East Haddam Revolutionary Heroes

Back in England, Daniel Brainerd’s family name and origin varies wildly: Brainerd, Brainard, Brainwood, Branwood, Brainewood, Braynard, Braynerd, Branard, Branerd, Brannard, Baynard, Barnerd, Barneard, Barnard, Bernard, and Burnard. Poor handwriting, simple misspelling, a broken printing press, deafness, or simple disagreements among family members are all likely sources of the many versions. In the 1600s (and earlier)most people couldn’t read or write, even those working in the church parishes where births and deaths were recorded. So, it’s really no wonder there are so many spellings of this families’ name. In probate documents following their father’s death, all the sons of Daniel signed their names “Braynard!”
This family in England most likely descended from one Ralph Baignard, a lieutenant to William the Conquerer. Ralph built Baynard’s Castle west of London and later was given land in what is now Essex County, England, where he made a home in “Raynes” which then became Braintree, England.

Another favorite theory passed down through the generations of the family is this:
The founder of the family was the great Saxon Chief Bran, the Hurd, who conquered the Scottish Border Counties and married the daughter of the chief of the Clan of Gordon, and lived and controlled the four border counties on the Saxon, English, or Celtic side thereof, and was known as Bran the Hurd, because of the great number of Cattle (horses, sheep, goats, etc.), which this great Chief owned and controlled. Bran lived in the time of James the Second and took part in the Saxon conquests of the previously owned English Isles by Eome. These islands were afterwards conquered by the Chevalric Normans and then in turn ruled by six French Kings following the battle of Hastings which placed the Duke of Normandy on the Throne to be afterward overthrown by the House of Plantagenet.