John Bryant (bef. 1716 - 1753)

Born before 1716 in Greenland, Rockingham, New Hampshire

Husband of Elizabeth (Davis) Bryant — married 7 Jun 1733 in Greenland, NH

Descendants

Died 2 Oct 1753 after age 37 in Scarborough, Cumberland, Maine

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Biography

John Bryant was christened in Greenland, Rockingham, New Hampshire in 1716.^[1] His parentage is disputed - see notes below. He married Elizabeth Davis in Greenland on June 7, 1733.^[2] There's no precise known date for his move from Greenland to Scarborough, Cumberland, Maine, but based on the dates of his marriage and childrens' baptisms it was likely between 1733 and 1736.

He was a resident of Scarborough at the time of his death in 1753. His will was written August 22, 1753 and probated on October 5, 1753. His father John Bryant and son Samuel Davis Bryant were made executors. His wife Elizabeth is not mentioned, so she likely predeceased him. His Scarborough homestead land was divided between his eldest son Samuel Davis Bryant and youngest son John Bryant, and gave additional land to son Bartholomew Bryant, and money to minor children Eleazer, Charity, Martha, and Rebecca.^[3]

Children of John and Elizabeth (Davis) Bryant:^[4]

1. Samuel Davis Bryant - baptized in Scarborough 1736.
2. Bartholomew Bryant - baptized in Scarborough 1737; married Eleanor Brookings 1763 and moved to Machias.
3. Charity Bryant - baptized in Scarborough 1737; married Samuel Bryant
4. Martha Bryant - baptized in Scarborough 1739; married Abial Sprague 1766
5. Eleazer Bryant - baptized in Scarborough 1742.
6. Rebecca Bryant - baptized in Scarborough 1744; marrried John Cotton 1769.
7. John Bryant - born in Scarborough 1744; married Elizabeth Fly 1772; moved to Little Falls (now Hollis) on Saco River by 1790; died 1830.

Notes on Parentage

• John Bryant's parents are not mentioned in any online christening records found thus far, but his father John Bryant of Scarborough is mentioned in his will.^[5]This father John Bryant made his wife Mary executrix of his own will in 1759.^[6]
• John's mother is often listed as Mary West in online trees, but there is no documentation of this. The elder John Bryant of Greenland and Scarborough appears to often be confused with John Bryant (1768-aft 1761) of Plymouth, who married Mary West in Plymouth in 1700. D. Alden Smith gives considerable evidence that this Plymouth John Smith never moved to Scarborough and had no connections there. He continued to appear in Plymouth land records as late as 1761, and his own son John was born in 1720 and died in 1724. Instead, the Scarborough Bryants appear to descend from Robert Bryant, who appears consistently in Greenland NH records between 1688 and 1712.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ "New Hampshire Births and Christenings, 1714-1904," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V24C-QV6 : 12 December 2014), John Briant, ; citing GREENLAND,ROCKINGHAM,NEW HAMPSHIRE; FHL microfilm 0908591 IT 2.
2. ↑ "Marriages by Rev. William Allen of Greenland, N. H." NEHGR, Vol. 65, p. 354.
3. ↑ Sargent, Maine Wills, pp. 716-18, citing Probate Office, 8, 260.
4. ↑ Ridlon, p. 534.
5. ↑ Sargent, pp. 716-718.
6. ↑ Sargent, pp. 888-889.
7. ↑ D. Alden Smith. "Descendants of Stephen Bryant", New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol 154 (2000), p. 552-53,"

See Also:

• Ridlon, G. T. Saco Valley Settlements and Families. Portland, ME: 1895.
• Sargent, William M. Maine Wills: 1640-1760. Portland, ME: Brown Thurston, 1887.

• Joseph Crook Anderson II, CG, FASG (Ed.) Maine Families in 1790, VOL 7 (2001). Maine Genealogical Society Special Pub. No. 3, pp. 228-233. (ISBN: 0-89725-428-7)

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Judy Rolfe for creating WikiTree profile Bryant-2424 through the import of Batson Family Tree.ged on Jan 25, 2013.