Russell J. Bragg and Christine Thompson

The records for this family are a little sketchy. Right now, the main records that are available online for Elbert County and Madison County, Georgia, are marriage records and census records. So that's what I'll be posting today. If anyone else has other records for Russell and Christine, please leave a comment or email me.

Russell J. Bragg was born June 1, 1828 in Madison or Elbert County, Georgia. I don't have a source for this exact date, but that's what's listed on Family Search's Family Tree. Census records do support the year of his birth. His parents were George Bragg and Martha/Mollie Berryman.

Christine (Chrissy/Chrissie/Chrissa/Crissy/Creasey--I'll be using the individual spellings with the records that they appear on) Thompson was born April 3, 1831 in Madison County, Georgia. Again, I don't have a source for that besides Family Tree, but census records do support the year. Her parents were Joel Thompson and Elisabeth Smith.

Russell Bragg and Crissee Thompson were married on September 8, 1850. You can see a transcription of the marriage record for free on Family Search, or an image of the original record on Ancestry.

Russell J. Bragg and Christine Thompson were the parents of four children: Andrew Jackson Bragg, a stillborn son, Cynthia Melissa Bragg (sometimes on records as Melicia or Malucy), and George Washington Bragg.

Russell, Chrissa, and their oldest son, Andrew, appear on the 1850 U.S. census in Madison County, Georgia.

Russell J. Bragg also appears next to his father, George Bragg, on the Slave Schedule of the 1850 U.S. census. He apparently owned one 8-year-old boy. Russell's name is transcribed as "Rupel," which is understandable. The old-fashioned way of writing a double-s looks similar to a cursive letter p.

Russell Bragg passed away in either 1856 or 1857, according to Family Tree. I don't have any kind of death record for him--no death certificate, obituary, or headstone.

Creasey Bragg (creative spelling, huh?) appears as a widow in the 1860 U.S. census, with her daughter, Cynthia, and younger son, George Washington Bragg. There is some confusion about whether George Washington Bragg was Russell's son or not.*

Chrissy married Luke White on July 13, 1867. You can see a transcription of that record for free on Family Search, or an image of the original record on Ancestry.

Crissie appears in the 1870 U.S. census with her second husband, Luke White, as well as her children Cynthia (Syntha) and George W.

Chrissie and Luke White appear in the 1880 U.S. census with a servant, Ras White. You can see the free transcription on Family Search or the original record on Ancestry.

Crissie appears on the 1900 U.S. census with her grandson, Thomas (George W.'s son), and next door to George W. Bragg.

Christine Thompson Bragg White died in January 1903, according to Family Tree. Again, I have no death records of any kind for her.

*Now, about George Washington Bragg's parentage. I don't have any firm evidence of this either way, and if you do, I'd like to know about it. As I've researched this family, the name Wilson Penn Berryman kept popping up in connection with Chrissy Bragg, and sometimes as a father for George W., but I couldn't figure out why...they were never married, and if they had a relationship outside of marriage, I thought that there was no way I could find a record to confirm that. I did unexpectedly find one, though. Wilson Penn Berryman and his wife, Susan, divorced in 1860, and part of that record reads: "...on various other days before and after that time the said Wilson P did commit adultery with one Crecy Bragg and at various times since the marriage has been guilty of the same offence with other women." According to my records, George W. was born on March 23, 1857, and Russell Bragg died in either 1856 or 1857. So there is a possibility that George W.'s father was actually Wilson Penn Berryman, although George's surname is always listed as Bragg. Again, if anyone knows anything else about this, I would really love to hear from you.