James Bennett Bracken, Sr.

WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY     (Washington County, Utah)

JAMES BENNETT BRACKEN, SR.

(pioneer settler of St. George and Pine Valley)

BIOGRAPHY

James Bennett Bracken, Sr. was born on January 14, 1816 in Colerain Heights, Hamilton County, Ohio.

Sarah Head was born February 15, 1817 in Howard County, Missouri.

James married Elizabeth Ann "Betsy" Fawcett in September 1837 in Caldwell County, Missouri.

Betsy died on February 12, 1842.

James married Sarah Head on April 23, 1843 in Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois.

In 1852, James and his family crossed the plains with an oxcart in the Thomas C.D. Howell Company,
arriving in Salt Lake City in September of 1852. They settled in Payson for a while.

The Bracken family was sent to St. George in 1861. Two years later, they moved to Pine Valley where they
pioneered and spent the rest of their lives. James farmed, raised stock, and was a shingle maker. He was
very active in civic and religious affairs. James was the Superintendent of the Sunday School in Pine Valley.
The family would spend their winters in St. George.

James died on March 31, 1900 in Panguitch, Garfield County, Utah while visiting at the home of his daughter,
Martha. He was taken back and buried in Block 2, Lot 26 of the Pine Valley Cemetery.

Sarah died on July 4, 1901 in Pine Valley and was also buried in the Pine Valley Cemetery.


FAMILY

James' Parents and Siblings:
    Levi Bracken
    Elizabeth Clark Bracken
        Mary Ann Bracken
        Hannah Marie Bracken
        James Bennett Bracken, Sr.
        William Bracken
        Martha Ruth Bracken
        Lucretia Charlotte Bracken
        Matilda Bracken
        Elizabeth Ann Bracken

(3/13/1792-8/1/1852)   (married xx/xx/~1810)
(10/24/1790-6/14/1876)
(xx/xx/1811-xx/xx/1855)   (married Luther C. Ramsay)
(xx/xx/1814-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Levi P. Tomlin)
(1/14/1816-3/31/1900)   (married Sarah Head)
(xx/xx/1818-xx/xx/1818)
(1/14/1820-12/4/1914)   (married James Thomas Hampton)
(12/6/18231-8/26/1893)   (married William Bailey Maxwell)
(4/19/18241-5/10/1855)   (married James McLean McFate)
(10/30/1828-7/6/1915)   (married Dabney Uel Keele)
Sarah's Parents and Siblings:
    Anthony Head
    Catherine Maggard
        Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
        Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
        Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
        Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
        Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx

(xx/xx/1792-xx/xx/1852)   (married xx/xx/xxxx)
(xx/xx/1790-xx/xx/1876)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)

First Wife and Children:
    Elizabeth Ann Fawcett Bracken  
        Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
        Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
        Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
        Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
        Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx


(xx/xx/xxxx-2/12/1842)   (married 9/xx/1837)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)

Second Wife and Children:
    Sarah Head Bracken
        Martha Ann Bracken
        James Bennett Bracken, Jr.
        William Albert Bracken
        Levi Clarence Bracken
        Norvil Extine Bracken
        Orlando Henry Bracken
        Marcellus Edward Bracken


(2/15/1817-7/4/1901)   (married 4/21or23/1843)
(2/10/1844-6/20/1920)   (married Cyrus Mortimer Hancock)
(9/4/1845-1/19/1918)   (married Marian Whipple)
(3/2/1848-5/23/1940)   (married Clarissa Jane "Clara" Burgess)
(6/2/1850-4/11/1855)
(2/8/1852-1/5/1853)
(3/9/1854-4/1/1942)   (married Martha Ann Mathews)
(6/8/1857-10/20/1954)   (married Janet McMurtrie)
1 One of these birthdates must be wrong. Maybe 1823 should be 1822?


PHOTOS

James B. Bracken, Sr.
James B. Bracken, Sr.
      James B. Bracken, Sr
      James B. Bracken, Sr.
 
      Sarah H. Bracken
      Sarah H. Bracken

REFERENCES

Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel entry for James Bennett Bracken Sr. and family

James Bennett Bracken
By El Reva Clayton Hess (a great granddaughter), August 11, 1964

My Great, Greats in Washington County 1854-1863: A Talk by Ron Bracken
Stories about James B. Bracken Sr. start at 35:10 into the 58-minute talk.

Find-A-Grave entry for James Bennett Bracken, Sr

Geni entry for James Bennett Bracken Sr

Find-A-Grave entry for Sarah Head Bracken