John McCain Bratton
by Audrey Jean (Bratton) Rice, granddaughter

John McCain Bratton

John McCain Bratton was born on the 4th of November 1862 at Round Rock, Texas. The second of six children born to Robert C.Bratton and Ellen McCain Gault. John's 2nd great-grandfather, Robert Patrick Bratton, born the 20th of May, 1712 came to Virginia about 1732 along with three brothers from Antrim, Ireland. He was a Captain of the Militia in 1755 in Virginia.

John along with his younger brother Tom, came to Alberta in 1889 with a cattle drive from Texas. They had wintered the cattle at Yellowstone, in Wyoming and arrived at Ft. Macleod in the spring of 1889. They settled in the Spring Point area, along Beaver Creek. John homesteaded SW 14-9-29. On December l0th, 1901 he married Clara Mary Hamilton, the eldest daughter of neighbours William Alien Hamilton and Veronique Marie Dumont. They had two sons. Robert William, born October 25th, 1902 and George Lloyd, born the 14th of March, 1906.

John and Clara ranched at Beaver Creek until about 1911 when they moved to Bow Island where John went into partnership with the Beattie Brothers in the Livery Stable and Feed business. He was a Town Councillor in 1913 and from 1917 until 1924. John died in Ft. Macleod May 16th, 1926 and is buried there.

Robert William moved to the United States as a young man and was a career soldier until his retirement, he married Alice Fern Christensen, they had two sons, Robert and Wally.