Bryce Stewart

Narrative:

     Bryce Stewart was born on 22 Apr 1811 in Rothesay, Isle of Bute, Scotland.^7,8,9
     He attended schools in Rothesay, becoming "a fair English scholar, with a good knowledge of Greek and Latin," according to accounts.⁵
     Bryce immigrated in 1825, at the age of 15, to join his brothers John and Daniel in Richmond, Virginia, were they tobacco merchants. He remained with them about two years, learning the tobacco business.^5,19
     Bryce moved to New Orleans about 1833 and together with his brother John erected a tobacco factory there. He became the manager, but contacted yellow fever. When he recovered he left the city for a more healthy location.^5,20

Establishing a Tobacco Empire --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Bryce moved to Clarksville, Tennessee, late in 1834, when it was a very small town with only three tobacco houses.⁵ Recognizing the area as a good location for the tobacco trade, he took charge of a tobacco factory which his brother helped him start. He became one of the pioneer dealers in the city, creating an extensive stemmery (removing the leaves from the stems) and rehandling (rendering cured tobacco for manufacturing) business.^5,4,21
     Bryce married first Eliza J. McClure, daughter of Alexander McClure, on 29 Oct 1839 in Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee.^10,11,12
     Bryce appeared on the 1840 Federal Census of Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, with a household consisting of one male age 20 to 30 (himself), one female age 15 to 20 (wife Eliza J. McClure), 17 male slaves and 6 female slaves.²²
     Bryce and Eliza appeared on the 1850 Federal Census of Montgomery Co., Tennessee, enumerated 14 Sep 1850, reporting real estate valued at $30,000, and 42 slaves, 37 males and 5 females. Their children Marion and Norman were listed as living with them, as was Jessee S Melloo, a 28-year-old tobacconist.^2,24
     He continued building his business until he had stemmeries in Glasgow and Brunswick, Missouri, and Mayfield, Kentucky. He was also doing business in Nashville and St. Louis, and dealing in cotton in Memphis.^{5,25,26,27,28}
     Bryce and Eliza appeared on the 1860 Federal Census of Montgomery Co., Tennessee, enumerated 16 Sep 1860, reporting real estate valued at $45,000 and personal estate of $30,000. Their children Marion and Bryce were listed as living with them, as were 6 slaves, 1 male and 5 females, housed in 5 slave houses.^29,30
     He also acquired "vast estates" in Virginia, Kentucky, and other states. He had begun to remove himself from active participation in the tobacco trade before the War, and removed himself entirely after it began. He was described at his death as "one of the wealthiest man in the county, if not this portion of the South."^4,31,32,28
     His wife died on 26 May 1866.^33,34,35
     Following his wife's death in 1866, Bryce took their daughter Marion on an extended trip to Europe. They returned to New York aboard the RMS Persia on 3 Sep 1867, traveling in first class. The ship had boarded passengers in Liverpool, England and Queenstown, Ireland, and it is not clear in which port they boarded.^36,37
     Bryce appeared on the 1870 Federal Census of Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, enumerated 24 Jun 1870, reporting real estate valued at $50,000 and personal estate of $20,000. Also listed as living with him was J. Mitchell, a female cook, age 25.³⁸

His Second Marriage --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Bryce married second Sallie West Cobb, daughter of Dr. Joshua Cobb and Marina Turner Bryan, on 26 May 1873 in Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, at the home of her father, with Rev. J. W. Lupton officiating.^13,14
     Bryce was building a castle on eleven acres on North Second St. for his first wife when she died in 1866. It was nearly complete but he did not finish it. According to local legend, when he married Sallie he offered her a choice between finishing the castle or a tour of Europe. She supposedly choose the trip, as the building was never finished, and was razed in the early 1900's and the lots sold at auction.³⁹
     Whether or not that choice was actually offered, they did take an extended tour of Europe after their marriage. In fact, their son was delivered in Scotland, and they remained another six months before returning. They arrived in New York on 20 Aug 1874, aboard the Bothnia, traveling in cabin class, the highest class available on that ship. The ship had boarded passengers in both Liverpool, England and Queenstown, Ireland, and there is no indication of which port they boarded.^40,37,41
     Bryce and Sallie appeared on the 1880 Federal Census of Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, enumerated 14 Jun 1880. Their son Norman was listed as living with them, as was Susan Dortch, the daughter of her half-brother.⁴²

A Complex Will --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Bryce left a will dated 6 May 1891 stating he was of Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, directing that all his debts be paid and that "a suitable monument be erected over" his grave. His will dealt separately with his property in Virginia and that located elsewhere. For all his property in Virginia he named Joseph Bryan of Richmond, Thomas Pinckney of South Carolina, and the Right Rev. George. W. Peterkin of West Virginia executors. He gave one-quarter of his Virginia property each to his wife, his sons Bryce and Norman, and his grandson Bryce Steward Hume, son of his late daughter Marion.
     He named Francis Patten Gracey and James L. Glenn of Clarksville as executors for all his property in Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, and Arkansas, granting them authority to hire from estate funds agents to assist them. They were directed to pay to his wife from his bank account any funds she desired until the estate was settled, which were not to be charged to her share. She was to be given "all the household and kitchen furniture, china, silverware, carriage and mules, paintings, pictures and portraits, in fact everything in the house in Clarksville" where he lived, except son Bryce was to have those paintings, pictures, and portraits he desired. She was to occupy the house for herself and Norman without rent as long as she desired.
     He wrote it had “been a cherished object with me to have erected upon my real estate situated on Franklin and Third Streets in Clarksville, Tennessee, good business houses for rent, believing that the same would be a good investment” and directed his executors to erect first class business houses there. His investment in the grocery house of J. J. Crusman was to remain for the term previously agreed upon. The property in these four states was to be divided equally between his wife and his sons Bryce and Norman.
     He urged his wife to leave her share of all his property other than the household goods in the hands the respective executors for them to invest. Norman's share was to be held in trust by the executors until he was 25, and he urged Norman to leave it with the executors after that. He was to receive funds for his support and education, up to $1,200 per year, to be paid to his mother, who was appointed his guardian. The grandson's share in the Virginia property was to be held by the executors until he married and had children, receiving the income until then.⁴³
     Bryce died on 22 Jan 1894, at his home on Main St., Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, at age 82.^15,16,17 He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee.¹⁸ No inventories of the estate have been found, but newspaper accounts of the probate estimated the values of the estate at $500,000 to $1,000,000.⁴⁴
     His estate was probated on 26 Jan 1894 in Clarksville.⁴⁵
     The monument for his grave specified in his will was installed in Dec 1894. A newspaper account described the base being carried to the cemetery "on a powerful wagon constructed by Joe Jarrell for the purpose." It was pulled by ten large mules, and "the massive stone covered the entire size of the wagon, projecting over the wheels."⁴⁶