Second Generation

4. Thomas Bryan Sr.^1,2,3,4,10. Birth: about 1725, Augusta County (now Rockingham County), Virginia.

Residence: 29 August 1751, Augusta County (now Rockingham County), Virginia.⁶ John Bryan, Cornelius Bryan, Thomas Bryan, Wm. Rinkens, added to tithables.

He served on a jury in Augusta County (now Rockingham County), Virginia in 1768.⁹ Writ ad quad damnum on petition of John Hinton. Jury as follows: David Ralstone, Andrew Ewin, Henry Ewin, Benjamin Kinley, William Ewin, Jacob Copelin, Thomas Bryan, Michael Waren, Samuel Sampels, John Bryan, John Brown, Cornelius Brian. Signatures of all and George Skilleron (Skillem).

He signed a will on 23 January 1793 in Rockingham County, Virginia.¹¹ 1793 WILL OF THOMAS BRYAN
In the name of God Amen ~~
I Thomas Bryan of the County of Rockingham & State
of Virginia yeoman being of the age of Seventy two years
and sencible feeling the decay of Nature although of
perfect mind and memory calling to mind the mortal
lity of the Body and that it is appointed for all men
once to die Do make and ordain this my last will and
testament in the manner & form as follows Viz. First of
all & imprimis I give & recommend my soul into the hands
of Almighty God who gave it and my body to the Earth
to be buried in decent & Christian like manner at the disch-
-resion of my of my under named Execrs not doubting but
that I shall receive the same agin at the General resur-
-rection of the just. And Secondly all Just and lawful
debts and funeral charges to be paid and as tuching my
worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless
me with in this life I give and bequeath in the follow-
-ing Manner viz._Item I give and bequeath unto my
well beloved grand Daughter Hannah McDonnald
thirty Acres of pine Land adjoining John Reevses place
Item I give and bequeath unto my well beloved Son Thos
Bryan one hundred and fifty Acres of Land whereon
he now Dwells reserving two Acres whereon the Meeting
house and grave yard Stands_Item. I give and beque-
-ath unto my well beloved Son Peter Bryan the one half
of a bond upon Gasper Moyers now in my possession_
Item I give and bequeath unto my well beloved Sons viz_
Thos Wm and Allen Bryan three hundred and twenty
acres of Pine land to be divided equally among them_
Item I give and bequeath unto my well beloved Son Wm
Bryan a little place upon the North west end of
Gasper Moyers place Said Gasper Moyers having
made to him one hundred and fifty acres of the place
he now lives on in the first place and the remainder
to be disposed of as above and likewise a little place_
known by the name of bald hill containing fifty
acres_Item. I give and bequeath unto my well beloved
Son Wm Bryan a Set of Black Smith tools now on the
plantation I now live on_ Item I give and bequeath
unto my well beloved Son Allen Bryan the plantation
I now live on lying between the place I bequeathed to
my Son Thos Bryan and my Soninlaw Wm Bryans
plantation._ Item I likewise give and bequeath unto
my Son Allen Bryan a Negro Man named Harry
untill the age of forty years and then Said Negro
to have his freedom _ Item I give and bequeath unto
my well beloved Deaughter Debborah Riddle give
pounds current money _Item I give and bequeath
unto my well beloved Deaughter Ayles Waron the
Sum of five pounds current money likewise __
Item I likewise give and bequeath unto my well
beloved Daughter Mary Bryan also the Sum of five
pounds current money _Item I give and bequeath
unto my well beloved Deaughter Rebeckah & Sarah
Bryan the Sum of ten pounds each to be paid out
of the bond above mentioned upon Gasper Moyers_
Item. I give and bequeath unto my well beloved
Son Wm Bryan a cow & calf_ Item I give and bequ
eath unto my well beloved Son William & Allen Bry
an a Still and vessals each one half_ Item. I give and
bequeath unto my Sons Wm & Allen Bryan the grain
that is in the ground and the Hogges each one half
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Son Allen Bry
an & to my Daughters Rebeckah and Sarah the Sheep
and the Cows now in my possession each an equal share
Item I give and bequeath unto my Beloved Sons Wm
& Allen Bryan and Daughter Rebeckah & Sarah my
household furniter and Horses each an equal Share
Item I give and bequeath unto my Beloved Sons Wm
& Allen Bryan the grain that is in Stacks on the
place each one half_ And lastly I constitute &
ordain my well beloved Sons Thos & Wm Bryan _
my whole & Sole Excrs of this my last will and Testa-
ment and I utterly revoke Disanull & Disallow all
former wills and testaments by me made Constitu-
ted or ordained and I constitute this & no other
to be my last will and testament in Witness
whereof I have hereunto Set my hand affixed
my Seal this twenty third Day of Janr in the
year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred
& Ninety three 1793 ~
Signed sealed pronounced and
delivered in presents of us & we in Thomas Bryan (Sl.)
his presents and in the presents
of each other have hereunto
Subscribed our Names
Joseph Lair
Jacob Custer
Wm Heron

At a court held for Rockingham county Monday
the 25th day of February 1793.
This last will and Testament of Thomas Bryan Decd
was presented in court by Thomas & Wm Bryant
Executors therein named and proved by the oaths
of the Subscribing Witnesses thereto and is ordered to
be recorded and on the motion of the Said Execu
tors who with Security entered into Bond condi-
tioned as the Law Directs and made oath thereto
a Certificate is Granted them for obtaining probate
thereof in due form ~
Teste S. McWilliams, C.R.C.
A Copy Teste
L.W. Gambill C.R.C.

Death: February 1793, age 68, Rockingham County, Virginia.

The Bryan lands were just across Linville Creek from the Lincoln lands near Linville, Rockingham County Virginia. Thomas purchased 300 acres in Feb 1762 near his brother John's line.

In a Deed 10 Jul 1762 John & Wife Mary & Cornelius Jr. & wife Ann conveyed to their brother Thomas part of the property bought jointly by them with their father.

19 Sep 1771 - Thomas Braint, 54 acres on Linvils Creek adj Jacob Gum, Cornelius. (Abstract of Land Grant surveys, 1761-1791, by Peter C. Kaylor, 1976.)

17 Jul 1772 - Thomas Bryan, 350 acres, Head br of Long Meadow, a branch of No. Fork Shenandoah; adj Mathias Leacher. (Ibid)

8 Jun 1774 - Josiah Davison, 35 acres Linville Creek adj THOMAS BRYAN, Laiers, Josiah Boon.

Rockingham County was formed from Augusta in 1778.

14 Apr 1780 - Michael Waring, 120 acres Long Meadows drafts; adj BRYANTS.
3 Jan 1782 - Joseph Lair, 66 acres Millers Round Hill; adj. John Reeves, THOMAS BRYAN.

3 Jan 1782 - Joseph Lair, 66 acres Millers Round Hill; adj. John Reeves, THOMAS BRYAN.

1782 Rockingham Co. VA LAND Tax List - Thomas Bryan 550 acres. Thomas & John are the only Bryans listed in 1782. (LDS Microfilm #0029964 1782-1803 Lists)

1782-1783 Rockingham co. Personal Property tax - John Thomas' List: THOMAS BRYANT 1 tithe, 1 negro, 9 horses, 20 cattle. Also listed Thomas Bryant, Jacob Lincoln, Peter Bryant, John Bryant Jrs.,John Bryant Sr. & Cornelius Bryant. (LDS Microfilm #0033507 1782-1796)

1784 Rockingham Co. Personal Property Tax - Capt. Chrisman List: Thomas Bryant Sr. 1 poll over 21, 1 poll 16-21, 1 slave, 7 horses, 12 cattle. (Ibid)

1785 Rockingham co. Personal Property Tax- Capt. Chrisman List; Thomas Bryant Sr. 1 poll over 21, 2 polls 16-21, 1 slave, 8 horses, 10 cattle. (Ibid)

23 Aug 1785, Thomas Sr along with Jeremiah Ragon, Joseph Lair, Benjamin Smith was ordered to layout a road from Mount Airy furnice to the new forge on Smith Creek.

28 Sep 1785 Thomas was a juror.

26 Sep 1785 - Nicholas Shaver VS Wm Bryant, Ordered a dedimus issue to take the deposition of THOS. BRYANT in behalf of Wm. Bryant.

27 Apr 1786 - Conrod Smith, 156 acres Long Meadow; adj. Reuben Harrison & THOMAS BRYAN.

1786 Rockingham Co. VA LAND Tax List - Thomas Bryan 404 acres. (LDS Microfilm #0029964 - 1782-1803)

1786 Rockingham Co. Personal Property Tax - Capt. Chrisman's List: Thomas Bryant Sr. 1 poll over 21, 1 poll 16-21, 1 slave, 11 horses, 9 cattle. (LDS #0033507 1782-1796)

1787-1792 Rockingham Co. Personal Property Tax: Thomas Bryan 1 poll 21 & over, 3 horses. (Ibid)

1787-1790 Rockingham Co. LAND Tax List - Thomas Briant Sen. 550 acres & 404 acres. (LDS # 0029964 1782-1803)

1791-1793 Rockingham Co. LAND Tax List - Thomas Briant Sen 550 acres, 350 acres & 50 acres. (Ibid)

1793 Rockingham Co. Personal Property Tax _ Wm & Thomas Bryan for Thomas Decd 3 horses. (LDS Microfilm #0033507 - 1782-1796)

Thomas' will proved 25 Feb 1793 and his heirs were taken to court 25 Nov 1793. Recorded in Minute Book No. 2, Pg. 126. Thomas Bryan and William Bryan were Executors. George Chrisman, Jacob Cratser, Jacob Lincoln & Jacob Custer or any 3 to appraise the personal Estate of Thomas. (Copy in my possession.)

"Genealogical Abstracts from 18th Century Newspapers", by Robert Headley, Jr. Nov 1973 "Bryant Family, Rockingham Co., Ct of Q.S., 25 Nov 93: Casper Moyers against Thomas Bryant, Peter Bryant, William Bryant, Allen Bryant, Rebecca Bryant, John Ruddle & Deborah his wife, John Waring and Alse his wife, William Bryant and Mary his wife, and Sarah Bryant heirs at law of Thomas Bryant Dec'd." I was unable to find this Case in Rockingham Records, it may have been settled out of court. Peter Bryant & John Ruddle were in Jefferson Co. TN at this time.

Thomas was buried in the old burying ground near the Bryan homestead at Linville Creek.

1794-1800 Rockingham Co. VA LAND Tax Lists - Thomas Bryan Sr. Estate 400 & 200 acres. (LDS #0029964 1782-1803) Thomas' Estate probably wouldn't be settled until his youngest child was of age or his wife died. RBP

25 Aug 1796 - Platt of 370 acres for the Heirs of Thomas Bryan - Rockingham Co. - Received from Willm Brian L 2 ? for Running Bound?Round? his and Meyers land Laying off an acre for a mill seat. Bryans ? for 85 acres Meyers for 150 acres - N.B. the mill seat I will lay off when called on - Ralph Lofftus. Resurveyed 3[5]0 acres of land Lying on the Longmeadow for the Heirs of Thomas Bryan, and divided the same as will appear from the annexed platt, the divisions and Nos. who They belong to the present running Courses as follows Viz Beg. at a White Oak..near Powers fence... to Beg. from the distances all measuring more produces 20 acres more land, but East up Rather Exact - first division of the Platt beginning at said White Oak the Pattent Corner...to Beginning - The Courses and distances of the second No. beginning...to beginning - The Courses and distances of No. 3 Beginning at a pine corner of No. 2 near a water course in the Longmeadow and Running with the Patt. line n 491/2 E 94 ps To a Locust stake corner to 30 acres cut off for Hannah Bryan now McDonald then with her line Crossing the Tract to a Locust stake her corner...to the Beginning. The courses distances N corner off the sd. 30 acres belonging to the sd. Hannah Bryan now Mcdonald Beginning...to Beginning Ralph Lofftus, August 25th 1796, Rockingham County. (Source: Loretta Lynn Layman, 1 Sep 1999)

1804-1812 Rockingham Co. VA LAND Tax Lists - Thomas Bryant, Ex. 250 & 306 acres. (LDS #0029963 1804-1820)

1813 Rockingham co. VA LAND Tax Lists - Thomas Bryant, Exec 91 acres Pine land. (Ibid)

1814 Rockingham co. VA LAND Tax Lists - Thomas Bryan Exec. sold to Cornelius Bryan 50 acres on Long meadow & 150 acres on Linville Creek to Jacob Custer. (Ibid)

Roberta Pierson

Thomas Bryan Sr. and Elizabeth [Bryan] Marriage: about 1749, Rockingham County, Virginia.

Elizabeth [Bryan]^1,2,3,4. Birth: before 1729, Augusta County, Virginia. Death: before 1793, age 64, Rockingham County, Virginia. Elizabeth is not mentioned as an heir in the 1793 lawsuit.

Thomas Bryan Sr.-862 and Elizabeth [Bryan]-864 had the following children: