MICHAEL BRAKE b. ca 1776-1779 Hardy Co., (W)V; (based on the marriage of his parents 1775 or before); d. 21 Jan 1861 (Brake vs. See Chancery Record, Hardy Co., Circuit Court Bk:30); res. Brake, South Fork River, Hardy Co, WV; m. 22 May 1803 Hardy Co., (W)V Bk; p. 282; by Valentine Powers ELIZABETH DASHER; d/o Christian Dasher (will Bk 5; 282 Hardy Co.); died in autumn of 1860 (after census per Pipers) Elizabeth and Michael had only 3 children as verified in Brake vs. See Chancery Record. (for information on Dasher family refer to Pendleton Co., WV Past and Present, Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1991.)
Michael is listed in the 1813 Harrison Co., Tax List with 1 Tith; 2 horses and in a schedule of accounts of Jonathan Jackson of Clarksburg in 1815. He was a Pvt. In the 14VA Militia Co. B.
1. Female Brake b. ca 1800: (Hardy Co., "Court Book" 1799-03; p. 299 "Oct 1800 Commonwealth vs. Michael Brake upon complaint of Elizabeth Dasher who charges him with being father of female bastard child." Page 304 Bond for the same.) It is unknown what happened to this child after Elizabeth and Michael married.
2. Leonard b. 2 Apr 1804; d. 2 Jul 1891; bur. Brake Cemetery on South Fork across from old homestead, 15 miles south of Moorefield, WV; m. 26 Feb 1824 by Ferinand Lair Margaret "Peggy" "Becky" Simon b. 14 Apr 1804; d/o George and Sarah Simons; d. 5 May 1893 Milroy District; consumption; bur. Brake Cemetery on South Fork. Image of Leonard Brake and Margaret "Peggy" "Becky" Simon. Some researchers suggest that Leonard may have been married before Margaret to Sarah Lane on 1 Aug 1820.
b) Dora Alice b. 30 Dec 1880 Fulks Run, Rockingham Co., VA; d. 6 Dec 1964; m. Levin Thomas Fraley: 8 sons
c) William Fletcher b. 15 Aug. 1883 Damascus, Montgomery Co., MD; d. Sept 1894
d) Grover Souder b. 7 Sept 1885 Damascus, Montgomery Co., MD; d. 15 Feb 1968; m. 14 Feb 1912 Annie Elizabeth Bevans
e) Harvey Jackson b. 24 May 1889 Damascus, Montgomery Co., MD; d. 29 May 1970; m. 16 Apr 1911 Grace Thelma Hazard: 3 children
f) Josiah/Joseph Sidney b. 15 Oct 1891 Damascus, Montgomery Co., MD; m. 19 Nov 1915 Emma Mae Wilson: 2 children
g) Bessie Catherine b. 8 Mar 1894 Washington Grove, Montgomery Co., MD; single
h) Oscar Tressel b. 7 Oct 1897 Washington Grove, Montgomery Co., MD; d. 19 Aug 1898
i) Clara Eleanor b. 29 Jul 1901 Washington Grove, Montgomery Co., MD; m. 26 Oct 1921 William Lester Wilson
FGS provided by Eleanor Watts; info taken from Bible in possession of Clara Eleanor Brake Howard
B. George Simon (carpenter) b. 4 Jun 1826 Hardy Co., (W)V; d. 5 Nov 1910 Hiser, WV m. #1 16 Aug 1847 by Rev. Busy Christina Dasher; b. 16 July 1827, d/o Christian Dasher Jr. and Elizabeth Smith Dasher, his second wife; d. 4 Nov. 1868 - age 41 #2 11 Jan. 1876 Jemima T. Fiddle b. 16 Jan 1876; d/o of James A. and Jemima Fiddle; d. 24 Jun 1896 Petersburg, WV: Simon lived on a farm near Kessel, located near the foot of the mountains. Nearby is the cemetery where Christina and Jefferson are buried. (Evelyn Watts story)
2) Margaret b. 24 Dec 1851; d. 22 Jul 1889 m. 28 Dec 1882 John G. Weese.
3) William b. 31 Jan 1854; d. 28 Sep 1854
4) Ida Florence b. 4 Sep 1855; d. 29 Sep 1859; age 4
5) Jefferson b. 11 Oct 1857; d. 19 Jul 1889; consumption; occupation; mechanic; single
6) George b. 5 Jun 1860; d. 15 Feb 1902 Baltimore, MD; m. Anna "Annie" Crites; d. 18 Oct 1907; 39y6m (widow); d/o Cecelia and Archibald Crites. George was a surveyor and one time Mayor of Petersburg.
b) Harry W. b. 24 Nov 1900; d. 1 May 1986
These children were raised by paternal grandparents
b) Daisy Felicia b. 20 Nov 1889; d. 15 Dec. 1955; single
c) Conway George b. 30 Sep 1891; d.13 Jan 1988m. 25 Mar 1922 Moorefield, WV, Connie Lee Kites b. 1 Aug 1898; d. 28 Aug 1975; d/o Charles and Susan Begdoll Kites; 7 children
8) Ulysses "Lisse" b. 25 May 1866; d. 15 Sep 1954; m.17 Nov 1887 Isaac Wellington Sites b. 15 Mar 1856; d. 25 Jun 1930.
2) J. L. Pope
3) Martha R. m. Mr. Garber
4) Emeline m. Mr. Eye
5) Margaret m. James M. Temple
b) Mary L. Temple
c) Ora V. Temple
d) Flossie Temple
E. Sara Ann b. 1835; d. 1835 (not confirmed as child of this marriage)
F. Clara S. b. ca 1837 Hardy Co., WV; d. 25 Dec. 1859 at her father's home, age 25; (obit "South Branch Intelligencer", 13 Jan 1860) m. 24 Dec 1857 Adam H. Parsons, s/o Miles and Gemine Parsons.
2) ( a granddaughter, Clara S. Parsons, age 9 is living with Leonard in 1870. If this is the d/o Clara, then the age in this census is incorrect. It is probable that this is Georgeanne and that the census taker put down her mother's name. )
Peter and Henry W. Pope were the children of John (1791-1867 s/o Peter and Tabitha? Yokum Pope) and Jemima Randall Pope. They both lived on part of the old homestead in the south Fork Valley at the foot of Rough Run. (Alleghany Passages, p. 413)
Nimrod See, Michael See, George See, Leonard See, John Cleaver and wife Betsy were defendants in Brake vs. See, Sept 1871, Hardy Co.)
4. Elizabeth b. 1810; d. 26 Sept 1891; bur. Brake Cemetery; m. 15 Oct 1832 Allegheny Co., MD; Jacob B. Simon (with D. Sites 1870 adj. to L. Brake); d. ca 1842/45.
Note:WILL OF LEONARD BRAKE HARDY COUNTY, WV
Found in File: Wm. H. Brake & etal
vs.
Georgeanna Dasher
I Leonard Brake of the county of Hardy and State of West Virginia being in good health and of sound mind and deposing memory do make and ordain this paper writing as and for my last will and testament having maturily considered the same.
I give unto my wife Margaret Brake and my Grand daughter Georgeann all my Shepler or Stump land, as long as my wife lives it is my wish that Georgianne shall stay with her and take good care of her. After the death of my wife I give to my said Grand daughter Georgeann in her own right, and separate and apart from her husband, T. D. Dasher, for and during her natural life and at her death, I give the said lands to her heirs of her body upon conditions that said Georgeann shall take good and proper care of her (my wife) and her grandmother.
I further give and devise to my wife Margaret for and during her natural life all the lands assigned to me by commissioners appointed by the circuit court of Hardy County West Va in a suit pending in said court between the heirs of Michael Brake, dec'd for a division of said lands was confirmed by the said Court by a decree thereof and if my grand daughter Georgeann shall take good care and pay proper attention to the comfort of my said wife and reside with her, I give and bequeath to my said grand daughter Georgeann at the death of my wife the last named lands so assigned to me for and during her natural life and the heirs of her body after her death.
If my grand daughter Georgeann if she remains with her grand mother and takes care of her and treats her with care and kindness so long as her grandmother lives then and in that event I give unto my said grand daughter Georgeann the "Grey mare" also two cows, one heifer, four sheep and their increase, three beds and bedding, one bureau, cooking stove and one sewing machine the same to remain in the house and on the lands as long as my grand daughter lives as her sole and separate property free from the control of her husband.
I also appoint my grandson Jefferson Brake to act as agent for her who is to see that my wife is properly taken care of as is here in before directed by me and that he see that the taxes are paid on said land and property and to give a general superintendance to her affairs and help her in the management thereof and at her death and the death of my wife to see that each of them are properly and decently buried.
I further give and devise to my grandson Jefferson Brake after the death of my wife and my grand daughter Georgeann all the property both real or personal ___ I have hereby given and devised to them and to his heirs forever, provided the said Jefferson Brake shall faithfully discharge the trust hereby imposed on him. All the rest and residue of my estate both real and personal I hereby give and devise to the rest of my children and their heirs, but my said heirs are hereby not to bring suit or to go to law for a division of said property or to make a sale thereof for the purpose of dividing sd estate, but to choose others to make said division between them.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand the 2nd day of June 1877. Signed and acknowledged Leonard Brake
In our presence, we being
in the presence of each other
and of the testator and he in our presence
as and for his last will and testament
S. A McMichen
James (his mark) Wolf
Charles LobbState of West Virginia
Hardy County, to wit:
In the clerk's office of the County Court of Hardy County on the 29th day of August 1891. This day the last will and testament of Leonard Brake dec'd was presented to the clerk of this court......and was proved by the oath of S. A. McMichen and James Wolf, two of the subscribing witnesses thereto, and said will is ordered to record.
Jefferson Brake died before Leonard Brake and Georgeann did not take care of her grandmother. Leonard's will was voided and his estate treated as if he died intestate. His estate was divided 5 ways among his heirs and the heirs of Margaret Brake Pope, deceased. (William Brake vs. George S. Brake Nov. 1895 & W. H. Brake vs. Georgeanne Dasher, 1897. Chancery Book #5:337 Hardy Co., WV)
Sources:
Compiled and submitted by Linda Brake Meyers.