William Bryan (1724 - abt. 1780)

Born 31 Oct 1724 in Snowfield Plantation, Bertie County, Province of North Carolina

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Smith) Bryan — married about 1744 in Craven County, Colony of North Carolina

Descendants

Died about Feb 1780 at about age 55 in Springfield Plantation, Johnston, North Carolina, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Brock Riggs [send private message], Michelle Brooks [send private message], Donna Perkins [send private message], Carl Oehmann [send private message], David Parker [send private message], and Barbara Mitchell [send private message]

Biography

Colonel William Bryan served with Johnston County Regiment, North Carolina Militia during the American Revolution.

William Bryan is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: 123757
Rank: Colonel

William Bryan is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A016287.

William Bryan was born Oct. 31, 1724^[1] in Bertie County, North Carolina, near present Lewiston Woodville. His parents, Needham and Annie (Rambeau) Bryan had moved there in 1722 from Isle of Wight County, Virginia.

In c1746 he moved with his brother Needham to Johnston County, North Carolina about the time it was formed from Craven County^[2].

He married around 1744 Elizabeth Smith, daughter of John and Elizabeth Smith, ^[3] who had arrived with her parents about 1738.

They settled at 'Springfield', 2 mi west of present town of Smithfield.^[4]

In 1779 he petitioned for leave to resign as colonel in the militia and as justice of the peace.^[5]

He died November 28, 1781 [age 57].^[6]

August 1, 1782, [Elizabeth's father] John Smith, planter, sold to Elisabeth Bryan for 6000£ 168 acres on the Neuse River, on the south side beginning at a corner tree of sd Smiths & Wm Bryan dec’d.^[7]

Elizabeth died in 1792.^[8]

In 1794 Elizabeth's father, John Smith, died in Hawkins County [soon to be Tennessee] Actually John Smith's place of death is still undecided, he most likely died in Smithfield ^[9], and her children gave depositions to settle the estate:^[10] [A PDF copy of the estate papers is attached.]

Sept. 20, 1794 Elizabeth Blackman of Johnston Co NC. Sometime in the year 1764 her grandfather deeded her negro girl Miley 10, parents woods mare to mother. knows of no other properties.

Sept. 24, 1794 Hardy Bryan heard mother say about the time of her marriage to his father his grandfather offer land, number acres he never knew, or a Negro man Duke, she took the land and settled there, and a small woods horse. Blake Bryan, Johnston Co NC, knows of nothing given by grdfather to parents. John Bryan same.

Children

They had the following children:^[11][12]

1. Lewis Bryan, born 4 Nov 4 1745, Johnston County, North Carolina; married about 1769, Sarah Hinton (daughter of Wm & Sophia Hinton).
2. Mary, born 4 Nov 1745, twin of Lewis, in Johnston Co, NC; m Thomas Lee
3. William Bryan, born in Johnston Co, NC Jul 1747, died Sep 1800, in Bertie County; married Elizabeth Gray (daughter of William Gray and Frances Lee. William Gray's mother was Anne Bryan of the Colony. Ann Bryan's father, Lewis Bryan, and Needham's father, William Bryan were brothers).
4. Arthur, born 12 May 1749.
5. Elizabeth, born 28 May 1751.
6. Hardy B., born 4 Jun 1753.
7. Blake, born 12 Jun 1759.
8. Esther, born 22 Jan 1760
9. Susannah, born 29 Nov 1762.
10. John, born 14 Jan. 1765.

Research Notes

1746 received a land grant of 100 acres south side Neuse River, Johnston Co., NC^[13]

1755 received a land grant of 500 acres south side Neuse River, Johnston Co., NC^[14]

Residence 1757 Bertie County, NC. ^[15] South Carolina, United States. ^[16]

From 1763 on William Bryan is called of Johnston Co., NC. in deed books. From Ancestry.com message boards is this note: Early settlers at the mouth of Mill Creek came through Craven Co. of Duplin Co. NC or up this river. The greater part of Johnston Co. NC first settled from the north. Consequently, we read in deeds of Alexander Avery of Nanesmond Co. VA or of John Vinson of the county of Brunswick, Parish of Meherrin in VA. John and Samuel Smith, early settlers, entered their first patents along this trail, between Swift Creek and The River, as did the brothers Needham and William Bryan from Bertie Co. NC .

Residence 1769 No Township Listed, Bertie County, NC. ^[17] probably his son?

William Bryan^[11] was a member of the Provincial Congress (1775) and among the officers appointed by the Convention which organized the militia. DAR records confirm this, giving the following service description:
1) Also local militia and member of Provincial Congress

2) Also member Comm Corres & Justice of Peace.

William Bryan died in Johnston County, North Carolina in 1781; Notable Southern Families has 1785^[11]; DAR records have 1781. He owned Springfield Plantation along Swift Creek, across the Neuse River a mile west of Smithfield.

Notes

Johnston County North Carolina Deeds

William Bryan - deed book Transcript #1, p. 81, 10 July 1763

William Bryan of Johnston Co. to Nath Kimbrough of Johnston Co. witness that William Bryan hath put his son John Bryan under the tuition & management of Nath Kimbrough , until his son shall arrive at age 21. Wit: John McIlroy, Jonal Marshall. Signed: Nathl Kimbrough, Wm (X) Bryan, July Ct. 1763.

William Bryan - deed book D-1, p. 166, 10 July 1764

John Smith, Sr. of Johnston Co, to Elizabeth Bryant of Johnston Co. for LGW & Aff. to my granddaughter, negro girl Miley ca. 10 years, now in care & poss. of William Bryant. Wit: John Smith, Sr. Alex Smith. Signed John Smith.

William Bryan - deed book E-1, p. 206, 12 Jan. 1767

Daniel Clark of Johnston Co. to William Bryan of Johnston Co. for 25 pounds, 1 black gilding, all my household goods, working tools & all cattle & hoggs etc.

Wit: Lewis Bryan, William Jernigan . Signed: Daniel Clark, April Ct. 1767.

William Bryan - deed book E-1, p. 376, 15 July 1768

Articles of Agreement between Isaac Williams of Johnston Co. & William Bryan of Johnston Co. Isaac Williams did by a Deed of Gift to this dau Elizabeth Pearce, a tract of land NS Neuse River, being half of the land Williams bought from Geo Pool adj. upper side of Mill Br. 100 acres, land pat. to Geo Pool , reserving the privilege of tilling part of land during his nat. life, & that it should not be sold nor swapt, yet Elizabeth Pearce, who married Jesse Pearce disposed of the aforesaid land sells the land to William Bryan for 5 sh, hereby divesting myself of all right. Wit: Micajah Stokes, Lewis Bryan.

Signed: Isaac (his mark) Williams, Aug.Ct. 1768.

William Bryan - deed book Transcript #2, p. 41, 15 Nov. 1769

John Durham & w Charity of Johnston Co. to William Bryan of Johnston Co. for 80 pounds, 100 acres NS Neuse River, being all that tract conv. by Deed of Gift from Isaac Williams to sd John Durham. Wit: Needham Bryan, Lewis Bryan, Jno Rand CC. Signed: John Durham, Charity (X) Durham, Nov. Ct. 1769.

W Bryan - deed book H-1, p. 300, 3 April 1775

Elizabeth Nichols & Pherby Nichols of Johnston Co. To Mary Ballanger of Johnston Co. for 6 pounds, 10 sh, 25 acres SS Neuse River bank above Beals Ck. as by the deed given to Benjamin Nichols. Wit: Hardy Bryan, W Bryan, John Ballenger. Signed: Elizabeth (her mark) Nichols.

W Bryan - deed book I-1, 285, 21 Nov. 1778

Jesse Allen of Johnston Co to Saml Smith of Bladen Co. for NL & Aff. & other good causes. Negroes Lewcey, Phillis & Nell. Wit: W Bryan, Blake Bryan

Signed: Jesse (X) Allen Nov. Ct. 1779.

William Bryan - deed book I-1, p. 315, 30 Aug. 1779

Benj Williams, Wm Bryan, John Smith, Samuel Smith, John Stevens, John Rand, & Lewis Bryan comm. of Smithfield to William Powell of Gates Co. for 50 sh, 1 lot or 1/2 acre in Smithfield #66. Wit: Kedar Powell. Signed: Benj Williams, John Smith, John Rand, Lewis Bryan. Aug.Ct. 1779.

ANCESTRY: *tmcarter76 originally shared this story on 30 Jan 2014

Sources

1. ↑ Whitfield, Emma Morehead, "Whitfield, Bryan, Smith and Related Families,” Vol.2, p.8. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062479589&view=1up&seq=28
2. ↑ Johnston Journal, Vol 28, No. 2, page 26
3. ↑ Whitfield, Vol.2, 213. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062479589&view=1up&seq=259
4. ↑ Whitfield, Vol.2, p.213.
5. ↑ Whitfield, Vol.2, p.9.
6. ↑ Whitfield, Vol.2, p.8.
7. ↑ Haun, Weynette Parks, "Johnston County, North Carolina Abstracts: Deed Books,” Vol.2 #366:J.Tr-2:59.
8. ↑ Whitfield, Vol.2, p.213.
9. ↑ Whitfield, Emma Morehead, "Whitfield, Bryan, Smith and Related Families,” Vol.2 212
10. ↑ Knoxville Sup Crt RecBk.B 1797-1804, part2, p288-291.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} from Notable Southern Families
12. ↑ Whitfield, Vol.2, p.10.
13. ↑ North Carolina Land Grants. Microfilm publication, 770 rolls. North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, North Carolina.
14. ↑ North Carolina Land Grants. Microfilm publication, 770 rolls. North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, North Carolina.
15. ↑ Source: #S-738190734
16. ↑ Source: #S-738039231
17. ↑ Source: #S-738190734

• Notable Southern Families Volume II, Compiled by Zella Armstrong, Member of the Tennessee Historical Commission, published by The Lookout Publishing Company, Chattanooga, Tenn., Dec. 15, 1942. Digitized by Google, and available online through Google Books (http://archive.org/details/notablesouthern00unkngoog).

• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed June 19, 2015), "Record of William Bryan", Ancestor # A016287.

• North Carolina Hist. Gen. Reg., Vol 1 (1900), quarterly issues 1-4 bound: issue 4 (October), page 577. p.594

• Source: S-738039231 U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.

• 1790 Census: "1790 United States Federal Census"
  The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC; First Census of the United States, 1790.; Year: 1790; Census Place: Bertie, North Carolina; Series: M637; Roll: 7; Page: 350; Family History Library Film: 0568147
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 5058 #154037 (accessed 15 April 2023)
  William Bryan in Bertie, North Carolina.

Name William Bryan

Home in 1790 (City, County, State) Bertie, North Carolina

Free White Persons - Males - 16 and over 1

Number of Slaves 1

Number of Household Members 2

• Lt. Colonel Brigadier General William Bryan

• https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-geneticfamily/thrulines/tree/2993057453:9009:66/for/F054D6E1-5F2B-45B0-B0EB-905D8FBDB6DC

• Probate: "North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998"
  Wayne County, North Carolina, Estate Records, 1782-1937; Indexes 1782-1937; Author: North Carolina. Superior Court (Wayne County); Probate Place: Wayne, North Carolina
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 9061 #1861801 (accessed 15 April 2023)
  William Bryan probate in 1802 in Wayne, North Carolina, USA.

See also:

• Source: S-738190734 North Carolina, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc

• U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 for son William plus himself

• My Kindred.com [S720] Gedcom - Olschner, Evelyn M.

• DNA traill on Ancestry

• The North Carolina historical and genealogical register

Acknowledgements

• The WikiTree profiles Bryan-778 and Bryant-867 were created by David Parker, on July 19, 2011. Bryant-867 had "B." as middle initial.
• The WikiTree profile Bryan-1726 was created by Michelle Brooks on 21 Oct 13. The profile showed birth/death as 1732/1780 (no sources).