BRYAN FAMILY HISTORY - Interactive Family Histories

BRYAN FAMILY HISTORY 8-118Will, Samuel Bryan, 1832Loose Probate Papers, Davidson County, Tennesseeomitted bottom of page (blank)Page3of3With the 1909 letter believed to be valid, additonal descendants of this expandedfamily were compiled. However, primary documention was needed to confirmthe 1909 letter of Wash Bryan and help expand the proven family of Samuel andMargaret Bryan. Then in January of 2002, the infamous “As Good As It Gets”email began to circulate where John Dorroh had discovered this primarydocumentation. John had had uncovered chancery court records where the courtwas attempting to settle the estate of Henry M. Bryan who had died intestate(without will). These estate records indicate that Henry M. Bryan had foursurviving siblings: John M. Bryan, Elizabeth “Pinckerton,” Margery Ann, wifeof Samuel W. Thompson and Rebecca, wife of Joel P. Wiles. These estaterecords also indicated that Henry M. Bryan had another eight siblings that diedbefore Henry Bryan: W. P. Bryan (nine children listed); James Bryan (tenchildren listed), Samuel Bryan (six children listed); Peggy Campbell (fivechildren listed and one grandson of another daughter); Jane Pinckerton (eightchildren listed); Sarah Webb (two children listed); Nancy Pickard (onedaughter listed); Polly “Orten” (eight children listed). These recordssubstantiated that Samuel and Margaret Bryan had at least thirteen children andproved forty-nine grandchildren and one great grandson. It also gave the countyof residence of twenty-seven grandchildren that were living in Tennessee, listedthe husbands of two daughters, the husbands of sixteen granddaughters andincluded several other important genealogical facts.