Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small has issued a
challenge: write one blog post each week
devoted to a specific ancestor. It can
be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem –
anything that focuses on one ancestor.
As much as I would like to continue with the “imagined”
sisters of my “imagined grandaunt” Sophia Jollett Norman, there is just too
little to say right now about Judy Jollett who married William Cave, Elizabeth
Jollett who married William Eaton, or Susannah Jollett who married James
Briant. The names are too old and too
common. There are too many men with
those same names to determine which ones married my Jollett women. So I’ll move along to another “imagined”
relative, Lurenna JOLLETT.
Fortunately, Lurenna (or Lourenna, Laurenna, Larenna, Lurena) lived long enough for her name to
show up in census records. But her
parents are a mystery. Her birth about
1817 seems too late for her to be a daughter of my James and Nancy Walker
Jollett. Maybe James had a brother or
cousin I don’t know about. Her marriage
to Robert Briant in January 1839 is recorded in Greene County, Virginia. That’s certainly the right neighborhood, the
stomping grounds of all my known Jolletts.
In the 1840 Greene County census, Robert was listed as
15-19, Lurenna was 20-30, and there was a male child under 5.
By 1850, Robert and Lurenna had settled in the Linville
community of Rockingham County, and like his neighbors, Robert was a
farmer. Neither one could read or write,
which might explain how they came to be enumerated at various times as BRYAN, BRIANT, even O'BRIAN. By 1860 the Bryans’ farm consisting
of 50 acres of improved land and 50 unimproved was worth $1500 and their
personal property $850. Robert had four
Irishmen working on the farm.
The non-population agricultural census of 1860 gives a
clearer picture of the Bryans’ successful farm:
FARM: 50 acres improved, 50 acres unimproved, value of
farm $1500; value of farm equipment $85
ANIMALS: 3 horses, 3 milk cows, 28 sheep, 18 swine, value
of animals $460
CROPS: 90 bushels of wheat, 75 bushels rye, 300 bushels
Indian corn, 100 bushels oats, 15 bushels Irish potatoes
BUTTER: 75 lbs
MOLASSES: 12 gallons
HAY: 2 tons
VALUE OF SLAUGHTERED ANIMALS: $170
In 1870, the value of the “O’BRIAN” farm was placed at
$2000 and personal property $500.
By 1880, Robert evidently decided to start taking it easy
in his older age as he was listed as a “farmhand.” He died 6 years later of Consumption.
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| Tombstone of Lourenna Jollett Bryan Dayton Cemetery Dayton, Virginia photo courtesy of Findagrave.com |
In 1900 Lurenna was living in the town of Dayton
(Rockingham County, Virginia) in the household of her son George. She outlived her husband by nearly twenty
years dying in 1906.
In all, Lurenna and Robert raised 8 children. The 1900 census indicates that only 6 were
still living at that time.
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| Bryan family tombstone Dayton Cemetery Dayton, Virginia photo courtesy of Findagrave.com |
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| Robert A. and son John Q. A. share a side of the tombstone photo courtesy of Findagrave.com |
In researching Lurenna’s children, grandchildren,
great-grands and even great-greats, I was struck by the fact that seemingly for
the first time not everyone was a farmer.
In this bunch o’ Bryans there are hotel managers, owners of an insurance
company (looks like a multi-generational family business), a civil engineer,
teachers, salesladies, stenographers, and even a census enumerator.
A few stayed right there in Rockingham County, Virginia
(the Dayton Cemetery is full of Lurenna and Robert’s down line). While others ventured off to nearby Roanoke,
Virginia, others moved on to Missouri and Texas.
The Bryans are well-researched and documented, but I
surely wish they had found Lurenna’s parents.
But what can I expect – none of them seem to know her maiden name was
JOLLETT.
Three Generations:
Lurenna JOLLETT (16 Apr 1817 - 12 Feb 1906 Dayton, Rockingham Co, VA) & Robert A. BRIANT / BRYAN (15 Feb 1819 - 5 Nov 1886 Dayton, Rockingham Co, VA) married Jan 1839 Greene Co, VA
1. Jeremiah Hiram BRYAN (18 Dec 1840 Greene Co, VA - 3 Mar 1920
Ray Co, MO) & Mary Frances FRIDLEY (26 Jul 1847 - 27 Jan 1931
Missouri) married 25 Apr 1867 Rockingham Co, VA
- Margaret BRYAN (1868 - Aug 1876)
- Hiram BRYAN (1872 Carroll Co, MO - 1876 in Carroll Co, MO)
- Jerry Newton BRYAN (1 Nov 1877 Ray Co, MO - 13 Sep 1955 Ray Co, MO) & Iva CLARK (14 Sep 1888 - 13 Oct 1979)
- John Robert BRYAN (15 Oct 1881 Carroll Co, MO - 10 Aug 1956 Louis Fishing Camp, Jackson, TX) & Cledeth Elizabeth READE (3 Jan 1883 – 14 Dec 1967 Ganado, TX) married 30 May 1909
- Mary Ida BRYAN (20 Aug 1884 Carroll Co, MO - Sep 1971 Carroll Co, MO) & William Sayler MYERS (1884 – 1968) 6 Feb 1912 Carrollton, Carroll, MO
2. Mary M. BRYAN (1843 Rockingham, VA - before 1900 ) & Jackson MAHONE
(1845 - )
- Robert MAHONE (1868 Rockingham Co, VA - )
- John MAHONE (1871 Rockingham Co, VA - )
- Viola MAHONE (1879 Rockingham Co, VA - )
4. Robert S. BRYAN (Aug 1850 in Rockingham Co, VA – 1919) & Mary Fannie BYRD (1856 – 1935) married 16 May 1877 Rockingham Co, VA
- Lela BRYAN (1904 in Roanoke, VA - ) & Andrew J. NEWCOMB (1902 - )
5. John Q. A. BRYAN (Aug 1857 Rockingham Co, VA – 1909 Rockingham
Co, VA) & Cornelia J. L. MICHAEL (Jul
1858 – 1938) married 22 Nov 1882 Rockingham Co, VA
- Oscar Ivian BRYAN (Jun 1883 - ) & Cora UNKNOWN (1885 Indiana - )
- Lenora BRYAN (Jun 1885 Rockingham Co, VA - ) & Charles G. BURTON (1891 - )
- John Q. A. BRYAN JR. (Dec 1889 Rockingham Co, VA - ) & Elsie UNKNOWN ( 1896 - )
- Lillian Lurena BRYAN (Jul 1893 Rockingham Co, VA - ) & James Parish BOARD (6 Nov 1892 – 16 Oct 1950 Roanoke, VA) married 1915 Pasquotank, NC
- Ralph Scott BRYAN (Dec 1895 Rockingham Co, VA - 27 Feb 1955 Roanoke, VA) & Goldie Mae FISHBACK ( 1900 – 1970)
- William J. BRYAN (3 Nov 1898 Rockingham Co, VA - 6 Jul 1973 Roanoke, VA) & Mary THOMAS (13 Oct 1899 - 31 Jan 1987 Roanoke, VA)
- Mary Buford BRYAN (20 Apr 1887 Rockingham Co, VA - Jan 1974 in Dayton, Rockingham Co, VA) & Charles Benjamin ESTERLY (1887 Maryland - )
- George Edgar BRYAN (25 Dec 1891 Rockingham Co, VA - 2 Mar 1955 Rockingham Co, VA) & Fannie Estelle ENGLISH (15 Feb 1891 - 1965 Dayton, Rockingham Co, VA)
- Pearle BRYAN (May 1895 Rockingham Co, VA – 1918) & Unknown BLACKBURN
- Alice V. BRYAN (Oct 1896 Rockingham County, VA - 16 Sep 1961) & (1) Unknown ROUDABUSH ( - about 1920) & (2) John Lewis SINGER (27 Mar 1888 – 5 Apr 1959) married 7 Dec 1920 Harrisonburg, Rockingham, VA
7. Joseph Marion BRYAN (Mar 1863 Rockingham Co, VA - 1935
Hardin, Clinton, MO) & Gabriella Lee SHANK
(9 May 1865 Rockingham Co, VA – 8 Jun 1958 Linwood, TX) married 8 Jun
1884 in Dayton, Rockingham Co, VA
- Alfred BRYAN (3 Jun 1885 Rockingham Co, VA - 3 Jun 1885 Rockingham Co, VA)
- Anna Lou BRYAN (4 Jun 1886 Rockingham Co, VA - Apr 1978 Winchester, Frederick, VA) & Alonzo S. KIEFFER (2 Aug 1885 - ) married 1 Sep 1909 in Rockingham Co, VA
- John Henry BRYAN (22 Jul 1888 Rockingham Co, VA - Dec 1963 Missouri) & He Myrtle Mae ECKLEBERRY. (26 Feb 1892 - 3 Feb 1988 Scott City, Lincoln, Kansas)
- Alice Mae “Allie” BRYAN (4 Apr 1890 - 2 Apr 1915)
- Robert Scott BRYAN (18 Feb 1892 - 15 Feb 1974 Flagler, Kit Carson, CO) & Zola R. UNKNOWN (1895 – 1958)
- Joseph Glen BRYAN (19 Oct 1894 - 16 Jul 1982 Marshfield, Webster, MO) & Bertie Jane SILVERS married 20 Jun 1923 Butler County, MO
- Paul Dewey BRYAN (26 Jan 1899 MO - 30 Nov 1972 Shawnee Mission, Johnson, Kansas) & Margaret V. UNKNOWN (1902 – 1964)
- Hiram Lee BRYAN (1902 Missouri - ) & Florence L. UNKNOWN.
- Clifford E. BRYAN (1 Jul 1904 MO - 21 Oct 1981 Maywood, Cook, IL)
TO DO:
Look for a will for Robert and Lurenna
Look at land sales for clues in names
©
2014, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.
I am always amazed at the information you find! I hope you and the Bryans make contact sometime. AND for two people who didn't read or write they did well for themselves.
ReplyDeleteRather than those names being too old or too common, I was wondering if the struggle would really be with a wide variety of spelling aberrations. The possibilities are almost endless!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your narrative, and especially the way you show the generations...which I get somewhat sloppy about when I'm doing my "one ancestor" reports...which are my most enthralling blogging these days. Many a midnight oil burns on my computer. Check out "When I was 69" sometime. I've also got VA, KY, MO and TX in my trees.
ReplyDeleteRobert and Lurenna did very well for people who could not read or write. They must have worked long hours on that farm & set an example of a good work ethic for the next generations as evidenced by how well they all did.
ReplyDeleteThat agriculture census is interesting. It looks like they were quite well-to-do. And 75 lbs. of butter? Wow! That's a lot of butter.
ReplyDeleteI am a descendant of William J. Bryan, son of John Q. A. and Cornelia, son of Robert and Lourenna. I have a copy of Lourenna's obit which states that her maiden name was Garmes. I have not researched her family as I am deep into researching the Bryans. I can get you more details on her obit at a later date as it is not handy at this time. Was curious as to how you determined that Robert could not read or write. His mother Frankey Long Bryan gave land to a John Clark for the purpose of a schoolhouse which may have been one of the earliest in the Stanardsville area as the homeplace was situated on the Blue Run within the Octonia Grant. Our family has been in that area at least since the 1760's, and likely earlier; however, records are scarce.
ReplyDelete