Rebecca Brannen Line
THE REBECCA BRANNEN LINE
Rebecca Brannen (1822-1904)
Rebecca was the eleventh child of Archibald Brannen Sr (1777-1827) and Mary Atkinson (188-??). She was born at Clam Point January 3 1822. Church records show she was baptized March 2, 1837.
She wed twice. She married her first husband Samuel Penney (1813-1855?) in January 3, 1842. They lived at South Side. They had eight children who lived to maturity. All of them would have been under age 15 at the time of Samuel’s death.
Her second husband was Archelaus Smith Swim (1809-1891) the widower of her older sister Abigail. They married around 1856 and appear to have had one child together Jethro Crowell Swim (1858-1928). The 1871 census showed that three of her children, Laura, Abijah, and Samuel Jr. from her marriage to Samuel Penney were living with them as well as Jethro from her marriage to Smith.
She inherited a portion of her husband’s substantial estate, Rebecca died about 1904 at Swim’s Point.
THE THIRD GENERATION
THE FAMILY OF REBECCA BRANNEN (1822-C1904)
Rebecca married twice and both marriages produced children. She first married Samuel Penney 1813-1891. Their children were:
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Susan Ross Penney (1841-1887)
Susan was born in South Side December 1841 the oldest child of Samuel Penney (1813-1855) Rebecca Brannen (1822-1904).
Susan Penney is shown in Centreville church records as having been baptized by Rev. Brown in either 1856 or 7.
She married John Fisk Duncan (1841-1913) January 26 1865. He was the son of Samuel Duncan and Grizelda Crowell. He was a fisherman who lived in Clark's Harbour. They had eight children.
In the 1871 census they were living on Cape Island with three children at home. In the 1881 census she was age 39. There were eight children at home. John was a fisherman. The two oldest of the sons John T. Duncan age 16, and Job H. Duncan age 14 were working as fishermen.
Susan died at Clark’s Harbour in August 27 1887at age 46 leaving several young children. She is buried in Clark’s Harbour.
After the death of Susan Penney in 1887 leaving him with several young children, he appears to have married Ruth A. (1854-??).
The 1901 census shows four children in the household. The four are Laura age 22, Effie age 21, Blanche age 18 and Chester age 16. Laura was the child of Susan while the other children were Ruth’s.
The 1911 census shows him age 67 married to Ruth A. Son Chester age 26 was still at home. Chester was single working as a fisherman.
John died October 19 1913 at Clark’s Harbour.
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Sarah Penney (1843-1894)
Sarah was born October 1843 in South Side NS. She was a child of Samuel Penney (1813-1855) Rebecca Brannen (1822-1904).
She married William Edward Nickerson (1842-1913) son of Judah Nickerson and Elizabeth Smith. on March 5 1864. He was a fisherman. They appear to have had ten children several do not appear to have lived to maturity.
Sarah and Edward along with four children appear in the 1881 census. He was a fisherman and their eldest William age 16 was also a fisherman. The children were William age 16, Edward, 11, Hadwin, age eight, Susan six years old.. There were several of their children that do not ever appear on census rolls, Jason, Lila and Thomas.
In the 1891 census they are shown with five children at home. The two oldest are fishermen. They were listed as Harry, Hadwin, Susan, Marsden and Ella.
Sarah died February 3 1894 at age 48. Ella their youngest daughter was only age ten.
Her husband William died September 11 1913 at Clark’s Harbour.
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Mary Jane Penney (1846-1907)
Mary Jane was born at South Side July 23 1846. She was the second child of Samuel Penney (1813-1855) Rebecca Brannen (1822-1904). She married Mark M. Atwood (1846-1932) January 5th 1870. He was a fisherman. They had at least four children, Rebecca, Luranie, Clarence Clifford and Vera.
Mary Jane died June 6 1907 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery at Lower Clark’s Harbour. Vera her youngest child would only have been seven years old. Her husband Mark Atwood re-married November 5 1908 to Susan Jane Brannen (1849-1929),
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Rachel Kendrick Penney (1847-1933)
Rachel was born March 17 1847 at Clark’s Harbour NS. She was the daughter of Rebecca Brannen (1822-1904) and Samuel Penney (1813-C1855).
She married Job Swim (1846-1912) January 19 1869. He was the son of George S. Swim and Abigail Crowell. He was a ships master. They had three children: Ella May (1869-1923), Reuben Clifford (1871-1931), and Gamaliel Harris (1876-1955).
The 1871 census found her married to Job and with a child Ella M. age one. She appears in the 1881 census as age 34 married to Job with three children at home, Ella age 11, Reuben age nine and Gamiliel five. She appears in the 1891 census as age 44, married to Job a fisherman. There were two children at home Reuben age 19 and Gamiliel age 15. In 1901 she is shown as age 54 in the census. They were living at Clark's Harbour. There were no children at home. In 1911 she is shown as age 62 in the census. They were living at West Head.
Job died July 14 1912 and is buried in Oakvale cemetery in Clark’s Harbour.
In the 1921 census she was shown as age 74. She was a widow living alone on Main Street in Clark's Harbour.
Rachel died in Clark’s Harbour NS January 10 1939 and is buried in Oakvale Cemetery with her husband, Job.
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Laura Penney (1848-1873)
Laura was born on Cape Sable Island about 1848. She was a child of Samuel Penney 1813-1855 Rebecca Brannen 1822-1904.
She died of tuberculous at age 24 on March 23 1873. She never married or had children.
Laura is buried at Swim’s Point NS
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Abijah Penney (1850-1874)
Abijah was born in South Side July 12 1850 the son of Samuel Penney 1813-1855 Rebecca Brannen 1822-1904.
His father died when he was only five years old. About a year later his mother married Smith Swim 1809-1891 and the family moved into Smith’s home at Swims Point.
In the 1871 census he was living in the household of Smith Swim and his mother Rebecca and was shown as a fisherman.
He married Emma Smith 1856-1927 January 8 1873. She was the daughter of James Smith and Jane Atkinson. Abijah was age 21 she was 17 years old. He was a fisherman.
He died April 13 1874 at Swim’s Point due to tuberculosis. He was only 23 years old. He is buried at Swim's Point.
He had been married about a year and left a son Samuel Austin Penney 1873-1930. Emma remarried to Robert Ezra Lowe 1852-1928 April 15 1875. They had eight children. She died February 10 1927 at Lower Clark’s Harbour.
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Ruben Ross Penney (1851-1918)
He was born November 7 1851 at South Side NS. He was the seventh child of Rebecca Brannen 1822-1904 and Samuel Penney 1813-1855.
His father died when he was only four years of age. His mother remarried to Smith Swim about 1856. The family then moved into his home at Swim’s Point
The 1871 census showed him as age 19 and living at home.
October 14 1874, he married Eusebia Cunningham 1857-1933. She was the daughter of Joseph Cunningham and Elizabeth Wilson. They had 12 children.
The 1881 census showed him as age 28 a mariner married with 2 children living with them.
On May 8 1877 he was a volunteer along with Captain Job Crowell who took eight others out on board the schooner Matchless in rough weather to look for the capsized schooner Codseeker. Their bravery resulted in the rescue of four crew members of the Codseeker. The Dominion Government awarded him ten dollars in gold for his heroics.
The 1891 census showed him age 39 married with six children at home. The 1901 census showed him married with eight children at home. In the 1911 census there were only two children remaining at home.
He was a fisherman and harbour master at Barrington
He died in June 23 1918 and is buried at North East Point in the Old Kirk Cemetery. His wife Eusebia died May 17 1933 in Centreville. She is buried with Ruben in North East Point.
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Samuel Bryant Penney (1853-1914)
Samuel was born May 11 1853 at South Side NS. He was the eighth and youngest child of Rebecca Brannen 1822-1904 and Samuel Penney 1813-1855. His father died perhaps even before he was born. His mother married Smith Swim when he was only about one year old and they moved to Smith’s home at Swim’s Point.
He married Elizabeth Josephine Nickerson 1865-1944 at Clark’s Harbour December 211881. She was the daughter of John G. Nickerson and Susan M. Worth. They had seven children.
The 1891 census showed him as 37 married with 3 children at home. He was living on Cape Island. The 1901 census showed him as 47 married with 5 children at home.
Sometime after 1901 the family moved to Vancouver BC. In the 1911 census they living at 1123 Richard, in Vancouver. He was a retired mariner age 51. He indicated he was married to Elizabeth age 46. George, Alton, Clermont, and John were living in the same house. Celeste Larkin age 24 described as a daughter of Samuel, and a granddaughter Maydo age 5 is also with them. There were two lodgers also in the house.
He died in Vancouver in August 31 1914 and is buried in the Mountain View Cemetery there. His wife Elizabeth out lived him by thirty years. She died June 13 1944 in Vancouver and is buried with her husband.
After the death of her first husband Samuel, Rebecca, married Archelaus Smith Swim 1809-1891. They had only one child Jethro C. Swim born March 12 1858 at West Head NS.
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Jethro Crowell Swim (1858-1923)
Jethro was the only child of Rebecca Brannen’s marriage to Archelus Smith Swim (1809-1891). He was born March 12 1858 in Swim’s Point NS.
He married Lillian G. (Lillas) Smith (1858-1973) at The Hawk April 28 1878. She was the daughter of Stewart Smith and Mary A. They had ten children.
In the 1881 census showed him as age 23 married to Lillian. He was shown a fisherman. There were two children at home. The 1901 census they had eight children at home. His mother Rebecca was living with them. The 1921 census found he and Lillian living in Clark’s Harbour. With them was a 16-year-old grandson.
He died May 1 1923 at Clark’s Harbour. Lillis died in 1973 at West Head NS.
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