Thomas Bryan (abt. 1737 - abt. 1777)

Born about 1737 in Opequon Creek, Frederick, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Hunt) Gano — married [date unknown] in NC

Descendants

Died about 1777 at about age 40 in Kentucky, United States [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Juliet Wills [send private message]

Biography

Thomas, youngest of the children, shared his brothers' interest in Kentucky and is believed to have fitted out one of Daniel Boone's early expeditions. He saw service in the Rowan County militia prior to the Revolution and is thought to have had strong Loyalist sentiments. Thomas inherited his father's Deep Creek property but sold it to his brother William and was living elsewhere in the Settlements at the time of his death in 1777. One of his sons seems to have been killed in the war as a Tory officer. His widow, Sarah Hunt Bryan, later married the Reverend John Gano and moved with him to Kentucky in 1789.

Note: Additional information from: "Bryan Wills and Deeds With Genealogical Notes" by Lindsay M. Brien in Dayton, Ohio.^[1]

FHL Book US/CAN 929.273 B84 bl Page 92

Page 81 "Capt. Jonathan Hunt's list of taxable persons, 1768 - Samuel Bryan, Thomas Bryan, John Bryan & son John.

Page 92 "Youngest son of Morgan, was a surgeon in the Revolutionary War for three years. (See D.A.R. Lineage Book, Vol. 34, page 62)

Page 92 and 93:

"As Thomas Bryan, son of Morgan, is often, even in recent years been called a Tory by writers, the following account of the battle of the Shallow Ford, where a Captain Thomas Bryan was killed is of interest.

In the Draper M s. 8c43 (State Hist. Soc. of Wisconsin) is a letter dated Feb. 17, 1887, to the Editor of the Landmark, (evidently a paper published in Davie County, North Carolina) and signed by D. M. Furches. Parts of the letter follow:

"In the Revolutionary times, what is now Davie County was a part of Rowan and was known as the "Forks", lying as it does in the forks or prongs of the north and south Yadkin Rivers, one of the best portions of North Carolina, the hunting ground of Daniel Boone in his youth; the home of such families as the Pearsons, Clements, Gaithers, Ellison, Cooks, Mumfords and many others. But among them there was a large and influential family by the name of Bryan. This family was extensive, wealthy for that day and influential, but they were all loyalists, Tories. One of them being the celebrated Colonel Bryan who had the fight with Richmond Pearson. Another was known as Captain Thomas Bryan, who raised a Tory company and held it subject to orders for the protection of the loyalists, the "Forks being about equally divided between the Whigs and Tories.

Captain Francis called his company of Whigs out and started down the Yadkin to disband Bryan's company, neither Bryan or Francis knew the other was on the march -- this has since been called the "Battle Ground Branch" about 1/2 mile west of the little town of Huntsville and one mile west of the Shallow Ford on the Yadkin River and has always been known in tradition as the Battle of the Shallow Ford.

As Captain Bryan moved up the Yadkin on his way to what turned out to be the battle of the Shallow Ford, when ever he came upon a young man with avowed Whig principles, he took him a "prisoner of war", and among those so taken was a young man by the name of Robin Horn. Captain Bryan, not long before the battle of the Shallow Ford, had married Sallie Howell, a beautiful young Whig girl, an aunt of Stephen L. Howell, who died in Statesville about two years ago. She by will or some other way, succeeded to the estate of Captain Bryan on Dutchman's Creed, seven miles above Mocksville. She remained a widow until after peace was declared, and Robin Horn, the prisoner of her husband, at the time he was killed, returned home and soon after his return, she and Robin were married and settled down on her estate and raised a large family. One son was named Howell Horn".

"Compiler's note - From this Captain Thomas Bryan living on Dutchman's Creek, it would appear that he was the son of Captain John Bryan, Whig, Captain in the North Carolina Militia, and grandson of Morgan Bryan Sr."

From the County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions minutes of Rowan County, North Carolina^[2]:

1777

February 6th Court met [...]

Ordered by the Court that Letters of Administration on the Estate of Thos

Bryan dec'd be granted to Sarah Bryan his Widow, who with Jonathan

and Andrew Hunt are bound in the sum of £1000

If Jonathan and Andrew Hunt are brothers of the widow Sarah Bryan, then the widow would be Sarah (Hunt) Bryan, the daughter of Col. Jonathan Bryan. The Battle of Shallow Ford, North Carolina, occurred on 6th February 1781 and it was the only Revolutionary battle that took place at Shallow Ford^[3]. Since the court order assigning the widow Sarah (Hunt) Bryan to administer the estate occurred four years prior to the Battle of Shallow Ford, this Thomas Bryan who was married to Sarah Hunt was not the Tory (or Loyalist) who died at the Battle of Shallow Ford. And it supports undocumented death dates of 1776 and 1777 for Thomas Bryan. This court order supports that the Tory who died at the Battle of Shallow Ford was a different man with the same name.

Sources

1. ↑ FamilySearch Digital Collection. "Bryan wills and deeds with genealogical notes, 1636-1927," by Lindsay M. Brien. "Morgan Bryan Line, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Kentucky." (will of, death date Apr. 3, 1763, Easter Sunday, p. 80, Image 916; children of Morgan Bryan, Sr.: Joseph Bryan, Sr., p. 82, Image 918; Samuel Bryan, p. 83, Image 919; Morgan Bryan Jr., p. 85, Image 921; Capt. William Bryan, p. 87-88, Images 923-24; sons James Bryan, John Bryan, Thomas Bryan, p. 92-93, Images 928-29; grandsons Joseph Bryan, p. 86, Image 922; Samuel Bryan, p. 89, Image 925; John Bryan, Jr, p. 90-91, Image 926-927) Records of NSDAR, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Washington, D.C. FamilySearch, FHL Film #872855, FHL Digitized Film #7816119, pp. 79-93, Images 914-929 of 1036. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
2. ↑ "County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions minutes (Rowan County, North Carolina), 1753-1868, Minutes, Vol. 4-6 1773-1800"; digital images, FHL Film # 007640159, image 59 of 870, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89G4-QS71-S?i=58 : accessed 12 Sep 2023).
3. ↑ "Historical register of officers of the Continental Army : during the War of the Revolution, April 1775 to December 1783", p. 516, 524; FamilySearch Books (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/idviewer/714224 : downloaded 11 Sep 2023).

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 10 January 2021), memorial page for Dr Thomas Bryan (1736–1789), Find a Grave Memorial no. 189703668, ; Maintained by Pam Barns (contributor 46946976) Unknown. Accessed 10 Jan 2021.
• Thomas Bryan, 1736-1789 Berry Family Genealogy. Accessed 10 Jan 2021.

• Genealogy, Link

Acknowledgements:

• WikiTree profile Bryan-324 created through the import of Hudson.ged on May 29, 2011 by Arletta Hudson. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Arletta and others.
• S1 Abbreviation: GEDCOM file imported on 1 November 2010 Title: GEDCOM file submitted by Legacy. Imported on 1 November 2010. Subsequent Source Citation Format: GEDCOM file submitted by Legacy. Imported on 1 November 2010. BIBL GEDCOM file, Legacy. TMPLT TID 0 FIELD Name: Footnote VALUE GEDCOM file submitted by Legacy. Imported on 1 November 2010. FIELD Name: ShortFootnote VALUE GEDCOM file submitted by Legacy. Imported on 1 November 2010. FIELD Name: Bibliography VALUE GEDCOM file, Legacy. TMPLT
• This person was created through the import of Shortened files.ged on 30 December 2010.
• WikiTree profile Bryan-747 created through the import of MarilynCardwellGedcomJuly2011.ged on Jul 10, 2011 by Marilyn Cardwell.
• Marie Mills, firsthand knowledge. Click the Changes tab for the details of edits by Marie and others.