I do not have any proof of this name change, but have the following clues. 1. Martin Symoniak of Greensboro, North Carolina wrote me that his wife's great-great grandmother was Susannah Bratcher, born 1787, in Bedford Co., Va.. She married Isham Goin, Jr. in Bedford County in 1802. By 1808, they were in Campbell County, TN. She died there in 1860. Susannah's father was Canada Bratcher Sr., born in VA about 1767. He was in Bedford County. in 1800, in Campbell County, TN in 1813 and in Warren County, TN in 1820 & 1830 where he died in 1834. Mr. Symoniak related that he felt the name had changed. He states that Canada's father was John Bradshaw whose name changed at some point. He also states that John's father was William Bradshaw who was referred to as Bratcher. Mr. Symoniak refers to Charles Scruggs will where he refers to William as "my son William Bratcher". Evidently this is a will dated December 20, 1718 in Henrico County, Virginia. Mr. Symoniak's source of information was the Bradshaw-Bratcher Newsletter edited by Mr. R.D. Bradshaw. This quarterly evidently ceased to be published in 1991. I have no more information about that publication or Mr. Bradshaw. 2. I have done only a small amount of research concerning this line of Bratcher's. I have seen John, his brother and two of his sisters show up in indexes of the marriage records of Bedford/Botetourt County areas of Virginia. There is a reference in a 1785 survey to a Bratcher Creek in Botetourt County. 3. My major focus is another line of Bratcher's that originate from Laurens/Edgefield County, South Carolina. John Bratcher, born 1771 in South Carolina is my direct ancestor. He and a number of other people, including William Bratcher (born 1766), migrated from Laurens County, South Carolina to Grayson County, Kentucky about 1804/5. If you have found any information concerning these folks, I would appreciate your sharing it. >Teresa Barley wrote: >> >> Harold, >> Re your post about Obedience BRADSHAW who married Isham Meador. >> Do you have any proof that she was actually a BRADSHAW and not >> BRATCHER? >My grandmother Sarah FENIX's relatives spelled it BRATCHER BRADLEY > BRADSHAW BRASSHEAR BREDLY BRAYLEY BRASSHER - depending on which one >you spoke to or heard of - apparently there was a family squabble & >some relatives changed the spelling on purpose to distance themselves >-sound familiar? My mother, a college grad & teacher, indicated a >BRADLEY either changed to BRADSHAW or married a BRADSHAW or BRATCHER >> I have heard that >> the BRATCHERs in TN are related to William BRADSHAW who married Judith >> SCRUGGS, but have not found any proof to the connection. >This is certainly consistent with my Tennessee cousins - any documents? >> >> Thanks, >> Teresa Richard W. Bratcher Associate Vice President, Information and Instructional Technology Services Longwood College