Genealogical History of Some Carsons, Johnsons, and Related Families
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Chapter 7 - The Bryans

As described below, the Bryans can be traced back to Charlemagne, and Charlemagne,  if you choose to believe it, can be traced all the way back to Adam.  Some researchers disagree with some of the information presented here, and I will call your attention to some of the main points of disagreement.  However, there are others who support this information, so the following Bryan genealogy is at least somewhat plausible.

The Bryans are related to the Carsons through Melissa Bryan, who married James Alston Carson .

Great Grandaughter of Charlemagne

Judith of France  (See Chapter 23) was a great grandaughter of Charlemagne .  She was born in 844.  On October 1, 856, she married Count Baldwin “Iron-Arm” I  of Flanders (born before 850, died in 879) in Verberie-s-Oise, and Baldwin II “the Bald”  was their son.  Judith of France died after 870. 

Baldwin II “the Bald”  of Flanders was born about 864.  About 884, he married Elfrida  (Ethelswith or Aelfthryth) of England (born about 870 in Wessex, England), and Count Magnus Arnulf I  of Flanders was their son.  Baldwin II died in 918, and Elfrida died in 920.

Daughter of Alfred the Great

Elfrida , above, was the daughter of Alfred the Great (See Appendix XII) , King of the West Saxons, and Ealhswith .   Alfred the Great was the first ruler in England whose laws made no distinction between the English and Welch people, and he was the only ruler to successfully resist Danish (Viking) invasions.  Children of Alfred the Great  and Ealhswith were:

  • Elfrida
  • Edward the Elder (King of England, died in 924)
  • Ethelwerd
  • Lady Ethelflada of Mercia
  • Abbess Ethelgiva of Shaftesbury

Count Magnus Arnulf I of Flanders, son of Baldwin II and Elfrida,  was born in Flanders in 890.  Before 926, he married Maud of Saxony , who was born before 911.  Among their children was Count Baldwin III  of Flanders. Count Magnus Arnulf I  died March 27, 966.

Count Baldwin III  “the Bald” of Flanders was born in Flanders before 926.  In 961, he married Mathilde Bilhing  of Saxony, who was born in 920. Count Arnolph II  of Flanders was their son. Count Baldwin III  of Flanders died Jamuary 1, 962, and Mathilde Bilhing died May 25, 1008.

Count Arnolph II  “the Young” of Flanders was born in Flanders in December of 961.  Before 968, he married Susanna (Rosela) of Italy , who was born in 945.  Among their children was Count Eudes  of Cambrai.  Count Arnolph II  of Flanders died March 23, 988 or 989, and Susanna (Rosela) of Italy died Janusry 26, 1002 or 1003.

Early de Briennes

Count Eudes  of Cambrai married Odele of Bois Ferand .  Both were born before 975.  Siegneur Englebert de Brienne was among their children.

Siegneur Englebert de Brienne  died in 990.  He married Wandalmodis de Salins (ca 900-ca 969) , and among their children were Siegneur Englebert II de Brienne and Ingeltrude de Brienne . Ingeltrude de Brienne married Milon de Tonnerre III, and they became the great-great-grandparents of Eustachie, who married Count Gautier de Brienne (see below).

Siegneur Englebert II de Brienne  died in 1055.  Among his children was Count Gautier de Brienne .

Count Gautier de Brienne married Eustachie de Tonnerre (1040-1085) , and he died in 1080.  Among their children was Count Erard de Brienne .

Count Erard de Brienne  married Alex de Rouche Ramerie.  He went on a Crusade in 1097, and he died in 1112.  Among their children was Count Gautier II de Brienne .  Alex de Rouche Ramerie was born ca. 1095, the daughter of Andre de Montdidier.

Count Gautier II de Brienne  was born ca 1105, died in 1156.  He married Adele de Ramern  (born ca 1105 in France).  Among his children was Count Erard II de Brienne .

Count Erard II de Brienne  was born ca 1133, and he married Agnes de Montbelliar (before 1140-after October 23, 1186, daughter of Count Richard II) .  He died February 8, 1189 (or 1190), in Acre, Palestine.  Among their children were Gauthier de Brienne  and Count John (Jean) de Brienne .

The Count and the Queen of Jerusalem – a Sudden Marriage

Count John (Jean) de Brienne  was born about 1148-1150 in Le Aube, France.  As the younger son of the French Count Erard II de Brienne , he was a penniless minor noble until he was befriended by King Philip II Augustus  of France, who arranged for him to marry first Mary (Marie) of Montferrat , Queen of the crusader state of Jerusalem, in 1210. Count John (Jean) de Brienne  reached the Palestinian town of Acre (‘Akko) on September 13, 1210.  He married Mary the following day, and was crowned King of Cypress and Jerusalem at Tyre on October 3, 1210.   Mary (Marie) of Montferrat died in 1212, and Count John (Jean) de Brienne  was named regent for their infant daughter, Yolande de Brienne , who inherited the crown as Isabella II.

Mary (Marie) of Montferrat was born in the summer of 1191 in Tyre, the daughter of Marquis Conrad de Montferrat  and Isabella Anjou (1172-1295), Queen of Jerusalem. Isabella Anjou. Isabella Anjou was the daughter of Frederich Hoehnstaufen  and Isabel, Queen of Jerusalem.

In 1214, Count John (Jean) de Brienne  married second Princess Stephanie of Armenia , daughter of the Armenian King Leo II , and later had a son by her.

Quarreling among the Crusaders

As regent in July, 1212, Count John (Jean) de Brienne  arranged a five-year truce with al-Malik al-‘Adil , Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and during the truce, he persuaded Pope Innocent III  to launch the Fifth Crusade in support of his daughter’s kingdom.  In 1218, he joined the crusading force from the West against the Egyptian port of Damietta.  After quarrelling with the crusade leader, Cardinal Legate Pelagius , Count John (Jean) de Brienne  left Egypt in February, 1220, returning in 1221 to witness the defeat of the crusaders and the abandonment of the siege of Damietta.

Stephanie of Armenia died in 1219, and Count John (Jean) de Brienne  married third Berengaria (ca 1196-1237) , born in Leon, Spain, daughter of Ferdinand III  of Castile.  Among the children of Count John (Jean) de Brienne  and Berengaria  were Alphonse de Brienne  and Gauthier de Brienne .  In 1225 (or 1222) Count John (Jean) de Brienne  gave his daughter Isabella in marriage to the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II  in an attempt to regain his rights as regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.  Immediately following the marriage, however, Frederick began to contest these rights.

Emperor of Constantinople

In 1228, Count John (Jean) de Brienne  was invited to Constantinople to be regent and co-emperor with young Baldwin II,  and he arranged a match between Baldwin and his four-year-old daughter by Berengaria .  Crowned Emperor of Constantinople as successor to Robert de Courtenay II in 1231, Count John (Jean) de Brienne  helped defend Constantinople from attacks by the Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Asen II  and Nicean Emperor John II Vatatzes , but shortly before his death, he was forced to appeal to the West for help. Count John (Jean) de Brienne  died March 21, 1237, in Constantinople.

Origins in Normandy?

Note:  Dates from this point forward seem inconsistent with dates up to this point.  It may be that Alphonse de Brienne was not the son of Berengaria, perhaps not even the son of John de Brienne.  On the other hand, it may simply be that two different researchers, using different sources, found slight differences in the recorded dates.  Note also that many researchers insist that “our” Bryan family originated in the Norman town of Brionne, France, and are not descended from Alphonse de Brienne as presented below.

Alphonse de Brienne , son of Count John (Jean) de Brienne  and Berengaria , was born in 1176 (or 1166) and died in 1229 (or 1270).  He married Mary Lusignan , also born in 1176, daughter of Count Ralph Lusignan, who was born about 1150.  Among their children was Guy de Brienne .

Guy de Brienne  was born in 1202, probably in France.  He was a “lackland knight adventurer”, a knight without inherited lands or title, and he married Jane de la Pole, also born about 1202 .  Among their children was Guy de Bryan  II .

Guy de Bryan  II  was born in 1228.  He married an heiress, Eva de Tracy , born in 1228 or 1234 in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and Guy de Bryan  III  was their son.  Guy de Bryan  II  was Baron of Talacharn, and he was summoned to serve against the Scots in 1301.  Guy de Bryan  II  died in 1307.

The ancestry of Eva de Tracy  is as follows: Eva de Tracy  was the daughter of Henry de Tracy  (born 1206, Gloucestershire, England) and Maude de Braose  (born about 1208 in England).  Henry de Tracy  was the son of Sir William Sudeley de Tracy  (born 1173 Toddington, Gloucestershire, England, died 1236 Morthoe, Devonshire, England) and his wife Hawise de Borne  (born Normandy, France).  Sir William Sudeley de Tracy  was the son of John de Sudeley  and his wife Grace .  (It’s interesting that Sir William took his mother’s surname.) John de Sudeley  was the son of Harold Ewias de Sudeley , Earl of Hereford (born about 1057 Sudeley Castle, Gloucester, England, died after 1115) and Maud d'Avranche  born about 1054 Avranches, Normandy, France. Harold Ewias de Sudeley  was the son of Ralph "The Timid" Norfolk , Earl of Suffolk (born about 1026 Herefordshire, England, died December 21, 1057) and his wife Getha  (born about 1030 Herefordshire, England). Ralph "The Timid" Norfolk  was the son of Dreux d'Amiens Compte Amiens  (born about 0990 Normandy, France, died June 1035 Bythinia, Asia Minor) and Goda  (Godgifu), Princess of England and Countess of Vexin (born about 1004 Wessex, England, died 1055). Goda was the daughter of King Ethelred II  of England (born 968, died April 23, 1016 in London) and Emma  of Normandy. Ethelred II was the son of King Edgar “the Peaceable” , and King Edgar was the son of Edmund I, “the Magnificent” .  Edmund I was the son of King Edward the Elder , “the Unconquered”, and Edward the Elder was the son of Alfred the Great (See Appendix XII).

Guy de Bryan  III  was born in 1254.  He was Baron of Chastel Walwyn, and he married Sibil de Sully , also born in 1254, daughter of Walter de Sully and Mabel de Somery..  Guy de Bryan  IV  was their son.

Guy de Bryan  IV  was born in 1289 at Walwyns Castle, Pembrokeshire, Wales.  He married Anne -----, born in 1280, and Guy de Bryan  V  was their son. Guy de Bryan  IV  died in 1347.

Admiral of the Fleet and Knight of the Garter

Guy de Bryan  V  was born in 1311 at Walwyns Castle, Pembrokeshire, Wales.  He married first Alice Holoway , a Devon heiress, and they had three daughters.   Guy de Bryan  V  married second Elizabeth de Montagu  (or Montacute, born 1305 in Donyatt, Somersetshire, England), and they had four children.  Lord Guy De Bryan V performed important military and naval service in the time of Eward III  and Richard II .  In 1361 he was made Admiral of the King’s Fleet, and in 1370 he was elected the 57th Knight of the Garter.

Elizabeth de Montagu  had been married twice before – first to Lord Giles Badlesmere (died in 1338 at age 23), and second to Hugh le Despenser, whom she married in 1341 and who died in 1348.  Elizabeth inherited property from both of her first two husbands, so she was a very desireable catch for any man. Elizabeth de Montagu  died in 1359 after only ten years of marriage, and Lord Guy de Bryan allowed her to buried in Tewkesbury Abbey with her second husband.

Missing Documents and a Repudiated Will

Early in 1386, Sir Guy de Bryan V made a will, in which he divided his estate between his two surviving sons, Guy and William.  However, Guy died on February 5, 1386, and in 1388, Sir Guy de Bryan  V found that certain documents were missing from his strong boxes.  He went to William’s inn in London, broke open William’s strongbox, and recovered the documents.  Subsequently, William scaled the walls of

Sir Guy’s castle, and took twenty-five pounds from his father’s coffers.  Sir Guy de Bryan V attemted to repudiate the will, stating publicly that he had been forced to make it against his will, and after Sir Guy’s death, William had difficulty with his father’s executor about the succession of the various estates.

Sir Guy de Bryan V died about 1390 and lies buried in Tewkesbury Abbey, England, and Elizabeth de Montagu  died in Ashley, Hampshire, England.  Some say that Sir Guy de Bryan V was buried at Slapton in Devon, not at Tewkesbury Abbey.

The ancestry of Elizabeth de Montagu  is as follows: Elizabeth de Montagu was the daughter of William de Montagu  (born 1303, Oxfordshire, England, died January 30, 1343, Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England) and Katherine de Grandison  (1304-November 23, 1349). William de Montagu  was one of twelve children of Baron William de Montagu  (1275-October 18, 1319) and Elizabeth de Montfort  (ca 1271 – 1345).  This Baron William de Montagu  was the son of Simon de Montagu  (ca 1250 – September 26, 1316) and Hawaise de Saint Amand  (born ca 1252, Isle of Mann, died 1287). Simon de Montagu  was the son of William de Montacute  (born ca 1210) and his wife Beota  (born ca 1212). William de Montacute  was the son of Drew de Montagu  (born about 1185) and Aline Basset  (born ca 1189).

Children of Guy de Bryan V and Alice Holoway were:
  • Phillippa de Bryan
  • Margaret de Bryan
  • Elizabeth de Bryan .

Children of Guy de Bryan V and Elizabeth de Montagu  were:
  • William de Bryan
  • Guy de Bryan
  • Phillip de Bryan
  • another Margaret de Bryan .

Guy de Bryan , son of Guy de Bryan  V  and Elizabeth de Montagu , died without issue.

William de Bryan , son of Guy de Bryan  V  and Elizabeth de Montagu ,  was born in 1349.  He married Joan FitzAlan  (born 1351), and Thomas Bryan I  was their son. William de Bryan  died in 1413.

Joan FitzAlan  was the widow of Humphrey, the 9th Earl of Hereford.  They were married after September 9, 1359, in Norfolk, England.  Humphrey died on January 16, 1373, in Essex, England. Joan FitzAlan died April 7, 1419, and lies buried in Walden Abbey.

Joan FitzAlan was the daughter of Richard FitzAlan  II , Earl of Arundel (1306-1377), and Alianore Plantaganet  of Lancaster (ca 1318-1372).  Richard FitzAlan   was the son of Sir Knight Edmund FitzAlan , (born in 1285, beheaded November 17, 1338) and Alice de varennes  (ca 1277-before May 23, 1338).  Edmund FitzAlan  was the son of  Sir Knight Richard FitzAlan  I, Earl of Arundel (1267-1302) and Alisona de Saluzza  (ca 1271-1292).  Richard FitzAlan  I was the son of John FitzAlan  III, Lord of Chin and Earl of Arundel (1246-1271), and Isabella de Mortimer  (ca 1248-before 1274).

Alianore Plantaganet , above, was the daughter of  Henry Plantagenet , Earl of Lancaster and Leicester.  Henry was born in 1281 at Grismond Castle, England, and died in the Monastry of Cannons, England, on September 22, 1345.  He married Maud Chaworth , daughter of Patrick de Chaworth , before March 2, 1296.  Henry Plantagenet  was the son of Edmund Plantagenet  (1244-1296), and Edmund was the son of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence .  (See Chapter 9.)

Many reputable researchers say that William de Bryan , above,died without issue – in fact, never married, in which case the ancestry of Thomas Bryan I is unknown and all of the preceding discussion of the Bryans is irrelevant to the present work.  However, several websites, based upon information from the Latter Day Saints, or Mormons, say that William de Bryan did marry and have a son, Thomas Bryan I,  as presented here.  The reader is invited to make his own investigation.

Thomas Bryan I, son of William de Bryan and Joan FitzAlan,  was born in 1358 in  Cheddington, Buckinghamshire, England.  In 1387, he married Margaret Echyngham , who was born in Bennington, Yorkshire, England, in 1358, and Edmund Bryan  was their son.  Thomas Bryan I died in 1444.

Edmund Bryan  was born in 1412 in Cheddington, Buckinghamshire, England.  About 1437, he married Alice De Bures , born about 1416 in England, heiress of Sir Robert de Bures.  Thomas Bryan II  was their son.

Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas

Thomas Bryan II  was born about 1438 in Cheddington, Buckinghamshire, England.   He married Lady Margaret Bowsey  (born about 1418 in England, daughter of Josh Bowsey  and Margaret Barnes ) about 1463, and Thomas Bryan III  was their son.  Sir Thomas Bryan II  served as Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas from 1471 until his death about 1500.  Some say he died after 1508.

The Knight and the Governess

Thomas Bryan III, son of Thomas Bryan II and Lady Margaret Bowsey,  was born about 1464 in Cheddington, Buckinghamshire, England.  He married Lady Margaret Bourchier (See Chapter 9) , and Francis Bryan  and Lady Elizabeth Bryan were their children.  Thomas Bryan III  was knighted by Henry VII  in 1497, and he died in 1517.  Warm-hearted Lady Margaret Bourchier  was governess for Princess Mary, and after the death of Anne Boleyn , Lady Margaret Bourchier  was made foster mother to Princess Elizabeth .  When Prince Edward was born, Lady Margaret transferred to his household.  Lady Margaret Bourchier  died in 1551 or 1552.

Friend of Henry VIII and Governor General of Ireland

Francis Bryan, first surviving son of Thomas Bryan III and Lady Margaret Bourchier,  was born in 1490 in Cheddington, Buckinghamshire, England.  He was educated at Oxford and was a personal friend of King Henry VIII , for whom he performed important missions and personal services. He spoke to the king in “plain speech.”  In April, 1513, he received his first official appointment – captain of the ship Margaret Bonavanture.  Before March, 1522, he married first Phillippa Montgomery , and Sir Edward Bryan  was their son. 

The Vicar of Hell

Francis Bryan was something of a poet.  He was also a “cipherer”, or code expert, and he also enjoyed jousting.   He lost an eye in one of the matches, and wore an eye patch for the rest of his life.  He was a supporter of Ann Boleyn, and was accused of complicity in her misdeeds.  For this, and for his capacity for immorality, Francis Bryan was dubbed “The Vicar of Hell” by Thomas Cromwell in 1536, but Cromwell couldn’t prove any charges against Francis Bryan, so Francis Bryan was able to regain favor with Cromwell.

In January, 1546, there was a dispute between Francis’ servant, Harry Parker , and Thomas Sexton .  Parker killed Sexton.  Francis Bryan arranged a pardon for Parker, and later gave Parker land near the village of Habersham, Essex, as a reward for his service.  Parker became the ancestor of reak-life Robert Leroy Parker, who became known to moviegoers as Butch Cassidy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  

Francis Bryan married second Lady Joan Fitzgerald  (See Chapter 11) before August 28, 1548.  This was a political marriage, probably arranged to prevent Lady Joan’s marriage to the heir of Desmond, Gerald Fitzgerald.  (Such a marriage would have united the leading representatives of the two chief Irish noble houses.)   Shortly after this marriage, he was named Lord Marshal (Governor General) of Ireland in 1548, and sent to Dublin.  In 1549, he was made Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, and he held large estates in County Clare, which the crown had given him upon the dissolution of the monasteries. 

Francis Bryan  died February 2, 1549 or 1550, in Clonmel, Ireland.  After Francis Bryan’s death, Lady Joan Fitzgerald did marry (in 1551) Gerald FitzJames FitzGerald.  Some think that Lady Joan Fitzgerald poisoned Francis Bryan.

Francis Bryan II  was the son of Francis Bryan and Lady Joan Fitzgerald.  (Some researchers say that Francis Bryan died without issue.)   Francis Bryan II was born in Claire, Ireland, in 1549.  In 1580, he married Ann Smith , who was born in 1560 in Claire, Ireland, the daughter of Sir William Smith .  William Smith Bryan  was their son.

Exiled to Virginia – The First to Bring Horses

William Smith Bryan  was born about 1590 (or in 1600).  He married Catherine Morgan  (born 1604).  William Smith Bryan and Catherine Morgan were both born in Claire, Ireland.  During the Puritan Rebellion, William Smith Bryan attempted to gain the throne of Ireland and was dubbed, “Prince William of Ireland” by his followers.  Sometime about 1650 or 1660, William Smith Bryan and Catherine Morgan were exiled to Virginia by Oliver Cromwell  for anti-English insurgent activities, and they arrived in Virginia with a shipload of personal belongings and eleven sons and three daughters. They were among the first English to bring horses to the British colony of Virginia.  William Smith Bryan  and Catherine Morgan  both died in Gloucester, Virginia.

The eleven children of William Smith Bryan and Catherine Morgan included:
  • Francis Bryan III
  • John Bryan
  • William Bryan  

Seeking Refuge in Denmark

Francis Bryan III , eldest son of William Smith Bryan and Catherine Morgan, was born about 1630.  He returned to Ireland and tried to regain the Clare County estates, but was persecuted by the government and forced to seek refuge in Denmark.  He married Sarah Brinker , and became an ancestor of Rebecca Bryan  who married Daniel Boone .  Francis Bryan III returned to Ireland about 1683, and died in Belfast.

Another son of William Smith Bryan  and Catherine Morgan  was William Bryan , who married Alice MacLand .  Some researchers say that Alice MacLand , not Alice Needham , was the wife of the William Bryan , below, who came to America in 1689.

John Bryan, son of William Smith Bryan  and Catherine Morgan , was born about 1625 in Claire, Ireland, and immigrated to Virginia about 1660, perhaps with his father.  William Bryan was among his children.  John Bryan died about 1711 in Norfolk, Virginia.

A Possible Elopement

William Bryan, son of John Bryan,  was born about 1655 (some sources say in Gloucester, Virginia), and he married Alice “Elsie” Needham , daughter of Lord Charles Needham (4th Viscount of Kilmorey) , in England about 1689.  William Bryan  was a Puritan, Alice Needham  was a Royalist.  Both families disapproved of their marriage, so there is speculation that they eloped.  William and Alice came to America in 1689 and settled in Isle of Wright County, Virginia.  In 1742, William moved to Albemarle Sound, Pasquotank County, NC with two of his sons, John Bryan  and Needham Bryan .  A third son, William Bryan Jr ., stayed behind for a time, moving to North Carolina later.  William Bryan  Sr. died in Pasquotank County September 23, 1742.  Alice Needham  was born in 1659 (or 1673) in England, and died November 14, 1714 (or in 1729) in Orange County, Virginia.

The ancestry of Alice Needham, above, is as follows:  Alice Needham  was the daughter of Sir Charles Needham  (ca 1636 – 1660) and his wife Bridget Drury (daughter of Sir William Drury and Mary Cokayne) .  Charles Needham was the son of Sir Robert Needham  (d. 1653, second Viscount of Kilmorey) and his second wife, Lady Eleanor Dutton  (See Chapter 8).  Robert Needham  was the son of another Robert Needham  (ca. 1560 – 1631, first Viscount of Kilmorey, who acquired the Barony of Orhera from James I in 1625) and Jane Lacy, the first of his four wives .  This Robert Needham  was the son of yet another Robert Needham  (ca. 1536, England – 1603, Ireland) who married Frances Aston and was the Sheriff of Shropshire and Vice-President of the Council of the Welsh Marshes .  Robert Needham  was the son of Thomas Needham  (ca. 1510-1556) who married Anne Talbot .  Thomas Needham  was the son of Robert Needham , who purchased the Lordship of Shavington in 1506, and Agnes Manwaring .   This Robert Needham  was the son of Sir William Needham  of Granage and Shavington, and Isabel, daughter of Sir John Bromley .  Sir William Needham  was the son of Thomas Needham  (died in 1463) of Granage and Maud, daughter of Sir William Brereton .  His father was Robert Needham  (died June 23, 1448), and his mother was Dorothy, daughter of Sir John Savage , K. G.  Robert’s parents were William Needham  and Alice, daughter of William de Craunacre .  William Needham  was the youngest son of Thomas Needham  and Maud, daughter of Roger Mellor .  Thomas’ father was John Nedham , and his father was John de Nedham.  John de Nedham  was the son of Henry de Nedham , and Henry was the son of Roger or William de Stanton, who married the heiress of the manor of High Peak Nedham in Derbyshire, England.  Roger or William de Stanton  was the son of William fitz William de Stanton , who was the son of William de Stanton , who lived during the reign of Henry I .  Whew!

Here’s another long paragraph:  Sir William Drury  (July 21, 1597-November 8, 1639), Alice Needham’s grandfather, was the son of Sir Kinght Anthony Drury  and Bridget Spelman .  Anthony Drury was baptized September 2, 1576, and buried October 16, 1638.  He was knighted in 1603, and was high sherrif of Norfolk, England, in 1637.  He was the son of Anthony Drury  (died August 26, 1616) and his second wife, Anne Garneys .  Anthony Drury’s parents were William Drury  of Besthorpe (died 1552) and his second wife, Dorothy Brampton .  William Drury inherited Besthorpe when his great nephews died without issue.  William Drury was the son of Sir William Drury  of Besthorpe (born before 1500 in Suffolk, England, died January 11, 1157, in Norfolk) and Margaret Briggs .  Sir William’s parents were Roger Drury  of Hawstead (died January 11, 1493) and his second wife, Felice Denston .  Roger Drury’s first wife was Agnes ---, and his third wife was Agnes Hanningfield .  Roger Drury  was the son of Nicholas Drury  of Thurston (ca. 1365-1454) and Joan Heath .  Richard Drury accompanied John of Gaunt  into Spain in 1386.  Richard Drury was the son of Sir Nicholas Drury  (ca.`1359-after January, 1393, knighted by Richard II  at Richard’s coronation) and Joan de Saxham .  Nicholas’ parents were John Drury  of Thurston and Amabelia Newton , and John’s parents were Henry Drury  (born 1240-1250, died 1294) and Hawise Greene .  Henry Drury was an attorney.

And, while we’re writing long paragraphs, here’s one more.  It shows how Anne Talbot , above, was a descendant of Edward I , and therefore of Alfred the Great .  Anne Talbot  was the daughter of Sir John Talbot  (1485-1549) and his first wife, Margaret Troutbeck  (born 1492).  Sir John Talbot  was the son of Sir Gilbert Talbot , K. G. (1452-August 16, 1517), and his second wife, Audrey Cotton .  Sir Gilbert Talbot  was the second son of Sir John Talbot , Second Earl of Shrewsbury, Knight of the Garter, and Lord Treasurer of England, and Elizabeth Butler  (1420-September 8, 1473).  Elizabeth Butler was the daughter of James Butler  (1392?-August 23, 1452, Fourth Earl of Ormonde, Lord Deputy and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland) and Joan or Elizabeth Beauchamp .  James Butler’s parents were James Butler  (died September 6th or 7th, 1405, Third Earl of Ormonde, Lord Justice of Ireland) and Anne Welles .  This James Butler’s parents were another James Butler  (October 4, 1331-October 18 or November 6, 1382, Second Earl of Ormonde, Lord Justice of Ireland) and Elizabeth Darcy .  James Butler’s parents were James Butler  (ca. 1305-January of February, 1337, created First Earl of Ormonde in 1328) and  (See Chapter 9), and Eleanor de Bohun .  The parents of Eleanor de Bohun were Elizabeth Plantagenet  (August, 1282-May 5, 1316) and her second husband, Humphrey de Bohun VIII , Earl of Hereford and Essex, Lord High Constable of England, killed at Boroughbridge March 16, 1321.  Elizabeth Plantagenet  was the daughter of Edward I , King of England (See Chapter 9).  Note that our Bryans are descended from King Edward I two different ways – through his daughter Elizabeth, and through his son Edward II.           

Now back to Charles Needham and his daughter Alice.  Some researchers believe that Sir Charles Needham did not have a daughter named Alice, because he didn’t mention her in his will.  Well, no wonder, not if she ran off to Virginia with a Puritan!

After the death of Sir Charles Needham, Bridget Drury, above, married second Sir John Shaw, and third Sir John Baber.

Children of William Bryan and Alice Needham were:

  • Needham Bryan
  • John Bryan
  • William Bryan Jr .

A Side Trip to Susan Saphronia Howe, wife of John Thomas Carson

Needham Bryan, son of William Bryan and Alice Needham,  was born February 23, 1690, in Isle of Wight County, Virginia.  On November 16, 1711, he married 1st Annie Rambeau , who died January 16, 1730.  On August 24, 1732, Needham Bryan  married 2nd Susanna Harrell , who died in 1752.  Needham Bryan  married 3rd Sarah Woodward , and he died in 1777.  Needham Bryan and all three wives were buried at their farm called “Snowfield” in Bertie County, NC.  Needham Bryan  served as a Justice of the Peace in Bertie County, and he was also a member of the Assembly. 

Children of Needham Bryan and Annie Rambeau were:

  • Rachel Bryan  (June 10, 1723 - November, 1780, married William Whitfield )
  • William Bryan  (married Elizabeth Smith , daughter of John Smith )
  • Needham Bryan

Needham Bryan, son of Needham Bryan and Annie Rambeau , was born October 31, 1726.  On February 5, 1748, near Springfield, Virginia, he married first Nancy Smith  (1728-1760, daughter of John Smith  and Elizabeth Whitfield ).  Needham Bryan married  second Charlotte Moore .  He was a member of the colonial assembly in 1762 and again in 1771.  He represented Johnston County in the Provincial Congress at New Bern, North Carolina, on August 25, 1774.  In 1776, he fought in the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge.  On April 23, 1777, Needham Bryan introduced a bill in the Colonial Assembly to establish the town of Smithfield.  He died before August, 1777.

Children of Needham Bryan  and Nancy Smith  were:

  • Needham Bryan, Jr . (see below)
  • Kedar Bryan  (1752-ca. 1808, married 1st Elizabeth Smith , 2nd Mary Whitfield , 3rd Betsy James , and 4th Nancy Dickson )
  • Winifred Bryan  (May 5, 1754-April 5, 1793, married Nathan Bryan , son of Hardy Bryan )
  • Nancy Bryan  (born 1756, married General Bryan Whitfield , son of William Whitfield  and Rachel Bryan , above)

Children of Needham Bryan  and Charlotte Moore  were:

  • Charlotte Moore Bryan  (April 2, 1765-March 9, 1798, married Lewis Whitfield )
  • Rigdon Bryan  (died 1793 in Sampson County, NC)
  • Esther Bryan  (married Christopher Curtis )

Needham Bryan Jr ., son of Needham Bryan  and Nancy Smith , was born in 1748 or 1750 in Johnston County, North Carolina.  In 1768, he married Sarah Hinton , who was born in 1750, the daughter of Col. John Hinton  and Grizella Kinbrough .  In 1774, Needham Bryan, Jr., served as a captain of the Johnston County Militia and as a member of the Committee of Correspondence.  In 1776, he was a member of the Provencial Congress meeting at Halifax, North Carolina, and he was a member of the North Carolina State Legislature in 1786.

Children of Needham Bryan, Jr.,  and Sarah Hinton  were:

  • Loverd Bryan  (1769-1815, married Elizabeth Green )
  • Benjamin Bryan  (married Polly Stevens )
  • Sarah (Sallie) Bryan  (1775-1815,Buried in Raleigh, NC, married John Hinton )
  • Clement Bryan  (see below).

Clement Bryan , son of Needham Bryan, Jr.,  and Sarah Hinton , was born October 13, 1770, in Johnston County, North Carolina.  On August 19, 1792, he married Edith Smith  in Cumberland County, North Carolina.  Edith Smith was born December 26, 1772, daughter of Colonel David Smith  of Cumberland County.  Edith Smith died March 15, 1841.  Clement Bryan  and Edith Smith moved to Montgomery County, Georgia, about 1805, and later they moved to Randolph County, Georgia.  He participated in the Indian War of 1836 and was wounded in the Battle of Ichawaynochaway.   Clement Bryan  died in Georgia in 1839.

Children of Clement Bryan  and Edith Smith  were:

  • Sarah Hinton Bryan  (August 8, 1793-1846, married Anselm Lynch Evans )
  • Margaret W. Bryan  (married George Wyche )
  • Charity Loverd Bryan  (April 20, 1798-October 25, 1841, married Obediah P. Cheatham )
  • Mary Smith Bryan  (see below)
  • Edith Bryan  (September 1, 1802-January 7, 1842, married Martin C. Brown )
  • Loverd Bryan  (October 13, 1804-August 15, 1887, married 1st Elizabeth Wyche , 2nd Mrs. Lucy Williams )
  • Needham Rupert Bryan  (August 26, 1806-August, 1841, married Martha Elizabeth Battle

Anselm Lynch Evans  and Sarah Hinton Bryan  had a noteworthy son named Clement Anselm Evans  (1833-1911).  He was reared by Loverd Bryan  in Lumpkin, Georgia.  He was admitted to the bar at the age of 19, elected judge of the county court at 22, chosen state senator at 26, and was a presidential elector at 27.  In November, 1861, he was a major in the 31st Georgia Infantry, CSA.  In 1862 he became a colonel, and in May of 1864 he was a brigadier general serving under John B. Gordon .  He was paroled at Appomattox, Virginia, on May 10, 1865, having been wounded five times.

Mary Smith “Polly” Bryan , daughter of Clement Bryan  and Edith Smith , was born March 18, 1800, in Johnston County, North Carolina.  On January 2, 1817, she married John Goodwin Raines  (1791-1846, See Chapter 2).  After his death, she married Robert Howe, Jr.  (1782-1859, see Chapter 1), who was a widower of Susannah Gray .  Robert Howe, Jr., and Susannah Gray were the parents of Susan Saphronia Howe , who married John Thomas Carson  (See Chapter 1), so May Smith “Polly” Bryan was Susan Saphronia Howe’s stepmother.

Now, back to the ancestry of Melissa Bryan

John Bryan , son of William Bryan  and Alice Needham, was born in January of 1691 or 1692 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia.  He married Elizabeth Joyner , and they had six children.  John Bryan died October 31, 1741, in Craven County, North Carolina.  Elizabeth Joyner was the daughter of Bridgeman Joyner, Sr.,  and Deborah Hardy .  Elizabeth Joyner died after September 14, 1734.

William Bryan  Jr., son of William Bryan and Alice Needham, was born about 1695 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, and died March 13, 1762.  He married first Jean Andrews , and Jesse Lewis Bryan  was their son.  He may have married second Elizabeth Smith  (daughter of John Smith and Elizabeth Whitfield) on August 17, 1744 at Snowfields in Bertie County, Virginia. William Bryan Jr. became High Sheriff and Justice of the Peace in Bertie County, NC, and a member of the Assembly of Pasquotank County before his death.  William Bryan, Jr., and his brother Needham were both appointed justices by Governor Tryon  to keep the peace during the Regulator movement, but later switched sides and supported the Revolution.  (See Chapter 15 for a brief discussion of the Regulators.)   

Jesse Lewis Bryan  was born October 20, 1736, at Snowfields in Bertie County, NC.  On April 30, 1758 in Martin County, NC, he married Nancy Zipporah Hinton .  Nancy Zipporah Hinton was born May 19, 1738 in Martin County, NC and died January 30, 1803, in Martin County. Jesse Lewis Bryan  served as a private in the Revolutionary War, and he died December 4, 1798 in Martin County, North Carolina.

Nancy Zipporah Hinton was the daughter of John Hinton and Grizelle (or Pherebee) Kimbrough.  John Hinton was born ca 1720 in Chowan County, North Carolina,  He settled on the Neuse River near present-day Raleigh.  As a colonel in the county militia, John Hinton led the Wake County Militia to the Battle of Alamance in 1771.  They arrived too late to participate in the fighting, but John Hinton was one of the justices who tried the Regulators in court in Hillsborough.  However, he switched sides when the Revolutionary War began, and fought with the Americans at the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge.   He was also a member of the North Carolina Provencial Congress in 1775 and 1776.  He died in the Spring of 1784 in Wake County, North Carolina.  John Hinton was the son of another John Hinton  and Mary Hardy , and this John Hinton was born March 29, 1673, in Wiltshire, England, came to North Caroina before 1695, and died June 6, 1731, in Chowan County.  Capitol Square in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, is located on land once owned by Joel Lane, the Hinton’s son-in-law.  Joel Lane  married Martha Hinton , daughter of John Hinton and Grizelle Kimbrough, and when she died, he married her sister, Mary Hinton .  Another sister, Sarah Hinton , married Needham Bryan, Jr ., mentioned earlier in this chapter. 

Mary Hardy  (ca 1685-before 1744) was the daughter of John Hardy I , (born October 17, 1665, in Dorchestershire, England, died January 19, 1718, in Chowan County, North Carolina) and Charity O’Dyer  (born ca 1660, in England, died before 1719 in Bertie County, North Carolina).  John Hardy I  was the son of John Noble Worthington Hardy  (born ca 1638, Pembroke, Wales, died October 7, 1697, Chowan District, North Carolina) and Emily Parker . John Noble Worthington Hardy moved from Wales to England, and then sometime after 1677, to America. John Noble Worthington Hardy was the son of Anthony Hardy , born January 7, 1614, in Pembroke, Wales, and died there in 1655.

Jesse Lewis Bryan and Nancy Zipporah Hinton had at least one son, Nathan Bryan .

Bryans who Went to Georgia

Nathan Bryan was born July 16, 1756, in Halifax (now Martin) County, NC.  On September 27, 1777, he married Rebecca Little, daughter of John Little .  Rebecca Little was born September 15, 1759, in Bertie County, North Carolina, and died October 21, 1837, in Pike County, Georgia.  Nathan Bryan  could not read nor write until late in life, and is said to have served as a Revolutionary War soldier.  Nathan Bryan  died at Pine Flats Farm in Pike County, Georgia September 19, 1834, and his will specified that two Negro slaves, Willie  and Sophia , be sold together and never parted during life.

Children of Nathan Bryan and Rebecca Little were:

  • Littleton Bryan
  • Jesse Hinton Bryan
  • Melissa Bryan
  • Elias Bryan
  • Sally (or Sarah) Bryan
  • John Lewis Bryan
  • Benjamin Franklin Bryan
  • James Bryan  (died before 1835)
  • Mary Ann Lucinda Bryan (born 1803, Wilkes County, Georgia, married William King September 21, 1819, died 1894, Nashville, Berrien County, Georgia)

(Solomon Watson  was a son-in-law of Nathan Bryan and Rebecca Little.)

Littleton Bryan, son of Nathan Bryan and Rebecca Little,  was born in Martin County, North Carolina on May 20, 1780.  He married Elizabeth McGruder (or Magruder) , who was born in Martin County, North Carolina July 17, 1781, and died November 7, 1854, in Macon County, Georgia.  Littleton Bryan  died in Houston County, Georgia, October 10, 1836, and lies buried at the site of Nathan Bryan’s home near Marshallville, Georgia (See below).  Elizabeth McGruder is also buried there.  She may have been the daughter of Nathaniel McGruder.

Children of Littleton Bryan and Elizabeth McGruder were:

  • Nathan Bryan
  • Winnifred Bryan (not mentioned in will nor estate settlement, married William Bluett McCarty, died in childbirth)
  • McGruder Bryan
  • Erastus Bryan (married twice; second wife was Emily Watson Sullivan, widow of Thomas O. Sullivan)
  • Allen Bryan
  • Mary Bryan
  • Amelia H. Bryan

Money under the Bed

Nathan Bryan, son of Littleton Bryan and Elizabeth McGruder,  was born in Marshallville, Georgia on January 26, 1803.  On March 5, 1820, he married Mary Lofley (born November 10, 1802 in North Carolina, died July 20, 1879 in Marshallville, Georgia). They became wealthy.  

Nathan Bryan built perhaps the first house in Macon County, Georgia, situated on the ridge on the east side of the Flint River, with a view of the Flint River Swamps for many miles..  The house had two large rooms with a “dog trot” hallway between them.  Each of the large rooms had a shed room attached, and a large attic room above.  The Bryan’s house served as a stage coach stop, and the Bryans also operated a slave market.  Nathan Bryan  kept his money in a trunk under his bed, and frequently lent money to his neighbors.  The house burned in 1967. 

Nathan Bryan  was a member of the Georgia Legislature in 1842, a justice of the Inferior Court of Macon County from January 6, 1849 until January 8, 1853 (The Inferior Court seems to have been like modern-day county commissioners.), and a member of the grand jury in 1862.  In 1850, Judge Bryan was appointed to represent the Constitutional Union Party of Macon County at the State Convention.  At the close of the War between the States, he owned 68 slaves.  He died in Marshallville January 29, 1868.  At the time of his death, he owned approximately 4000 acres.  Nathan Bryan and Mary Lofley are both buried in the Bryan Cemetery, at the site of their home.

The Inferior Court

What was the Inferior Court? The Georgia Constitution of 1798 created the justice of peace court, the inferior court and the superior court. A justice of peace court was provided in each community for the purpose of trying minor civil cases. The inferior court--a court made up of five justices of the peace for a county--was established to try any civil case except those involving title to land. The inferior court had jurisdiction over county business matters, such as care of the poor, maintenance of jails, building of roads, and maintaining a register of wills. A court of the ordinary was created in 1851 for registering wills, granting letters of administration for the estates of deceased persons and issuing marriage licenses. The "ordinary" was given the responsibility of managing county business and, thus, became the chief administrative officer for county government. In 1868, the inferior courts were abolished, and all of their powers were given to the courts of ordinary, which became the office of the probate court in 1983, when the Constitution was amended. The Constitution of 1877 created county commissioners "in any counties that require them."

The Constitutional Union Party

The Constitutional Union Party was one of four parties who fielded candidates in the 1860 presidential election.  Their platform was "the Constitution, the Union of the States, and the enforcement of the laws."  Their candidate was John Bell  of Tennessee.  Jefferson Davis  campaigned for Bell throughout the Northern States.  The other parties were the Democratic Party, who nominated Stephen A. Douglas , the Republican Party, who nominated Abraham Lincoln , and a split-off of the Democratic Party, who nominated John C. Breckenridge  of Kentucky.

Mary Lofley, above, was the first child of Pitman (Pittman, Pitmon) Lofley  and his wife Penelope Pitman (born January 22, 1779). Pitman Lofley was a “planter” in Wayne County, North Carolina, the son of Daniel Lofley  of Wayne County, and Sarah Peacock Pitman.  Daniel Lofley was born ca. 1746-1749 in Wayne County, served in Captain John Sherrard’s  Company (in the Revolution?), and died in Wayne County in 1801.  At his death, he left twenty shillings to his son Pitman.  Penelope Pitman  was the daughter of John Pittman  and his wife Sarah.

Children of Nathan Bryan and Mary Lofley were:

  • Andrew Jackson  Bryan (1835-1865, Confederate veteran)
  • Melissa Bryan
  • John L. Bryan
  • Jasper Newton Bryan (Confederate veteran, died April 27, 1892)
  • Francis M. Bryan who married Annie Elizabeth Carson (See Chapter 1)
  • Susan Bryan (married Dr. Dewry Massee.)

Andrew Jackson  Bryan, son of Nathan Bryan and Mary Lofley,  was born in Macon County, Georgia in February, 1835.  On July 31, 1856, he married Elizabeth H. Maddox (July 17, 1834 – July 3, 1888).  They had at least one son, John Calvin Bryan.  Andrew Jackson  Bryan  was a policeman in Macon County, Georgia, in 1864.  He died in Macon County October 5, 1865.

Melissa Bryan, daughter of Nathan Bryan and Mary Lofley,  was born May 11, 1838.  On January 29, 1856 she married James Alston Carson  (See chapter 1), who was killed in the War between the States.  After his death, she applied for a Confederate widow’s pension as a resident of Macon County, Georgia.  Melissa Bryan  died December 12, 1912.

References: 47, 220, 246, 265, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 277, 341, 342, 343, 381, 382, 383, 384, 392, 402, 420, 429

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