George Branham and
Sarah Lawrence
George Branham was the third
child of Barnabas Branham and Lavina Davis, and obviously was named
for his paternal grandfather. George was born in 1849 in
Missouri, probably in Dodge County (now Putnam County)
where he and his parents were enumerated in the 1850
census. After returning to Clinton County as a child,
George eventually met and married Sarah Lawrence.
George died around September 1884, probably in Clinton
County, when Sarah's father, Jesse Lawrence, petitioned to
serve as administrator of his estate; the petition also
listed five of George and Sarah's children (Jesse, Ella,
Barney, Lula, and Richard). These same children are also
listed in a deed recorded in Clinton County, when Sarah
sold land George had inherited from his grandfather, George
Branham.
In all, George and Sarah had seven children, although we
can identify only six from census records; "Early Times"
gives a seventh child -- daughter Cena, who was born in
1876 and died in infancy. In 1900, a widowed Sarah Branham
is enumerated in Clinton County, along with children Luan
A., James R., and Etta Mae (born 1886); this Sarah said she
had borne 7 children, of whom 6 were still alive. Given
that George died in 1884, however, it is unclear whether
Etta was a posthumous child, or whether this is a different
family.
Sarah was the daughter of Jesse P. Lawrence and Dulcena
Wray; Dulcena was the sister of William Wray, who married
Dora Wright, George Branham (the younger)'s first cousin.
Sarah was born on 4 September 1852 in Clinton County and
died sometime after 1900. Her mother died about six weeks
after Sarah was born, and baby Sarah was sent to live with
her grandmother, Sarah Chapman Wray for several years until
after her father remarried. Indeed, in 1860, little Sarah
was enumerated in both her father's household and with her
grandmother Wray. The family's surname is often spelled
Laurence in various records.
George
Branham (1849,
Dodge/Putnam, MO - by 1900)
m. 30 March
1869, Clinton, KY
Sarah Eliza
Lawrence (4 Sep 1852,
Clinton, KY - aft 1900)
Children:
i. Jesse Powers Branham (11 Jan 1869, Albany, Clinton, KY - 29
Oct 1945, Crossville, Cumberland, TN); m.
Laura Thrasher
ii. Martha Ella
Branham (Dec 1872,
Clinton, KY - d. aft 1910); m. John Wallis
(or Wallace)
iii. Barnabas R.
Branham "Barney" (10
Nov 1875, Albany, Clinton, KY - d. 3 Nov 1955, Albany,
Clinton, KY); m. Sarah
Thrasher
iv. Cena Branham
(1876-1876); per "Early
Times" only
v. Lula Ann Branham
(Apr 1878, Clinton, KY - aft
1900); m. Samuel A.
Brown
vi. James Richard
Branham (10 Jul 1881,
Clinton, KY - aft 1910); m. Martha
unknown
vii. Etta Mae Branham
(Mar 1886, Clinton, KY - d.
aft 1906); m. Thomas Q. Whalen
(possibly Willen)