John Bryant Sr. (abt. 1618 - 1684)

Born about 1618 in East Greenwich, Kent, England [uncertain]

Husband of Mary (Lewis) Bryant — married 14 Nov 1643 (to 2 Jul 1655) in Scituate, Plymouth Colony

Husband of Elizabeth (Wetherell) Bryant — married 22 Dec 1657 (to Jan 1661) in Scituate, Plymouth Colony

Husband of Mary (Hyland) Stetson — married Apr 1664 (to 20 Nov 1684) in Scituate, Plymouth Colony

Descendants

Died 20 Nov 1684 at about age 66 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony

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John Bryant Sr. migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

John Briant of Scituate was active in public affairs, a land owner, and frequently a surveyor of public lands. He was a member of the Plymouth General Court in 1657 and 1677/78.^[1]

A family tradition states he came from Kent, England in the Ann. He settled first at Barnstable and removed to Scituate by 1643. His name is on a list of freeman in 1639 and on the 1643 list of men able to bear arms in Scituate.^[1]

Marriages and Children

He married three times^[1]

Married: 1st - Mary Lewis, daughter of George and Mary (Jenkins) Lewis of Barnstable on the 14th of November, 1643 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony.^[2] She died 2 July 1655 in Scituate, after bearing 7 children.^[3]

Married: 2nd - Elizabeth Wetherill, daughter of Rev. William Witherill of Scituate, on the 22nd of December, 1657 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony.^[4] She died between January 1661/62 and April 1664, after the birth of her daughter and before the remarriage of her husband to Mary Highland.^[5] There are no other children recorded for John before he remarries to the below Mary, in April, 1664.

Married: 3rd - Mary Highland, daughter of Thomas Highland of Scituate, in April 1664 (day NOT recorded), at Scituate, Plymouth Colony.^[6]

Children of John Bryant and Mary Lewis:

All recorded in Scituate.^[1][7]

1. John Bryant. Born on 17 August 1644; m. Mary
2. Hannah Bryant. Born on 25 January 1646; m. John Stodder of Hingham, 1665
3. Sarah Bryant. Born on 29 September 1648
4. Mary Bryant. Born on 24 February 1650. She died 8 April 1652 in Scituate.^[8]
5. Martha Bryant. Born on 26 February 1652
6. Samuel Bryant. Born on 6 February 1654; d. 1690 in Phipps expedition to Canada; sergeant; estate inventory £47

Children of John Bryant and Elizabeth Wetherell:

1. Daniel Bryant. Baptized on 5 February 1659/60 ; m. Dorothy _____(source for her?)
2. Mary Bryant. Baptized on 19 January 1661/62.

Children of John Bryant and Mary Hiland:

1. Elizabeth Bryant. Born on August 1665; d. 17 Dec 1783
2. Joseph Bryant. Baptized on 7 July, 1667; d. 16 June 1669
3. Benjamin Bryant. Born on December 1669; d., 1697, at sea, unm.; will proved 5 Jan 1702; inven: £164.
4. Joseph Bryant. Baptized on 16 April1671;
5. Jabez (Jabesh in John's Will) Bryant. Born on 18 February 1672; d. 1697, unm.
6. Ruth Bryant. Born on 16 April 1673; m. William Wanton, who would become governor of Rhode Island.
7. Thomas Bryant. Born on 15 July, 1675; m. Mary d. of Gershom Ewell
8. Deborah Bryant. Born on 22 January 1677.
9. Agatha Bryant. Born on 12 March 1678.
10. Anna (Ann is John's Will) Bryant. Born on 28 November 1679.
11. Elisha Bryant.

Death

Died: 20 November 1684 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony. His will was dated 4 Nov 1684.^[9][1]

Research Notes

Disputed Parents: John Bryant and Grace Wayford were not the parents of the immigrant John of Scituate. John and Grace had a son John Bryant of Bampton, whose will was proved 1641.

Another John Bryant: There appears to be another John Bryant who first settled at Taunton. See Great Migration Directory: Bryant, John: Unknown; 1637; Taunton [PCPR 1:31; MD 2:210-11].

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Bryant, Dr. Percy. "Descendants of John Briant, Sen., of Scituate, Mass." New England Historical and Genealogical Register 48:46. (1894)
2. ↑ Original Town Records of Scituate, MA, Vol. 6, pg. 1, 3rd entry.
3. ↑ Scituate. Vital records of Scituate, vol. 2: Marriages and Deaths. (1909): page 361.
4. ↑ Original Town Records of Scituate, MA, Vol. 6, pg. 3, 3rd entry.
5. ↑ Scituate, Massachusetts: Second Church Records, 1645-1850, compiled by Wilford Litchfield, pg. 6.
6. ↑ Original Town Records of Scituate, MA, Vol. 6, pg. 3, 3rd entry from the bottom.
7. ↑ Scituate,Vital records of Scituate, Massachusetts, vol. 1: Births. (1909): pages 57-60.
8. ↑ Scituate. Vital records of Scituate, Vol. 2: Marriages and Deaths. (1909): page 47.
9. ↑ Plymouth Colony Records & Wills, 1633-1686, Vol. 4, pgs. 86-87, Last Will & Testament of John Briant.

See Also:

• Source: Births, Marriages, And Deaths Of Scituate, Mass. 1640 - 1801. Microfilm # 0423512. L.D.S. Genealogy Library - Salt Lake City,Utah. !Lds Church Archive Record For George Lewis & Sarah Jenkins. Genealogical Notes Of Barnstable , Mass. Pg. 119.; New England Register (Am History Vol. 17. Pg 16.) !Marriage: Records Of The Colony Of New Plymouth In New England;1633 - 1689; Miscellaneous Records; Edited By Nathaniel B. Shurtleff,M.D.; Printed From The Press Of William White, 1857. Pg.17. !Marriage:New England Marriages Prior To 1700.By Clarence Almon Torrey;1621-1700;Genealogical Publishing Co.;Pg. 111; In Possession Of Carol Nichols,Gilberts,Ill. !Birth-Marriages-Deaths:Vital And Town Records Of Scituate,Mass, 1640 - 1847;Pg.1,3 ;L.D.S. Genealogy Library-Salt Lake City,Utah;Filmed By The Genealogical Society Of Utah, 1965. !History: Founders Of Early American Families; Emigrants From Europe, 1607 - 1657; Revised Edition; Published By The General Court Of The Order Of Founders And Patriots Of America; Cleveland, Ohio 1985. Pg. 50. !Notes: His Name Was Originally Spelled Briant. Of Plymouth, Mass. 1637, Barnstable 1639, Scituate 1643. He Died There 20 Nov 1684. Freeman.

• There is an extensive, but unsourced, biography of John Bryant of Scituate, THE BRYANT FAMILY OF KENT CO., ENGLAND-PLYMOUTH, MASS.- BRYANT HILL, ELLICOTTVILLE, NY Researched by: Edna Bryant Cole of Erie, PA, at Cole

• Marriage of John Bryant and Mary Lewis. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth. 1633 -1689, Pub. Boston 1857, Pub. Baltimore 1976, Transcribed by Claire Dietz. Marriages, page 222. BRYANT, John and Mary Lewis, Scituate 14 November 1643. John and Elizabeth Witherell, Scituate, 22 Dec. 1651. John and Abigail Bryant, Plymouth 23 November 1665.

• Scituate, F. Apthorp Foster ed. Vital records of Scituate, Massachusetts, to the year 1850, volume 2: Marriages and Deaths. (Boston: NEHGS, 1909): page 46. Includes marriage dates of John Bryant and Mary Lewis and John Bryant and Elizabeth Wetherill.

• Scituate, F. Apthorp Foster ed. Vital records of Scituate, Massachusetts, to the year 1850, volume 1: Births. (Boston: NEHGS, 1909). Internet Archive Link.

• Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692. Vol. I-IV. Boston, MA, USA: 1860-1862. Vol 1 p. 283.
• BRYANT, JOHN, Scituate [arrived before] 1639.

1. m. 14 Nov. 1643, Mary, d. of George Lewis of Barnstable, had John, b. 17 Aug. 1644; Hannah, 25 Jan. 1646, m. 1665, John Stodder of Hingham; Joseph, 1646, d. young; Sarah, 29 Sept. 1648; Mary, 24 Feb. 1650, d. young; Martha, 26 Feb. 1652; and Samuel, 6 Feb. 1654. His w. d. 2 July 1655, and
2. he m. 22 Dec. 1657, Elizabeth d. of Rev. William Wetherell, wh. d. soon; and
3. in 1664 he m. Mary, d. of Thomas Hiland, had Elizabeth 1665; Benjamin, 1669; Joseph, again, 1671; Jabez, 1672; Ruth, 1673; Thomas, 1675; Deborah, 1677; Agatha, 1678; Ann, 1680; and Elisha, 1682.

• Also in this Savage reference:
• He was rep. 1677-8, and his will was dat. 1684.
• JOHN, Scituate, s. of John of the same, had John, b. 1677; Jonathan, 1679; Mary, 1682; David, 1684; Joshua, 1687; Samuel,1689; and Martha, 1691.
• SAMUEL, Scituate, s. of first John, d. in the strange expedit. of Sir William Phips against Quebec.
• THOMAS, Scituate, s. of first John, a man of distinct. rep. 1725, 30, 3, and 4, was f. of Rev. Lemuel, H. C. 1739, a disting. man of Braintree.