Eleanor Hawkins Badger

Eleanor Hawkins Bryan was born 1845, reportedly in New York City. She was the 7th of 8 known surviving children (3 boys/5 girls) born to wealthy planter and businessman, John Stevens Bryan Sr. and his wife, Lucy Davis Haywood.

She is descended on both sides of her family tree from wealthy and prominent North Carolinians. She was the paternal grandchild of Gen. William Bryan, II and his wife, Elizabeth S. Gray of Bertie Co.; and gr-grandchild of William Bryan I & Elizabeth Smith of Johnston County. She is a direct descendant of this family's patriarch, William Smith Bryan (b. ca. 1590-1600) of County Clare, Ireland who first came to the Colony of Virginia around 1650-1660 where they he and his wife, Catherine Morgan, had been exiled by Oliver Cromwell for anti-English insurgent activities during the Puritan Rebellion in Ireland. On her mother's side, she was the maternal grandchild of wealthy Sherwood Haywood & Eleanor Howard Hawkins of Raleigh.

In 1868, 20-year old Eleanor married her 26-year old 1st cousin, CSA Veteran Lt. Thomas E. Badger, son of Hon. George Edmund Badger & Delia Haywood of Raleigh. The couple set up housekeeping in Raleigh with his widowed mother, Delia Haywood Badger, where her husband worked for the railroad.

Eleanor and Thomas would become parents to 4 known children:

• Thomas E. Badger Jr(1870-1946)
• Janet "Jennie" Grey Badgere (1873-1966)
• Kate Badger MOORE(1874-1950)
• George Edmund Badger(1879-1964)

Son Thomas marred Janet Stronach; daughter Janet never married; Kate married Benjamin Malton Moore and was widowed in 1913; and George married Blanche Hartt.

Eleanor was widowed in 1911 when her husband of 42 years passed at age 68. She survived him 28 years, passing in 1939 at the advanced age of 94. She is buried in Oakwood near her husband.