Bryant O'Bannon (abt. 1675 - 1762)

Born about 1675 in County Tipperary, Ireland

Husband of Zena Sarah (Isham) O'Bannon — married 1704 in Fauquier, Virginia Colony

Descendants

Died 25 Feb 1762 at about age 87 in Hamilton Parish, Fauquier County, Virginia

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Discrepancy

Source to Source discrepancy - It appears that some erroneous information may have been published, and perhaps republished/reported, making the “actual facts” obscure.

Several variations in name spellings with and without apostrophe mark. There were many different forms of the name O'Bannon in Ireland: aka's O'Banane, O'Bannan, O'Banion. And others with the 'O' dropped: Bannon, Banin, OBannon, O'Bannon, O'Banion, OBanion, O'Bannon / O'Bannion, Obanon, etc (Bryan also as Brien etc.)

• ALL known records in all of Virginia refer to him simply as "Bryant." or Bryan - No Middle Name

Biography

Bryan O'Bannon was born in Ireland.

Bryan O'Bannon was a Virginia colonist.

Birth

Bryant Boru O'Bannon was born between 1675 - 1683 in Tipperary County, Ireland vs County Fermaugh Ireland ^{[1] [2]}

Immigration

Bryant 'The Immigrant' OBannon believed to have first immigrated to Richmond Co. (Harper’s Ferry), then to King George (now Fauquier Co.), Virginia, about 1702, age ~ 19

Bryan O'Bannon migrated from County Tipperary, Ireland to Virginia.

Marriage

Bryan married Zena Sarah Isham about 1704 - 1705 in Fauquier County Virginia. They had six children identified in his will. ^[3] Some sources state they married in Westmoreland County.

• His will shows that Sarah was his wife at the time of his death in 1762.

Some sources show that after the death of Sarah, he married Margaret Johnston; with two children.

Child: Aaron Johnston

Child: Frances Johnston

• Speculation: It is likely, in view of the Will Transcription, that Margaret Johnson was not a wife but rather a daughter (or consort) as Sarah appears to be still living at time of will.

Children

Named Wife Sarah and Six Children in Will

Child: John OBannon (Executor) m. Sarah

• grand-daughter Sarah, daughter of said John
• grandson, Thomas O'Bannon, son of John
• grandson Bryan O'Bannon, son of my son John,

Child: William OBannon (Executor)

• grandson Willima O'Bannon, son of my son William,
• Bryan O'Bannon, son of my son William

Child: Samuel OBannon

Child: Elizabeth OBannon m. Ambrose

Child: Mary Ann OBannon m. Miller

Child: Catherine OBannon m. Jacob Hite (Executor)

• Grandaughter Elizabeth Hite

Child: Margaret OBannon (Unnamed unless this is Margaret Johnson as named)

• Aaron Johnston and Francis Johnston, children of Margaret Johnston (my son-in-law, Jacob Hite and my granddaughter Elizabeth Hite, to have the care and management of the said children)
• forementioned Francis Johnston five hundred pounds of Tobacco to be yearly paid to Margaret Johnston, mother of the foresaid Francis

Timeline

• 20 DEC 1720 Land Contract Hanover Parish in Richmond County, VA. ^[4]
• 26 JUN 1728 Land Contract King George (now Fauquier Co.), VA.^[5]
• 8 JUN 1731 Residence: Prince William (now Fauquier Co.), VA.^[6]
• 1 SEP 1731 Residence: Prince William (now Fauquier Co.), VA. ^[7][8]
• 19 JUN 1741 Land Contract: Prince William (now Fauquier Co.), VA ^[9]
• 10 SEP 1745 Land Contract Prince William (now Fauquier Co.), VA. ^[10]
• 1753 Land Contract: Frederick Co., VA.^[11]

Death

Bryan died about 25 February 1762 in Hamilton Parish, Fauquier County VA. (vs. south of Salem (now Marshall), Fauquier Co., VA.)

Will and Probate

Last Will and Testament of Bryan Obanon:

Note: The Will found in Fauquier County Will Book 1 does not contain the middle name of Boru and spells the last name for all family members as "Obanon" throughout. See footnotes to view Will and Inventory images via Ancestry viewer.

Dated: 4 SEP 1760 Fauquier Co., VA.

Probate Date 25 FEB 1762; Fauquier Co., VA.

"In the name of God, Amen, I, Bryan Obanon of Parish of Hamilton and county of Faquier, State of Virginia, being sick and weak of body but of perfect sense and memory, thanks be to Almighty God, and calling to mind the uncertainty of this present life, and knowing that it is appointed for all men to die, do make and ordain this my last will and testement in manner and form following:

First, I commend my soul to Almighty God who gave it, nothing doubting but to recieve the same at the resurrection of the Just, my body I recommend to the earth to recieve a Christian burial at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter mentioned. And as for my wordly estate, which it has pleased Almighty God to bless me with, I give and dispose of as follows:

I give and bequeath to my beloved son, John Obanon the plantation of lands on which he now lives, containing two hundred and twelve acres more or less, to him and his heirs forever. I further give to my son John my negro woman Judy, and her future increase; and after the death of my son John and his wife Sarah, I give the said negro, if living, with her said increase, to my grand-daughter Sarah, daughter of said John, and her heirs forever. And my will is that the said Judy shall, after my decease, be totally exempted from laboring without of doors during her natural life. I likewise give to my aforesaid son John my still unbroken horse.

Item. I give and bequeath to my son William Obanon the plantation of lands whereon he now lives, containing two hundred and twelve acres more or less, to him and his heirs forever.

Item. I give and bequeath to my son Samuel Obanon, my plantations and lands in King George county, containing three hundred acres more or less, to him and his heirs forever. I further give to my son Samuel 100 pounds, in current money, and all my wearing apparel.

Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter, Elizabeth Ambrose, sixty pounds, surrent money, to her and her heirs forever.

Item.I give and bequeath to my daughter Ann Miller 100 pounds, current money

I give to my grandson, Thomas Obanon, son of John the plantation whereon I now live, to include two hundred and twenty acres, this side of Broad Run to him my said grandson and his heirs forever.

I give to my grandson Willima Obanon, son of my son William, the remaining part of the tract I now live on, lying chiefly on the north side of Broad Run to my said grandson and his heris forever.

I give to my grandson Bryan Obanon, son of my son John, one negro girl called Lucy

I give to my grandson Bryan Obanon, son of my son William, one negro girl called Cate.

I give to each of my grandchildren, male and female, being twenty-seven in number, the sum of ten pounds, current money, each to be paid by my Executors at the day of their marraige or as they come of age.

I give to Aaron Johnston and Francis Johnston, children of Margaret Johnston, my plantation and lands in Frederick County, containing two hundred and fifty seven acres, to be equally divided between them. And if either of them die before they come of age or marry, I give the part of his or her so dying to the survivor and their heirs forever, and my will is that the rents or profits from the said lands be yearly laid out for education and maintenance of the said children. And further I direct and appoint my son-in-law, Jacob Hite and my granddaughter Elizabeth Hite, to have the care and management of the said children until they come of age, and in case they should die without issue, then I give the aforementioned land to my grandson, Bryan Obanon, son of my son John Obanon and his heirs forever.

I likewise give to the said Aaron Johnston one negro girl named Hannah, with her furture increase to him and his heirs forever and in case he should die without issue, then the said mentioned negro to go or decend according to the aforementioned land.

I give to the forementioned Francis Johnston five hundred pounds of Tobacco to be yearly paid to Margaret Johnston, mother of the foresaid Francis, for the support and maintenance of the said Francis during the space of four years.

It is my will and desire that my negros and all of my personal estate(except those negroes formerly given to my children and those herein bequeathed and after appraised) may be sold and the money arising therefrom be divided equally between my sons and grandsons.

I hereby nominate and appoint my loving sons, John and William Obanon and my son-in-law Jacob Hite, my whole and sole Executors of this my last will and testament. And I do hereby Revoke, Disannul and make vooid all former wills by me made.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 4th day of September, 1760.

Signed: his, In presence of: Bryan X Obanon, Elias Edmonds mark. Samuel Earle and James Rogers"^[12][13][14]

Inventory: The Inventory of Estate of Bryan Obanon was approved by the Fauquier County Court on May 27, 1762, with a total value of £863.6.2. The Inventory named 11 enslaved persons.^[15]

Enslaved Persons

Unless otherwise noted, these were identified in his will:

• Judy (bequeathed to his son John OBannon until John's death, then bequeathed to Grand-Daughter Sarah, daughter of John "And my will is that the said Judy shall, after my decease, be totally exempted from laboring without of doors during her natural life.")
• Lucy (bequeathed to grandson Bryan O'Bannon, son of John)
• Cate (bequeathed to grandson Bryan O'Bannon, son of William)
• Hannah (bequeathed to Aaron Johnston son of Margaret Johnston)

Identified in Estate Inventory:

• Peter
• Tom
• Jean
• Winney
• Unamed Woman and child.
• Judy (may be same woman as named in Will)
• James
• Harry
• Toney
• Solomon.

Note

Note: [flager.ged]

The O'Bannon surname may be derived from the Irish names Bann, Bannan, Bannon or O'Banain, according to "Irish Pedigrees" by John O'Hart, (Dublin 1892), Volume 1, pg. 855. Volume 2, pg. 566. The spelling has been variously referenced as O'Bannon, O'Banyan, O'Bannion, O'banion, Obannon, Obanyan, or Obannion. Many sources have referenced the instant Bryant as 'Brian Boru O'Bannon' attemping to make a link with King Brian Boru of Ireland. John Gott's research indicates that the name 'Boru' does not appear in any public records and the link to Brian Boru is merely supposition. "In 1928 Frank O'Bannon of Claremore OK. visited the O'Bannon castle in Ireland, located on the Shannon River near Frankfort (Kilcormac) it was occupied at that time by Sir C. O'Bannon who had been knighted. Mr O'Bannon learned that the name was originally 'Bann' meaning white and that the O'Bannons excelled in battle and were leaders of their tribe, as well as kings of their country. The family is said to have descended from the Spanish King Milesius".

The O'Bannon's are said to be part of the O'Carrol clan and to have occupied Leap Castle said to be the most haunted castle in all of Ireland. built in the late 14th century and the first owners were the O'Bannons who were under-chiefs of the O'Carroll Clan. Castle Leap (actually a Keep) guarded the pass from Slieve Bloom into Munster and was once known as Leim ui Bhanain. July 30, 1922, most of the Keep was destroyed during the Liberation of Ireland, the Irish Revolution, 1919-1922.

Leap Castle, Co. Tipperary - Leap Castle is one of the most haunted castles in Ireland. Though turbulent centuries, Leap Castle kept watch for the lords of Ely O'Carroll and still stands fortress-like on its perch overlooking a vast stretch of the countryside. It guarded the pass from the Slieve Bloom into Munster. From here the O'Carrolls set out for victory and defeat, here they brought their brides and captives, within lurks Ireland's most intriguing elemental presence - unique in that it is reputed to give off a ghastly ghostly odour. The Gaelic name for the castle is "Leim ui Bhanain" - which means the Leap of the O Bannons. The O Bannon clan were the first owners of Leap . Before the O Carrolls went to live in the Castle the O'Bannon family were under chiefs of the O Carrolls. The Leap Castle is a keep. The keep it self was built in the fourteenth or fifteenth century Around 1604 or 1605 some of the territory of Ely O'Carroll was attached to Kings County which is now known as Offaly. There is a rumour that an O'Carroll daughter helped a Darby to escape from the castle and then married him afterwards. Following the failure of the Revolt of the Earls, in 1619 the plantation of Ely O'Carroll took place. The English rulers settled the area with loyal Protestant Scots and Englishmen and deprived the local Gaelic population of their land. Leap Castle passed into the hands of the Darby family. Many Darbys became high Sheriff of Kings County.But the most famous Darby who was Admiral Sir Henry Darby fought at the battle of the Nile. Sir Henry Darby escorted Napoleon Bonaparte into exile when he left France. John Nelson Darby, who died in 1832, wrote around thirty volumes.

Thus it seems that there is evidence that appears credible which suggests that the O'Bannon family had some relationship with Leap Castle in King County just east of the Parsontown / Birr area. There are believed to day to still be O'Bannon families living in County Tipperary and County Clare. Wether or not the instant Bryant is related to the O'Bannon family Leap Castle has not been established and needs additional investigation.

Bryant did come from Ireland. (some suggest that he came from the area of Tipperary, while others suggest he may have been from the area of county Fermaugh) Some have suggested incorrectly that he had arrived in the area of Harpers Ferry (not yet then in existence) by 1702. He eventually wound up owning land on the north slope of Pignut Ridge just south and overlooking the town of The Plains, (sometimes referenced as White Plains in some records) Virginia in Fauquier County. This area is generally south of the present site of Marshall and is primarily occupied by the present Great Meadow Horse Farm. The date and place of birth, when and how and why he came to America, when and whom he married, and dates of birth of his children are all undocumented and thus unproven (except that his son John's tombstone survives, giving date of birth as 1710). Paul O'Bannon does not support the information that Bryant was married to a woman named Sarah Isham, as indicated in the research of Elizabeth DeHuff.

The 'Almanac of American History': Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.; Barnes & Noble; 1993, reports at p. 80, that in 1727, 'discouraged by decreasing availability of land in the northern colonies, German and Scotch - Irish immigrants began to pour into the Valley of Virginia', and at p. 83 'the Scotch - Irish who originally settled in Western Pennsylvania began to move into the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia'. It is believed that some of these Scoth - Irish may have originally arrived in the colonies in the vincinity of Delaware and subsequently migrated to western Pennsylvania. These two instances could contribute some clues to the original location of Bryant's arrival in the colonies. This scenario may also account for the relationship between the Hite and O'Bannon families as Johann 'Jost' Hite is known to have held lands in the area of Western Pennsylvania at one time. It could also account for some assertions that he was present in Harpers Ferry, VA. prior to his purchase of lands then located in Prince William and currently in Fauquier Co., Virginia.

• O'BANNON FAMILY GENEALOGY

Sources

1. ↑ Virginia Wills and Administrations, p. 318
2. ↑ Title: Descendants - O'Bannon - 1994 Author: Paul O'Bannon Publication: bef 1994
3. ↑ According to a Bible held by John Dawson O'Bannon Bryan's wife was one Zena Sarah Isham, (b. probably abt. 1685 probably in VA, d. after 1762 in Fauquier Co, VA. The Bible was burned in a house fire without ever being photocopied, The person who had possessed that Bible died (2008)
4. ↑ "...Linceford Sharp & Frances his Wife and John Sharp and Judith his Wife - of Richmond County in the Colony of Virginia Planters" deeded 300 acres to "Bryant Obaning of the County of Westmoreland in ye Colony of Virginia...". The 300 acres was located "above ye Falls of Rappahanock River being a part or parcell In ye Middle of a Tract of Twelve hundred & fifty acres of Land formerly granted to Thomas Knight by patent bearing Date Janry 5th 1704". The parcel was adjacent to Lincefield's and John's land parcels. Richmond County Land Grants, 1720-1721, Deed Book 8; Part 1, p. 20-23
5. ↑ Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1694-1742, Gertrude E. Gray, 1988 Data: Text: p. 93, Bk. B, p. 129, Brian O'Bannian of King George Co. was granted 635 acres in Stafford Co. (later Fauquier Co.) on Pignut Ridge adjacent Captain William Russell, on Broad Run, Carter's Run. Also see Northern Neck Grants B, 1726 - 1729, p. 129, folio (Reel 290) Bryan O'bannian grantee, 635 acres (Stafford Co., VA.) on the north side of Pignut Ridge adjoing land of Capt. William Russel. This land was the site of 'Privado' Bryan's farm, described as 'one ye north side ye Pignut Ridge and joyning to ye land of Capt'n William Russell. As of 1987, this land is primarily the same as that of the Great Meadows Horse Farm.
6. ↑ Northern Neck Grants, Book C, 1729 - 1731 Vol. I, p. 108 John Warner of Stafford Co., Surveyor 792 A, in Prince William County adj. David Conners, Thomas Savage (now Bryan O'Bannion) ... 8 June 1731
7. ↑ Northern Neck Grants, Book D, 1731 - 1732, p. 28, Folio (Reel 291) Data: Text: D-28, Owin Grinan of Prince William County, 481 acres (located upon the north head branch of Broad Run below the pines), in Prince William County adj. land of Brian O'Bannion formerly Tho's Jarmyn, 1 September 1731
8. ↑ Virginia Land Grant of 1 SEPT 1731 to Owin Grinan Available at the Library of Virginia here
9. ↑ Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants 1694-1742, Gertrude E. Gray, 1988 Data: Text: p. 135, Bk. E p. 284, Brian was granted 197 acres in Prince Wililam County adjacent his own land near Pignut Ridge. It was surveyed by William Russell. Also see Northern Neck Grants E, 1736 - 1742, p. 284 (Reel 291). A recorded survey is also available at Northern Neck Grants E, 1736 - 1742, p. 261 (Reel 291)
10. ↑ Northern Neck Grants F, 1742 - 1754, p. 236 - 237 (Reel 292) Data: Text: Bryan Obannian & c. including Dennis Connyers and John Fishback names as having adjoing land to 1299 acres granted to John Peyton in Prince William Co., Virginia. If the instant Bryant and the referenced Bryan are the same individual needs additional investigation
11. ↑ Frederick Co., Virginia: Deed Book 3, pgs. 122 - 126 Data: Text: This land is believed to have been adjacent to land owned by Jacob Hite and Bryan's daughter Catherine, Jacob's wife.
12. ↑ Virginia, Fauquier, Will Book 1, p. 41-43 Image of p. 41 available here and Images of pp..42-43 available here
13. ↑ Descendants - O'Bannons of Southeast Missouri , Thomas S. OBannon & Alice Herzog ( Anundsen Publishing Company: Decorah, Iowa: 52101). Note: Copy in Records of Fred L. Lager ( Page: p. 2)
14. ↑ Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties, Bryan Boru O'Bannon 1690-1762 Notes section has Will transcription
15. ↑ Virginia, Fauquier, Will Book 1, p. 48-51 Images of pages 48-49 available here and Images of pages 50-51 available here

• Abstracts of Fauquier County Virginia, Wills Inventories and Accounts 1759-1800 Will Transcription
• World Connect Bryan O'Bannon by Fred Lager (sourced)

See also:

• A Brief History of the O’Bannon Clan – By Joseph E. Gannon
• The Descendants of Bryan O'Bannon archived on Wayback Machine, by Kathy Ritchie
• Ancestry.com Public Profile for John O'Bannon (unsourced) Link does not work Dec 2022
• Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties, Bryan Boru O'Bannon 1690-1762 Children, Will transcription, Deed Book entries,

Acknowledgement

• WikiTree profile O'Bannon-197 created through the import of Sandysthree_2009-05-22_2009 -08-21_2009- 12-22_2010- 01-17_2010- 10-04.ged on Jun 21, 2012 by Sandy Johnson.
• OBannon-20 was created by Terry Killham through the import of Killham Family Tree.ged on Nov 9, 2014.