Sixth Generation

294. William Allen (Will) Bryan^{45,46,115,123,124,131,139,239,240,241,242,243} was born on 8 September 1849 in Sevier County, Tennessee.^{45,46,116,123,124,139,240,242,243} His death certificate says he was born 8 Sep in 1847. His tombstone says he was born 8 Sep 1849. Census data suggest that the 1849 date is correct. The fact that he was called Will Bryan rather than William or Bill is from family oral history as provided by Robert E. Bryan. The only written record that has been found that lists his given name as Will is the 1920 census.

Census: 1850, Sevier County, Tennessee,⁴⁵ William 1 m w TN, enumerated Household of his father Peter H. Bryan.

He appeared in the household of his father Peter H. Bryan in the census in 1860 in Sevier County, Tennessee.⁴⁶ William 11 m w TN attended school, enumerated Household of his father Peter H. Bryan.

He appeared in the household of his father Peter H. Bryan in the census in 1870 in Sevier County, Tennessee. William 20 m w farm laborer TN.

Marriage: 25 September 1872, Sevier County, Tennessee, age 23, to Malissa Emmaline Underwood.^{123,124,139,241,244}

Census: 1880, Sevier County, Tennessee.¹³⁹ Dist. 8, Enumeration District 185, Sevier County, Tennessee, 12 Jun 1880; p.414b, dwelling number 179, family number 179; Bryan William 30 head male married white, farmer, born TN, father and mother born TN; Malissa 25 wife female married white, keeping house, born TN, father and mother born TN; Silas A. 5 son, male, single, white, born TN, father and mother born TN; William H. 4 son, male, single, white, born TN, father and mother born TN; Samuel C. 1 son, male, single, white, born TN, father and mother born TN.

Deed: 27 October 1886, Sevier County, Tennessee. He purchased the land from his parents Peter H. and Mary Ann Bryan. The witnesses to the deed were William Harrison Drinnen who married Will's aunt Lucy Bryan, and Will's brother Thomas L. Bryan. Will thereafter lived on the land the rest of his life. His wife Malissa continued to live in the same house until her own death eighteen years after Will died. The house is still standing, and is still occupied by the current owners.

Book R, page 175, State of Tennessee, Sevier County. We Peter H. Bryan and wife Mary A. Bryan have bargained and sold and do hereby transfer and convey unto William A. Bryan and his heirs or assigns forever for the consideration of Four hundred dollars to us paid for a tract of land in the state of Tennessee Sevier County and in district No 8 containing by estimation Sixty Six Acres be the Same more or less and is bounded as follows: Beginning at a large cedar by the Road and runs N 8 1/2 W 17 1/2 poles to the stake A. W. Bryan line with his line S 74 3/4 W 42 poles to a Spanish Oak by the big road W 62 1/2 poles to a Black Oak N 2 1/2 E 23 3/5 poles to a pine Knot on said line and corner to Ira Cate with his S 61 1/2 W 49 poles to a Pine Knot South 80 poles to a Stake on Sam Mounts line with his S 87 E 73 4/5 poles to a Pine old corner with Saml Baker S 2 W 52 poles to a Stake & Pointers corner to Inard (sic) Bryan with his West 40 poles to a Stake in a road N 23 3/4 W 42 poles to a stake and Pointers N 66 1/2 W 17 poles to a Jack by the big road N 30 E 12 poles to Post Oak by said road with the road N 16 E 67 1/5 poles to a Stake at the forks of the road then with the East fork said road N 82 3/4 E 46 3/5 poles to Beginning. To have and to hold the same to the said W. A. Bryan his heirs or assigns and we do furthermore covenant with the said Wm. A. Bryan that we are lawfully Seized of said lands have a good right to convey the same. We do further more covenant and bind ourselves our heirs and representatives tool to warrant and forever defend the title to the said lands in every part thereof to the said Wm. A. Bryan his heirs or assigns against the lawful claimes (sic) of all persons whatsoever in fee Simple. This the 27th day of October 1886 Signed in presence of us witnesses. (signed) Peter H. Bryan, Mary A. (her mark) Bryan, (witnessed) W. H. Drennan, T. L. Bryan.

Census: 1891, Sevier County, Tennessee. Bryan W. E., 40, Dist. 8, male voters. The middle initial is incorrect. It may have been a simple enumeration error. More likely, the ages for William Bryan age 74 and W. E. Bryan age 40 could have been reversed. Which is to say that the 74 year old man was probably William Enyard Bryan and the 40 year old man was probably William Allen Bryan. There were no other men named William Bryan in District 8 of Sevier County at the time.

Census: 1900, Sevier County, Tennessee.¹²⁴ Dist. 8, Enumeration District 143, Sevier County, Tennessee, 6 Jun 1900, enumerated by James B. Douglass; page 119a, dwelling number 47, family number 48; Bryan William A. 50 head male m27 w Sep 1849 farmer, born TN, father and mother born TN; Malissa M. 45 wife female m27 w Nov 1854, born TN, father and mother born TN, 8 children, 6 living; Elmer A. 17 son, male, single, white, Dec 1882 farm laborer, born TN, father and mother born TN; Lola H. 13 daughter, female, single, white, Sep 1886, born TN, father and mother born TN; Charles M. 10 son, male, single, white, Nov 1889 farm laborer, born TN, father and mother born TN; Lena L. 7 daughter, female, single, white, Oct 1892, born TN, father and mother born TN.

Census: 1910, Sevier County, Tennessee. Dist. 8, Enumeration District 142, Sevier County, Tennessee, 19 Apr 1910; page 114a, dwelling number 40, family number 40; Bryan William 60 head male m1-37 w farmer, born TN, father and mother born TN; Malissia 55 wife female m1-37 w, born TN, father and mother born TN, 6 children, 6 living; Elmer 27 son, male, single, white, farmer, born TN, father and mother born TN; Lola 23 daughter, female, single, white, teacher, public school, born TN, father and mother born TN; Mittin 21 son, male, single, white, teacher, public school, born TN, father and mother born TN.

William was listed in June 1916 as a subscriber of Peoples Telephone and Telegraph Company in Knox County, Tennessee.²⁴⁵ The company served Knox County and surrounding areas. He was not living in Knox County. Rather, the Knox County phone service extended into Sevier County.

Census: 1920, Sevier County, Tennessee. Dist. 8, Enumeration District 145, Sevier County, Tennessee, 2 Jan 1920; page 158a, dwelling number 9, family number 10; Bryan Will A. 70 head male married white, manager farmer, born TN, father and mother born TN; Malisa 66 wife female married white, born TN, father and mother born TN; Lola 33 daughter, female, single, white, born TN, father and mother born TN.

Death: 1 January 1928, age 78, Kodak, Sevier County, Tennessee.^{116,123,131,240}

Death Certificate #1803:
1. Place of death - Sevier County, Dist. 8, Kodak.
2. Full name - William Allen Bryan
3. Sex - Male
4. Color or race - w
5. Status - married
6. Date of birth - Sept 8, 1847
7. Age - 80 years, 3 months, 27 days
8. Occupation - farmer
9. Birthplace - Tenn
10. Name of father - Peter Bryan
11. Birthplace of father - Tenn
12. Maiden name of mother - Cate
13. Birthplace of mother - Tenn
14. Informant - Elmer Bryan, Kodak, Tenn
15. Filed Jan 3, 1928 - G.C. Johnson
16. Date of death - Jan 1st, 1928
19. Buried - Cates X Roads, Jan 3, 1928
20. Undertaker - E.U. Huffaker , Kodak, Tenn
(The informant Elmer Bryan was Will's son Elmer Otto Bryan.)

Obituary (Knoxville Journal, Tuesday, January 3, p.4):
William A. Bryan, 78, farmer, died at his home at Kodak, Tenn., Sunday night at 8:05 o'clock. He was stricken a few days ago with bronchial pneumonia and the illness caused his death. Funeral services will be conducted at 10 o'clock this morning from the home at Kodak. Burial will be in the family burial ground at Kodak. Mr. Bryan was a member of the Oak Grove Methodist Church. He is survived by his widow, who, before her marriage, was Miss Melissa Underwood, and also three sons and two daughters. The sons are C. M. Bryan, Knoxville; S. A. Bryan, Dandridge, and E. O. Bryan, Kodak; the daughters are Mrs. P. W. Cate, Kodak, and Mrs. Amos Underwood, New Market; two brothers, and seven sisters: Mrs. Lyda Hopkins, California; Mrs. John Hicks, Colorado; Mrs. Fred Mynatt, Knoxville; Mrs. Lizzie Roberts, Knoxville; Mrs. Horace McCampbell, New Market; Mrs. Maggie Randolph, Miss Ada Bryan, Kodak; J. P. Kodak, and Steward Bryan, Alabama; and many grandchildren.

Burial: 3 January 1928, at Bryan-Drinnen-Cate Cemetery Kodak, Sevier County, Tennessee.^116,131,240 Grave marker: Wm. A. Bryan, 8 Sep 1849 - 1 Jan 1928. According to William Jackson (Jack) Bryan who attended the funeral, his casket was carried by a horse drawn hearse.

William Allen (Will) Bryan and Malissa Emmaline Underwood Marriage: 25 September 1872, Sevier County, Tennessee.^{123,124,139,241,244} Sept. 22 1972. William Bryan to Malissa Underwood. I solemnized the Rites of Matrimony between the above named parties on the 25 day of September 1872. H Coram M.G.

Malissa Emmaline Underwood^{113,116,123,124,131,139,241,242,243,244,246,247,248,249}, daughter of William Ramey Underwood and Martha Langston,. Birth: 11 November 1855, Sevier County, Tennessee.^{116,123,124,139,243,244,247,249} Most sources spell her name as Malissa or as Melissa. However, her grave marker spells it as Malissia. She was the twin of Malinda who married James McCall.

She appeared in the household of her father William Ramey Underwood in the census in 1860 in Sevier County, Tennessee.²⁴⁹ Melissa 5 female w TN attended school, enumerated Household of her father William Ramey Underwood.

She appeared in the household of her father William Ramey Underwood in the census in 1870 in Sevier County, Tennessee. Malissa C. 16 female w at home TN attended school.

Marriage: 25 September 1872, Sevier County, Tennessee, age 16, to William Allen (Will) Bryan.^{123,124,139,241,244}

Malissa appeared in the household of her husband William Allen (Will) Bryan in the census in 1880 in Sevier County, Tennessee.¹³⁹ Malissa 25 wife female married white, keeping house, born TN, father and mother born TN.

She appeared in the household of her husband William Allen (Will) Bryan in the census in 1900 in Sevier County, Tennessee.¹²⁴ Malissa M. 45 wife female m27 w Nov 1854, born TN, father and mother born TN, 8 children, 6 living.

She appeared in the household of her husband William Allen (Will) Bryan in the census in 1910 in Sevier County, Tennessee. Malissia 55 wife female m1-37 w, born TN, father and mother born TN, 6 children, 6 living.

Malissa appeared in the household of her husband William Allen (Will) Bryan in the census in 1920 in Sevier County, Tennessee. Malisa 66 wife female married white, born TN, father and mother born TN.

Census: 1930, Sevier County, Tennessee. Dist. 8, Enumeration District 78-10, Sevier County, Tennessee, 30 Apr 1930; page 115b, Bryan Road to Mutton Hollow, dwelling number 144, family number 144; Bryan Mallisa E. 73 head female widowed white, born TN, father and mother born TN, married at 18.

Death: 19 August 1946, age 90, at the home of her son Elmer Bryan Kodak, Sevier County, Tennessee.^{116,123,244,247,250}

Certificate of Death #19709
1. Name - Malissia Bryan
2. Date of death - Aug 19, 1946
3. Place of death - Kodak, Sevier County, Dist. 8
4. Usual residence - Kodak, Sevier County, Dist. 8, Street address - R #1 Kodak
5. Race - White
6. Sex - Female
7. Status - Widowed
8. Age - 91 years, 9 months, 8 days
9. Date of birth - Nov 11, 1855
10. Place of birth - Sevier County, Tenn
11. Husband or wife of - William A. Bryan
13. Usual Occupation - Housewife
15. Father - William Underwood, Sevier County, Tenn
16. Mother - Martha Langston, Sevier County, Tenn
17. Informant - Elmer Bryan, R #1, Kodak
18. Buried - Aug. 21, 1946
19. Undertaker - Atchley Funeral Home, Sevierville, by M. Smelcer, date filed, 9/30/1946, Eura F. Louelling, Deputy
The informant Elmer Bryan was Malissa's son Elmer Otto Bryan.

Atchley Funeral Home Records: Bryan, Mrs. Malissia Underwood 91 wid of William A Bryan b. Nov 11, 55 Sev d. 8-19-1946 Kodak f. William Underwood b. Sev m. Martha Langston b. Sev informant Elmer Bryan Drinnen Cem

Obituary: Knoxville Journal, Wednesday, August 21, p.7.
Bryan - Mrs. Malissia Underwood, 91, wife of the late W. A. Bryan, died Monday at 11:30 p.m. at the home of her son, Elmer Bryan, Kodak, after a long illness. Survivors: three sons, Elmer and Silas of Kodak, and C.M. of Knoxville; daughters, Mrs. P.W. Cate, Kodak, Mrs. Amos Underwood, New Market; 25 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren. Funeral, 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Grove Methodist Church of which she was a member, Revs. Lawson and S.T. Branson officiating. Atchley's, Sevierville, in charge.

Burial: 21 August 1946, Bryan-Drinnen-Cate Cemetery, Kodak, Sevier County, Tennessee.^116,244,247 Grave marker: Malissia E. Bryan, 11 Nov 1854 - 19 Aug 1946.

William Allen (Will) Bryan-90 and Malissa Emmaline Underwood-91 had the following children: