Person:Morgan Bryan (1)

Morgan Bryan was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia

Contents 1 Early Survey in Prince William County, VA 2 Early Land Acquisition in Berkeley County, VA 3 Records of Joseph Bryan in Frederick County, VA 4 Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA 5 Processioning List of 1747/8 6 Records of Morgan Bryan in Augusta County, VA		Welcome to Old Augusta Early Settlers Beverley Manor Borden's Grant Register Data Maps Places Library History Index
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Early Survey in Prince William County, VA

• p. 95: Morgan Bryan, no warrant, surveyed 30 Mar 1732; 1,015 acres on ye blew Ridge. Surveyor: John Warner.

Early Land Acquisition in Berkeley County, VA

• 3d October, 1734, there was patent to Morgan Bryan of a tract on Opeckon in Berkeley County (Listed in Chalkley's, Vol. 2 - Light vs. Thompson--O. S. 104; N. S. 35--Bill, 1803)

Records of Joseph Bryan in Frederick County, VA

• Morgan Bryan and his son, Joseph Bryan were listed on Col. James Wood's Fee Book in 1744. (Name and pounds of tobacco): Bryan, Morgan - 526; Bryan, Joseph - 35 (Source: Frederick County Fee Book, 1744 in "Winchester, Virginia and its Beginnings, 1743-1814", by Katherine Glass Greene, expanded edition, found in Handley Library, Winchester, Virginia).

Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA

Acquisition of Land from Chalkley's :

• 1745. Morgan Bryan received a patent for 400 acres in Linville's Creek on the 20th of September, 1745, as shown in the records listed below. (Note: this deed is apparently not recorded in Augusta County, and is most likely recorded in Orange County (the predecessor county of Augusta), where deeds were recorded prior to late 1745).

Disposition of Land from Chalkley's :

• Page 731.--7th March, 1749. Morgan Bryant, farmer, of Antson Co., No. Carolina, to John Madison. Pow. att'y to collect debts in Augusta and Frederick. Teste: Thomas Bowyer. (Note: Morgan Bryan appears to have gone to Anson County, North Carolina prior to this date).

• Page 345.--29th November, 1749. Morgan Bryan to David Johnson, 400 acres on Linwell's Creek. Corner: Jost Hite.

Processioning List of 1747/8

"Processioning" was the periodic review and agreement of property lines between settler's lands. Processioning Lists are useful in determining the general area of a settlers lands and their neighbors at specific time periods:

• Page 4.--3rd September, 1747: Processioners appointed, viz: Robert Craven and Thomas Harrison, from Samuel Wilkins' to the lower end of the Great Plain to Fairfax's line, thence with the said line to the South Mountain; Daniel Haldman and John Riddle, from Fairfax's line to the Narrows and across to the North Mountain; Mathias Selzer and Abraham Shickler, from Fairfax's line to the extent of the County between the two mountains; Daniel Harrison and Morgan Bryan, from Samuel Wilkins' to the Great Plain to Lord Fairfax's line.

• Daniel Harrison and Morgan Bryant report, viz (1747-1748): Processioned for Samuel Harrison, present Daniel Love, John Wright; processioned for Robert Cravens, present Daniel Love, John Wright; processioned for Daniel Harrison, present John Rutledge, Richard Wainscot; Daniel Harrison not processioned, there being a dispute; processioned for James Anderson, lines unknown; processioned for Col. James Wood; processioned for Daniel Harrison, present Archibald Hopkins; processioned for Daniel Harrison, present Jacob Dye, Richard Wincot; processioned for Cornelius Bryan, present Thos. and Benj. Bryan; processioned for Charles Robinson, present Adam Reder; processioned for Townsend Robinson, present Adam Reder; processioned for Thomas Moore, present Francis Hughes; processioned for John Miller, present Thos. Hughes, Thos. Moore; processioned for Thomas Moore, present Francis Hughes; processioned for Joseph Hite, present Samuel and David Stuart; processioned for Jacob Chrisman, present David Stuart, Sam'l Harrison; processioned for Robert McKay, present Thomas Bryan; processioned for Robert McKay, present Thomas Bryan; processioned for Jost Hite, present Thomas Bryan; processioned for Jost Hite, present Thomas Bryan; processioned for Robert McKay, present Thomas Bryan; processioned for Wm. Duff's estate, present John Miller; processioned for Robert Green, present John Miller; processioned for Robert Green, present John Miller; processioned for James Robeson, present John Miller; processioned for George Bowman, present Richard Winscot; processioned for Joseph Bryan, present Wm. Bryan; processioned for Morgan Bryan, present James Bryan; processioned for Samuel Wilkins, present Wm. and James Bryan and Samuel Wilkins.

Records of Morgan Bryan in Augusta County, VA

From Chalkley's:

• Vol. 2 - Land Entry Book No. 1, Augusta County - 1746, June 29th--Benj. Bryan, 200 acres on the south side of the land of _____ Bryan and Wm. Linvel, at a place called the Rocking ( ?) Spring. (Note: this record most likely is referring to Morgan Bryan that had received a patent at Linville's Creek the year prior).

• Page 188.--26th February, 1746. Thomas Linwell, yeoman, to Morgan Bryant, £16 current money Virginia; 3 cows, a set of Smith's tools. Trust to secure to Capt. Robert Green & Co., £16. Witnesses, Edward Hughes, Abraham Croson (Creeson). Proved by both witnesses.

• Vol. 1 - NOVEMBER, 1747 (A). - Robert McCoy, Jost Hite, Robert Green, Robert Green, being executor of William Duff, deceased, vs. William Linwell, Thomas Linwell and Morgan Bryan.--Debt on bond dated 18th June, 1746. Writ dated 24th August, 1747. Returned not found as to W. and T. Linwell.

• Page 21.--4th June, 1748. James Wood, of Frederick, to Daniel Davison, Smith's Creek. Teste: Thos. How, south side of wagon road; patented to James Wood, 12th January, 1746. Teste: Jno. Hopes, Thos. Wood, Thos. Story, Morgan Bryan, Jno. Harrison, Jr. Delivered: Jno. Harrison, Jr., November, 1766.

• Vol. 1 - MAY, 1749. - I promise to pay unto Edward Hughes, or order, the, etc. (Signed) John Flood. 21st October, 1747. Test, Morgan Bryan.

• Vol. 2 - Land Entry Book No. 1, Augusta County - 1750-51, March 15th--Jno. Brown, 200, at the Little Spring, joining land that was formerly Morgan Bryan's.

• Page 259.--11th March, 1751. David Johnson, farmer, and Rebeccah, to Michael Warren, 400 acres, bought of Morgan Briant, on Linville's Creek adjoining Just Hite. Teste: Thomas Moor, Wm. Carryl.

• Page 267.--27th September, 1753. Commission to Edward Hughs. Squire Boone and James Carter of Roan County, North Carolina, to take acknowledgement of Martha, wife of Morgan Brian, as to deed Brian to David Johnston, then of Augusta County, dated 29th November, 1749. Executed and returned, 20th May, 1754.

• Page 78.--16th August, 1768. Michael Weron (Warren, Waring) and Catherine to Joshua Hudson, £150, 310 acres, parts of 2 tracts--A, of 400 acres, patented to Morgan Bryant, 20th September, 1745, and conveyed to Michael, May, 1751; B, of 365 acres patented to Waron, 10th July, 1767. Teste: Peter Vaneman, Patt. Cunningham. Delivered: Michael Waring, June, 1769. (Note: this record establishes the original date of Morgan Bryan's patent in Linville's Creek as 20 September, 1745, which is before deed were recorded in Augusta County. The deed for Morgan's acquisition is most likely in Orange County (the predecessor county of Augusta), Virginia records, where deeds were recorded until late 1745).

• Page 443.--21st June, 1769. Joshua Hudson to Isaac Morris, £150, 310 acres, part of two tracts, one of 400 acres, patented to Morgan Bryan, 20th September, 1745, and by him conveyed to Michael Waring, May, 1751; the other contains 365 acres, patented to Michael Waring, 10th July, 1767, and conveyed to Joshua, 17th August, 1768. Delivered: Michael Waring, 4th August, 1773.

• Vol. 2 - Light vs. Thompson--O. S. 104; N. S. 35--Bill, 1803--On 3d October, 1734, there was patent to Morgan Bryan of a tract on Opeckon in Berkeley County which is now possessed by orator. John Light, who bought from Peter Light, deceased, in 1790. Morgan Bryan conveyed to Hugh Parker, who died many years ago, probably in North Carolina, who devised to John Frohock, Esq., who died intestate (also probably in North Carolina), long before 30th June, 1773, and the land descended to William Frohock, brother and heir of John. (Note: this record shows that Morgan Bryan had owned property in Berkeley County, Virginia prior to his immigration to Orange/Augusta County).

1.   Bryan Family by Melvin E. Hurst, in FAYETTE COUNTY (KY) GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY
   68-69, Fall 1996.

   Morgan Bryan immigrated from Ireland, with his younger brother William Smith Bryan, in 1718 to Pennsylvania where about four or five oldest of his children were born after his marriage to Martha Strode in 1718/19. About 1728/30 Morgan Bryan, Alexander Ross and other Friends (Quakers) obtained a grant of 100,000 acres of land on the Potomac and Opequan Rivers in Virginia. Morgan moved his family to this land and settled near the present site of Winchester about 1730. Here the rest of the children were born to Morgan and Martha Strode Bryan. Morgan sold his interests in Virginia and in the, fall of 1748 moved his family to North Carolina and settled in the Forks of the Yadkin River. ...

2.   Society of Friends. Hopewell Monthly Meeting (Frederick County, Virginia : Orthodox), and John Walter Wayland. Hopewell Friends history, 1734-1934, Frederick County, Virginia: records of Hopewell Monthly Meetings and Meetings reporting to Hopewell, two hundred years of history and genealogy. (Strasburg, Virginia: Shenandoah Publishing House, 1936)
   16-18.

   [Hazel Spraker's summary]
   
   The Bryans and a family named Strode who were Hollanders but who were living in France, were Protestants and had to flee from their home on account of religious persecution; came to America on the same boat. The Strode parents died on the voyage, leaving three children: Martha, Jeremiah and Samuel. They were in Chester County when Morgan Bryan married Martha Strode in 1719.' Note this quote fails to list all the orphan Strodes that fled Europe.
   
   Morgan Bryan's wife was Martha Strode, presumably Edward's sister. It is entirely plausible that the Edward Strode's made their way to Virginia with Morgan Bryan in the mid 1730's. Pennsylvania Archives III, Chester County Warranties of Land list Edward as selling 150 acres 29 January 1733. He presumably would do this to move to Virginia.
   
   
   "The Bryan-Boone traditions says that Morgan and Martha Strode Bryan had 5 children when they moved to Frederick County, Virginia, probably 1734. They had a total of nine children. The oldest was Joseph, who sold Edward Strode 360 acres of land in 1752.
   
   Morgan Bryan and Martha Strode met during the voyage across the Atlantic. Together they raised at least seven children in backcountry Pennsylvania before moving their brood to the valley of Virginia in 1734. When Martha died in 1747 she was in her late sixties. Morgan was nearly eighty when, two years later, he led his married sons and daughters south into the Yadkin Valley, where he purchased several large tracts of land on which to settle his descendants. The Bryan Settlement, as it came to be known lay on the waters of Dutchman's Creek, near a well-used crossing of the North Yadkin River known as Shallow Ford... Bryan owned more land than anyone else in the backcountry, a total of more than fine thousand acres. (p. 42 from Daniel Boone, by John Mack Faragher, professor of history at Mt. Holyoke College: Henry Holt & Co., 1992.)
   
   For a short time after their marriage Daniel Boone and Rebecca occupied a log cabin on his father's farm, but they soon acquired land of their own lying upon Sugar Tree, a tributary of Dutchman's creek, in the Bryan settlement, a few miles North of Squire Boone's. Here they lived for several years."
   
   "During the 1750’s there was a major migration to the southern colonies. The Morgans, Bryans, Boones, Osbornes, and Plumleys, all associated with Penningtons in NJ and southeast PA, all moved southwest. They crossed the Potomac near Harper’s Ferry, went up the Shenandoah, out into the foothills east of the Blue Ridge and down to the Yadkin River near the Trading Ford and the Shallow Ford. This was the main area of eastern battles in the Civil War and many old records were destroyed at that time."
   
   William Bryan who married Mary Boone was a son of Morgan Bryan and Martha Strode. Rebecca Bryan who married Daniel Boone and Martha Bryan who married Edward Boone were daughters of Joseph and Alee Bryan and nieces of William Bryan. Ann (Nancy) Linville who married George Boone was a daughter of William Linville and Eleanor Bryan, a daughter of Morgan Bryan. About 1728-1730 Morgan Bryan, who lived in Chester County, Pennsylvania, until four or five of his eldest children were born, obtained a grant of 100,000 acres of land on the Potomac and Opequan rivers in Virginia, with Alexander Ross and other Quakers. Morgan Bryan moved to this land about 1730 and settled near the present site of Winchester, where the rest of his children were born. Martha Strode Bryan died here about 1747 and was buried at the homestead. Afterward Morgan sold his interest in the Virginia land and moved to the Forks of the Yadkin River in North Carolina. An early pioneer traveler over the road the Bryans followed gave this description:
   
   People had told us that this hill was most dangerous, and that we would scarcely be able to cross it, for Morgan Bryan, the first to travel this way, had to take the wheels off his wagon and carry it piece-meal to the top, and had been three months on the journey from the Shanidore (Shenandoah) to the Etkin (Yadkin).