In 1790 deeds, Orange Co., N. C. (Bk 4, p. 669),
William Brackin gave to his son James Brackin, out of love and affection,
land that he had received as administrator and heir-at-law from his father
John Brackin, bearing date 24 April 1770. This land had been acquired
August 13, 1768 from John Robison. The deed was witnessed by Andrew
Smith (son- in-law) and William Brackin, Jr. To trace this couple further, William Brackin moved to Sumner Co.,
Tenn. , where he bought 200 acres of land from James Brackin, Sr. in 1806
(Bk 4, p. 116). In 1808 William Brackin died, leaving a widow Elizabeth.
James Brackin, Sr. acted as administrator. On January 5, 1819, Elizabeth
drew a will (probated November 1821) naming herself as widow of William
Brackin, deceased, and listing as heir a daughter Polly, wife of Ashford
Keen. One slave, Hannah, was among her possessions. The probable reason
for her naming only her daughter Polly Keen as heir is that her son-in-law
Ashford Keen had bought for her the property that had belonged to her
husband when he died intestate. This transaction may be found in Sumner
Co., Tenn., Deeds, Bk 7, p. 37. The families of Henry (3)'s two sons, William and Henry, will now be
given. These are the only two Bracken families that remained in Delaware 6 During the Revolution All of Thomas’ (2) and John (8)’s children left Delaware before 1770.
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/11288618/person/12100080161/media/2?pgnum=1&pg=0&pgpl=pid%7cpgNum
