Col. Henry Hunter Bryan1,2,3

Family Chart
ID# 500, (1786 - 1835)
FatherJoseph Bryan4,5 (23 Sep 1742 - 10 Aug 1807)
MotherMary Hunter4,5 (28 Dec 1744 - 10 Aug 1810)

Key Events:

Birth: 23 Feb 1786, Martin Co., North Carolina6,7,8
Marriage: 4 Dec 1804, Elizabeth Ann Averett (30 Aug 1786 - 21 Sep 1824)9,10,11
Death: 7 May 1835, Montgomery Co., Tennessee2

Copyright Notice

Narrative:

     Col. Henry Hunter Bryan was born on 23 Feb 1786 in Martin Co., North Carolina.6,7,8
     He was probably one of the two males age 10 to 15 listed in the household of his father, Joseph Bryan, in the 1800 Federal Census of Hallifax, Martin Co., North Carolina.12
     Henry married Elizabeth Ann Averett, daughter of Jesse Averett and Mary Grimes, on 4 Dec 1804.9,10,11
     Henry and Elizabeth moved to Tennessee, most likely after their marriage given the young age at which they married, and before 1810 when their first child known to have been born there was born. The 1810 census records for most of Tennessee have been lost, so they cannot be located from that source.13
     Henry served in the Sixteenth United States Congress, representing the Clarksville District, between 4 Mar 1819 and 3 Mar 1821.14,15,16
     Henry appeared on the 1820 Federal Census of Montgomery Co., Tennessee, with a household consisting of two males under age 10 (sons Henry and Jessie), one age 10 to 16 (unknown), three age 16 to 26 (unknown), and one age 26 to 45 (himself), four females under age 10 (daughters Mary, Marina and Sarah and another), and one age 26 to 45 (wife Elizabeth), and 43 slaves.17
     His wife died on 21 Sep 1824 in Clarksville, Tennessee.18,19
     Henry appeared on the 1830 Federal Census of Montgomery Co., Tennessee, with a household consisting of one male age 20 to 30 (unknown), and one age 40 to 50 (himself), three females age 10 to 15 (daughter Sarah and two others), two age 15 to 20 (unknown), and one age 20 to 30 (Mary), and 15 slaves.20
     Henry left a will dated 12 Jan 1835, in which he named his son Henry, his son-in-law William Hilliard Dortch, and nephew W. K. Turner as executors. He directed that all his debts be paid, and that all his perishable property except his slaves be sold by his executors. His slaves were to be evenly divided between his children. He had previously given two slaves, Lucy and Martha, to his daughter Marina, and his executors were determine their value and deduct it from her share. All his land was to be divided between his children unless the executors decided it was in the interest of the children to sell it. All the rest of his property was to be disposed of as the executors think best and divided equally among his children.21
     Henry died on 7 May 1835 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee, at age 49.2
     His will was proved in the Jul 1835 term of the Montgomery Co. court.21

Children:
     Children with Elizabeth Ann Averett

The number of undentified children in the 1820 and 1830 censuses suggest there may have been additional children who are unknown.
  • Harriet Bryan22 (abt 1807 - 27 Nov 1817)
  • Mary Malvina Bryan23,24 (10 Feb 1810 - 22 Dec 1865)
  • Marina Turner Bryan23,25,26 (18 Mar 1811 - 7 Dec 1890)
  • Henry Hunter Bryan Jr.23,27 (abt 1812 - abt 16 Dec 1878)
  • Jessie Avritt Bryan23,28 (28 Dec 1815 - 19 Jul 1843)
  • Sarah Whimell Bryan23 (abt 1818 - 2 Aug 1855)
  • Hariet Elizabeth Bryan23,29 (abt 1822 - 6 Mar 1875)
  • Robert Allen Virginia Bryan23,30 (17 Oct 1822 - 9 Apr 1897)
  • Penelope Wealthy Bryan23 (abt 1824 - 7 Dec 1856)

Citations

  1. [S1023] "Death of Mrs. Cobb," Semi-Weekly Tobacco Leaf, 9 Dec 1890, shows name as Henry Hunter Bryan.
  2. [S686] Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, online, record for Bryan, Henry Hunter, (1786 - 1835).
  3. [S10065] "Queries and Answers," pg 631, shows name as Henry Hunter Bryan.
  4. [S10065] "Queries and Answers," pg 631.
  5. [S729] Varkus, Compendium of American Genealogy, 3:570.
  6. [S686] Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, online, record for Bryan, Henry Hunter, (1786 - 1835), shows date, county and state, as North Carolina.
  7. [S10065] "Queries and Answers," pg 631, shows date.
  8. [S1902] Mrs. M. T. Cobb household, 1880 U.S. Census, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, shows state, as Tenn.
  9. [S10071] "Descendants Search," Daughters of the American Revolution, record for Dorothea Dortch Douglass, National # 451745, shows date.
  10. [S729] Varkus, Compendium of American Genealogy, 3:570, shows year.
  11. [S10065] "Queries and Answers," pg 631, shows married.
  12. [S10080] Jos. Bryan Esquire household, 1800 U.S. Census, Martin Co., North Carolina.
  13. [S10081] N. J. Pegram household, 1860 U.S. Census, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, shows Mary as born in Tennessee.
  14. [S686] Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, online, record for Bryan, Henry Hunter, (1786 - 1835), shows state represented and terms.
  15. [S1023] "Death of Mrs. Cobb," Semi-Weekly Tobacco Leaf, 9 Dec 1890, shows he represented the district in Congress many years before.
  16. [S645] Titus, Picturesque Clarksville, pg 266, shows a member of Congress from Clarksville, for four years.
  17. [S10063] Henry H Bryan household, 1820 U.S. Census, Montgomery Co., Tennessee.
  18. [S729] Varkus, Compendium of American Genealogy, 3:570, shows date, city, and state.
  19. [S729] Varkus, Compendium of American Genealogy, 3:570, shows year, as 1821.
  20. [S10064] Henry H Bryan household, 1830 U.S. Census, Montgomery Co., Tennessee.
  21. [S8704] Will Books, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, G:222-3, will of Henry H. Byran, July term 1835.
  22. [S10079] Harriet Bryan obituary, National Whig and Tennessee Advertiser, shows she died at his home with no indication she was not his child.
  23. [S10065] "Queries and Answers," pg 632.
  24. [S10067] Simmons, The Pegrams of Virginiia and Descendants 1688 - 1984, pg 103.
  25. [S1023] "Death of Mrs. Cobb," Semi-Weekly Tobacco Leaf, 9 Dec 1890.
  26. [S1352] The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, pg 214.
  27. [S3002] Swain, "Re: Terry," e-mail to author, 25 Jul 2008, stating that the child is mentioned in his father's will.
  28. [S10068] J. A. Bryan obituary, The Nashville Whig.
  29. [S10066] Hattie F. Pegram obituary, Clarksville Chronicle.
  30. [S3002] Swain, "Re: Terry," e-mail to author, 25 Jul 2008, citing her death certificate.