Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

and close application to business risen to
the highly important position of president
of the Bryant Electric Company, a three
million dollar corporation of Bridgeport,
and during his long and successful career
he has given to the world a number of
electrical devices which have enabled
other manufacturers by their use to mar-
ket with vastly greater volume the prod-
ucts of their own plants, and incidentally
to add to their wealth, while the employment
of these devices has contributed beyond
all computation to the comfort and
convenience! of the mercantile and industrial
public and of the home-maker
indeed, wherever electricity has carried
its modern-day blessings, the Bryant de-
vices have been made a vehicle of its ap-
plication. Mr. Bryant is a director in
other important industries, besides being
an official in two banks. The Bryant
Electric Company has contributed in a
very large measure to the industrial
growth and the prestige of the city of
Bridgeport as a manufacturing center. Its
head stands high in favor with the United
States government. During the World
War he was appointed chief of the Bridgeport
Ordnance District by the War Department
in February of 1918, a position
which he filled with remarkable ability
until January, 1919. After the United
States declared war against Germany, the
country was divided into thirteen ordnance
districts. Previous to this action
Bridgeport had attracted country-wide
attention to itself because of its great out-
put of war munitions. The Bridgeport
district was officially named District No.
2 upon the United States Ordnance Department
becoming decentralized. Mr.
Bryant was given full authority for the
organization of his district, which became
the second in importance of its kind in
the country.
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
The founder of the Bryant family name
in this country, Stephen Bryant, has his
name in the records of Plymouth Colony
in 1638. Following his removal to Dux-
bury, he was listed as among those able to
bear arms in 1643. He was admitted a
freeman June 6, 1654, at Plymouth, to
which place he again had removed about
1650, He was a constable in Duxbury
June 6, 1654; highway surveyor at Plymouth
June I, 1658; served on the jury
was constable at
89
March 5, 1660-61 ; and
Plymouth June i, 1663. He married Abigail,
daughter of John Shaw, who came
from England. Their children : Abigail,
born in Plymouth Colony, married Lieu-
tenant John Bryant; John; Mary; Ste-
phen (2) ; Sarah ; Lydia, married William
Churchill ; Elizabeth, married Joseph
King. Stephen (2) Bryant, son of Stephen
and Abigail (Shaw) Bryant, was
born at Plymouth, February 2, 1658. He
settled at Plymouth. The principal facts
of his record of existence are the births of
his children. He married Mehitable, sur-
name unknown. Their children : Stephen
; (3) David ; William ; Hannah ; Ichabod
; Timothy. Ichabod, son of Stephen
(2) Bryant, was born in Middleboro, Mas-
sachusetts, July 5, 1699. He was an ancestor
of William Cullen Bryant, poet and
journalist, through his son Philip and
grandson Peter, father of William Cullen
Bryant. Ichabod lived in Raynham, Mas-
sachusetts, and from that village he removed
to North Bridgewater. He died at
Bridgewater, Massachusetts, November
22, 1759. He married Ruth Staples, who
died May 27, 1777. Their children : Philip,
married Silence Harwood ; Nathan ; Seth ;
married Elizabeth French ; Job, see forward
; Gamaliel, settled in New Bedford,
Massachusetts ; Phebe, married Henry
Howard ; Ruth, married Holmes
Sarah, married Francis Cook ;
Anna, mar-
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