Hi Joe

I've spent the last few months on another surname and have just turned my attention to Abigail Branch so there isn't much yet. The pension applications for Revolutionary soldiers and their widows was the first step. Abigail mentioned many times that she had married William Hooper at Majorville. I found a Mary Branch who married Abijah Palmer in 1776 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nbsunbur/marr07.htm but no Abigail. Since Abigail marriage was in about 1782, records would still be in Nova Scotia.

"Collections of the Nova Scotia Historical Society" proved to be a big help in fleshing out the early years at Maugerville. A census was conducted in 1767 and there was a Benjamin Branch with family in Burton township. He later purchased land but that's all I have on him so far. There were 261 people in the 1767 census and they all appear to have arrived in 1763 with Israel Perley.

Israel Perley was involved with Massachusetts Colony in exploring that region for exploration. He returned to his home in Essex County, convinced some other families to join him and sailed on 4 vessels to Nova Scotia. Unfortunately the identities of his fellow travelers has been lost but I believe the census will get me started.
I've located a Captain Israel Perley b. 1738 Jul 21 at Boxford and d. 1813 Aug 30 at Maugerville. I'm sure this is the right one.

For now I am trying to connect these names with Essex County and hopefully find something about Benjamin Branch. Abigail's petition indicates that she was born about 1765, so she probably was born in Maugerville soon after they arrived. Perhaps Benjamin married though prior to leaving Massachusetts and I'm looking for that now.

There were references to Benjamin Brown, Broan and Brawn so perhaps Branch wasn't their original name. I'm casting a wide net. To do list now includes locating something called the Burpee Papers that is said to contain good information about early Maugerville. The first church there was formed in 1763 so I'm looking for those records.

One final thing. Settlers during this period before the Loyalist were known as "New England Planters" so I'm looking at planters literature. Unfortunately most of it deals with settlers around Halifax and Truro.

Quoddy