Catherine Virginia Scott (1839 - 1896)

Born 9 Jun 1839 in Virginia, United States [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of William Page Bryan — married 5 Sep 1865 (to 1895) in Prince George's, Maryland, United States

Descendants

Died 5 Dec 1896 at age 57 in Clinton, Prince George's, Maryland, United States

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Biography

Known as Ginnie, Catherine was the eldest daughter of Thomas A. Scott and Ann E. Graham of Washington, D.C. where she was born in Virginia on June 9, 1839^[1].

The 1850 census of Washington DC list her grandmother, Mrs Graham at age 72 (b. ca. 1788) born in Maryland the same state as Catherine's father, Thomas Scott (age 42, b. ca. 1808). She was educated at the Visitation Convent in Washington and afterward at the Academy of Mount de Sales near Baltimore.^[1] She loved to write poetry and kept a diary/ album of her works. A newspaper clipping of an obituary for Ann E Graham age 9 (presumably cousin) and a heart felt poem was found upon the pages of her diary: Feb 1846 "On Wednesday evening, the 11 inst, Ann E Graham, the daughter of Mr George Doll Jr., of this place, in the 9th year of her age. Anne may have been a cousin and appears to be an illegitimate daughter of her mother's sister, Catherine, that eventually married 1868 George Doll of Martinsburg WVA^[2]. Martinsburg, a stones throw from Berkley Springs is where an early Lyons album (1880/90s) was recovered in Nov 2010 from the attic of Naomi Dawson Hovermale's home. A portrait of her son-in-law, Thomas Lyons with inscription "your friend sincerely Thomas H Lyons" and his one yr old daughter (1889) were included.

She married William Page Bryan on September 5, 1865^{[1] [3]}. He served in the 3rd Maryland Infantry of the Confederate States Army during the Civil War^[4] as most did in this devout southern sympathizing community and was held in the Old Capitol Prison as a spy^[4]. Opposite his name at this facility is recorded “Prisoner of State, without doubt in the rebel intelligence service”^[5]. No records have been found to support him being a "spy" although his brother, Edward Pliny Bryan certainly was and likely was trying to encourage.

By 1870^[6] they were living on the farm of her husband's widowed mother, Susanna Page Lanham Bryan, in Surrattsville where William was a farmer. There she raised her family with her husband mother on his father's plantation, later called Bryan Hall of 792 acres until 1889 when it was sold at auction for back taxes. At that time they moved across the street to her husband's once tract he sold prior to her marriage which became her daughter's and husband, Thomas.

Catherine died on December 5, 1896 at the age of 58 in Clinton. She was buried on December 7, 1896 at the St Mary's Catholic Cemetery at Piscataway^[7][1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Prince George's County Maryland, Marriage and Deaths in Nineteenth Century Newspapers, Vol. 1: A-J, Compiled by Shirley V. Blatz and George E. Blatz "BRYAN, VIRGINIA SCOTT - D at Clinton, PGs Co, 12/5 ---- w/o WILLIAM PAGE BRYAN, aged 58 yrs. Mrs B was the eldest d/o THOMAS A. SCOTT & ANN E. GRAHAM of Wash & was B in that city 6/9/1839. She was carefully educated; 1st at Visitation Convent in Wash & afterward at the Academy of Mt de Sales nr Balto. Her marriage to Mr B took place 9/5/1865 & after that time her home was at Clinton, where, as a true & devoted wife, tender mother & faithful friend, she was a blessing & an example to all who knew her. [long tribute] Mrs B had 10 children, 6 of whom - 4 sons & 2 daus - remain to comfort their bereaved father. The burial took place on Mon morning 12/7 at the Cath Cem at Piscataway. PGEq 1/1/1897"
2. ↑ "DOLL, George married 11 Nov 1868 in Martinsburg, Berkeley, West Virginia, U.S.A. a bride named Catherine Doll"
3. ↑ Bryan Family handwritten records
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} The Rambler News Column of The Washington Sunday Star Magazine, Washington, D.C., October 31, 1926
5. ↑ The Rambler News Column of The Washington Sunday Star Magazine, Washington, D.C., August 27, 1916
6. ↑ 1870 Federal Census, Surratts District, Prince George’s County, MD, Aug. 1870, p. 10
7. ↑ St Mary's Catholic Church in Piscataway; Clinton, MD; Personal Comm. 1999