Shakin' the Family Tree

There supposedly is a book about three Brannon brothers who came to the United States from Ireland. One of them was George. The book is said to document George's marriage to a Cherokee woman named Alkerny, meaning "Acorn Eyes."

I haven't seen the book, nor can I find the entire title of it. (Everyone just keeps writing that it's the book about the Brannons.) People who say they have knowledge of copies of it state that it was published in 1960 by the Lincoln, AR press.

The elusive book supposedly also states that the Brannons moved to Tennessee after the War of 1812. Since John was born in Tennessee in 1808, I have to wonder if someone has mixed up their Brannons.

So I don't know about the three brothers from Ireland. But I do know about John Brannon, born 15 Sep 1808, in Tennessee - probably Monroe County. His father was George Edward Brannon.

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John Brannon married Nancy Webb, daughter of Judge Larkin Webb and his wife Sarah Bray, in 1829 in Monroe County. Sometime between the 1850 and 1860 censuses, John Brannon "removed" his family to northwest Arkansas, to Washington County.


John Brannon 1808-1889


Nancy Webb Brannon 1813-1910

John and Nancy had two sons, Benjamin (born 25 Apr 1830) and James L (born 26 Jun 1835).

Although the two brothers had no other siblings, when they married and began raising their own families in Benton County, AR, together they gave their parents 18 grandchildren.

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Both brothers served in the Civil War, along with their father, fighting for the Union in the 1st Arkansas Cavalry. By 23 Nov 1863, James Brannon was discharged from service due to deafness and lung problems caused by the war. He was 28 years old.

James returned home to northwest Arkansas to his wife, Nancy Ann Philpott, and their children. Prior to his service in the war, he and Nancy had three children - John William, Benjamin, and Taylor Curtis Brannon. Between 1867 and 1871, they added four more children to the family - Margaret, James Munsey, Levada M and Floyd Philpott Brannon.


Nancy Ann Philpott Brannon 1835-1920

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James was a physician and merchant in Mason Valley in Benton County, AR. James died in 1902 in Mason Valley, and was buried in Coffelt Cemetery, as are his parents. Nancy died in 1920 in Marion County, OR and is buried in Salem Pioneer Cemetery, in Salem Co., OR.