This site primarily traces the ancestry of Marlane Breneman who was pulled from her wonderful family (Roy & Ruth Breneman) in Lancaster county by her marriage to myself, Dean Martin
If you are part of this family tree, feel free to contact me and I’ll give you full access the the living names in this genealogy.
A Brief History
The Swiss Brethren were an early Anabaptist group that formed in Zurich in 1525. They faced intense persecution by both Catholic and Protestant (state-sanctioned) churches. The act of being re-baptized upon an adult confession of faith was seen as heretical and punishable by death.
If they escaped death, they were often imprisoned and their possessions seized. By the mid 1600’s they had escaped to small pockets of safe refuge in Switzerland or dispersed across Europe. Some also made it to America, landing in Philadelphia with only sparse possessions.
The Brenneman ancestry was among that group. Here is a great Brenneman History document that is worth reading.
Brenneman Spelling Variations
Many spelling variations of the surname Brenneman can be found in the archives. One reason for these variations is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were found include Branagan, Branigan, Brangan, Brangen, Branghan, Branikan, Brankin, Brannagan, Brannahan, Brannaghan, Brannaghin, Brannigan, Braendigan, Brandigan, O’Branagan and many more.
Brenneman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Christian Brenneman, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1715
Brenneman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Samuel Brenneman, who arrived in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1852