| James BRYANT, son of
Needham BRYANT and Mary "Polly" Ann BRYANT, was born __ ___
1819 in Jefferson Twp., Pike Co., Indiana, and died 26 September 1892 at his
home, about a mile northeast of Winslow, Patoka Twp., Pike Co., Indiana. He
is buried near the present speaker's stand in Oak Hill Cemetery. A son's
monument still stands, but all other markers have been destroyed over the
years.
Family tradition has it that James made several flatboat trips,
with other men, to New Orleans, transporting deer hams, grain and other farm
products for sale in that far Southern City. The flatboat was nothing more
than fallen trees lashed together to form a raft with sides to protect the
products and a lean-to which gave them personal protection from the
elements. They would sell everything, including the logs and walk back to
his Indiana home.
During his lifetime, James BRYANT saw Pike County grow as more settlers
arrived from Southern States. In1818 Pike was divided into three townships.
Jefferson was bounded on the west by Washington Township, on the north by
White River, on the east by Dubois County, and Warrick County to the south.
Therefore, in 1818, Jefferson Township included all of the present townships
of Jefferson, Monroe, Lockhart, and a narrow strip of Warrick County. The
best I can determine his parents must have been living very near that narrow
strip of Warrick County.
In 1820, when James was one year-old, The county commissioners, Moses
Harrell, Peter Brenton, and Jesse TRAYLOR, ordered Monroe Township to be
laid out "a line east and west three miles south of the principal meridian
(baseline) to include the whole of the county." This means that the northern
boundary of Monroe Township crossed the entire county passing through a
point about 1/2 mile due north of the juncture of the "Sugar Ridge Road" and
Highway 61 north of Winslow; therefore, at that time, Monroe Township
included all of the present Monroe and Lockhart Townships, major parts of
Patoka and Marion Townships, the southern part of Logan Townships in Pike
and Columbia and Barton Townships in Gibson, and a narrow strip of Warrick
County. This was soon changed when Adams Township was created embracing a
portion of Columbia Township in Gibson County and a tiny part of Madison
Township.
I searched the 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 and 1890 Census
records at Willard Library, 21 First Ave., Evansville, Indiana, over a
period of years in order to family relationships and order of birth.
However, many other people helping to collect documents played an important
role in putting together this particular Bryant line. For an example, in
1984 William Marshall, a Bryant relative and practicing Gibson County
attorney wrote that he had checked with the Pike County Clerk and found a
Guardianship index book that led to an envelope containing guardianship
records and one of the older ones was as follows:
"James BRYANT was listed as guardian for Harriet
CHAPMAN and Lucinda CHAPMAN in the year 1852. Both of these children were
nieces, being two of four children of Elizabeth BRYANT and Samuel
CHAPMAN."
Since Elizabeth BRYANT and Samuel CHAPMAN were licensed to
marry at Pike County 26 November 1839, I looked for them in the 1840 Census
of that county, but did not find them listed, nor were they listed in the
1850 census. In 1852 or 1853, James BRYANT took his family to the State of
Iowa. We know this because, his 5th child, Matilda BRYANT was born there 18
August 1853. Perhaps the Chapman family were living there at the year of
their deaths and James BRYANT was moving there to take care of their estate.
This is only speculation on my part, so should not be taken as fact. It is
only a lead that needs further investigation.
James BRYANT married (1), Margaret SCOTT, daughter of
Samuel SCOTT and Ellen CONNER, 21 Jul 1842 in Pike County,
Indiana. Margaret was born __ ___ 1824 in ______ Co., Illinois, and died 13
September 1872 in Patoka Twp., Pike Co., Indiana, and was buried in the
Bryant family plot at Winslow's Oak Hill Cemetery. Her stone is broken into
pieces and leans against the speaker's stand.
By the 4th of October 1954, James BRYANT had moved his family back to
Pike County. He apparently came into some money because, on that date the
records of the United States Land Office at Vincennes shows that James
BRYANT purchased land located in Township 3 South, Range 8 West, Section 22.
This farm was almost in the extreme southwestern corner of the present
Lockhart Township. This may have been the land where his father squatted in
1815 when it was still part of Gibson County, Indiana Territory. Lockhart
had only been formed two years earlier from Monroe. Section 22 borders
Warrick County to the south and is the second section east of present Marion
Township; however, Marion Township was not formed until 3 years, later. At
the time of purchase, Marion Township was the southern half of Patoka
Township.
James Bryant's farm adjoined the farm of his brother-in-law, Samuel SCOTT
to the north with a great number of his wife's other relatives living
nearby. Thomas SCALES also lived close, and soon would be elected Sheriff of
Pike County. My grandma, Mary Ann BRYANT, would soon become housekeeper for
the Sheriff when he took office. This is where she met grandpa "Will" GREEN.
James BRYANT was a farmer and business man. Before 1870, he owned and
operated a grinding mill on the north bank of the Patoka River in Winslow
for several years, but became blind in the later part of his life. I do not
know the cause of this blindness, but glaucoma in many of his descendants
point toward that sight ailment.
They had 7 children:
- Harriet BRYANT, b. 19 May 1843, Patoka Twp., Pike Co., Indiana;
d. 19 Apr 1910 in Gibson Co., Indiana; m. Council B. WILDER, __ ___
1865 in Gibson Co., Indiana, b. 18 Sep 1845; d. 21 Feb 1899. They had 6
children.
- Lumira BRYANT, b. 13 Aug 1845, Patoka Twp., Pike Co., Indiana;
d. 25 Aug 1876, Pike Co., Indiana; m. William WILDER, __ ___ 1861
Pike Co., Indiana, b. __ ___ 1840 Tennessee. They had 5 children.
- Zachariah Taylor BRYANT, b. 26 Oct 1849, Patoka Twp., Pike Co.,
Indiana; b. 9 Dec 1914 in Gibson Co., Indiana; m. Mahala KENT, 7
Jan 1883 in Pike Co., Indiana, b. 13 Jan 1860; d. 1921. They had 5
children.
- Henry Harrison BRYANT, b 22 Feb 1851 in Patoka Twp., Pike Co.,
Indiana; d. __ Jul 1891 in Pike Co., Indiana; m. Harriet GENTRY, 4
Oct 1877 in Pike County, b. 1 Jan 1850; d. 9 Apr 1932. They had 6
children.
- Matilda BRYANT b. 18 Aug 1853 in _______ Co., Iowa; d. 28 Jan
1943 in Petersburg, Pike Co., Indiana. She had 1 child.
- Sarah F, BRYANT, b. __ ___ 1857 in Lockhart Twp., Pike Co.,
Indiana; d. __ ___ ____ in Pike Co., Indiana; m. James LITTELL, 5
Aug 1886 in Pike Co., Indiana. They had 3 children.
- Mary Ann
BRYANT, 10 Mar 1860 In Lockhart Twp., Pike Co., Indiana; d. 9 Jun
1935 in Winslow, Pike Co., Indiana; m.
James William GREEN
15 Aug 1882, in Petersburg, Pike Co., Indiana; b. 30 May 1860; d. 17 Feb
1935, They had 4 children.
- Thomas Alexander BRYANT, 12 Feb 1862 in Patoka Twp., Pike Co.,
Indiana; d. 1 Apr 1832 in Algiers, Pike Co., Indiana.; m. Martha Alice
THOMAS, __ ___ 1884 in Pike Co., Indiana; b. 24 Jun 1866; d. 2 Jun
1941. They had 6 children.
- Louise BRYANT, b. __ ___ 1865 in Patoka Twp., Pike Co.,
Indiana; d. __ ___ 1944 in Ben Davis, Marion Co., Indiana; m. John
COOKERLY about 1888. They had no children. (Mother and her siblings
were included as one heirs as were Herman "Corky" BRYANT, Jr., and
Clyde LAWRENCE.)
- Mattie BRYANT, b. 21 Jun 1869 in Patoka Twp., Pike Co.,
Indiana; d. 5 Aug 1927 in Winslow, Pike Co., Indiana; m. William
LAWRENCE, __ ___ 1887 in Winslow, Pike Co., Indiana; b. __ ___ 1865;
d. 24 Aug 1896. They had 2 children.
SOURCES:
BIRTH: The 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, & 1880 census records of
Pike Co., Indiana.
FATHER-MOTHER: See 1820 Census of Jefferson Twp, Pike Co., Indiana
MOTHER-SIBLINGS: See 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, & 1900
census records of Pike Co., Indiana.
SPOUSE: For 1st marriage see Pike Co., Indiana, Marriage Records Book 1,
page 7.
SPOUSE: For 2nd marriage see Pike Co., Indiana, Marriage Records Book 6,
page 31.
DEATH: Item in the Pike Co. Democrat 30 Sep 1892 reads, "James Bryant, one
of the oldest residents of Pike county, died at his home near Winslow last
Monday. He was 73 years old and was born and raised in Pike county." (This
would be 26 Sep 1892.)
CENSUS: 1820 Census of Jefferson Twp., Pike Co., Indiana (Jefferson Twp.
was formed in 1817)
Needham Bryant listed as head of household, born before 1775
female born between 1794 and 1804 (This would be his wife, Mary "Polly"
Ann (Bryant) Bryant)
female born between 1810 and 1820 (This would be daughter, Nancy Bryant)
male born between 1810 and 1820 (This would be son, Jesse Bryant)
male born between 1810 and 1820 (This would be son, James Bryant)
CENSUS: 1830 Census of Monroe Twp., Pike Co., Indiana (Monroe Twp. was
formed 1821 and included the entire county below 3 mile South of the
Principle Meridian .
Polly Bryant, a female listed as head of household and born between 1790
and 1800 (This shows Needham no longer a member)
female born between 1810 and 1815 (This would be daughter Nancy Bryant)
male born between 1815 and 1820 (This would be son Jesse Bryant)
male born between 1815 and 1820 (This would be son James Bryant)
male born between 1820 and 1825 (This would be son John Bryant)
female born between 1820 and 1825 (This would be daughter Elizabeth
Bryant)
female born between 1825 and 1830 (This would be daughter Mary Ann Bryant)
male born between 1825 and 1830 (This would be son Harrison Bryant)
male born between 1825 and 1830 (This would be son William Thomas Bryant)
Kenneth G. Lindsay
22 October 2004
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