Col. William Bryan

William Bryan at Daughters of the American Revolution Ancestor # A016287

In 1776, during the American Revolution, he fought as a patriot under the command of Richard Caswell in the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge. Richard Caswell (August 3, 1729 – November 10, 1789) was the first and fifth governor of the U.S. State of North Carolina, serving from 1776 to 1780 and from 1784 to 1787. As a Patriot officer in the American Revolutionary War, Caswell led North Carolina militiamen in the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge.

http://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/patriot_leaders_nc_william_br...

"Col. William Bryan and Elizabeth Smith of Johnston County had at least 10 children that I know of and they are (in order of birth): Lewis, Mary, William, Arthur, Elizabeth, Hardy, Blake, Esther, Susannah and John.Lewis and Mary were twins and were both born November 4, 1745 in Johnston Co., North Carolina."Kenneth Barker http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/bryan/2153/

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bryan-778

William Bryan was born Oct. 31, 1724[1] in Bertie County, North Carolina, near present Lewiston Woodville. His parents, Needham and Annie (Rambeau) Bryan had moved there in 1722 from Isle of Wight County, Virginia.

In the early 1740s he moved with his brother Needham to Craven (Johnston) County, North Carolina.

He married around 1744 Elizabeth Smith, daughter of John and Elizabeth Smith, [2] who had arrived with her parents about 1738.

They settled at 'Springfield', 2 mi west of present town of Smithfield.[3]

In 1779 he petitioned for leave to resign as colonel in the militia and as justice of the peace.[4]

He died November 28, 1781 [age 57].[5]

August 1, 1782, [Elizabeth's father] John Smith, planter, sold to Elisabeth Bryan for 6000£ 168 acres on the Neuse River, on the south side beginning at a corner tree of sd Smiths & Wm Bryan dec’d.[6]

Elizabeth died in 1792.[7]

In 1794 Elizabeth's father, John Smith, died in Hawkins County [soon to be Tennessee] Actually John Smith's place of death is still undecided, he most likely died in Smithfield [8], and her children gave depositions to settle the estate:[9] [A PDF copy of the estate papers is attached.]

Sept. 20, 1794 Elizabeth Blackman of Johnston Co NC. Sometime in the year 1764 her grandfather deeded her negro girl Miley 10, parents woods mare to mother. knows of no other properties.

Sept. 24, 1794 Hardy Bryan heard mother say about the time of her marriage to his father his grandfather offer land, number acres he never knew, or a Negro man Duke, she took the land and settled there, and a small woods horse. Blake Bryan, Johnston Co NC, knows of nothing given by grdfather to parents. John Bryan same.

Children

They had the following children:[10][11]

1. Lewis Bryan, born Nov. 4, 1745, Johnston County, North Carolina; married about 1769, Sarah Hinton (daughter of Maj. John Hinton and Sally Smith). [No! She was actually the dau. of Wm & Sophia Hinton; see Lewis' profile.]
2. Mary, born 4 Nov 1745, twin of Lewis, in Johnston Co, NC; m Thomas Lee. Not listed in “Bryan Record.”
3. William Bryan, born in Johnston Co, NC July 1747, died Sept. 1800, in Bertie County; married Elizabeth Gray (daughter of William Gray and Frances Lee. William Gray's mother was Anne Bryan of the Colony. Ann Bryan's father, Lewis Bryan, and Needham's father, William Bryan were brothers).
4. Arthur, born May 12, 1749.
5. Elizabeth, born May 28 1751.
6. Hardy, born June 4, 1753.
7. Blake, born June 12, 1759.
8. Esther, born June 22, 1760
9. Susannah, born Nov. 25, 1763.
10. John, born Jan. 14, 1765.

MORE ON WILLIAM BRYAN:

1746 received a land grant of 100 acres south side Neuse River, Johnston Co., NC[12]

1755 received a land grant of 500 acres south side Neuse River, Johnston Co., NC[13]

Residence 1757 Bertie County, NC. [14] South Carolina, United States. [15]

From 1763 on WILLIAM BRYAN is called of Johnston Co., NC. in deed books. From Ancestry.com message boards is this note: Early settlers at the mouth of Mill Creek came through Craven Co. of Duplin Co. NC or up this river. The greater part of Johnston Co. NC first settled from the north. Consequently, we read in deeds of Alexander Avery of Nanesmond Co. VA or of John Vinson of the county of Brunswick, Parish of Meherrin in VA. John and Samuel Smith, early settlers, entered their first patents along this trail, between Swift Creek and The River, as did the brothers Needham and William Bryan from Bertie Co. NC .

Residence 1769 No Township Listed, Bertie County, NC. [16] probably his son?

William Bryan[10] was a member of the Provincial Congress (1775) and among the officers appointed by the Convention which organized the militia. DAR records confirm this, giving the following service description:

• 1) Also local militia and member of Provincial Congress
• 2) Also member Comm Corres & Justice of Peace.

William Bryan died in Johnston County, North Carolina in 1781; Notable Southern Families has 1785[10]; DAR records have 1781. He owned Springfield Plantation along Swift Creek, across the Neuse River a mile west of Smithfield.

Notes for PHILEMON BRYAN: William may not be the son of Philemon Bryan. Child of PHILEMON BRYAN is: 7. i. WILLIAM3 BRYAN, b. 14 May 1757; d. 28 July 1838.

Philemon Bryan, son of Thomas Bryan, is listed in the 1763 and 1784 Tax List and the 1790 Census of Bladen County. A land grant for 200 acres on Brown Marsh, issued to him during the term of Gabriel Johnston, was sold by him and "wife, Elizabeth," in 1771, In 1784 he was taxed in Captain Irvin's district.

From “The Needham Williams Incident” at MyWilliamssouthernroots.blogspot.com <link>

References

• J.R.B. Hathaway, "Bryan Record", North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. 1, no. 1, January 1900. pg. 577-84. <PDF>
• https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/246464/I20103/william-bryan/individual
• <“The Needham Williams Incident””>

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