Thomas Bryant (1675 - 1748)

Born 15 Jul 1675 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Ewell) Bryant — married 28 Aug 1707 in Scituate Center, Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay

Husband of Mary (Randall) Bryant — married 14 May 1735 in Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died 18 Dec 1748 at age 73 in Scituate, Plymouth, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

Birth

Thomas Bryant was born on July 15, 1675, in Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay.^{[1] [2]} Thomas was the fifteenth child of John Bryant Sr. His mother, Mary Hiland, was the third wife of John Bryant, Sr. Thomas grew up in the home built on Second Herring Brook near the North River in Scituate, Plymouth Colony. This home, built in 1676, replaced the previous home that John had built at that location. The home was a short distance from where Second Herring Brook flowed into North River.^[3]

Thomas' father died on November 20, 1684, in Scituate, Plymouth Colony. He succeeded to his father's farm, on the Second Herring Brook. ^[4] Thomas worked as a ship-builder for some period of time. In 1790, a saw-mill was constructed near the family residence.^[5] It was later used as a grist mill. The North River formed the border of Scituate, and its two mile length was lined with ship-yards during that time period.

In 1694, he is mentioned in his brother, Benjamin Briant's will.^[6]

In 1706 the parish of the Church and Society upon the North River proposed "to build a new meeting-house, and set it upon the most convenient place of that parcel of land between the dwelling house of Thomas Bryant and Joseph Bryant and the sawmill near the sd house." That location could not be obtained due to its location near the saw mill and a proposed second location "on the south side of the road, about thirty rods east of Bryant's Bridge at the second Herring brook." When this location was also abandoned they built the Meeting-house "at or near the place where it is now framed, upon the Town Common, and to the use of their common land, a convenciency for a burying place, and also for building a stable or stables." ^[7]

Marriage to Mary Ewell

Thomas married Mary Ewell, daughter, of Gershom Ewell of Scituate on August 28, 1707. ^[8][2] They had at least nine children, some of whom died in infancy. Mary died on November 30, 1824 probably from complications of childbirth. She had delivered twins who were baptized probably soon after birth on November 22, 1724. The son, Nathaniel, died on November 29th, the daughter, Hannah, and Mary Ewell Bryant both died on November 30th. The twins were buried with their mother.

In 1728 Thomas was the trustee authorized to receive Scituate's portion of a £60,000, issued in that year in bills of credit, by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These bills were later known as Old Tenor Notes. ^[4] He served as a Representative Massachusetts Legislature in the years 1725, 1730, 1733, and 1734,^[4]

Marriage to Mary Randall Barstow

Thomas of Scituate and Mary Randall Barstow, widow of Hanover, were married the 12th of April , 1735, at Scituate, MA, according to the original town records.^[9][2] The First Congregational Church of Hanover has this marriage recorded on the 14th of May, 1735,^[10] but these are transcripts, not originals & the Scituate town records do not state that marriage was an intention. There were no children from this marriage. Mary was the daughter of Job Randall and had married Joseph Barstow by whom she had eight children. In 1732 she had given guardianship of her three minor living children, ( James, Mary and Abigail), to her son-in-law, Elijah Cushing and her oldest daughter, Elizabeth Barstow Cushing. At the time of their marriage, Thomas' youngest son, Lemuel, was ten years old. He later married Mary Randall Barstow's youngest daughter, Abigail.

Death

Thomas signed his Will on December 15, 1748.^[11] His second wife, Mary Randall Barstow Bryant was mentioned as "I give to my beloved wife Mary Bryant all those articles and things which by Covenant with her before marriage I was obliged to do and reform" indicating they had a prior agreement about their personal estates prior to the marriage. The children listed in the will included: Benjamin, Seth, Thomas, Peleg, Lemuel and Mary Turner.^[11]

Thomas died December 18, 1748 at the age of seventy-four in Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts. ^{[2] [12]} He was buried at First Parish Cemetery in Norwell, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

Enslaved People

Primus a black servant of Thomas Bryant, Esqr., married Dills a black servant to Capt David Clap, on 26 January 1739/40 in Scituate.^[13]

Research Notes

Variations of spelling surname: Briant, Brian

Children

• Benjamin - b. 13th October, 1708; moved to Windsor, Connecticut. in 1750; m.11th September, 1729, Abigail Randall (bapt, in 1710 - There could be two Benjamins?)
  
• Mary b. 6th November, 1711; m. 14th February 1832, 1833, Thomas Turner, Jr. of Scituate
  
• Seth, b. 14th February, 1713-1714
  
• Thomas Bryant b. bapt. 29th April, 1716; m. Sarah, surname unknown
  
• Peleg Gentleman - bapt. 27th July, 1718,; m. 10th July,1740 Mary Jenkins
  
• Hannah, bapt. 7th August, 1720; d, in infancy
  
• Rev. Lemuel, bapt. 25th February 1721-1722 d. 1st October, 1754, in Hingham, Massachusetts
  
• Nathaniel (twin), bapt. 22 November, 1724; d. 29th November, 1724
  
• Hannah (twin), bapt. 22 November, 1724; d. 30th November, 1724
  

Sources

1. ↑ Original Town Records of Scituate, MA, Vol. 6, pg. 41, 2nd entry.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} See Also Colonial America Book - Family of Lemuel Bryant page 103
3. ↑ SEE ALSO below HURD, D. Hamilton, ed.; History of Plymouth County, Massachusetts page 400
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} See Also Colonial America Book - Family of Lemuel Bryant page 101
5. ↑ SEE ALSO below HURD, D. Hamilton, ed.; History of Plymouth County, Massachusetts page 436, Col 1
6. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-897D-6STB : 22 March 2023), Probate records 1702-1710 vol 2 > image 17 of 106; State Archives, Boston.
7. ↑ Deane, Samuel; History of Scituate, Massachusetts from its First Settlement to 1831; Clearfield, Published 1931; Reprinted 1993, 1995; "Parishes" Page 37, 38 [1]; Reference to the home at Second Herring Brook
8. ↑ Original Town Records of Scituate, MA, Vol. 6, pg. 16, 9th entry.
9. ↑ Original Town Records of Scituate, MA, Vol. 6, pg. 53, 10th entry: "Thomas Bryant Esr. of Scituate to wid: Mary Barstow of Hanovr. april 12. 1735."
10. ↑ History and Records of the First Congregational Church, Hanover, Mass., 1727-1865, pg. 88
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Plymouth County Probate Records, Vol. 11, pg. 221, 1748, Thomas Byrant.
12. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 25 December 2019), memorial page for Thomas Briant (16 Jul 1675–18 Dec 1748), Find A Grave Memorial no. 75727625, [2]: HEADSTONE WITH DEATH DATE AND AGE; citing First Parish Cemetery, Norwell, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Linda Hiross (contributor 47490909) .
13. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHHB-MLQ : 20 May 2022), Primus ...negro Servant To Thomas Bryant, 26 Jan 1739; citing Marriage, Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009271.

• Old Scituate page 110

• Baker Pedigree By James Atkins Noyes, page 5

• Bryant Genealogy Pages contains records

See Also

• Ancestry.com. Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775 [3]. Image 10; Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Mackenzie, George Norbury, and Nelson Osgood Rhoades, 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. 7 volumes. 1912. Reprinted, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1966, 1995. Page 101 &103, Family of LEMUEL BRYANT

• HURD, D. Hamilton, ed.; History of Plymouth County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men; J. W. Lewis & Co.; Philadelphia, PA; 1884; ancestry.com; History of Scituate and South Scituate; by Daniel E. Damon; Page 400 & 436,