Benjamin Brasseur

Benjamin Brasseur was the father of Susannah Brasseur, the second wife (possibly third if Mareen the Emigrant was married first to an unknown wife in France) of Mareen Duvall the Emigrant.  Benjamin was born in France about 1620, and arrived in Virginia before 1636 with his father and siblings.  He was variously known as Benoit/Benois/Bennet.  Benjamin married (probably to Mary Richford; he transported her from England in 1645) about 1645 while he was living in Nansemond, Virginia.  He had the following children:  Robert, Benjamin, Anne, Susannah, John, Elizabeth, Martha and Mary.  All but Mary were born in Virginia; Mary was born in Maryland.  Benjamin died about 1663, probably fairly suddenly, in Calvert County, Maryland, at the age of about 42.  Though a will has not been found, his estate was inventoried, and from it's contents it is apparent he died a wealthy man.  He had numerous livestock and also slaves.  He had been a land owner in Nansemond, Virginia and purchased 1160 acres of land from Richard Bennett when he immigrated to Calvert County, Maryland about 1658.  In 1660 he served on the Grand Jury of Calvert County, MD.  In June 1661 Benjamin Brasseur was appointed a Commissioner of Calvert County, Maryland.  When Benjamin and his family were naturalized on 4 December 1662 in Maryland by Charles Calvert they may have been the first naturalization in Maryland; being naturalized gave the family all of the rights of natural born citizens of Maryland:

CAELCILTUS, absolute Lord and proprietary of the Province of Maryland & Avalon Lord Barron of Baltemore, &c,


TO ALL PERSONS to whome these presents shall come, GREETINGE in our Lord God Everlasting:



WHEREAS, Benois Brasseuir, late of Virginia and Subject of the Crowne of France, having transported himeselfe, his wife, and children into this Province here to inhabite, hath besought us to grant hime, the said Benois Brasseuir, leave here to inhabite, and, as a free dennizen, freedome land to hime and his heires to purchase; KNOWE yee that wee, willing to give due encouragement to other subjects of that Crowne, doe hereby declare them, the said Benois Brasseuir, his wife and children, as well those allready borne as those therafter to bee borne, to bee free dennizens of this our Province of Maryland; and doe further for us, our heires & successors straightly enjoyne, constitute, ordeine and command the said Benois Brasseuir be in all things held, treated reputed, and esteemed as one of the faythfull people of us, our heires and successors, borne with this our Province of Maryland, and likewise any lands, tenaments, revenues, services, and other heriditam'ts whatsoever with our said Province of Maryland, freely, quietly, and peaceably have and possess, occupie, and enjoy as our faythfull people, borne or to bee borne with our said Province of the Maryland , without the lett, molestatione, vexacon, trouble, or grievance of us, our heires, and successsors, any custome to the contrary hereof of any wise not withstanding.

GIVEN at St. Marys, under the Greate Seale of our said Province of Maryland, this fourth day of Decemb'r, in the one and thirtyth yeare of our dominion over the said Province, Annoq Domini one thowsand six hundred sixty-two.

WITNESS our deare son and heire, Charles Calvert, Esq'r, our Leiuetenn't of our said Province of Maryland.



Charles Calvert

[Council Proceedings, Hall of Records of Maryland, Liber HH, ff. 157, 158]

See  Brashear and McCoy, A Brashear(s) Family History, Vol. 1, The First 200 Years of Brashear(s) in America and Some Descendants in Maryland, 31 August 1998.