Abigail (Trott) Bryant (1840 - 1924)

Born 1 May 1840 in Bangor, Penobscot, Maine, United States

Ancestors

Daughter of Joseph Trott and Esther McKenney

Wife of Francis Marion Bryant — married about 1856 in Anoka, Minnesota, United States [uncertain]

Wife of Benjamin Taylor Wiley — married 1875 in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, California, United States

Descendants

Died 9 Oct 1924 at age 84 in Watsonville, Santa Cruz, California, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jim Harris [send private message]

Biography

Abigail (Trott) Bryant was involved in the westward expansion of the USA. See Trails and Wagon Trains.

The Bryant and Trott families of Maine.

Abigail Trott married Francis Marion Bryant in 1856. They settled in Anoka County, Minnesota, where they became the parents of four children, Henry, George, Esther, and Emmett born in Kanoshe County, Minnesota, on November 3, 1857. Francis Bryant was a farmer by trade and he followed farming in this location in Minnesota until 1860. Like many other farmers of this time, he decided to try his luck in the gold fields out west, and left by covered wagon to travel overland to Washoe, Nevada. For the next four years he tried unsuccessfully to “hit the jackpot, but eventually returned to Minnesota. After a short time, they sold out and made ready to go west once again. They were persistent and tried their luck in Nevada for the second time, but soon gave up, this time in favor of going to California. Emmett Bryant was only nine years of age. Early wagon trails took a number of different routes. Some came along northern paths, and like the Bryants, were ferried across the Missouri River at Council Bluffs, Iowa. This was the trail they took to Nevada. When they reached Grangeville on the Central Coast in 1869 there were few settlers here, but with a promise of a meaningful future for all of them, they finally put down their roots permanently in this area. Frances Bryant again bought up 160 acres of land, made improvements, built buildings, dug a well for water, and continued to farm the rich soil which was the occupation he knew best. He continued successfully until his death in 1872.

The following year after the Bryants arrived, in the year 1870, the Joseph Trotts, parents and family of Abigail Trott Bryant, also came to Grangeville and settled on the Henry Tunnell farm.

Abigail was a capable woman with endless energy and drive. “She was kindly and devoted to her family and church,” I remember Mom reminiscing about her grandmother Abbey.

Abigail and Ben Wiley established real unity in their farm home. They continued to live there until he died in 1902 and was buried in the Bryant-Wiley plot in the Santa Maria Cemetery. He had spent 35 years of his life farming in the growing Central Coast community and will be remembered by the pioneer descendants as its first settler within the government territories. There is a street in Santa Maria named for him called Benwiley .

Abigail Trott Bryant Wiley, again widowed, lived on until 1924. Before she died she had gone to Watsonville to spend her last days with a son and his family who made their home in that area.

Mom remembers Abbey with infinite capabilities. She actually was semi-crippled with one leg shorter than the other, which cause her to limp slightly, but she was so active and productive all of her days, few people remembered the limp.

“She enjoyed cooking family dinners on Sundays”, Mom has told me. “Her farmhouse kitchen was big, and smelled like a baker with such good things cooking in the oven. We used to go there on Sundays for mid-day dinners and because the only way to go was by horse and surrey, the whole day was taken up traveling and visiting (even though it was just a few miles out of town).” Her face showed the happy memories she had of these Sundays as she talked about the Wiley farm and Abbey. ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ "Where Pioneers Dwell" Family History by Jane Harris Sahyun Library Catalog - Santa Barbara Genealogical Society http://santabarbaragenealogy.org/catalog/titles_wh.php

• 1857 Anoka, Minnesota, Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905

DNA

• Maternal relationship is confirmed by a triangulated group on GEDmatch who share a 11.3 cM segment on chromosome 13, consisting of James Harris, GEDmatch kit # YE4305290, and John Douglas, his 4th cousin 2x removed, and BL, his 6th cousin 1x removed. (John and BL are 4th cousins 3x removed.) Their most-recent common ancestors are William Douglas and Eunice Stewart, the 5x great grandparents of James Harris and 3x great grandparents of John Douglas and 6x great grandparents of BL.