Last update: 29-Jul-2024 by Don Braffitt
These notes cover three BRAFFETT families primarily in North America and a BRAITHWAITE family primarily in North America.
The BRAFFETT information covered begins in Plainfield, Connecticut and southeastern New York (Counties of Orange, Ulster, and Sullivan) and nearby eastern Pennsylvania (Luzerne/Bradford County) in the late 1700s. The most common surname spelling covered is BRAFFETT, but BRAFFET and BRAFFITT also figure prominently. The general organization of these notes devotes a section to each of the three families. For additional details in an online genealogy database which includes these Braffett descendants and related families, go to
The BRAITHWAITE information covered begins in Utah in the mid 1800s. For additional details in an online genealogy database, go to
This list of Braffett / Braffet / Braffitt / Braithwaite descendants in North America is based on many sources including Find a Grave and FamilySearch:
Braffett / Braffet / Braffitt / Braithwaite - descendantsThese notes were assembled with information provided by numerous people including research James Matthew Braffitt Jr. started during World War II.
The origin of these families before North America is likely the area in and around Cumbria, England. A 2G grandson of Hezekiah Braffett of Orange County, New York through his son William Henry Braffett has several Y-DNA matches with Braithwaite in North America who trace their origins to Cumbria, England. These matches include a match (Y Haplogroup J-FT248616) with a 3G grandson of Rowland Braithwaite (1781-1852) of Cumbria, England. Here are the results from a 2017-2018 Braithwaite DNA Project with additional results since 2018. In addition, the village Braithwaite in Cumbria, England, has a pronuncation similar to the pronunciation of the surname Braffett. The migration from England to North America was probably at least 2 separate events with a migration event or events in the mid-1700s to the New York and Connecticut area and a migration event in the mid-1800s to the Utah area. Additional details are available in the FamilyTreeDNA Braithwaite Genealogy DNA Project including suggested maps of the migration of Braithwaite ancestors from Africa to England.
Here is a map showing estimated migration specific to J-FT248616 (subgroup of J-M172) from Africa to England based on Y-DNA testing.
The exact relationship of these Braffett/Braffet/Braffitt/Braithwaite families in North America is not known at this time. However, there are numerous autosomal DNA connections between descendants of these various Braffett/Braffet/Braffitt families in North America.
There are also records in New York for Edtwort Breffoert, Rody Comstock, and their children Rebecca Breffoert and Mary Breffert:
No connection between these Breffoert/Breffert records and Braffett/Braffet/Braffit/Braithwaite has been found.
James Braffett is the first known Braffett of this family line. He was born about 1763 in Plainfield, Windham County, Connecticut. He and Gamaliel Jaqua came from Connecticut about 1792 to the area that was then Ulster Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania but is now Burlington Township, Bradford County. Luzerne County was formed from Northumberland County in 1786, and Bradford County from Luzerne County in 1810. Burlington Township was formed from Wysok Township in 1802.
James married about 1796 Rebecca Gore whose father Silas Gore was slain at the battle of Wyoming. By 1798, James and his family (wife Rebecca and daughter Lucinda), were living on 200 acres valued at $225 in Ulster Township in an 18 foot by 18 foot dwelling valued at $15. For the 1800 census, James and his family (wife Rebecca and children Lucinda and Silas) were enumerated in Wysok Township.
James began improvements on the Morley farm and erected the first framed house in Burlington Township in 1804. James and Rebecca had 5 children before James died about 1808. Rebecca then married Joseph Bloom who occupied the farm. Gamaliel Jaqua married Eleanor Campbell, daughter of James Campbell, and their child Judson Jaqua married Lucinda Braffett. Gamaliel did not stay long in Burlington Township. Rebecca, Joseph, and most of Rebecca's children moved to Harrison Township, Darke County, Ohio by 1826.
To the east in the early 1800s, James J. Braffet (1802-1888) and Hezekiah Braffett (born about 1804) including son William Henry Braffett (1834-1911), were living in Orange County, New York. James William Braffett (1772-1812) including son George Washington Braffett (1801-1887) were living in Ulster County, New York. James William Braffett's grandson Elisha Braffett (1827-1904) was living in Sullivan County, New York. The relationship of these Braffett/Braffet families to James Braffett of Luzerne County is not known at this time.
For the latest charts and references on this family, seeJohn Braffet (name Joshua Braffett in some genealogies and family histories) is the first known Braffett of this family line. John and Mary Mapes (daughter of Henry Mapes of Monroe, Orange County, New York) were married probably in Orange County, New York. In the will of Henry Mapes written 20-Oct-1812 and proved 04-Mar-1823 in Goshen, Orange County, New York, he leaves "my grandson, Hezekiah Braffit, the sum of $20."
For the latest charts and references on this family, seeJames William Braffett is the first known Braffett of this family line. There is some debate as to his given name (James or William). The descendants in this family line have consistently used the BRAFFETT spelling. The starting point for the family that stayed in the NY/PA area is the bible of Rene Paul Braffett. Much of the information on the George Washington Braffett family that migrated west is from a family group sheet on George Washington Braffett prepared by LaDean Sherwood Mellor, from information collected by Lala Vadeina Gifford Whitley, and from recent work by Kaneitha Boyd.
For the latest charts and references on this family, see