Brinson
I don’t usually write about surnames from my own family tree, but I’ve been researching this line a bit and there are some pretty interesting characters – so why not? One of my ancestors appears to be perhaps the first Brinson to immigrate to America in 1677. But, first a bit about the origins of the surname. This one has several theories and they are as follows:
House of Names – The Brinsons lived in the village of Brinton in County Norfolk. The name was first found in Herefordshire where a family seat had been held from ancient times, and well before the Norman Conquest. Interesting, because another source believes the name actually had French (Normandy) origins and came to England as a result of the Norman Conquest.
Internet Surname Database – Brinson is of Old French origin, originally a locational name from “Briencun” in Normandy. Presumably following the Norman Conquest, a family assigned a place name as “Brimstone Hill” in County Essex. This source also adds that the name may derive from a form of the Middle English word “brem(e)” or “brim(me)” (vigorous or fierce), which was originally derived from an Olde English word “breme” – add “-son” to it and you get “Brimson” (close). For more information click the link above.
4Crests – This was a locational name ‘of Branston’, a parish in a Lincoln diocese. If so, the name might have originally derived from an Old English word “Branstun” which mean someone who lived where broom grew.
Like the Internet Surname Database, both Ancestry.com and New Dictionary of American Family Names believe the surname origin is French, which of course, was likely introduced in England following the Norman Conquest. Interestingly, none of these sources mentions County Devon in England, which is where my ancestors hailed from.
Daniel Brinson (1653-1696)
Daniel Brinson was born on September 8, 1653 in County Devon, England to William and Margaret Brinson. Records show that Daniel arrived on these shores in 1677, according to The Philadelphia and Bucks County Register of Arrivals:
Daniel Brinson of membury parish in ye County of Devon – arived in this River the 28 day of the 7th month 1677 in the Willing mind of London of m[ast]er Lucome. maryed to ffrances green land of East Jersey the 8th day of the 8th month 1681.
In early records, the family name was sometimes referred to as “Brunson”, “Brynson”, “Brymson” or “Brimson”. One reference, the Somerset County Historical Quarterly (Volume III, 1914), has quite a bit of information on the Brinson and Greenland families, although I believe some of it to be incorrect based on more recently located historical records (more on that below).
As mentioned in the register of arrivals record above, Daniel married Frances Greenland on October 8, 1681. Frances’ father Dr. Henry Greenland was a prominent citizen, said to have been the first to settle in Princeton, New Jersey. According to Princeton history, Dr. Greenland built a “house of accommodation” (tavern) there in 1683 and part of it still survives as part of the Gulick House, an historic landmark.
Daniel settled along the same highway around 1685 on land that is the site of another historical site known as “the Barracks”. That house was built by Richard Stockton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and may have been used during the French and Indian War to house soldiers.
Daniel may have had a violent temper and abused Frances, according to Riots and Revelry in Early America:
While court records for seventeenth-century New Jersey are relatively sparse, we do know, for example, that in 1694 Doctor Henry Greenland appeared in the Middlesex Court of quarter sessions on behalf of his daughter Frances to complain that she had been abused by her husband, Daniel Brynson.
In 1693, Dr. Greenland patented four hundred acres of land about a mile from what is today Princeton University, on the Millstone River, and on this plantation Daniel Brinson lived until his death in 1696. The children that Daniel and Frances had were: Barefoot, Margaret, Mary and Anne. According to Patents & Deeds & Other Early Records of New Jersey 1664-1703, an nuncupative (oral) will was recorded on June 9, 1696:
Nuncupative Will of Daniel Brymson of Milston R. declarede before Mary Davis, Sarah Gannett, Jonathan Davis and Samuel Davis. Wife Francis dau. of Dr. Greenland, son Barefoot, eldest daughter Ruth and apparently other children, Real and personal property. Proved Sept. 15, 1696.
After Daniel died, Frances married a Quaker, John Horner.
Barefoot Brinson
Barefoot Brinson was born in 1686 and said to have been named after his grandfather Henry Greenland’s friend, Dr. Walter Barefoote (who is also mentioned in Henry’s will). The Somerset County Historical Quarterly described Dr. Barefoote in this manner:
. . . Dr. Walter Barefoot (or Barford, as the name is given in England) who came to Kittery, Maine, in 1656 or 1657, and for thirty years till his death, 1688, was said to be the most litigating and scandal-raising personage connected with the Piscataqua region, whether as doctor, captain, prisoner, prison-keeper, Deputy Governor, land speculator or Chief Justice. He was well-educated and wrote a good hand. He was a churchman, but a sturdy and quarrelsome supporter of the Stuart policy, while most of his neighbors were Puritans. . .
I couldn’t locate an exact marriage record, but most family researchers believe Barefoot married Mary Lawrence (or Marritje Laurence Popinga) around 1721. At least two children, John and Ruth, were mentioned in his will. I believe, however that the Somerset County Historical Quarterly record was incorrect in saying that John married a woman by the surname of Arrowsmith, although I suppose she could have been a first wife.
Our research indicate that Barefoot’s son John married Hannah Anne Stout. Barefoot’s will was written in 1742 or 1743 and one of the witnesses was Joseph Stout, probably Hannah’s uncle, so John marrying into the Stout family seems more likely. It is presumed that Barefoot died sometime in 1748 because his will was proved on May 13 of that year.
On November 21, 1748 Mary Brunson (an alternate spelling) advertised about three hundred acres of land for sale in the New York Gazette. Executors for Barefoot’s will were Mary Brunson and Thomas Lawrence (her brother I presume).
Barefoot was also sheriff of Somerset County, New Jersey and according to History of Princeton and Its Institutions, Volume 1, serving until his death in 1748.
The Brinson family eventually made their way to Pulaski County, Kentucky and intermarried with the Earps, the family of my grandmother Okle Emma Erp (family changed spelling of name, as the legend goes, to distance themselves from their infamous relative Wyatt Earp). Just as I was concluding research for this article, I found a record that indicates that Daniel Brinson bought land from Thomas Budd on February 10, 1685, who it looks like may have been the grandfather of Mary Budd. Mary Budd married Joshua Earp, who is the common ancestor I share with Wyatt Earp, my third cousin three times removed.
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Thanks for stopping by!
Thankyou!
Daniel Brinson and Henry Greenland was where our Brinson heritage started in the United States from England.
Darla Brinson-McDonald
Cleo Springs, Oklahoma 73729
Thanks for stopping by, cousin! 🙂 Did you have any Brinson ancestors in Pulaski County, Kentucky?
Yes
Yes, Zebulon Brinson D.1804 Montgomery, KY
And Mary Ann Riblin Brinson D.1809 in Pulaski, KY
Anyone have information on John Daniel Brinson’s ancestors in Membury Parish Devon England? Father William
What about the Brinson’s in Canada?
Brinsons in Canada — your family? Tell me more as I haven’t run across any in Canada. Thanks for stopping by.
I’ve only met my family, and most of us are located in Alberta. But I don’t know anything about my family history.
So which side of your family (maternal or paternal) is the Brinson line?
My paternal family. My great grandfather died a number of years ago before I took interest in learning my heritage and my grandfather doesn’t know much either as far as I know.
If you can get the names and birth dates (even if approximate) of parents, grandparents and perhaps great grandparents that would be a good start — you’d be surprised what you can find out with just that small amount of information. Any information as to where they were born and lived is also very helpful in finding records.
Would be interesting to see if we were any way related. It appears my Brinson line originated in England. I have one ancestor, the first born in America, by the name of Barefoot (or Barfoot).
This was very interesting
Hi Samantha, My family is from BC and Alberta. My grandfather was Frank Brinson, his father was Emmitt Brinson, who originally immigrated from the US. I would assume we are likely related through Emmitt? I believe this is the only Brinson branch in Canada.
Hello, I believe that I am Barefoot’s 7th (or so) Granddaughter. My Grandfather was Carter Ben Brunston, born in 1920, he was the son of Alice Rosa Coates and Benjamin Jolly Brunston. Benjamin’s father was William Butler Brunston, his father was Isaac Brunston, who’s father was Isaac “Barefoot” Brunston (1748), who’s father was Daniel Bryns Brinson (1653).
Very interesting .. I haven’t seen that surname spelling variation before (Brunston). Perhaps we are cousins… thanks for stopping by!
Does anyone know if the Brinson were slave owners in Georgia?
I see there were some slaves with the Brinson surname so I’d say there were some Brinsons who did own slaves. My Brinson line went to Kentucky. Thanks for stopping by.
Yes, there were Brinsons in Georgia who were slave owners. We were not a wealthy family so we didn’t have many. I am a Brinson and my family has a cemetery outside of Swainsboro where the family and their servants are buried. We have an annual meeting/reunion where we clean our cemetery. We have a stone in the cemetery with the servant’s names listed.
We were also pioneer settlers of Emanuel County, GA and served in the State Legislature for several generations. We moved there in 1800.
I do want to make a point that there were other Brinsons who came to Virginia in the 1660’s near Virginia Beach in an area called Dam Neck. This is where my line came from with genealogical stops in Jacksonville, NC on down to Burke and Emanuel Counties in GA. My father worked diligently to trace our history back to this location in VA. Back in the 1980’s we had a huge family reunion of sort to name Lake Tecumseh in our name, Brinson Inlet Lake. https://archive.org/stream/damneckstory00unse/damneckstory00unse_djvu.txt
Here is a link that we believe is an accurate trace of our ancestry: http://one-name.org/name_profile/brimson/
It speaks of where the name came from and when it was introduced to England. Thomas is the first person we hear of having this name and he was a cousin of William The Conqueror. It is believed that Thomas came over with William in 1066.
I believe we came from southeastern England just outside of London. in the county of Kent.
-Jonathan Brinson,
son of Benjamin Lewis Brinson, Jr.
Grandson of Benjamin Lewis Brinson
Great Grandson of Benjamin Lester Brinson
Great Great Grandson of Jesse Adam Brinson
Great Great Great Grandson of Benjamin E. Brinson
Hello Jonathan, I just stumbled across this website and saw your post. Thank you for setting the record straight on the Virginia Brinsons! I am one of your distant cousins from Virginia and was at that family reunion years ago. My maternal grandmother was a Brinson. My mother’s cousin, Margaret (Brinson) Reed, initiated the effort to change the name of the lake. She had a genealogy of our family line done and pulled together the descendants of the three Brinson brothers who came to Virginia in the 1600s, for that 300+ year family reunion. She is now deceased, and my mother is the only Brinson of her generation still living.
It is interesting to see that our ancestors likely originated from Kent England (for many years my family had mistakenly assumed Scotland). Ironically, I live in New Kent Virginia.
In the 1980s, I was the manager of False Cape State Park in Southeastern Virginia Beach. There is a small cemetery back in the maritime forest with several family plots. I was amazed to discover that among them—and the oldest grave there—is a single grave with a headstone that reads: Mary W. Brinson, 1852-1898. No other Brinsons are buried there. I later learned that Mary was apparently widowed and moved back home to be buried with her family.
I would love to learn
More on the Brinson settlers in Virginia.
I have taken my Brinson family tree back to the 1600’s with John Daniel Brinson coming from England to New Jersey on the ship called the willing Mind. His defendants was settlers in Virginia.
Has any books been written?
Thankyou!
[email protected]
I am a descendant of these Brinson. I believe Benjamin E. Brinson may be my great, great, great grandfather.
Hello Jonathan!
I am a Brinson born in the Dam Neck area! Thank you so much for your comment! It had helped immensely with my research!
Hey Marcia how would I be able to check further and deaper on the Brinson family name
Excellent information! My great grandmother was Edith Brinson Smith from Indianapolis, her line comes from Kentucky as well.
Sounds like we may be related…. thanks for stopping by!
Sharon,
My Brinson line was traced back to Daniel Brinson. I think I am like 10 generations removed from Daniel. My grandfather was Gaylord Alton Brinson, son of Cory F. and Pearl Bell Buchanan Brinson. They lived in Madison, Indiana and relatives had a grave sites on the Kentucky side of the Ohio river that I have visited. My father is Robert. We made a trip to Princeton to see the Barracks and the old mill traced back to Daniel and Barefoot times last September. We found that Princeton University is built on the land that was once owned by Daniel Brinson. I am curious to see if I can find any Revolutionary war veterans in my ancestry. I would love to see our connection!
Laura Brinson Graham
We are more than likely related .. distant cousins. One of my ancestors is Barefoot Brinson. I haven’t researched further on Barefoot yet but many trees say Daniel was his father. Do you have a tree I can view?
My family line as far back as I have traced it ….William Brinson (born in Devonshire, England about 1623, death ?, married Margaret ?), Daniel Brinson (born 1653 in Membury Parrish, Membury, Devonshire, England, died 1696 Milston, Middlesex, NJ area of Princeton, married Frances Greenland 1681), Barefoot Brinson (born 1686, Middlesex Co.,NJ, died in NJ date?, married to Marritje Mary Lawrence Popinga 1705-1737), John Brinson (born in New York in 1725, died after 1759,? place, married Hannah Stout 1741-?), Zebulon Brinson, Sr. (born 1750 Hopewell, Hunterdon Co., NJ, died Montgomery Co., KY 1804,married Mary? 1768 in VA), Zebulon Brinson, Jr. (born 1771 in VA, died 1851 in Ripley Co., IN, married Catherine Keithley 1799 Madison Co, KY), Anthony Keithley Brinson (born 1805 Montgomery Co., KY, died 1877 Switzerland Co., IN, married Nancy Tipton (Safley) Softley 1824 Ripley Co., IN), Jonathon Brinson (born 1832 Cross Plains, Ripley Co., IN, died 1910, Switzerland Co., IN, married Bethany Jackson ? date,place), Anthony Andrew Brinson (born 1854 Ripley Co., IN, died 1920, married Elizabeth A. Stevenson 1875 Ripley Co.,IN), Corydan F. Brinson (born 1878, IN, died 1971, Madison, IN, married Pearl B. Buchanan), Gaylord Alton Brinson (born 1907 North Madison, IN, died 2004, New Castle, IN lived in Mt. Summit, IN, married Ruby Blanche Perkinson in IN), Robert Lee Brinson (my father, born 1936, IN, lives in Michigantown, IN currently, married Nancy Modlin 1958, daughter Laura Brinson Graham – thats me! – born in NJ while my father was in Army, stationed very close to Princeton but had no idea of history of family roots there at the time!) We are definitely cousins!
It appears we are cousins. I recognize several names in your list of ancestors. My Brinsons went to Kentucky.
Hi there, I am descended from Cason Brinson in New Bern, NC. My father was Kenneth Hill Brinson. Lovely to run across this page! I am very interested in family history/research. Have you all seen the book “Here, There and Yonder” by Robert Brinson?
No I haven’t. My Brinsons were in New Jersey. I wonder if we are related in any way (would be way back probably)? Have you done DNA on Ancestry?
Thanks so much for your info! I am also descended from the Brinsons in eastern Va. I really want to go see Brinson’s pond before i die.
Sharon, I have done my DNA w/ Ancestry and am waiting to hear back on 2 other tests. I can’t help but wonder if the Brinsons are all related. How do I find you on Ancestry?
Very possible we’re related. This is my family tree on Ancestry: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/100168386/family
You’ll find the Brinsons off the maternal Erp/Earp line (Hannah Brinson was Andrew Milford Erp’s mother). There is also another Brinson (Hannah’s sister Temperance).
Daniel Brinson was my 12th Great Grandfather. Would love to read any information.
[email protected]
Tyia
Is anyone here related to the Brinson line in South Carolina? All I know is that my great grandmother’s name was Bertha Marie Martin Brinson born Sept 18 1910.
I’m brinson from South Carolina.. my grandfather is Ernest o. Brinson
Hi Sharon, We corresponded a few months ago on my Rapalje Family & Van Nest[e] ancestors. You were planning to do story of my ancestor. Brinson is in my ancestor tree too. What is your line?
William Brinson-Brunson is my 8th great grandfather, his son Daniel, his daughter Margaret, her son Daniel Van Vliet/Van Der Vliedt [I’m a DAR member for Daniel]; Daniel daughter Margaret ‘Peggy’ Vliet m Joseph Montgomery Warne; their daughter Abigail Warne m John ‘John W.’ Van Neste/Van Nest; their son Daniel Van Nest/VAN NESS my 2nd Great Grandfather married-3: Mary E Christman/Crissman; their son Jacob Girton Van Ness; Francis La Fayette/Lay Fette ‘Frank’ Van Ness-my grandfather, his son Nolan V. Van Ness, ME-Wilma Van Ness, [my 3 children by Jervis: Sarah E, Melissa S, Michael N.]. Sarah 2 children: Georgia D. & Sebastian P.
What a delightful read, and Hello cousins, and cousins and more cousins, here is my direct line, William Brinson/Margaret, Daniel Brinson/Frances Greenland, Barefoot Brinson/Mary Popinga, John Brinson /Hannah Stout, Zebulon Brinson /Mary Ann Riblin, Zebulon Brinson (jr)/Catherine Keithley, Stout Brinson/Mary Wade, Joseph Brinson, Sarah Hankins, Lula Edna Brinson/William Baxter, Anna Margaret Baxter/William H Cox, Dorothy Cox/William Highfield Sturgeon, my father michael sturgeon and then Me, Heather Sturgeon. DNA done in 2016, i have several matches I love this, thank you so much for sharing [email protected] here is a link to my tree https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/81222449/family?fpid=292147418501
Heather, thanks so much for stopping by! And, yes we are cousins… always glad to come across more family. Did you by chance take a look at some of my services, specifically the family history charts: https://digging-history.com/charts/
Also, please feel free to take a sample (or two) of Digging History Magazine… would love to have you as a subscriber. I often write about my own “research adventures”: https://digging-history.com/free-samples/
Thank you for your interesting article. I have been researching Brinson family-12 generations from William Brinson 1623-1670 Daniels father to Ky and Anthony Keithley Brinson 1805-1877 to his daughter Martha Ann (Brinson) Copher born in S. Indiana 1827-1919.Her daughter was Emma Ellen (Copher) Couch born 1869 in Elwood IN.-died 1952.She was my great grandmother-my maiden name was Couch. Thanks again cousin, L. Grove
Thanks so much for stopping by! I’m glad you enjoyed the article. I’m sure we are indeed cousins 🙂
Sharon Hall, Publisher and Editor, Digging History Magazine
I am also related to Anthony Keithley Brinson. Have traced back my line to William Brinson of Membury Parish of Devon, England
I believe I’m ancestrally linked to the Brinson, Brunson family, who emigrated to America and wound up in New Jersey, then New York state. Below is what I believe is my ancestry regarding this family:
Catherine Brunson is my 2nd great grandmother, B:31 Mar 1810 Orange County, New York, D:23 Dec 1873, Easton, Ionia County, Michigan, She married in about 1827-28 to Benjamin H. Conner, B:19 Oct 1802 Orange County, NY, D:19 July 1881 Easton, Ionia Co., MI. Benjamin’s granddaughter, Mary Elizabeth (Conner) Haynor, is my grandmother. I’ve been able to find and follow this family through historical documents from Michigan, where my 2nd great grandmother and grandfather lived and died, coming from Orange Co., NY, then the family came from New Jersey, after immigrating from England.
Catherine Brunson’s ancestral lineage appears as follows:
* Samuel Brunson, Jr., her father, B: Abt. 1765, Somerset County, New Jersey, D: Abt. 1833, Crawford, Orange County, NY.
* Samuel Brunson, Sr., her grandfather, B: Btw. 1721-35, Somerset County, NJ, D: Abt. 1803, Orange County, NY.
* Barefoot Brinson/Brunson Sr., her great grandfather, B: 1686 Middlesex, Middlesex County, NJ, D: Btw. 1746-49 Somerset, Somerset County, NJ. Barefoot, was his actual first name. He was the first sheriff of Somerset County, NJ. With a first name of Barefoot, I don’t doubt he was as tough as a cobb of corn. Was sheriff possibly for at least 30 years.
* (John) Daniel Brinson/Brunson, her 2nd great grandfather, B: 8 Sep 1653, Membury Parish, Membury, Devon, England, D: 1696 Millstone, Middlesex, NJ.
* William Brinson/Brynson, her 3rd great grandfather, B: Btw. 1597-1620, Membury, Devon, England, D: before 15 July, 1670 Membury, Devon, England.
* James Gibbs Brinson/Brynson, her 4th great grandfather, B: Abt. 1577, Membury Parish, Membury, Devon, England, D: 15 July, 1670 Membray Par, Devon, England.
* William Brinson/Brynson, her 5th great grandfather, B: Abt. 1556 Devon, England, D: Abt. 1610 Devon, England.
I’d appreciate any responses to this posting, that might link to this Brinson/Brunson family.
We are related through Barefoot Brinson! My Great Grandfather is Corydon Brinson of Madison, IN