We know for certain that Michael’s father was William Bryant and his mother was Catherine ________, but thus far, no record of marriage has ever been found. This date has been established using the children and estimating backward. There are even no firm birth dates for any of their children; therefore, this date of marriage, nor the place, at best is a wild guess. Please don’t hang your hat on it.

Exhibit A - John Bryan of Isle of Wight 20 Apr 1694 Deed

To all Whereas Now Know ye that I the said Sir Edmond Andros Knt, Governor with the (????) Colony of the Council of State Accordingingly give and grant Unto JOHN BRYAN of the Isle of Wight County Seven hundred and fifty Acres of Land Situate lying and being on the Northwest Side of Sumerton Swamp in Nansemond County beginning at a marked white oak standing on the Westward Side of the aforesaid Swamp being a line tree of MICHAEL KINGS and running (?????) by a very Irregular Line of old Marks (????) of in Kings Northwesterly forty five Degrees here two hundred Ninety pole to an old Corner red oak thence on the aforesaid Course Eighty Two poles further to a marked pine thence Southwesterly Thirty five degrees one hundred Ninety poles to a marked pine thence South Easterly four degrees one hundred Thirty four poles to a Marked pine thence Southwesterly Thirty degrees one hundred two poles to a Marked pine standing Nigh Cardugans line thence South Easterly Twenty five degrees four hundred pole to a Marked tree Standing on Northwestward Side of the Run of Sumerton Swamp bordering on Cardugians Land and including all Tho. WEST Land without his land Thence along the run of Sumerton Swamp to the First Station. The Said Seven hundred and fifty acres of Land being and Unto the Said JOHN BRYAN by and for The Transportation of fifteen persons into this Colony, all whose Names are in records Mentioned under this patent To have and To hold or to be held or Yielding or payment provided. Dated Twenty day of April Ano Dom 1694. E. And ros

Those transported were: Deborah MOUNTFORD, Thomas BARNFORD, Isabell COLLIER, John BUTLER, Elizabeth (HOWARD?), William WILKERSON, and Nine Negroes.

Comment: I think we may find that Michael’s mother may be a daughter of the above Michael King and his father, William Bryant, may be the son of the above John Bryan. Furthermore, I think this John Bryan to be the father of William Bryant (Michael's father), John Bryant JR. Needham Bryant, and Lewis Bryant, who died prior to 1741.
 

18 Jul 1722 (#1469) John NAIRN of Chowan Precinct and wife Mary deeded to Daniel McDANIEL of Albemarle 200 acres on the South Side of the Roanoke River adjacent to  Wm DREW, "my own line", Old Field near river bank and river. Witnessed by: John BRYAN, John CORTNEY, James ALLEN

(pg 169) William BRYAN late of Edgecombe Precinct now of Bertie Precinct to James BARNES of Bertie Precinct 15 Aug 1743. 25 pounds VA money 315 acres on the South Side of Moratuck River, adjacent John GRAY and Cypress Swamp. wit: John FLOWERS, W. ROADS, Thom NORFLEET reg Edge Co May Ct 1743, Robert FORSTER county clerk.

Comment by Ken Lindsay: This is an important marker because it shows us that this William Bryan, whom I believe to be a cousin of Michael Bryant, lived in Bertie Precinct 15 Aug 1743, but formerly lived somewhere within the bounds of Edgecombe County as it was in 1743. Here William Bryant is selling the portion of the homeplace he inherited from his father in 1735.

At that time, Edgecombe included all the present counties of Edgecombe, Granville (1746), Bute (1764 and abolished 1779), Warren (1779), Franklin (1779), Nash (1777), Wilson (1855), and parts of Johnston and Wayne Counties.

Exhibit J - 26 Apr 1757, Deed: H-408 Michael Bryant & Wife to Aaron Ellis 1757

  This is a deed from Bertie Co NC. Brown (Bryant) et uxor to Ellis. To all People to whom these presents shall come Greeting to know ye that I Mical Bryan and Olive his wife of Bertie County within his Magesty's Province of North Carolina for and in consideration of the sum of eleven pounds current money of Virginia to me in hand paid before the ensealing here of well and truely paid by Aaron Ellis the receipt whereof. I do hereby acknowledge and myself therewith fully satisfied and contented and thereof and of every part and parcel thereof, do exonerate acquit and discharge the said Aaron Ellis his heirs & exors, admor forever by these presents, have given granted sold aligned conveyed & confirmed and by these presents freely fully and absolutely grant bargain sell alien convey and confirm unto him the said Aaron Ellis his heirs and assigns forever and messuage or tract of land situate lying in Bertie County of North Carolina containing 100 acres of land joining to Robert Hodges Patent line and South West to a corner forked Spanish Oak thence East to Little Roquist. To have and to hold the said granted and bargained premises with the Appertueances Priviledges & Commodities to the same belonging & in any wise appertaining to him the sd. Aaron Ellis his heirs & assigns forever to his and their only proper use benefit and behoof forever, And the said Mical Bryan and Olive his wife for themselves their heirs exors, and admon. do covenant promise and grant to & with the said Aaron Ellis his heir & assigns that before the exealing hereof, I am the true sole & lawful owner of the above bargained premisesAnd am lawfully seized and possessed of the same in my own proper right as a good perfect and absolute estate of Inheritance in fil simple and have in myself good right full power and lawful authority to grant bargain sell convey and confirm said bargained premises in manner as abovesaid, And that the said Aaron Ellis & his heirs and assigns shall and may from time to time and at all times forever hereafter by force and virture of these presents lawfully peaceably and quietly have hold use occupy possess and enjoy the said demised and bargained premises with the appurtenances free & clear, and freely and clearly acquitted exonerated and discharged of from all and all manner of former another gifts grants bargains sales leases mortgages will initails joyntures dowers, judgements executions incumbrances and extents; furthermore I the said Michal Bryant and Olive his wife for ourselves our heirs exors, admors, do covenant and engage the above demised premises to him said Aaron Ellis his heirs against the lawfull claims or demands of any person or persons whatsoever forever hereafter to warrant secure and defend. In witness whereof, we hereunto sett our hands and fix our seals this 26th day of April 1757. Mical Bryan seal Olliff Bryan. Signed sealed and delivered in the Presence of James Abington, Elias F. Hodges & Bertie County s.s. April Court 1757. The witin deed of sale was in open court duly proved by the oath of James Abington, an evidence thereto, and on motion was ordered to be registered. Test. Benj. Wynns Clerk Cur.

Comment: This deed, in my opinion, can lead to the proof of parents of Michael Bryant. From the wording, we can see that this is an estate in land which has the potential of lasting forever (Fee Simple). The 100 acres includes a house (Messuage). Appurtenance means something, which belongs to something else. In this case, a land deed, it might refer to rights-of-way, houses, barns, outbuildings, gardens, orchards, fences, crops, or anything else that belongs to the land.

The deed spells out very clearly that Olive relinquishes her dower right and she signs the deed. (This common-law-dower was in effect up until 1784 in North Carolina.)

From the legal description, we know this 100 acres adjoins "Robert Hodge’s "patent line" (which means it is outside Hodge’s patent) and South West to a corner forked Spanish Oak thence East to Little Roquist." Little Roquist, in my opinion, means a small branch off the main body of Roquist Creek and that this 100 acres lay to the West of that branch and East of Robert Hodge’s Patent. This pretty well defines the location of this property and following this lead, it would help tremendously if we can determine who were the owners of this land previous to 1756.

It is much to early to tell how this 100 acres was acquired by Michael Bryant and Olive ________; however, I feel from the land records we already have will show us who owned this property previous to Michael and Olive. That knowledge should give us some idea where to search in the North Carolina State Archives.

If you recall, many years after William Bryant died, Catherine appealed to the Court, "Humbly showeth Katherine Ellis that she humble pedE? Is EnEp? Of the last will and Testament of William Bryan Dec’d. and since been married to Aaron Ellis who is also Dec’d, and it is thus as to the estate of William Bryan Dec’d. he had four sons (she means living… Jesse has died) whose tho some of them rec’d part of what accrued (was given or fell) to them from their Dec’d father’s Estate. Yet there remains balances due some of them…….."

Since Catherine says some of them have already received their share, and others have not, leads me to think that Michael was one of those who received his share. Could this 100 acres, including a house, be that share of his father’s estate?