BUSH FAMILY

Submitted byJune England

Primarily William (Capt. Billy) Bush

WILLIAM BUSH, familiarly known in his day as "Captain Billy Bush," is perhaps the best known member of the Bush family which came from Virginia to Kentucky and founded the Bush Settlement on Lower Howard's Creek. He was a captain and commanded a company of militia in Col. Patterson's Regiment during the Revolutionary War. He was one of the parties who first settled Boonesborough in 1775 and was the first man who ever took up land in what is now Clark County. He is buried in a small family graveyard on the Dykes farm on the Boonesborough Pike in Clark County, Kentucky. The inscription on his tombstone reads: "William Bush, Born June 26, 1746; died July 26, 1815. He was the friend of Daniel Boone and others in the settlement of Kentucky." Little is known of the early life of William Bush. He is first mentioned in his father's will, dated 10 May 1771, in which he is said to have been "absent for some time past and not heard of.� The next notation of him is as one of the men who helped Daniel Boone to make the "trace" from the old settlements to the site of Boonesborough. The northern boundary of Henderson's purchase was the Kentucky; Virginia claimed all the land north of the river, as well as Transylvania. Perhaps many of those who came into Kentucky with the Transylvania Company had little faith in it. William Bush must have foreseen the trouble ahead, for he crossed the river and took up land under Virginia�s law. In 1779 he appeared before a Court of Virginia Commissioners and proved his claim to all the land between Two Mile Creek and Lower Howard's Creek, by reason of improvement and raising crops of corn on the same in 1775 and 1776. This claim extended about as far north as the land now owned by the Winchester Water Works Company and was considered then - as it is now - the fairest portion of the land in the county. On his claim William Bush built the first preemptor�s cabin north of the Kentucky River, and on part of it was built the first brick house west of the Allegheny Mountains. William Bush also owned about three thousand acres of land across the river in Lincoln County. In the early years, before his family removed to Kentucky, he lived in Lincoln County, generally in the fort at Boonesborough. He was there on that memorable day in 1776, when the Indians captured the two daughters of Richard Calloway with Jemima Boone, and he joined the rescue party led by Daniel Boone. William was a member of the first grand jury of Lincoln and was also a magistrate. William Bush (known as Captain Billy Bush) was the youngest of Philip�s children. (He was not actually a Captain in a Military sense, but was given the title of Captain by those who knew him, and addressed him as a leader.) He (Billy) seemed to be always on an adventure. The first to be documented was being a part of the group of frontiersmen that Daniel Boone gathered to blaze the trail from Cumberland Gap Virginia, (now known as Kentucky). This occurred on March 10th, 1775, �Daniel Boone, left Long Island with a party of thirty riflemen to seek out and mark the proposed Trace. To complete this task he had recruited about 20 of the most experienced and capable frontiersmen to be found on the western border. They included such men as Square Boone, Michael Stoner, and William (Billy) Bush, Benjamin Cutberth and many others destined to become famous in the settlement of Kentucky. After William Bush had returned from Kentucky, he painted such a grand picture of the rich lands, that he had persuaded forty families of Orange and Culpepper counties to form a colony. In the summer of 1780 they started for Kentucky. Several of which was William Bush�s family, namely his brothers Josiah, Philip Jr., Ambrose, Francis, and sister Mary, all children of Philip and Mary (Bryan) Bush. Many of the colonies were Baptists, and they organized themselves into a church body and started for Boonesborough, near which they intended to settle. They reached the frontier fort at the Holston River in December 1780. Here they were met by a runner from Captain Billy Bush, who had preceded them. And was then in the fort at Boonesborough, advising them to remain at Holston for the time being as the Indians were giving so much trouble in Kentucky at that time that is was not wise for them to proceed further. They remained at Holston for three years, during which time many other families coming to Kentucky joined them. Among those that joined was Reverend Robert Elkin, a Baptist preacher and they chose him as their pastor. He remained their pastor for forty-two years. During their stay at Holston, one brother Josiah Bush died, in 1781, his wife Sarah elected to go on to Kentucky with her children. Philip Bush was administrator of Josiah�s will. Appraisement of the Estate of Josiah Bush, among the items listed were; a pair of shoemakers pinchers, Bible, old hymn book, and old sword, old Testament and some old books, pipe and tobacco box, Negro man John, Negro man Solomon. On September 1, 1783, the colony again started on their journey. The long line of travelers, some riding on horseback, some walking with their fateful slaves, their bedding and baggage on pack horses, moved cautiously along the narrow Wilderness Road. Over mountains, across valleys, ever on the alert for Indians or other foes that so thickly abounded along their way. Bears, buffalo, wolves, elk and sometimes herds of deer were often seen. They were compelled to encamp for days at a time to rest and forage. Every Sunday they encamped for the purpose of engaging in worship. When these stops were made, pickets were put out both day and night to watch most vigilantly. The distance that now can be traveled in a few days, over the Boone Highway, was then a journey of many weeks. The colony reached Craigs station, near what is now Lancaster, Lincoln County, where they again tarried until the fall of 1784. Here they separated, part of them going to Barrens in the southwestern part of Kentucky. The majority of them however moved to the north side of the Kentucky River and occupied the lands located for them by William Bush. The men were farmers and traders. They were all celebrated Indian fighters. Several of them served in the Revolutionary War. William�s father was Philip Bush who married Mary Bryan. Philip was willed by his father, five shillings sterling. Balance of his father's estate was divided between his half brother Thomas and Daniel. Philip was given land by his father after his mother's death. In 1745 William Bryan of St. Thomas Parish, Orange o. sold to Philip Bush in consideration of five shillings and the rent of one ear of Indian corn yearly at the Feast of St. Michael, The Archangel when lawfully demanded. It goes on to state the amount of land - was witnessed by Zachary Taylor, the great grandfather of the President of that time and the other witness was James Madison who became President in 1808. Philip and Mary had thirteen children. Which will be listed by age oldest first. Josiah, Sarah, Philip, Mary, James, Elizabeth, Joseph, Joshua, John, Fanny, William, Ambrose, and Francis.

From Quisenberry Book: Philip Bush, of St. Thomas Parish, Orange County, Virginia, the eldest son of John Bush, sr., of the same county and parish, was the ancestor of the Clark county branch of the family. The first mention found concerning him in the records of Orange county is where, on March 6, 1745, William Bryan, of St. Thomas Parish, Orange county, sold to Philip Bush, of the same county and parish, one hundred acres of land in the same county and parish, "in consideration of five shillings and the rent of one ear of Indian corn yearly, at the feast of St. Michael, the Archangel, when lawfully demanded." One of the witnesses to this deed was Zachary Taylor, the grandfather of the President of that name. The William Bryan who sold the land was very probably the ancestor of William Jennings Bryan, whose Virginia forefathers lived in Orange and the adjoining county of Culpeper. Philip Bush, in his will (see Appendix VIII, 20), probated in Orange county, Virginia, on September 24, 1772 (which was probably not more than a month or so after his death), and witnessed by James Madison, the father of President Madison, names ten children, and disposes of five hundred acres of land, �75 in money, four slaves, and some personal property. Several of the children received no bequests of land, and doubtless he had previously provided for them in that respect. At the time the will was made it seems his wife was not living, as she is not mentioned in it, and none of her descendants now know what her maiden name was. Her given name was Mary. The children mentioned in the will are: (1) Josiah; (2) Philip; (3) John; (4) William; (5) Ambrose; (6) Mrs. Sarah Watts; (7) Mrs. Mary Richards; (8) Joseph; (9) Joshua; (10) Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson. It is likely that all the sons named saw service in the Revolutionary War. It is known that some of them did. Most of these children moved to Kentucky, sooner or later. Some of them settled in what was called "the Barrens," in the southwestern part of the State. To this group belongs Sarah Bush, the second wife of Robert Lincoln, the father of Abraham

Those of the children of Philip Bush, sr., who settled in Clark county, Kentucky, and founded the famous "Bush Settlement," in the midst of which Providence Baptist Church. Known as "the old stone meeting house," was located, were: 1. PHILIP BUSH, born October 18, 1736. In his youth he courted a young lady in Virginia who rejected him and married Colonel John Vivion instead, but she promised that he might marry her first daughter, if she should have a daughter; and sure enough he did marry her eldest daughter, Frances Vivion, some eighteen or twenty years later, when he was forty years of age. Among his children were Robert Bush, the father of the famous Dr. Bush, of Lexington; Colonel John Bush; Peggy, who married Tandy Quisenberry, and Polly, who married a Mr. McMurtry. 2. MARY BUSH, born July 3, 1738; married Robin Richards. 3. JOHN BUSH, born February 2, 1742. He was twice married, and the name of his first wife is not now known. His second wife was Polly Tillman. 4. WILLIAM BUSH (better known as "Captain Billy Bush"), born October 29, 1746; died July 26, 1815. He married Frances Tandy Burris, a sister of Jane Burris, the first wife of Rev. James Quisenberry. Captain Billy Bush accompanied Daniel Boone on his second trip to Kentucky, in 1770, and was a great Indian fighter. He also served under George Rogers Clark in the Illinois campaign, which won the great Northwest Territory for the United States. His tombstone says that "He was the friend and companion of Daniel Boone." 5. AMBROSE BUSH, born April 8, 1748; married Lucy Golson, or Gholson. They were the grandparents of Hon. Ambrose G. Bush, who for fifty years has been the clerk of old Providence church, and of Judge James H. Bush, Richard G. Bush, and Valentine W. Bush. 6. FRANCIS BUSH, born February 20, 1750. The name of his first wife is not known, but their children were: (1) Fanny, who married (???) Bradley; (2) Polly, who married Ambrose Christy; (3) Nancy, who married Thomas Vivion; (4) Betsey, who married Daniel Orear. The second wife of Francis Bush was Rachel Martin, and their children were: (5) Lucy, who married Colby Burris Quisenberry; (6) Sallie, who married George Matthews; (7) Fielding, who married Adelaide Halyard, daughter of Captain John Halyard, who commanded a Virginia company in the Revolutionary war; (8) Jordan, who married Sallie Miller Stewart.

One of the granddaughters of Fielding Bush married Hon. John H. Reagan, one of the founders of the Republic of Texas, afterwards Governor of the State of Texas, then Postmaster-General of the Confederate States of America, so called, and subsequently Representative and then Senator from Texas in the United States Congress. The following extract from Mrs. Julia Tevis' valuable autobiography, "Sixty Years in a School Room," is very interesting, not only in connection with the Bush family, but also in connection with the early history of Clark county.

Mrs. Tevis says: "I was born December 5, 1799, in Clark County, Kentucky. My grandparents on both sides were among the earliest immigrants from Virginia into this State. Their location in the vicinity of Boonesboro' brought them into familiar intercourse and companionship with Daniel Boone, and my maternal grandfather, Ambrose Bush, with his four brothers, were among the most celebrated of the 'old Indian fighters.' Their numerous descendants were scattered over so large a portion of Clark County as to give it the name of 'Bush Settlement.' Thrifty and respectable farmers, they occupied a position in society both honorable and useful. * * * My grandmother Bush was a strictly pious Baptist; my grandmother Hieronymous a Methodist of the old school, a real Wesleyan, thoroughly and decidedly religious. * * * I remember my grandmother Bush more distinctly, as much of my time between the ages of four and seven was spent with her. Like gleams of light come up now my joyous Saturday evenings and Sundays at the old homestead, and the many dear, merry, warmhearted cousins, with whom I so often played 'Mrs. Bush,' or 'Lady Come to See'--the Bushes being so numerous that we had no idea but that they filled the world. Our world they did fill. I can, even now, see in the dim, shadowy distance the tall, queenly form of my grandmother, simply attired in a dove-colored dress and plain white 'kerchief, with a cap faultless in shape and of snowy whiteness, setting off the most benevolent of features. I can hear her quick step, and her sweet voice calling 'Jennie, Julia, Esther, Polly!"(???)her four daughters; for when she wanted one she never failed to call them all over before she could get the right name. And from habitual quickness of word, thought and action she often made a laughable pell-mell of words. When she called for her black mare to be saddled--for everybody rode on horseback in those days, there being nothing more than bridle paths--it was: 'Warrick, run up the black mare, bring down the backstairs and put my saddle on it right away; quick, quick, for I must go to sister Frankey's at once.' And how often have I ridden to the stone meeting-house behind her on that same black mare, and walked over and around the churchyard where now my beloved grandparents lie buried with many of their descendants. Grandfather was often away from home on the 'war-path' for days and weeks at a time. During his absence my grandmother kept her little ones about her, and never failed to commend them to God in family prayer, night and morning. She was gifted with a fine voice, and I never heard her sing anything but hymns. Often have I heard my mother relate thrilling stories about Indians, panthers and wolves that came stealthily around the solitary dwellings, their approach undiscovered in consequence of the dense canebrake, until their gleaming eyes peering through the unchinked walls aroused the family to a terrible consciousness of danger. But never did they seem able to molest the charmed circle within. Indians would steal the horses and fly; wild beasts found other prey and departed. "At the time that my grandfather, with his four brothers and sister, came to Kentucky, many families traveled together for mutual safety and protection against the Indians, whose hunting-grounds extended to the border settlements of Virginia. On their way through the wilderness they encountered bears, buffaloes, wolves, wild-cats, and sometimes herds of deer. Thus they moved cautiously onward, in long lines, through a narrow bridle-path so encumbered with brush and undergrowth as to impede their progress and render it necessary that they should sometimes encamp for days in order to rest their weary packhorses, and forage for themselves. A space of country that can now be leisurely passed over in less than ten days was then a journey of many weeks, and sometimes months. I have heard interesting anecdotes related connected with the emigration of my grandfather's family through this wilderness. When they tarried, even for a day or night, pickets were thrown out and every pass was guarded vigilantly, lest haply some lurking foe might invade the camp. None dared to speak aloud, and generally the horses' feet were muffled for fear of attracting attention. No camp-fires were lighted, and when night dropped her dark curtains around the weary travelers some rested or slept while others gazed in death-like stillness upon the sparkling firmament, or listened to the music of streamlet or breeze, occasionally starting at the rustling of a leaf--anything that broke the solemn stillness striking terror to the heart. "Once, after having passed over many miles without interruption, the travelers grew careless, and scattered groups pursued their way without apprehension. One family, being considerably in advance, was entirely separated from the company. Several hours had elapsed without one of them being seen by those in the rear. Night came on; the stars shone in full glory, shedding a hazy light on a few of the nearer objects, but adding to the dimness and uncertainty of everything beyond. The profound silence was broken only by the restlessness of the tethered horses, or the low murmuring in dreams of the disturbed sleepers. So intense was the stillness that an imaginary noise more than once startled the guards into an apprehension of a night attack, deepening the ominous silence and quickening the light step of the sentinel as he made his lonely round. The report of a gun was heard, and then another, followed by the fierce war-whoop of the savage. Some of the young men, dashing rapidly onward, soon reached a spot where, in the gray light of dawn, a scene of horror presented itself, not uncommon in those perilous times. A party of Indians had come upon the family stealthily, and, after a fierce struggle, had fled precipitately with all the plunder they could carry. The light-footed mysterious enemy had left the impress of his hand on the dead and dying, scattered in every direction. One young girl, about fourteen, had been scalped and left for dead in a deep ravine. She had only swooned, and her brother, after the fray was over, seeing something in the dim distance that looked like an animal, creeping slowly toward them through the bushes, raised his gun to fire, when he saw a human hand uplifted in an imploring attitude. In a few minutes more he discovered it to be his sister, crawling on her hands and knees, her face completely covered by her matted hair. As he drew near she threw back her hair, and uttering the word 'brother,' fainted in his arms. She had been scalped, but not deeply wounded, and her only permanent loss was a portion of the skin of her head, rudely torn off by the firm grasp of an Indian. This young girl lived to reach Kentucky, grew up into womanhood, married, and became the mother of a number of sons and daughters--a proof that scalping does not necessarily produce death. "One circumstance, often related to me, forcibly illustrates the keen instinct of the panther. My grandfather had been out on a hunt for many days. Weary eyes and anxious hearts were watching and waiting his return. It was midsummer, and the tall cane, with its gracefully waving leaves, excluded the view of every object not in the immediate vicinity of the lonely and scattered dwellings. About sunset one lovely afternoon my grandmother, with her faithful handmaiden, 'Mourning,' set out to fetch some water from the spring which, though at no great distance from the house, was hidden from sight. Always in fear of ambushed savages, they were walking slowly along when startled by the lost hunter's cry of 'hoo-hoo!' which was suppressed at intervals, as if listening for a response to assure him that he was in the neighborhood of home and loved ones. My grandmother answered, as she was wont to do, while her heart thrilled with the joyful anticipation of meeting her returning husband. 'Hoo-hoo!' in a loud voice was again heard and responded to, each time seeming nearer and more distinct; when, just as they emerged from the thicket and caught a glimpse of the shelving rock that over-arched the spring. They perceived something moving among the bushes above. At first they supposed it to be nothing more than a raccoon or an opossum, but it proved to be a panther. This animal, when stimulated by hunger, would assail whatever would provide him with a banquet of blood. Lo! There he stood on the rock high above the spring, squatting on his hind legs in the attitude of preparing to leap--his glaring eyeballs fierce with expectation. His gray coat, fiery eyes, and the cry which he at that moment uttered, rendered by its resemblance to the human voice peculiarly terrific, denoted him to be the most ferocious of his detested kind. My grandmother, whose presence of mind never forsook her, even under the most appalling circumstances, retreated slowly, keeping her eyes steadily fixed on the eyes of the monster, which seemed momentarily paralyzed by her gaze, until she and the negro girl could turn by a sudden angle into the woods, when, adding 'wings to their speed,' they soon reached the house and barred the doors behind them. "I do not wish to give the impression that the name of Bush is entitled to any patronymic distinction, or that any branch of the family claim nobility; nevertheless, they came from a pure and ancient stock, upon whose bright escutcheon no stain had ever rested. It had never been legally disgraced, and never forfeited its claims to respect and consideration. The family was originally English, and the tradition among them is that the founder of the American branch, John Bush, came over among the first settlers of Jamestown, and was the friend and companion of Captain John Smith. My great-grandfather, Philip Bush, possessed a large landed estate. His eight sons and four daughters were matrimonially connected with some of the most distinguished families in the 'Old Dominion.' My grandfather, Ambrose, the youngest child, save one, married a Gholson, a family from whence originated statesmen and orators. My great-uncle, Captain Billy Bush, came to Kentucky with Daniel Boone on his second trip. He was fortunate in securing the fairest portion of the land in Clark county, by warrants and otherwise, extending from Winchester to Boonesboro'. He gave away, or sold for a trifle, farm after farm to his friends and relatives that they might be induced to settle near him. These seemed so well satisfied with the Goshen of their choice that even their descendants had no disposition to emigrate, nor, indeed, to enter the arena of public life. Thus they continued their pastoral and farming occupations, 'lengthening their cords and strengthening their stakes,' marrying and intermarrying with the families in the vicinity as well as among their own kindred, until the relationship can scarcely be traced to a vanishing point. There are the Quisenberrys, the Vivions, the Elkins, the Gentrys, the Embrys, the Bushes, etc.--all uncles, aunts or cousins, and at one time you might travel for miles without being out of the favored circle. When I can first recollect, it was a community of Baptists, and they all worshiped at the stone meeting-house, on Howard's Creek. There is an interest attached to this old church that deserves mention. It is probably the first Baptist church built in Kentucky, [It is the first of any kind.--A. C. Q.] Its foundations are laid deep and strong, though not large and wide. A community of Baptists living in Virginia determined to immigrate to Kentucky, in 1780. The ruling elder, Rev. Mr. Vinton [Vivion], was their leader. They passed through much tribulation, and finally reached their destination, but had no permanent place of worship until the stone church was erected and called 'Providence.' Rev. Robert Elkin was their pastor for forty-two years. Among the most prominent members for a long time were my grandparents, who lived to see many of their descendants baptized into the same church. I visited the neighborhood in 1824, and found attached to the congregation thirteen widow Bushes. During the past year (1864) I had the privilege of entering within its hallowed walls and hearing an excellent sermon from a Reformed Baptist minister. The Reformers preach on alternate Sundays with the old Baptists, and the two congregations worship together, generally without any disagreement. The old church is in good condition. We reach it through a lovely bluegrass region, dotted with stately mansions and rendered attractive by green lawns and magnificent old sugar trees, through whose foliage the sunlight streaming down covers the ground with enchanting figures of light and shade. The rugged hills surrounding the creek present a striking contrast to the green valleys where summer sleeps upon beds of roses. Now and then a simple cottage is seen sparkling like a diamond in its granite cup; or on the top of some green and goodly hill a dwelling, white and fair, gleaming through depths of richest verdure. In a lovely nook, nestled among the rock-hills of the creek, stands the house of a dear old relative [Roger Quisenberry], with whose family I was privileged to spend a few hours during my recent visit--a golden link in the chain of reminiscences binding me to the past. What a tide of sweet memories swept over me as I listened and learned again the oft-repeated histories of my childhood's rosy hours, and stood once more in the graveyard where, amid crumbling gravestones, rested the bodies of so many I had known and loved in early life. What changes had passed over Kentucky since my grandparents were deposited in that quiet resting-place! Their tomb-stones are hoary with age. and crumbling into dust; but affection keeps the spot green with fresh memorials. Flowers bloom in loveliness around them. The sweetbrier sends forth its fragrance and summer roses are found there gushing with dewy sweetness. "Of my uncle, Billy Bush, a word and I am done with this subject, rendered somewhat tedious by the clinging fondness of my own recollections. This famous old Indian fighter, after having suffered, in common with the rest of the settlers, many privations. and having endured much, found himself with but a few hundred acres of that vast domain he had fought to defend. He had munificently given away much, and was probably bereft of some by defective titles. He spent his latter years in the visionary pursuit of silver mines, which he never found. Like the mirage of the desert they eluded his grasp, forever and forever vanishing as the spot was neared. The glittering prize proved 'a glorious cheat,' but it kept up its delusions until the 'silver-chord was loosened and the golden bowl was broken,' and the poor old man found a resting place beneath Kentucky soil, with many other patriarchs of the infant State. * * * "I recollect what an inexpressible feeling of awe crept over my childish spirit as I listened to the veteran pioneers telling their exploits with the Indians and recounting with peculiar zest their perils, their bloody struggles, their hairbreadth escapes, and their victories. The whites scarcely ever took prisoners; they considered it safer to dispatch them at once to another world. My heart-bubbling laughter was stilled and my childish sports forgotten as, listening, I crept nearer to my grandmother's side. * * * The whole State of Kentucky was then a perfect jungle of beautiful luxuriance, and, to the admiring eyes of the new settlers, another Eden, with its green glories of canebrake (which in some places grew twenty feet high) and forest, crystal streams and laughing skies; its luxuriant cornfields and bluegrass woodland pastures. No wonder our good old preacher, with his own peculiar quaintness, in describing the beauties of heaven called it 'a fair Kentucky of a place.' To the early settlers of Kentucky it appeared a fairy land. Leaf-embowered streams, whose laughing waters danced over polished pebbles that glittered in the sunlight like diamonds; hill and dale, mountain and glade, varied the scene to the charmed eye of the huntsman, as he wandered through the thick forests under a canopy of softest blue, while the lofty trees sang a pleasant melody at the bidding of the balmy, flower-laden breeze. No wonder that the tales of the past, which now in memory dwell, are full of mystical fancies, arising from those days and beautiful solitudes where-- 'All the boundless store of charms Which nature to her votary yields? The pomp of grove and garniture of fields.'-- fills the heart with emotions of love and gratitude to that great and good Being who created this earthly paradise, as if to reflect the...

Williams�s Mother was Mary Bryan. Mary�s lineage is: MARY BRYAN (WILLIAM 15, FRANCIS 14, WILLIAM SMITH 13, FRANCIS 12, FRANCIS 11, THOMAS 10, THOMAS 9, EDMUND 8, THOMAS 7, WILLIAM 6 DE BRYAN, GUY 5, GUY 4, GUY 3, GUY 2, GUY1 DE BRIENNE) was born Abut. 1717, and died Abut. 1772. She married PHILIP BUSH Abut. 1737 in Orange Co. VA. William Bryan with his wife Margaret and family migrated from Bainbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland in the year 1718, bringing with them a letter of commendation from the Ballyroney Presbyterian Church. After sojourns in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, he moved into Virginia around the year 1730 and finally settled in the Roanoke community about the year 1746. This became his home until his death in 1789 at the age of 104 years. They were both buried in the grave yard that is on the Bryan Homestead, or the Great Springs place in Salem, VA. William Bryan m. Margaret, sent his little son, John, to the woods to cut a stick for the handle of a hook used in weaving, and he was arrested for "poaching". After much trouble and expense he got him cleared and immediately sailed for America in 1718, where, as he said, "Timber is free and there are no constables." They were from Ballyrony, County Down, and the neighboring town of "Bryanford" being named from some of the family. About 1745 he, with his son, James and David Bryan, a son or a brother, and probably others of the family, moved to and were the first settlers at present Roanoke. He settled at "Lake Spring" and David at "Big Lick" both now suburbs of Roanoke City. He and his son William settled on a fine body of land in Roanoke Valley in 1749, building their cabin beside Lake Spring. He had made a preliminary visit to the section in 1746. The town reservoir is at the top of a high tower on the ridge out of which Spring Lake flows. On the narrow, level top of the reservoir hill, overlooking the town of Salem is an old graveyard. At the end is a monument in memory of William Bryan I, William Bryan II, and Margaret Bryan, wife of William II, "erected by a grateful descendent, Thornton Whaling, D. D." Margaret was born 1724; died in 1804. Francis Bryan was the Standard bearer to William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne Aug. 12, 1690 Info from C. Moore P. O. Box 19042, Jacksonville, Fl. 32245 In 1667, Francis Bryan III (son of William Smith Bryan) returned to Ireland in an attempt to regain the family estates in county Claire. Meeting with strong opposition he fled to Denmark where he married Sarah Brinker, said to have been a cousin to the Prince of Orange. Francis was able to return to Ireland after the "Bloodless Revolution" about 1683 where he settled in Belfast and lived to the date of his death in 1694. It was in Belfast 1685, that his second son William was born. Francis Bryan III was born in 1630. Most researchers indicate that he was born in Glouester, Virginia, but this appears to be in error since both his parents lived in Ireland until 1650. Francis III no doubt saw the new world for the first time at about the age of 20 when the Bryan family was exiled to the Virginia Colony. We no nothing about the life of Francis in Virginia, but with the end of the Commonwealth and the reestablishment of the Monarchy under Charles II in 1660, he no doubt felt that it was safe to return to Ireland. Thus, in 1667 after 17 years in Virginia, he left for Ireland with the intent of reclaiming his father's estates. He was 37 years old at this time which gives rise to the possibility that he could have been married a first time in Virginia. The presence of Francis III in Ireland was anything but welcome by English officials and in particular those now in possession of his father's lands. He was so threatened that he fled to Denmark, which had become a haven for persecuted Protestants whose cause had been championed by the Dutch Prince of Orange. Francis III soon married Sarah Brinker, a cousin of the Prince of Orange, and their first son Morgan Bryan was born in Denmark. He was finally permitted to return to Ireland in 1683. A little background history will help explain the future movements of Francis and his family. The Dutch Prince William of Orange married Princess Mary, daughter of King James II of England and though her father was Roman Catholic, she embraced the Protestant cause. The three year rein of James II was one of turmoil and William of Orange and Mary were invited by the protestant controlled Parliament to assume the Throne. On 5, November 1688 William landed in Brixham, Devon, with a sizeable army, quickly advanced to London and took the throne on Christmas Day, forcing James II into exile in France. They officially became King William and Queen Mary II in February 1689. The deposed King James II did not accept his fate and with the help of the French managed to raise a Catholic Irish army, King William's army met the forces of James II at Boyce River about 25 miles north of Dublin and here took place the historic "Battle of the Boyce" on 11 July 1690 where the forces of James II were soundly defeated. Francis III was a standard bearer to King William in that battle. When the Battle of Boyce was fought in 1690, between King William II of Orange against James II, Francis Bryan, and his sons William and Morgan served in King William's Color Guard. Francis died in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1694, the country of his birth and spent much of his adult life fighting to restore his lost heritage. A descendant of the leading families of both England and Ireland, he began his life as a defendant of the Roman Catholic Church and ended as a staunch Protestant. He lived 31 years in Ireland, 17 years in Virginia and 15 in Denmark. We surmise that when Francis Bryan III returned to Ireland from his exile in Denmark, all hopes for the restoration of family estates and titles had been given up. Instead, he or his family, turned to become a part of the Scotch-Irish group, which was to play so prominent a part in the New World. We wonder if some influences he came under while exiled in Denmark did not have much to do with it. Or it might have been contact with the Protestant Movement in Northern Ireland. Anyway we now see political titles, offices in the government, landed estates, royal affiliations, all tossed aside and the Bryans as every day common people. But the adventurous spirit of their forefathers was not tossed aside. We find them setting their faces toward a new and hazardous world.

Facts about this person: Source: Family Archive #17, Ed. 1, Birth Records: United States/Europe, Birth Records AAI Birth Records ExtractionAuthor: Broderbund Software, Inc.Pub. Facts: Release date: December 23, 1993 Medium: Family Archive CD Comments: Indexed records. Pages(s): Internal Ref. #1.17.1.4648.42 Date of Import: Apr 29, 1999 v49t0246BRINKER.FBK] aka, "Prince Bryan" Info obtained from C. Moore P. O. Box 19042, Jacksonville, and Fl. 32245

Francis Bryan II was born to Sir Francis and Lady Joan Fitzgerald in 1549 and held large estates in County Claire. He married Ann, daughter of Sir William Smith. Francis and Ann Smith named their son, William Smith Bryan and he seemed to be Irish through and through. His followers dubbed him "Prince William of Ireland." Sir Francis II, born in 1549 was less than one year old when his father died. He inherited large estates in County Claire which the Crown had given his father upon the dissolution of the monasteries. As our first Bryan ancestor to be born in Ireland, his growing up years were no doubt heavily dominated and influenced by his mother's Fitzgerald family. His loyalty to the heritage of the Earl of Desmond must have also been strong. He was called Prince Bryan by his followers, and regarded as the true successor to the Earldom. Records indicate that he and Ann Smith had only one offspring. Francis Bryan was present with Henry VIII in 1520 at the Field of Cloth of Gold. In 1528, Henry sent Bryan to Rome to obtain papal sanction for his divorce from his queen, Catherine of Aragon, in order that he might marry Ann Boleyn. The mission, of course, failed. During Henry's courtship of Anne Boleyn, Bryan was an advocate of his rising "cousin," as he called her. He was of the group (including Harry Norris, Francis Weston, William Brereton, Thomas Wyatt, Edward Seymour, and George Boleyn, brother of Queen Anne Boleyn) that had its center in Anne Boleyn. Henry VIII's lasting affection for Bryan and Bryan's own sense of self preservation protected him during the time of downfall of Henry's second queen; while others literally lost their heads because of Henry's determination to rid himself of Anne, Bryan came through unscathed. He was present 15 Oct. 1537 for the christening of Prince Edward, Henry's son by Jane Seymour and afterwards Edward VI. In 1539 he was among a group that met Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, at Calais and escorted her into England. He was a member of parliament for Buckinghamshire in 1542 and 1544 and in Feb 1547 at the funeral of Henry VIII Sir Francis Bryan took chief place as "master of the henchmen". Henry fondly referred to Francis Bryan as his "one-eyed Vicar from Hell", which might be interpreted as meaning one of unquestionable loyalty. On September 27, 1547, Edward VI, Henry's successor to the Throne, bestowed upon Francis the title of Knight Bannerette (a knight who carries his own banner and a rank above Knight Bachelor). We now turn from Sir Francis' lifetime service to the King to his own personal life. He first married Philippa Spice, daughter of Clement Spice, who headed a very old and powerful English family. We do not know what happened to Phillip, but in late 1548, Sir Francis was married for a second time. His new wife was John Fitzgerald, widow of James Butler (9th Earl of Ormondea) and therefore Dowager Countess of Ormonde, and this is where our Irish connection begins. He died in his 60th year and is buried at Waterford, port city of County Waterford, which is about 25 miles east of Clonmel. He had lived in Ireland for only a little over one year, but here left his only heir. He was a soldier, diplomat and poet. Some of his poetry appeared in Tottel's Miscellany. Facts about this person: OccupationJustice of Ireland The Bryans Family had English as well as an Irish origin. These two lines were welded into one that in time became predominantly Irish. When Sir Francis Bryan married Joan Fitzgerald the two lines were united. Sir Francis Bryan was English and became prominent in government affairs in England during King Henry VIII. We are told that, "he was one of the brightest ornaments of Henry's court," and that there was an intimate relation between him and his sovereign going back to their youths; that he was the King's constant companion in his amusements. Naturally he rose rapidly in the affairs of Henry's government and held many important offices. Sir Francis was created a knight Banneret on September 27, 1547. Hall, the Chronicle, gives a quaint description of Royalty gathering on the Field of the Cloth of Gold, to witness the tournaments. The participants were colorfully dressed. Among the names we find "Sir Francis Brian". Hall also tells us that on one occasion Sir Francis Bryan lost an eye in a tilting match. Joan Fitzgerald was the daughter and heiress of James Fitzgerald, 10th Earl of Desmond. Thus she was related to two prominent Irish families. Her family on the Fitzgerald side is traced back to Brian Boroimhe (or Boru) one of the outstanding figures of Irish history, whose reign known as the "Golden Age" in Ireland. This old and heroic line is known as the Dalcassians, from Cas Mac Tail, son of Conall of the Fleet Steeds, King of Munster in the year 366 A. D. The pedigree taken from a number of ancient manuscripts written by hand on vellum, Books of Leinster, Ballymote and other hoary volumes in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, beginning with King Brian is as follows:

Brian Boromhe.....175th Monarch of Erin b. A. D. 926, killed by the Danes at Clontarf, on Good Friday 1014. He married Gormflaith, sister of Maolmhhorda, King of Leister, by whom he had Tiege, continuing the line. Tiege....m. Mor, daughter of Gilla-Brighis O'Mulloy d. 1022 Turlogh Mor...m. daughter of O'Hyne of Kilmaedaugh d. 1080 Dermond....m. Sadhbh, dau. of Tiege MacCarthy Mor. Turlogh....m. Narait, dau. of o"Fogarty, Lord of Eliogarty Donal Mor...m.Orlacan, dau. of Dermond na Gall Mae Morough, d. 1194 Donough-Cairbreach O'Brien....m. Sabia dau. of Donogh O'Kennedy, Lord of Musery Tire. He was the first to assume the O'Brien surname. Connor-Na-Siddine... m. Mor, dau of Mac Namara, Lord of Hy-Coileann. Brian Ruadh...first of that branch of the O'Brien known as the "O'Brien of Arra�, d. 1277. Donal...m. Margaret, dau. of Turlogh Dubh Mac Mahon Brian.....m. daughter of Henry de Burgo Murrogh-Ra_Ranaighe...m. dau. of O'Kenedy of Ormonde Turlogh... m. Honoria, dau. of De Barry Oge. Tiege... Donal Mor..... Murtogh Caoch..... Turlogh.....m. dau. Donagh O'Carroll Amy...m. James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald, tenth Earl of Desmond Joan Fitzgerald...m. Sir Francis Bryan Her father was of the family of Geraldines, one of the prominent lines of Anglo-Irish lords who settled in Ireland in the time of Henry II.

Thomas Bryan I was knighted 1497 "Knight of the Body" by King Henry VII. He was "Knight of the Body" at the opening of the reign of Henry VIII, and served on the Commission of the Peace for Buckinghamshire where the Bryan family estates were located. Sir Thomas Bryan father of Francis was a direct descendant of Engelbert I, Seigneur de Brienne, who died in 990. Thirteen generations later there was Lord Guy de Bryan, who did important civil and military service during the reigns of Edward III and Richard II. His wife, Margaret, the Lady Bryan, was a governess of the baby daughter of King Henry VIII after her mother Anne Boleyn was beheaded in 1536. This baby was to become Queen Elizabeth I. Margaret was half-sister to Queen Anne Boleyn's mother; Lady Bryan was nurse and governess to Henry VIII's children (Queen) Mary, (Queen) Elizabeth and Edward VI; it was this Lady Bryan with whom Queen Anne Boleyn corresponded concerning the young Princesses. She was very devoted to them and much beloved by them all. She was descended from the Saxon line of Cerdic, who founded the kingdom of Wessex, A. D. 519. Lady Margaret Bouchier, wife of Sir Thomas Bryan, was a cousin of Queen Anne Boleyn and was a great favorite at the glamorous court of Henry VIII, who had a predeliction for wives. She is said to have been very beautiful and most fascinating and her influence was so great and far-reaching that jealous courtiers in their "whisperings" even suggested a "royal romance." Sir Thomas Bryan II (Chief Justice, Court of Common) was born in 1438 in Cheddington, Buckinghamshire, England. He died after 1500. He served as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1471 until his death in 1500. There is heraldic evidence at the College of Arms which indicates that he was connected with the family of Bryans which settled at Tor Bryan in Devon, from very early times. Source: Research from Charles and Mary Bowen of San Diego, received from Russell Ready, family genealogist, from Santa Ana, CA. in February 1995. Royal lineage of Bryan family is well established. We have an abstracted copy of his will translated from Latin dated 7 Feb. 1495 which states in part:

"To Thomas Bryan my son and Margaret his wife, all lands, rents and services to them and their heirs lawfully begotten between them, and if they have no such issue, to Elizabeth my daughter and ultimate remainer to my right heirs...To Elizabeth my daughter twelve silver spoons which I had in part left me by Lady Otteley, and ten pounds relief for the appropriation by her will thence made. To Joan, my bastard daughter, late wife of Thomas Clement, forty shillings, and annually after my orbit forty shillings out of all lands. A priest to be found to say Mass and other obsequies for my soul and souls of my parents for twenty years after my death."

It appears that his wife Margaret preceded him in death. Sir Thomas died in the year 1500, but we do not know where he is buried, he probably died in London, and his will stated his desire to be buried in the church of the religious men of Ashringe (Ashreigney) if he would die within twenty miles of that place. Knighted 1497 "Knight of the Body" by King Henry VII. He was "Knight of the Body" at the opening of the reign of Henry VIII, and served on the Commission of the Peace for Buckinghamshire where the Bryan family estates were located. Sir Thomas Bryan father of Francis was a direct descendant of Engelbert I, Seigneur de Brienne, who died in 990. Thirteen generations later there was Lord Guy de Bryan, who did important civil and military service during the reigns of Edward III and Richard II.