William
Smith
Bryan
Born in Clare, County Clare, Munster, Ireland
Son of Francis Bryan
and Ann (Smith) Bryan
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of
Catherine (Morgan) Bryan
— married
about 1624 in Denmark
Descendants 
Father of
Thomas Bryan Sr., William Bryan, Morgan Bryan, David Bryan, Henry Bryan, Edward Bryan, Edmund Bryan, James Bryan, Richard Bryan, William Smith Bryan, Francis Bryan III, Margaret Bryan, Lydia Bryan and Catherine Bryan
Died
at about age 88
in Gloucester County, Colony of Virginia
Profile managers:
John Atkinson 
[send private message], US Southern Colonies Project WikiTree [send private message], Edna Wood [send private message], and Tracy McDonald [send private message]
[send private message], US Southern Colonies Project WikiTree [send private message], Edna Wood [send private message], and Tracy McDonald [send private message]Profile last modified
| Created 30 Dec 2010
This page has been accessed 14,049 times.
Research suggests that this person may never have existed. See the text for details.
| William Bryan resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776. Join: US Southern Colonies Project Discuss: southern_colonies |
Contents |
Disputed Existence
No reliable sources have been found to confirm this person's existence. Further productive research is always welcome, but please coordinate any proposed changes with the US Southern Colonies Project and other members interested in this profile.
Biography
According to disputed family legends, which vary in the details from version to version, William Smith Bryan was an Irish rebel, possibly the son of a English lord named Sir Francis Bryan, who was reputedly a large landholder in County Clare, Ireland. The legends claim he married Catherine Morgan in Denmark, and later was deported with his family and extensive property to Virginia.
There are no known reliable sources to support these claims, and it is uncertain whether any such person ever existed.
A William Bryan was transported by Abraham Moone to Virginia in 1654.[1] However, based on this record alone, it is impossible to determine what his origins were, or what became of him.
Research Notes
There is no known documentary evidence from Ireland, Denmark, or Virginia which proves that this man ever lived. While his legend is repeated in many unsourced family trees and poorly-documented books, all of the claimed support for his legend identified to date are repeated family stories.
Many aspects of the legend are implausible. The story of William Smith Bryan (WSB) is one of a brave Irish rebel who was along with his family, his household belongings and horses, deported to Virginia by Cromwell c. 1650. Why he was singled out for this rather gentle deportation when 50,000 of his fellow countrymen were deported as indentured labourers to the Caribbean and other English settlements in America[2] is not made clear. The 'sources' given for him are all authored books which contain family stories and family trees on the internet. Examples of these are The Colonial Families of the United States and its word-for-word duplicate, Lineage of Colonial Families, both given here as sources.
His father is said to be Sir Francis Bryan, a large landholder in County Clare, Ireland. Records exists for everyone who was knighted from the 1300 until today but his name is not included. His mother was supposed to be Ann Smith. There is no evidence that either of these people existed; they remain attached to represent an entire disputed family.
WSB then supposedly married in Denmark of all places a young Welsh girl by the name of Catherine Morgan. Why? What document supports this claim? WSB fights against Cromwell during his invasion. He is called 'The Prince of Ireland' by his supporters. No mention of this can be found in any record.
There are searchable records for County Clare landholders in 1641, WSB in not on any record. There are lists of claims submitted for the reclamation of lands after the restoration of the monarchy. Francis Bryan, son of WSB, supposedly died in Ireland trying to reclaim family land, but his name is not on any list. For unknown reasons Francis travels to Denmark and marries, again no explanation or documentation, Sarah Brinker. They died in Belfast far from County Clare, why?
His existence in Virginia is also disputed, and there does not appear to be any Virginia records supporting the claims about his legend either.[3]
Unsupported Biography
William Smith Bryan[4] was born circa 1599 in Clare, County Clare, Ireland. He married Catherine Morgan. He was the father of eleven sons and three daughters.
He was deported from Ireland because of his support for the Irish cause during the Puritan Revolution {citation needed} Also note that the invasion of Ireland by Cromwell in 1649 was not a "Puritan Revolution." Cromwell and his New Model Army blazed through Ireland in order to rout Royalists and their Irish supporters.
- William Smith Bryan . . . a landholder in Ireland, County Clare, at the time of the British invasion under Cromwell, and for taking the side of Ireland was transported as a rebellious subject, in 1650, to the American Colonies, with his family, goods and chattels, consisting of a ship load.
Lineage from Colonial families of the United States of America. . ., p. 104.
In another text, this quote is pivotal in the level of detail provided, despite the level of disorganization and apparent typesetter's holiday:
- William Smith Bryan, transported to (Virginia), as a rebellious subject, settled in Gloucester County; Francis (d 1694) returned to Ireland in attempt to recover hereditary titles and estates, sought refuge in Denmark, where he m Sally Brinker;[5] If William Smith Bryan was held hereditary rights to titles and estates why is there no record of him or his titles or his estates?
Excerpt from Colonial Families of the United States of America[6]
- WILLIAM SMITH BRYAN was a landholder in Ireland, County Clare, at the time of the British invasion under CROMWELL, and for taking the side of Ireland was transported as a rebellious subject, in 1650, to the American Colonies, with his family, goods and chattels, consisting of a ship load. He settled in Gloucester County, Virginia; he had eleven sons.
- Morgan BRYAN, who was in Norfolk County in 1693, was probably one of these sons. Francis BRYAN, the oldest son, returned to Ireland, in 1677, and endeavored to recover his hereditary titles and estates, but was so greatly persecuted by the English Government that he sought refuge in Denmark. After a few years he returned to Ireland. His oldest son Morgan was born in Denmark. It is believed that William BRYAN, b. in 1685, was also his son.
- William BRYAN and his wife, Margaret, lived at Ballyroney, County Down, Ireland. They were Presbyterians. The town of Bryansford near by is said to have been named for some of his family. William and Margaret BRYAN one day sent their little son John into the woods to cut a stick to make a handle for a book used in weaving, and he was arrested for poaching. After much trouble and expense the father got him clear and immediately sailed for America, where, he said, timber was free and there were no constables. This was in the year 1718.
- William BRYAN and family settled in New Jersey or Pennsylvania.[7]
Note: The Irish Confederate Wars, also called the Eleven Years' War (derived from the Irish language name Cogadh na hAon Bhliana Déag), took place in Ireland between 1641 and 1653.
Society of Friends, also called Friends Church, byname Quakers, Christian group that arose in mid-17th-century England, dedicated to living in accordance with the “Inward Light,” or direct inward apprehension of God, without creeds, clergy, or other ecclesiastical forms. As most powerfully expressed by George Fox (1624–91), Friends felt that their “experimental” discovery of God would lead to the purification of all of Christendom. It did not; but Friends founded one American colony and were dominant for a time in several others, and though their numbers are now comparatively small, they continue to make disproportionate contributions to science, industry....
Unproven Family of Consent
William Smith Bryan married Catherine Morgan (born 1604). William Smith Bryan and Catherine Morgan were both born in County Claire, Ireland. During the Puritan Rebellion, William Smith Bryan attempted to gain the throne of Ireland and was dubbed, “Prince William of Ireland” by his followers. Sometime about 1650 or 1660, William Smith Bryan and Catherine Morgan were exiled to Virginia by Oliver Cromwell for anti-English insurgent activities. He is said to have been "dropped" at Gloucester Beach, Virginia. He arrived in Virginia with a shipload of personal belongings and his wife, eleven sons, and three daughters. They were among the first English to bring horses to the British colony of Virginia. William Smith Bryan and Catherine Morgan both died in Gloucester, Virginia. Children of William Smith and Catherine (Morgan) Bryan include:
- Francis Bryan III
- John Bryan
- William Bryan
- Immediately preceding content previously featured on Enjoy Irish Culture website, but apparently since removed.
William Smith Bryan (b. 1570, d. 1667) William Smith Bryan (son of Francis Bryan II and Ann Smith) was born 1600 in County Clare, Ireland, and died 1667 in Gloucester, Virginia. He married Catherine Morgan on Abt. 1631.
- Marriage: Catherine MORGAN b: 1594 in County Clare, Ireland
- Married: Before 1624 in Denmark
- Children (all born in County Clare, Ireland) [8]
- David BRYAN
- Morgan BRYAN
- Henry BRYAN
- Edward BRYAN
- Edmund BRYAN
- William II BRYAN (there is another William Smith Bryan also attached.
- James BRYAN
- Richard BRYAN
- Margaret BRYAN
- Lydia BRYAN
- Catherine BRYAN
- Thomas BRYAN b: 1619
- John BRYAN b: 1625 (not attached as of 1 Aug 2020)
- Francis III BRYAN b: 1630
Miscellaneous Representations from the Web
- Geni profile: William Bryan "Prince William of Ireland" "William Smith Bryan" - includes an extensive, but unsourced, narrative.
- Pedigree Resource file on FamilySearch for Bryan family. Some of the Bryan's settled in Rutherford, County, NC where some Bryan descendants currently live.
- See also: Bryan: A Pioneer Family
- Linda Bryan Johnston, Footprints in Time: Thirty-two Generations of Bryans, (s.p. [Xlibris], 2019), "Generation Twenty-Two: William Smith Bryan 'Prince William of Ireland' 1590-1667;" partial Google preview available here.
- Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 29 March 2019), memorial page for William Smith Bryan (Jun 1579–Jun 1667), Find A Grave Memorial no. 185655418, citing Bryans Island Cemetery, Gloucester County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by John Wilhite (contributor 48140210) . Find A Grave: Memorial #185655418
- This Find a Grave memorial has links to multiple family member memorials
The Bryan Island cemetery was part of the Eagle Point Plantation in Gloucester County, Virginia. It was built by John Randolph Bryan who was born in Georgia in 1803 and died at his home in 1887. Various family members are also buried on the island. There are no recorded burials earlier than this time. There is no association of this land with any earlier Bryan family and it is in no way connected to William Smith Bryan.
Sources
- ↑ Greer, George Cabel. Early Virginia Immigrants 1623-1666. Richmond, VA, USA: W. C. Hill Printing Co., 1912; p 50
- ↑ "The Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland," Wikipedia, (accessed 20 Apr 2022).
- ↑ Jean M. Roberts, William Smith Bryan: A lesson in Fantastic 17th Century English/Irish Genealogy Sources (Feb 2019)
- ↑ Information in this section is pulled from the unsourced: Mackenzie, George Norbury & Rhoades, Nelson Osgood, editors. Colonial Families of the United States of America: in Which is Given the History, Genealogy and Armorial Bearings of Colonial Families Who Settled in the American Colonies From the Time of the Settlement of Jamestown, 13th May, 1607, to the Battle of Lexington, 19th April, 1775. Vol 7. 1912, pages 104-5. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co, Inc. Reprint.
- ↑ Virkus, Frederick A editor & Marquis, Albert Nelson. The Abridged Compendium of American Genealogy: First Families of America: A Genealogical Encyclopedia of the United States. Vol 1, 1925, page 334. Chicago: A N Marquis & Company.
- ↑ From Colonial families of the United States of America. . ., p. 104-5.
- ↑ Spraker, Hazel Atterbury. The Boone Family. (Notes for William Smith Bryan). 1922. Rutland, Vermont: The Tuttle Company.
- ↑ Rootsweb : ID: I19265 : Descendants of Guy de Brienne William Smith BRYAN birth about 1590 in County Clare, Ireland death 1667 in Gloucester Co., Virginia
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- Did William Smith Bryan exist or is he just a myth? Feb 13, 2019.
- Is there any evidence for William Bryan's parents? Mar 15, 2015.
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B > Bryan > William Smith Bryan
Categories: Unknown Location, County Clare | Gloucester County, Virginia Colony | Migrants from County Clare to Colony of Virginia | Uncertain Existence | Virginia Colonists
The current narrative seems unnecessarily polemic; it should be sufficient to state that no reliable sources have been found to confirm the individual's existence; further productive research is of course always welcome, but in a project-managed profile needs to be coordinated with the project. The Biography section should only contain statements that can be supported with reliable sources, and an accounting of the various falsehoods and legends can be provided under Research Notes. There is wisdom in the WikiTree honor code that every statement and fact should be sourced; this not only promotes truth but reduces the heat of personal opinions.
edited by James Binkley
deleted by James Binkley
You are right that we must always keep an open mind, but the skeptical analysis in this profile is not "hysteria" - it is an attempt to dispel extensively published but poorly-sourced genealogical claims to keep those from being repeated on WikiTree. If you are aware of reliable, original sources, which support the claims that a Sir Francis Bryan was a large landholder in County Clare, and that his son William married Catherine Morgan in Denmark before joining the Irish rebellion and then being deported with extensive property to Virginia in 1650, please cite those sources so others can review them.
One of the Bryans listed is plain Francis Bryan - no "Sir" before his name. Bryan was not a rare name in Ireland.
edited by Michael Cayley
There is a lot more information about versions of the William Smith Bryan story, and alleged links to Sir Francis Bryan, here: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bryan-102#Undocumented.2C_Improbable_Tradition. There is even a suggestion in at least one version of the tales that WSB attempted to make himself king of Ireland (!)
edited by Michael Cayley
Are any of the attached children real?
Also, given that there is a Y-DNA match on the page, it is my opinion that that section should be removed altogether, and the descendant's research be consulted. It includes reputable sources. We have no primary sources, so unless someone would like to travel to County Clare, I suggest we use what is available to make the profile the best it can be.
The pedigree is merely an elaborate rumor. I could create a pedigree for Joe Schmoe in ten minutes, and it would be published as fact by others for decades. Only, like the stories of William Smith Bryan, it would continue to be changed over time by those citing it.
The Y-DNA match is also meaningless. Does anyone think that someone obtained a Y-DNA sample from the remains of William Smith Bryan? Where would they have found him? No, all it means is that some living person who bought into the rumor that they were a descendant of the apocryphal William Smith Bryan was tested. That person's DNA does not somehow scientifically retroactively bring William Smith Bryan into past existence.
What is at issue here is the fundamental validity of evidence. Whether there are real primary sources for the information, or just impressive-looking "sources" which, when traced back and examined, amount to nothing more than rehashed rumors.
When Wikitree began, it was hoped that the careless excesses of previous genealogy websites would be avoided, and for a while it appeared that it was somewhat successful. Unfortunately, more recently, I've seen more and more instances of completely baseless information being wholesale copied from other websites into Wikitree. If Wikitree doesn't adhere to a higher standard, then, like other websites, it will devolve into just another very large database of misinformation, and what is the point in that? None, to those of us who still believe that truth matters.
1. Middle name "Smith" 2. Parents Francis Bryan-73 and Ann Smith-5430