Last Updated 9 February 2020
New analysis now available. Whilst there may be a few more individuals, the main difference is an improvement to the analysis. Such improvements have been possible due to the information generously offered by other Bracher genealogists/family historians, and to their illuminating and inspiring queries. To all of you, my heart-felt thanks!
As ever, please let me know of any mistakes, omissions or better analysis via the forum!
Attribution-NonCommercial CC-BY-NC
This license lets you remix, tweak and build upon my analysis work non-commercially, although your new work must also acknowledge me and be non-commercial. For more details on the license, go to creativecommons.org
As ever, please let me know of any mistakes, omissions or better analysis via the forum!
Attribution-NonCommercial CC-BY-NC
This license lets you remix, tweak and build upon my analysis work non-commercially, although your new work must also acknowledge me and be non-commercial. For more details on the license, go to creativecommons.org
INTRODUCTION to BRACHER FAMILY of WILTSHIRE
When I started to investigate my family tree back in 2011, little did I think I would end up trying to analyse three hundred years of the BRACHER family in its entirety as a one-name study. The family name BRACHER is rare, only 412 people recorded in 1841 census, so theoretically speaking it should be possible! Furthermore from census records it is clear that BRACHER originates from a very specific part of Wiltshire – basically the A303 corridor between Wincanton and Salisbury centred on Tisbury.
Using parish register transcripts from the Wiltshire Family History Society, wills from PRO Kew and Wilts Family History Centre at Chippenham and various online records from Somerset and Dorset online parish clerks and www.ancestry.co.uk, I have analysed the a family tree based on the premise that nearly all BRACHERs from Wiltshire are descended from one man, Robert Bracher, blacksmith of Tisbury c1520 – 1577. I have deliberately not always used the solutions in www.ancestry.co.uk public member trees as I cannot tell whether they are based on sound research - besides my own investigations have taught me that it is impossible to be absolutely sure on many occasions. So please, don’t just look at the sheets of family trees in the PDF files, let me know of your preferred solutions and point out my mistakes. After all, as the records are incomplete, other variations are possible!
I have also considered other possible spellings at times in an effort to reconstitute the most complete family tree such as Bradshaw, Brazier and Braker. These variant and deviant spellings may be due to local parish variations or mis-indexing.
I sincerely hope this website is of use and interest. Things are likely to evolve over time as there are still untapped sources of information such as other offline parish registers. I welcome contributions and questions from others, so feel free to join the forum and offer additions, corrections and comments!
Claire Bracher
Using parish register transcripts from the Wiltshire Family History Society, wills from PRO Kew and Wilts Family History Centre at Chippenham and various online records from Somerset and Dorset online parish clerks and www.ancestry.co.uk, I have analysed the a family tree based on the premise that nearly all BRACHERs from Wiltshire are descended from one man, Robert Bracher, blacksmith of Tisbury c1520 – 1577. I have deliberately not always used the solutions in www.ancestry.co.uk public member trees as I cannot tell whether they are based on sound research - besides my own investigations have taught me that it is impossible to be absolutely sure on many occasions. So please, don’t just look at the sheets of family trees in the PDF files, let me know of your preferred solutions and point out my mistakes. After all, as the records are incomplete, other variations are possible!
I have also considered other possible spellings at times in an effort to reconstitute the most complete family tree such as Bradshaw, Brazier and Braker. These variant and deviant spellings may be due to local parish variations or mis-indexing.
I sincerely hope this website is of use and interest. Things are likely to evolve over time as there are still untapped sources of information such as other offline parish registers. I welcome contributions and questions from others, so feel free to join the forum and offer additions, corrections and comments!
Claire Bracher