Seventh Generation

608. William Harley (Harley) Bryan^123,424. Birth: 12 February 1876, Sevier County, Tennessee.^{123,243,424,425}

Census: 1880, Sevier County, Tennessee.¹³⁹ Household of his father William Allen (Will) Bryan. Dist. 8, 12 Jun 1880.
William H. 4 son, male, single, white, born TN, father and mother born TN.

Marriage: 24 October 1897, Shady Grove, Jefferson County, Tennessee, age 21, to Nancy Virginia (Nannie) Harrison.^123,424,426

Census: 1900, Sevier County, Tennessee.¹²⁴ Head of household. Dist. 8, Enumeration District 143, 6 Jun 1900.
----- page 119a, dwelling number 48, family number 49, enumerated by James B. Douglass.
Bryan William H. 24 head male married white, born Feb 1876, farmer, born TN, father and mother born TN
Nanni V. 24 wife female married white, born Apr 1876, born TN, father born in VA, mother born in NC
Emert 1 son, male, single, white, born Mar 1898, born TN, father and mother born TN.

Census: 1910, Sevier County, Tennessee.⁴²⁷ Head of Household Dist. 8, Enumeration District 142, 4 May 1910.
----- page 123a, dwelling number 200, family number 201.
Bryan William H. 34 head male married 12 years white, farmer, born TN, father and mother born TN
Nannie V. 34 wife female married 12 years white, home, born TN, father born in VA, mother born in NC 3 children, 3 living
Emmert O. 11 son, male, single, white, farm laborer, born TN, father and mother born TN
Ethel L. 8 daughter, female, single, white, born TN, father and mother born TN
Edna O. 1 4/12 daughter, female, single, white, born TN, father and mother born TN.

Death: 15 December 1915, age 39, Kodak, Sevier County, Tennessee.^{123,243,424,428,429,430,431}

Obituary: No obituary for Harley was published in any of the following newspapers: Sevier County Republican, Sevierville Montgomery's Vindicator, Knoxville Journal and Tribune, and Knoxville Sentinel.

Death Certificate: #229
1. Place of death - Dist. 8, Kodak, Sevier County, Tenn.
2. Full name - Harley Bryan
3. Sex - Male
4. Color - w
5. Status - married
6. Date of birth - Month 2, Day 12, 1876
7. Age - 39 years, 10 months., 3 days
8. Occupation - farmer; b) - farm work
9. Birthplace - Tenn
10. Name of father - William Bryan
11. Birthplace of father - Tenn
12. Maiden name of mother - Malissa Underwood
13. Birthplace of mother - Tenn
14. The above is true to the best of my knowledge (Informant) signed Mrs. Harley Bryan, Kodak, Tenn
15. Filed 1/16, 1916, G.C. Johnson
16. Date of death - month 12 day 15, 1915
19. Buried - Bryan grave yard, 12/16, 1915
20. Undertaker - Homer Atchley; Address - Sevierville
The informant was his wife Nancy Virginia (Nannie) Harrison.

Burial: 16 December 1915, Bryan-Drinnen-Cate Cemetery, Kodak, Sevier County, Tennessee.^243,432
Grave marker: W. H. Bryan, 12 Feb 1876 - 15 Dec 1915. GPS: 35.988122, -83.582619.

William Harley (Harley) Bryan and Nancy Virginia (Nannie) Harrison Marriage: 24 October 1897, Shady Grove, Jefferson County, Tennessee.^123,424,426

Courthouse marriage book: W.H. Bryan and Nannie Harrison, marriage: 10/24/1897, bond: 10/20/1897, bondsman E.L. McCall. The bondsman Edward L. McCall was Harley's first cousin. Harley's mother Malissa Emmaline Underwood and Edward's mother Malinda Underwood were twin sisters.

Marriage bond: Know all Men, That we, W.H. Bryan & E. L. McCall, of the County of Jefferson and State of Tennessee, are held and firmly bound unto the State of Tennessee in the sum of Twelve Hundred and Fifty Dollars, to which payment, well and truly to be made, we bind our heirs, executors, and administrators, and each and every one of us and them, both jointly and severally, firmly by these presents. The condition of the above obligation is such, That whereas, W.H. Bryan hath prayed and obtained a License to marry Nannie Harrison. Now, if there shall no hereafter appear any lawful cause why the said W.H. Bryan and Nannie Harrison should not be joined together in Holy Matrimony as husband and wife, then this obligation to be void and of no effect; otherwise to remain in full force and virtue. Witness our hands the 20th day of October,1897. (signed) W. H. Bryan, E. L. McCall.

Marriage License: State of Tennessee, Jefferson County. To any Minister of the Gospel having Care of Souls, or Justice of the Peace of said County - Greeting: You or Either of You, Are hereby authorized to Solemnize the Rites of Matrimony between W. H. Bryan and Nannie Harrison of your County agreeably to the direction of the Act of Assembly in such case made and provided: Provided always, that the Rite of Matrimony be solemnized in this County; otherwise these shall be null and void, and shall not be accounted any license or authority to you, or either of you, for the purposes aforesaid, more than though the same had never been prayed or granted, etc. Given at the Clerk's office of said County, this 20th day of October, 1897. G.W. Hill, County Court Clerk.

Marriage license return: W. H. Bryan to Nannie Harrison, Issued Oct 20th, 1897. I solemnized the Rites of Matrimony between the within parties on the 24 day of Oct, 1897. H. C. Chambers, Justice of the Peace. Residence near Shady Grove.

Nancy Virginia (Nannie) Harrison⁴²⁴, daughter of Joseph Harrison and Susan A. Slaton,. Birth: 14 April 1876, Jefferson County, Tennessee.^424,425,433

Census: 1880, Jefferson County, Tennessee.⁴³⁴ Nancy J. 4 daughter, female, single, white, born TN, father born in VA, mother born in NC, enumerated Household of her father Joseph Harrison.

Marriage: 24 October 1897, Shady Grove, Jefferson County, Tennessee, age 21, to William Harley (Harley) Bryan.^123,424,426

Census: 1900, Sevier County, Tennessee.¹²⁴ Nanni V. 24 wife female married white, Apr 1876, born TN, father born in VA, mother born in NC, enumerated Household of her husband William Harley (Harley) Bryan.

Census: 1910, Sevier County, Tennessee.⁴²⁷ Nannie V. 34 wife female married 12 years white, home, born TN, father born in VA, mother born in NC 3 children, 3 living, enumerated in the Household of her husband William Harley (Harley) Bryan.

Residence: 1916 Sevier County, Tennessee.⁴³⁵ She was listed in the June 1916 directory of the Peoples Telephone and Telegraph Company, Knox Co and surrounding areas. She was not living in Knox County. Rather, the phone service extended into Sevier County. She was served by the Beech Springs Exchange in Kodak. She was listed as W H Bryan, her husband's name, but Harley had died in 1915.

Deed: 29 November 1916, Jefferson County, Tennessee.⁴³⁶ Deed Book 56, pages 162-163.
She purchased a 33 acre farm from P.W. Lindsey and wife Mattie. The purchase apparently was occasioned by the death of her husband Harley Bryan. She appears to have been moving the family from the Bryan farm in Sevier County back to her roots in Jefferson County to be close to her mother and her uncle. The same 33 acre farm had been owned several years previously by her parents. Nannie's farm was adjacent to 100 acres then owned by her uncle Frank Slaton. Her farm was also adjacent to land then owned by her mother Susan Slaton Harrison. On modern maps, the Nannie's farm may be found northeast of Green Hill Road and between Roberts Road and Goose Creek Road. Roberts Road is a short dead end road which is accessed from Green Hill Road. Goose Creek Road makes a T-intersection with Green Hill Road. Green Hill Road in turn makes a T intersection with Asheville Highway just north of Asheville Highway's intersection with Interstate 40 (exit 415). Nannie's farm is now the Quiet Oaks Subdivision and the subdivision entrance is on Goose Creek Road. Nannie's son Emmert became the financial support for the family upon his father's death. Emmert worked at least one summer and perhaps two summers on the farm of Nannie's first cousin Walk Slaton in Oklahoma, sending the money he made home to Nannie. It was probably this money that Nannie used to purchase her parents' old home place in Jefferson County.

Narrative: Nannie's purchase of her parents' old home place in Jefferson County after Harley's death suggests an answer to a mystery about the family. The Bryan family had deep roots in Sevier County. Harley and Nannie lived on their own house in Sevier County on the property of Harley's father Will Bryan. Nevertheless, three of Harley and Nannie's four children married someone from Jefferson County with Emmert marrying Ruby Cox, Ethel marrying Elmer Cox, and Edna marrying Lon Williams. Green Valley Road in Jefferson County is about 10 miles from the Bryan home place in Sevier County. Transportation was so difficult at the time that most people married somebody who lived much closer to their home than 10 miles. So Nannie's children must have met their respective spouses after the family moved from Sevier County to Jefferson County.

Census: 1920, Jefferson County, Tennessee.⁴³⁷ Dist. 1, Jefferson County, Tennessee, 14-15 Jan 1920, enumerated by Herbert F. Bible; page 12a, Jefferson City Pike, dwelling number 217, family number 218, owned the house, free of mortgage; Bryan Nannie 37 head female widowed white farmer, born TN, father and mother born TN, can R/W; Emmert 21 son, male, single, white, born TN, father and mother born TN, can R/W; Edna 11 daughter, female, single, white, born TN, father and mother born TN, can R/W, attended school; Willie 9 daughter, female, single, white, born TN, father and mother born TN, can R/W, attended school.

Deed: 16 October 1922, Jefferson County, Tennessee.⁴³⁸ Deed Book 63, page 248.
She purchased 4 acres from the county clerk court. The land had been owned in the past by Wilsher Slaton who was the brother of her grandfather Thomas Fielden Slaton. The property was sold at auction by the clerk to settle a dispute among the Slaton family. The land was purchased at auction by Joseph Porter Slaton who was her first cousin. Port Slaton then assigned his bid to her.

The four acres were on what is now Green Hill Road, and the property was very near to the 33 acre farm where she then resided. She later sold the land to George Jackson Cox and his wife Clarissa Loretta (Rett) Nichols. Also, the Cox's daughter Ruby married her son Emmert.

City Directory: 1927, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee.²²⁷ Bryan Nannie V wid Wm H r 306 E Morelia av.
City Directory: 1928, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee.²²⁸ Bryan Nannie V wid Wm H r 306 E Morelia av.
City Directory: 1929, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee.²²⁹ Bryan Nannie H wid Wm H r 306 E Morelia av.
City Directory: 1930, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee.²³⁰ Bryan Nannie H wid Wm H r 300 E Morelia av.

In 1926, her son Emmert was listed in the city directory as living with his cousin Frank Bryan, and her daughter Edna was listed in the city directory as a student at the University of Tennessee. It seems likely that Nannie and her daughter Bill, along with Emmert's children Jack and Lena were still living in Jefferson County at this point. Beginning in 1927 and for several years thereafter, Nannie, Emmert, and Edna were all listed in the city directory as living together on Morelia Avenue. Bill would not have been listed yet because she was too young, nor would have Jack or Lena.

There is an oral family history that they all moved to Knoxville together in 1925 after Emmert's wife Ruby died. It is common for data to appear in the city directory one year in arrears because of delays between when the data is collected and when it is published. So all these dates in the city directory may be off by one year, and the oral family history may be fairly accurate.

Census: 1930, Knox County, Tennessee.⁴³⁹ Ward 17, Enumeration District 47-44, Knoxville City, Knox County, Tennessee, 7 Apr 1930; page 245a, 300 Morelia Avenue, family number 72, dwelling number 75; Bryan Nannie V. 54 head female widow married at 22 white, born TN, father born in VA, mother born in NC; Edna O. 22 daughter, female, single, white, folder, knitting mill, born TN, father and mother born TN; Willie 19 daughter, female, single, white, collareate, knitting mill, born TN, father and mother born TN; Harrison Jake 24 boarder male single white, shipping clerk, storage co., born TN, father and mother born TN; Moore Ester H. 26 boarder male single white, cabinet maker, mfg. co., born TN, father and mother born TN. Both boarders were Nannie's nephews. Jacob William (Jake) Harrison was the son of Nannie's brother John David Harrison. Ester Harrison Moore was the son of Nannie's sister Harriet Sophronia (Hattie) Harrison.

City Directory: 1931, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee.²³¹ Bryan Nancy V wid Wm H r 300 E Morelia av.
City Directory: 1932, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee.⁴⁴⁰ Bryan Nannie H wid W Harley r 300 E Morelia av.
City Directory: 1933, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee.⁴⁴¹ Bryan Nancy V wid Wm H r 515 Grainger av.
City Directory: 1934, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee.⁴⁴² Bryan Nannie V wid Wm H r 515 Grainger av.
City Directory: 1935, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee.⁴⁴³ Bryan Nancy H wid W Harley r 117 Copeland.
City Directory: 1938, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee.⁴⁴⁴ Bryan Nannie H wid W Harley r 117 Copeland.

From 1935 through 1938, she was living with her daughter Willie (Bill) Bryan and Bill's husband Frank Kyle. The house is still there, but the houses have been renumbered and the address is no longer 117.

Death: 11 July 1938, age 62, Strawberry Plains, Knox County, Tennessee.^424,433,445 She died at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Ethel and Elmer Cox. At the time, the Cox residence was at the the intersection of Midway Road and Will Merritt Road. The Coxes were busy canning beans, and Nannie was visiting and helping them with the canning. As the story goes, a number of family members were there to help with the beans. Nannie suffered a stroke while working in the kitchen. She died two days later. The residence of Route 1, Straw Plains listed on the death certificate was the Cox residence rather than Nannie's. Her obituary stated incorrectly that she died at her own home on Copeland Avenue in Knoxville.

Obituary: Knoxville Journal, 12 July 1938, page 7.
Mrs. W. H. Bryan, 62, died yesterday at 1 p. m. at her home, 117 Copeland avenue. Funeral services will be held today at 2:30 p. m. at Oak Grove. Burial in Drinnen Cemetery. Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Elmer Cox, Strawberry Plains, Mrs. L. H. Williams, Byron, Ill., and Mrs. W. F. Kyle, Knoxville; one son, E. O. Bryan, Knoxville; seven grandchildren five brothers, John and W. A. Harrison Dandridge, T. S. Harrison, Rogersville, Dan Harrison, Morristown, and P. G. Harrison, Knoxville; and two sisters, Mrs. John Solomon, Dandridge, and Mrs. J. R. Moore, Byington.

Certificate of Death #17613
1. Place of death - Dist. 15, Knox County
2. Full name - Mrs. Nancy Bryan, Route 1, Straw Plains
3. Sex - F
4. Race - W
5. Status - Widow
5a. Widow of - W.H. Bryan
6. Date of Birth - Apr 14, 1876
7. Age - 62 yrs, 2 mos., 27 ds.
8. Occupation - Housekeeper
12. Birthplace - Tennessee
13. Father - Joseph Harrison
14. Father born - Virginia
15. Mother - Susan Slaton
16. Mother born - North Carolina
17. Informant - Mrs. W.F. Kyle, 117 Copeland Ave., Knoxville
18. Buried - July 12, 1928, Drinnen
19. Undertaker - K. Rawlings & Co., Sevierville, Tenn.
20. Filed - Aug 3, 1938 Mary G. Lee
21. Died - July 11, 1938
The informant was Willie Josephine (Bill) Bryan, daughter of Nannie Harrison.

Burial: 12 July 1938, Bryan-Drinnen-Cate Cemetery, Kodak, Sevier County, Tennessee.^433,445 Grave marker: Nannie V. Bryan, 1876 - 1938, wife of W.H. GPS: 35.988124, -83.582657.

William Harley (Harley) Bryan-791 and Nancy Virginia (Nannie) Harrison-51 had the following children: