Henry Pierson Brendle


Submitted to Brendel Brendle Brindel Brindle Forum by Grace Upton - September 19, 1999.



Notes and Sources: Henry Pierson Brendle

Father: John David Brendle
Mother: Charlotte Williams

Grandfather: John David Brendle
Grandmother: Rebecca Johnson

Children of Henry Pierson Brendle:

1. William M. Brendle b. 17 Nov 1848 d. 17 Aug 1941 spouse: had two, names unknown.
2. Eliza (?) Brendle b. 1851-1852 spouse: Sam Cochran.
3. Joseph Brendle b. 1854-1855.
4. George Washington Brendle b. 12 May 1849 d. 25 dec 1911 m. Tennessee (Patty) Jenkins.
5. Amanda C. Brendle b. 1853.
6. John H. Brendle b. 1854 (?) spouse: Josephine Burns (?) m. 4 Feb 1877 spouse: Hattie Cooper (M. abt 19 Dec 1897).
7. Mary (J., A., or F?middle inital) Brendle b. 1859.
8. Sarah Brendle b. 1864 spouse: Pete Mason.
9. Thomas Brendle 1866.
10. Nathan Columbus Brendle b. 14 Feb 1868 d. 9 June 1943 spouse: Effie , Harriett, Hattie Sitton (M. 17 Aug 1888).
11. Rutha Elizabeth Brendle b. 1870.
12. Elvira Brendle b. 1852 spouse: ________ Greene.

Birth: Henry was probably born in or near Bryson City, NC per the initial recollections of grandaughter Nannie G. Brendle Davidson as told to Tina Hicks 9 Apr 1999.

Born in Burke Co., NC circa 1828 or 1827 per NC 1860 Census (age 32, 11 July 1860).
Born in NC circa 1826 or 1827 per NC 1870 Census (age 43, no date recorded). Born in NC circa 1827 or 1828 per NC 1880 Census (age 53, 11 June 1880).
Born in the month of November per 1900 Swain Co., NC census; claimed to be age 68 at the time of this summertime census report therefore making him born abt Nov 1831 if this is accurate info.
Per Cherokee Co., NC death certificate, he was 103 at the time of his death 30 July 1929 which would make him born in abt Nov 1825. If this is accurate info (birth date range now Nov. 1825- Nov. 1831 !)
Per LDS 'on-line' Ancestral File info 4-7-99, he was born in Burke Co. in 1828.

Living: Living in Franklin Twp., Macon Co., NC at time of 1860 census.

Military: Per Nannie Brendle Davidson, he served in the Civil War (my guess: approximately late 1860 or 1861 till abt early 1863) until he suffered a hip injury and was hospitalized at a prison near Knoxville TN (no available hospitals); he was discharged when he 'bought' his oldest son William as his replacement; supposedly walked all the way home from Knoxville to NC via mountain paths; when he returned there was "shouting" for joy because he had been gone to war several years with no word from him.

His grave marker 'monument' was erected sometime after his death by the DAR (or some ladies memorial group) with some effort on the part of his grandson Horace Brendle. (photo taken at Shoal Creek Cemetery near Murphy, NC, 10/96 by gr granddaughter Wanda Jean Davidson Hicks & gr grandson W. Lenell Davidson). Grave stone indicates that he served in the "Thomas Legion, NC Infantry, CSA". Unknown at this time what rank he held or his exact dates of service.

Living: Living in Alarka Twp., Macon Co., NC at time of 1870 census.
Living: Living in Charleston Twp., Swain Co., NC at time of 1880 census.
Living: Living in Charleston Twp. ?, Swain Co., NC at time of 1900 census.
Living: Sometime between 1903 and the early 1910's, Henry moved to Farner, TN with his 3rd wife ("Widow" Martha Brendle) who was a very large woman who had 'adopted' a deformed girl with a hunchback; on a few occasions, she wrote to Henry's son Nathan threatening to leave Henry; then one day she did finally leave him and Henry went to live out his days first with son Nathan in Murphy, NC and later with son William in Shoal Creek area.

The house in TN was a historic old home that Henry lived in (but had not built himself) for about 10-20 years (my guess: at least from about 1911 to 1918 or so) per his grandaughter Nannie.

Living: Living near Murphy in Cherokee Co. in about 1920 at home of his son Nathan after being left by wife #3 at their home in Farner TN.

Death: Per his grandaughter Nannie Brendle Davidson in 1995, he was about 106 when he came to live with their family, and he lived "a couple of more years" with them. A photo exists of Henry in his elderly years posed outdoors with his son Nathan at Nathan's home circa 1920 (photo belongs to either Nannie Brendle Davidson or Wanda J. Davidson Hicks).

Per Oct. 1996 "interview" with grandson Horace Brendle, the Brendles are of "Dutch" origin (maybe Pennsylvania Dutch, in which case they'd actually be German). Also per Horace Brendle, Henry Brendle was quite possibly the wealthiest man in the county ~ he was a house-builder by trade and would often build homes for people with no money to pay him in exchange for a piece of their property---in this way he accumulated quite a bit of real estate.

Per the recollections of grandaughter Nannie Gertrude Brendle Davidson, Henry was a literate man who had a fondness for reading through the Sears Roebuck catalog especially the section on women's corsets!

Per reference found in an LDS FHC (Latter Day Saints Fam. Hist. Ctr.) genealogy on another Brendle line, the surname Brendle/Brendel/Brindle may trace back to Alsace-Loraine in France (Germany) circa 1680's, via Chester Co. PA. circa 1740's.

Per the 1900 NC Swain Co. Census, his name was spelled "Brindle" and age given was 68 (possible that he did not give his correct age for this census --- was possibly a few years older than that).

Supposedly had 3 wives one of whom ran off with their young children (wife #2, Lavada/Lavina and young sons Richmon P. & James M.)

1) Patsy "Melinde" Pilkerton/Pilkinton (Martha ??) m. 25 Jun (or Jan) 1848 in Macon Co., NC (born circa 1827- 1830); probably mother of 11+ children

2) Lavada?Lavina Green m. abt 1896 in Swain Co., NC, born Sept 1872 in NC; had at least 2 young sons by Henry, Richmon P. & James M.

3) Martha (nee ?) Brendle, a young widow of one of Henry's kin; they adopted a deformed hunchback girl; eventually Martha left Henry circa 1918; unknown what became of them.

Per granddaughter Nannie in 10/96, her grandmother was "Melinda" -- Nannie's sister Maggie was named "Maggie Malinda" after her grandmother (although Maggie didn't like her middle name and changed it to 'Marie'); Nannie never knew her grandmother - she was dead before she could remember; Nannie thinks that Lavada/Lavina was Henry's 2nd wife and that it was she who "ran off' with their 2 young sons; the 3rd wife was a very large woman who 'adopted' a girl with a hunchback. This last wife kept writing to Henry's youngest son Nathan and threatening to leave Henry. One day, Nathan learned that the wife really had left Henry, and that's when Henry was brought to their house near Murphy to live with them for several years. Supposedly, Henry was well over 100 when he came to live there from his home in Farner, TN (a historic old house that he had bought some 10-20 years earlier) however, it is more likely that Henry was well into his 90's. Per Nannie, she had already left home (at age 18 years old in abt 1926-27) when her grandfather died -- she recalled that she could not go to the funeral -- therefore Henry probably died about 1926-28 not 1920-22 as thought previously. (correction: died in abt March 1929 when Nannie was newly-married in Akron, OH.) Henry then went to live with his eldest son William which is where he was when he died (per granddaughter Nannie Brendle Davidson 1 Feb 1997).

Per a NC LDS FHC (Latter Day Saints/Mormons Family History Center) "look-up" favor in 1/97, Henry died in 1929 (probably March 1929) at age 99 (?) in Cherokee Co., NC. Death certificate (Vol. 10, p.116) sent for 27 Jan 1997 (rec'd 15 Feb 1997).

Per Nannie Brendle Davidson 1 Feb 1997, her grandfather was a cabinetmaker and also later a carpenter/homebuilder. She said he had made a nice cabinet for them. She said that her grandfather (?) and his Brendles had come over from Germany and many were cabinetmakers. When asked about the possibility of being from the Alsace-Lorraine region of France/Germany, she agreed it was possible. Said her grandfather and her father both had a 'French' look to them. She also said that her grandfather had indeed married a 3rd wife, Martha 'Brendle' - a young widow of one of his Brendle kin. She said that her grandfather was "quite a ladies man". She said he used to make frequent trips to Wilmington, SC which was a type of "hub" for purchasing things. He often bought supplies and items there for people back in his home county (probably for some reimbursement or fee). Among the items he "liked" to buy was cloth for ladies clothing. She said that she recalls having clothes made from cloth her grandfather had bought in SC.



Brendel Brendle Brindel Brindle Forum Web Site created by Lorraine Adams Douglass December 31, 1999.

Last updated: January 27, 2000.