Alexander Bryan
Privacy Level: Open (White)

Alexander Bryan (1602 - 1679)

Alexander Bryan aka Bryant
Born in Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire, Englandmap
Brother of [half], [half] and [half]
Husband of — married 1631 (to 20 Feb 1651) in Northchurch, Hertfordshire, Englandmap
Husband of — married 1663 [location unknown]
Descendants descendants
Father of
Died at age 77 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticutmap
Profile last modified | Created 28 Feb 2011
This page has been accessed 2,040 times.
The Puritan Great Migration.
Alexander Bryan migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 46)
Join: Puritan Great Migration Project
Discuss: pgm

Contents

Biography

Surname was spelled both Bryant and Bryan in the same documents. Baptized in Aylesbury September (9, 23, or 29) 1602.

Married Anne Baldwin in England around 1631.

Alexander and his wife Anne were among the first settlers of Milford, Connecticut, living there by 1639. They had one child together (Richard), who was born in England by 1629.

Alexander was a man of great influence in the colony of New Haven, and after the union with Connecticut, assistant from 1668 to 1673. Anne died there 20 Feb 1651.

Alexander married 2nd, Susanna (Wiggin?) Whiting Fitch, the widow of William Whiting and Samuel Fitch. Whiting had been a prominent Fitch had been the schoolmaster in Hartford.

It is unclear if Alexander had any children other than Richard; it is certainly unlikely that any were still living at the time he wrote his will on 24 April 1679 with a codicil on 22 July 1679.[1] His inventory was taken on 6 November 1679 and recorded in New Haven.[1] Richard was the only child Alexander named in his will, although he specifically named grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.

Alexander died in Milford between 20 July and 6 Nov 1679. He and his son Richard were prominent and leading merchants, engaged in domestic and foreign trade.


From Find A Grave Memorial #64986552?

"The son of my ancestors, THOMAS & FRANCES (BOWLINGE) BRYAN, he was baptized at Aylesbury, Aston Clinton, Bucks, Eng. on Sept. 23, 1603 (alt. bpt 9 Sep 1602) and was the sister of my ancestor, SARAH BRYAN BALDWIN. He was in New England prior to 1638, having married (1) Ann Baldwin in England. She died at Milford on Feb. 20, 1661. He married (2) Susannah Fitch, widow of Samuel Fitch of Hartford. She was the first wife of William Whitney and died at Middletown, Conn., July 8, 1673. His name is on a stone on the bridge over the Wepawaug River in Milford for being one of the first settlers. Alexander Bryan , Wm. Fowler, Edmund Tapp, and Zach. Whitman, agents on behalf of the planters of Milford on Feb. 2, 1638/9 made the first purchase of land from the Indians for the settlement of Wepawaug (later changed to Milford). Two tracts of land were reserved by the Indians for their use & benefit but were later purchased from them at a fair price. The original deed of purchase no longer exists. In Oct, 1660 and Dec. of 1661, Alexander Bryan made further purchases of land from the Indians in his own name and later transferred them to the town of Milford. His name was on the list of free planters in Nov. 20th, 1639. In some of the land records, he is referred to as Ensign Alexander Bryan. On page 131 of Lambert's History, the officers chosen at the formation of the military company of Milford in 1640 were .... Ensign Alexander Bryan... and others.

His homelot consisted of four acres and twenty-five poles bounded north on the home-lot of Timothy Baldwin, east and south on the highway (on the north side of Broad Street in later years). On July 11, 1668, he and his son, Richard, both of Milford, purchased from George and Mary Baldwin of Huntington, LI for 200 pounds a tract of land known as Eaton's Neck located in Huntington on the east side of the harbor. In his will, he bequeathed the house and land at Eaton's Neck, Long Island, to his grandson, Alexander Bryan, being held in trust until his nineteenth birthday. Alexander Bryan's will and inventory showed that he held considerable property including an old and a new warehouse, pasture land on the Indian side, his house & home-lot in Milford, and a house & home-lot he bought from Samuel Eells. He owned the "great Brig" and brought a complaint to the New Haven Court against James Roggers of Milford in regard to damages in 1655. He was a contemporary of Mr. Allerton and "...Ensign Bryan of Milford sent thence his ships to England, to the Azores, To Virginia, and as far east as Nova Scotia. For many years his credit stood as high as his notes of hand passed as current in Boston as bank notes do anywhere in our own time." (From "History of the Ancient Maritime Interests of New Haven" by Thomas R. Trowbridge, Jr.) In May, 1650, the townw of Milford granted Ensign Bryan and William East a piece of land 20 feet wide and e score foot long on which to build a warehouse. The records also show that he spent money on the dock at the landing place, where he unloaded his goods. On the 7th of Oct. 1653, he gave the town any interest he might have in the dock providing the town keep it in good condition. He held various offices in Milford over the years of his life and was trusted along with Thomas Topping to pay the town's soldiers in the King Philip's War out of the public treasury. In Oct., 1663, he was given the responsibility for three delegates from the New Netherland Colony who came to talk to the Connecticut authorities. He did this by providing horses for them and protecting their sloop in the harbor. His will was made April 24, 1678 and the following July, he added a codicil to his will. Within three and a half months after this, his inventory was taken. His inventory was valued at 712 pounds and 5 shillings. In his will, he names: son, Richard Bryan; grandchildren: Alexander & Samuel Bryan, Hannah Harriman, Sarah Fitch, Richard Bryan, Jr., Frances Bryan Abigail Bryan, Mary Maltby and husband, John Maltby ; great grandchildren: John and Mary Maltby; stepson: John Whiting. He gave Rev. Roger Newton 5 pounds and the town of Milford 8 pounds to purchase a bell for public use. If the bell was not hung within three years, the money was to be given to the poor."

Spouses:

Susanna Bryan (____ - 1673)*
Anna Baldwin Bryan (1604 - 1662)*

Children:

Richard Bryan (1632 - 1694)*

Burial: Milford Cemetery, Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut, USA Plot: The oldest section of the Milford Cemetery

Name

Alexander B. Bryan

Birth

about 1610, Ashton, Clinton Bucks, Eng.

Death

1679
Alt death: 1704

Parents

Husband: Thomas Bryan
Wife: Anna Unknown
Child: Alexander B. Bryan
Marriage: about 1605, England?

Note

Per Maltby Book pg. 224, 226:

"merchant of Milford, CT; he was assistant Gov. of colony of Conn"
of Ashton Clinton, Buckinghamshire, England.

Sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 “New Haven Probate Records, Vol. 1-2, 1647-1703”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L92K-G9NJ-J : 10 March 2021), New Haven, Connecticut, FHL microfilm 007626739, image 183-184. New Haven Probate Record, 1647-1687, Vol. 1, Part 2, page 73-75.
  • Edmund Janes Cleveland, The Genealogy of the Cleveland and Cleaveland Families, An Attempt to Trace, in Both the Male and Female Lines, the Posterity of Moses Cleveland Who Came From Ipswich, County Suffolk, England, About 1635, Was of Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts; [and] of Alexander Cleveland of Prince William County, Virginia; and of Ancient and other Clevelands in England, America, and Elsewhere; with Numerous Biographical Sketches; and Containing Ancestries of Many of the Husbands and Wives also a Bibliography of the Cleveland Family and a Genealogical Account of Edward Winn of Woburn, and of other Winn Families, Volume I (Case, Lockwood, and Brainard Co. Hartford 1899), pages 931-932. Copy available at https://archive.org/stream/genealogyofcleve01clev#page/50/mode/2up. (Alexander Bryan was the son of Thomas Bryan of Aylesbury, Bucks., England; he was baptized 9 Sep 1602, and was "one of 5 trustees to buy Milford from Indians, Feb 12 1639, asst. Conn., 1668-73," m. first to Anna Baldwin and they had son Richard Bryan; and Alexander d. 1679).




Is Alexander your ancestor? Please don't go away!
 star icon Login to collaborate or comment, or
 star icon contact private message private message a profile manager, or
 star icon ask our community of genealogists a question.
Sponsored Search by Ancestry.com

DNA
No known carriers of Alexander's DNA have taken a DNA test.

Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.



Comments: 5

Leave a message for others who see this profile.
There are no comments yet.
Login to post a comment.
The biography reads: "Married Anne Baldwin in England around 1631. ... They had one child together (Richard), who was born in England by 1629." I think this should be reconciled. The DOB in the profile appears to be the better date, unless that year of marriage is wrong.
posted by Don Tallo
The dates are estimates based on estimates. It looks like son Richard's oldest child was baptized February 1649/50. So assuming average age of 25 at marriage he was born about 1625 (give or take a few years). Going the other way Alexander born 1602, marrying at 25 would be 1627. I'd probably go with a marriage for Alexander at 1626, Richard b about 1627. Unless there is some other evidence of age (ages at death, depositions, oaths/land ownership).

Does anyone have any more information, or object to these proposed estimated dates?

posted by M Cole
edited by M Cole
The American Genealogist, Vol. 10, Page 90 has an article that discusses the work of "Judge C. C. Baldwin", cited above, and adds additional information. Anderson is not cited above and I don't know if he has anything to say about this profile.
posted by Rick Pierpont
PGM added as co-manager based on Alexander's arrival in 1639. Please continue to manage profile as usual
posted by S (Hill) Willson
My gg grandfather was Charles H Bryan 1868-1958? Married to Lottie D Bryan 1872-1950? His son was Richard L Bryan 1892-? Married to Charolette E Bryan 1897-1970? Wa s wondering if this was any relations. Do you have any other information? Thank You.