Our Family Legacy
Whenever my siblings or I would inquire about our ancestry, our father, Lorenzo Dow Brannan, would quip, "Ah, we just came from a bunch of horse thieves." We all thought he was joking. However, raising horses was in his blood and each of us kids had our own ponies.
One day a few years back my son, Tom, was in an Irish shop, looking at the Brannan crest. He struck up a conversation with another man, who was also a Brannan descendant. As they shared family history, my brother joked about our ancestors being horse thieves. Imagine his surprise when this distant relative confirmed that he, too, had heard that story!
Later, as family members began more research into the family genealogy, they discovered some evidence that the Brannans in Ireland did indeed raise horses. They came across a story of Brannans having their horses confiscated by the English. A couple of the boys stole them back and then had to flee for their lives, escaping the laird's wrath.
When my oldest son, Ron, visited Ireland, he tried to trace our ancestors. Whenever he mentioned the name Brannan, he'd get a curious reaction from folks. Apparently their notoriety continues to this day. What a heritage!
In my book, Eden and the Siege and Other Stories of My Life, I have written three short stories which chronicle what might have happened to those young horse thieves as they fled Ireland and settled in the New World. Preview the first story "Thirty-Six Horses, Three Men, and a Tub" and tell me what you think.
One day a few years back my son, Tom, was in an Irish shop, looking at the Brannan crest. He struck up a conversation with another man, who was also a Brannan descendant. As they shared family history, my brother joked about our ancestors being horse thieves. Imagine his surprise when this distant relative confirmed that he, too, had heard that story!
Later, as family members began more research into the family genealogy, they discovered some evidence that the Brannans in Ireland did indeed raise horses. They came across a story of Brannans having their horses confiscated by the English. A couple of the boys stole them back and then had to flee for their lives, escaping the laird's wrath.
When my oldest son, Ron, visited Ireland, he tried to trace our ancestors. Whenever he mentioned the name Brannan, he'd get a curious reaction from folks. Apparently their notoriety continues to this day. What a heritage!
In my book, Eden and the Siege and Other Stories of My Life, I have written three short stories which chronicle what might have happened to those young horse thieves as they fled Ireland and settled in the New World. Preview the first story "Thirty-Six Horses, Three Men, and a Tub" and tell me what you think.