REV.  ROBERT BRACEWELL'S WIFE

The rumor still persists that Rev. Robert Bracewell's wife's name was 'Rebecca' or that REBECCA IZARD was his sister. Here, again, are the facts -

REBECCA BAGNALL IZARD was the mother-in-law of Rev. ROBERT BRACEWELL's daughter, ANN. ANN BRACEWELL (c.1653-c.1682) was married to REBECCA's son, JAMES BAGNALL, JR at the time of the signing of Rev. BRACEWELL's will {15Feb 1668}. Under the terms of that will, REBECCA and her then husband, RICHARD IZARD, became guardians of the parson's two minor sons.

There is absolutely no known document giving the name of Rev. BRACEWELL's wife. She MAY have been named "ANN" since ANN was his third daughter-- the one traditionally named for the mother--but that is mere speculation and nothing more. There IS circumstantial evidence to suggest that Reverend BRACEWELL and RICHARD IZARD were friends back in London.

Eunice Young has shown that the Braswells and Izards were neighbors in their London parish; Isle of Wight County records show that RICHARD IZARD was the same age as our Rev. BRACEWELL; and our immigrant ancestor must have had a longstanding love and trust of Mr. IZARD to have turned over his young sons to his care scarcely a year after IZARD's arrival in his American parish.

Submitted by:  Carey Bracewell