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The Britton family was a group of well to do land owners, who were always looking for new opportunity. The exact origins of the Brittons is unknown, however family tradition states that they came from Whales in England. It is unclear as to the exact lineage of our family. This is because there was a family of Brittons which lived together and traveled from one region to another. However, the names James, William, and Daniel were very common and passed down from generation to generation. There is a clear understanding of how they traveled once in the new world, but the exact names to our family are not clearly known. However it is known that James Britton was one of the early forefathers of the clan.
James Britton was most likely born in Chester Co, Pennsylvania, around the start of the 1700’s. It appears the family were members of the Quaker church, Friends Church, there. He and his brother Samuel moved to Orange County Virginia, present day Frederick County, in the late 1730’s. They were most likely members of the Hopewell Friends Church a Quaker church there. They lived on Opechon Creek. James Britton married Mary Witty in Virginia, and about 1754 moved to Rowan County, present day Guilford County, NC. In North Carolina, he bought and sold much land, no doubt creating a fair amount of wealth for his family. The family’s main homestead was on Horse Pen Creek.
This was probably a rough time to live in the area as The War of Regulation started in 1764 in the vicinity. This would last for several years, and was the common man trying to fight the oppressive North Carolina government. It is unknown, though likely the Britton’s had a share in these battles. If nothing less, the fear and challenges presented by these circumstances were their reality.
James Britton’s son, Daniel no doubt learned from his father the ability to acquire and sell land as a means to make money. Daniel received a land grant in Guilford county in 1782. In 1791 he received a land grant in Greene County, NC, now Greene County, TN. This was 5 years before the Tennessee became a separate state. The land was located on the Roaring Fork of Lick Creek. Daniel apparently worked for the new Tennessee Government working on road construction in Greene County. He also continued to buy and sell land.
Daniel’s son Daniel Jr. continued the tradition of buying and selling land. He made his homestead where the present Reed Home is today. He amassed over 2500 acres in land by 1850. In 1838 he gave land to form what is today known as Mt. Pleasant United Method Church, this is where he and his wife would be buried.
His youngest daughter Altamira Britton married John A. Reed in 1856.
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