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|--William Smith BRYAN
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[653]
"The Shearer-Akers Family Combined with the Bryan Line"
James William Shearer
Somerville, NJ, 1915
p11: "William Smith (?) Bryan, m. -----, A landholder in Ireland, probably Claire co. when
Cromwell Invaded Ireland in 1650; transported as a "rebellious subject" to the American
colonies, with his family of eleven sons and a ship's load of goods and chattels. He settled
in Gloucester co., Va.
1) Francis (?), m. -----. The oldest of the 11 sons. 9 unk.
2) Morgan 1st, who was in Norfolk in 1663, was probably one of his sons."
"The Boone-Bryan History"
J. D. Bryan
Kentucky State Historical Society
Frankfort, KY, 1913
"At what time our ancestors left Ireland I have not been able to ascertain; but from what I
have at hand, they must haye left during some of Elizabeth's devastations and went with
friendly Danes to Denmark, where I find ______Bryan (given name not now known, but
believed to be William) was bom about 1630, and his name spelled Bryan..."
[Broderbund WFT Vol. 2, Ed. 1, Tree #3979]
William was probably born in the early 1600's in County Clare, Ireland, and lived during a time of great religious and political turmoil. When much of England's ruling class followed the Crown in the break with the Pope in Rome, the growth of Pruitanism again split the nation which culminated in the English Civil War. This war began in 1642 and ended in 1651 with the establishment of the Commonwealth by Oliver Cromwell, and the beheading of King Charles I. The war was also referred to as the "Pruitan Revolution" because so many of the King's opponents belonged to the Pruitan Party of the Church of England.
This brief sketch of English History is related only because of the impact it had on our Bryan family, since William Smith Bryan supported the losing side. The defeat of the King resulted in his exile to Virginia in 1650 "as a rebellious subject." Thus the family of William Smith Bryan, including eleven sons and three daughters along with a shipload of chattels, landed in Gloucester County, Virginia, on the York River across from present day Yorktown.
We presume that William Smith and wife Catherine lived here for the remainder of their lies, and that most of their children melted into the growing Colonial society. The exception was their oldes son, Francis III, who returned to Ireland.
[651]
[S13]
BrŠiderbund WFT Vol. 2, Ed. 1, Tree #3979, Date of Import: Apr 18, 1998
[652]
[S13]
BrŠiderbund WFT Vol. 2, Ed. 1, Tree #3979, Date of Import: Apr 18, 1998
[675]
[S13]
BrŠiderbund WFT Vol. 2, Ed. 1, Tree #3979, Date of Import: Apr 18, 1998
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