BRYANS OF PENFIELD
Some of the topics to be addressed at this web page include:
Early Bryans of Ontario/Monroe County, New York
A Bryan Family settled early in "Northfield" and is associated with what became known as "Penfield" in western New York after the Revolution.
Isaac Bryan (discussed on previous page) apparently was distantly related to the Penfield Bryans who settled in western New York even before Isaac Bryan arrived in Rochester.
These cousins and their children and grandchildren remained in contact with the children and grandchildren of Isaac Bryan well into the late 19th century in Rochester. This part of the family legend has, so far, not been well reported.
As noted previously Elisha Bryan's son, George S. worked with Horace Bryan (Jr.), the son of Caroline Bryan. Caroline was the widow of Horace Bryan (Sr.) the son of Jacob B. Bryan, early pioneer of Penfield. It appears that Caroline was living with George S. Bryan's family at that time.[City Directory Rochester 1880-1890]. This suggests, but does not prove, there was a family relationship between Jacob B. Bryan and Isaac Bryan.
The following information was provided by the Penfield Library Local History Room, Penfield NY. The material on Joseph Bryan and the children of Jacob Bryan bears the notation, "From papers of Mrs. Carlton Bown. copied 2-22-60 on a loose sheet in book 'Fellows and Sanburn Famly records' written by Henry Fellows Sr." The death and marriage of Barney Bryan comes from the Jonathan Baker-Betsey Crowell-Betsey Bryan Bible copied in 1977 by Mrs. Donna R. Irish.. [Bracketted notes are those of the web page author.]
Joseph Bryan b. Oct 1745 d. Feb. 7, 1812
m. June 1788 to
Lois Brown b. June 1767 d. 1 Oct 1802)
Ezekiel Clark b. April 13, 1767 d. May 10, 1839
m. 1794 to
Milta Taft b. Jan. 7, 1771 d. May 1804
children of the above--
Jacob Brown Bryan (July 23, 1789 - June 4, 1843) [buried Oakwood Cem., Penfield]
[Ens. 52d NY Militia, War 1812]
was married Jan. 16, 1816 to [A Utica Presby. Ch. Rec.gives a
[a marriage of Jacob O'Brien and
[Maria Clark Jan. 17, 1815]
Maria Clark (July 12, 1798 - April 20, 1869) [Daughter of Calvin Clark]
Children of J.B. and M. Bryan
Jane Williams b. 13 Jan 1817, d. 10 Mar 1889 [bapt. 27 Aug. 1826, St. Lukes
[m. 4 Oct 1843 to Charles Fellows,
[bur. Oakwood Cem. Lot 316]
Mary Louise b. 2 Dec 1818, d. 26 Feb 1843 [bapt. 27 Aug. 1826, St. Lukes]
Horace Clark b. 26 Jan 1821 d. 1 Oct 1869 [bapt. 27 Aug 1826 St. Lukes
[m. Caroline_____
m. Caroline_____,
Maria Clark b. 25 Sept. 1822, d. 4 Dec 1822
George b. 21 July 1824, d. 15 Sept 1828
John Franklin, b. 25 Jan 1826, d. 21 Feb 1870
Ann Maria, b. 22 April 1829, d. 12 June 1835
Henry Brown, b. 18 Oct 1831, d. 3 Aug 1875
Emily Eliza, b. 18 June 1834, d. 10 June 1835
Elizabet Lee, b. 9 Mat 1836, d. 22 Sept 1841
Sources: Oakwood Cemetery, Penfield, NY; St. Lukes Church Records, Rochester NY; Monroe County Surrogate Court.
The above data claims that Jacob B. Bryan was the son of Joseph Bryan of West Stockbridge, Massaschusetts, and his wife Julia Brown. Yates, Pioneers of Mendon shows that a Joseph Bryan from Stockbridge, Massacnusetts, settled in Mendon, New York, by at least 1804. The ancestry of Joseph is not given but he is believed to have descended from Alexander Bryan of Aylesbury, England and Milford Connecticut (1602-1679). Jacob B. Bryan was probably a distant cousin to Isaac Bryan of Rochester (the subject of the main Bryan web page at this site.)
Penfield, New York was an early settlement on the Irondequoit River near what became Rochester. Its founder, Daniel Penfield, was a wealthy Hudson Patroon who made his money in shipping and flour milling. He was a friend of the Western New York land speculator, Oliver Phelps. Penfield married Mary Fellows whose brother had been called upon to put down the Shay's Rebellion of Western Massachusetts after the Revolution. In protest the rebels burned down Daniel's store. But Daniel prospered with the aid of Phelps and bought the entire township that would become Penfield, New York. Ironically the same township had been settled by squatters who were refugees from the Shays Rebellion. Among other settlers were the Bryans, Fellows and Clarks from the Berkshires.
Jacob B. Bryan and his brother Barney came to Penfield in 1811. Barney married Betsy Beatty Oct. 4. 1812. Then he went to war. In a letter dated Lewiston, Oct. 15. 1812, Barney wrote to his bride, Betsy. Barney was killed on Nov. 14, 1812 at the Battle of Queenston Heights. Barney's last letter to his bride, Betsy Beatty Bryan, has been preserved by his descendants, the Biggs/Baker family, and a transcript and image are available through the Penfield Public Library.
Jacob married Maria Clark about 1816-1817. (There are conflicting records: one family bible record and one church record.) Jacob bought land from Penfield and opened the "Stillwater Tavern." It is said by some that Jacob came from Saratoga County--which suggests they might be related to a famed tavern-keeper of the Revolution named Alexander Bryan who owned the "Stillwater Tavern" of Half Moon in that region.Jacob became a vestryman at Trinity Episcopal Church and opened the first store in Penfield with William McKinstry. Jacob purchased his property from Daniel Penfield in 1827. (Lot 17, Township 13, Range 4, 24 March 1827, Monroe County Recorder, Deed Book 8, p. 562.) Jacob was Postmaster of Penfield (RDD 10 Jan 1832, 3:4) and was involved in politics (RR 20 Nov 1832, 2:6). (Details of Jacob's life in Penfield are given in Maude Frank: History of Penfield)
.Adding a bit of confusion to Jacob's origin, his obituary claims he came from Saratoga Springs:
From his obituary (RDD 22 June 1843, 2:7) and the records of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Rochester,(Rochester Genealogical Society)
Jacob B. Bryan was born 23 July 1789 and died 21 June 1843. He "returned the day before his death from Saratoga springs...and was one of the oldest inhabitants of that region..." (See also Monroe County Surrogate Court, Letters of Administation Bk. 1, p. 152.)
As stated in the previous pages about Isaac Bryan et al., later Rochester records show children of Jacob B. Bryan living and working with those of Elisha Bryan. This does not prove they were cousins. It could have been coincidence. But records of the Episcopal Church imply that William W. Bryan/Bryant and Jacob B. Bryan probably knew each other--and in fact their church records have been confused.
For instance Jacob's daughter Jane Williams Bryan was listed as daughter of "Late Jacob B. Bryan" when she married Charles Fellows at the Methodist Chapel, Penfield 4 Oct 1843 (St. Pauls Records). But her St. Lukes baptismal record shows her as the child of William Bryant.[I believe this record is in error].
That the William W. Bryan in the Episcopal Records is the same William W. (related to Isaac and Elisha Bryan) is indicated in the baptismal record of Plat VanZandt Bryan at St. Pauls. (Plat was the son of William W. Bryan as shown in the Monroe Co. census of 1860: two families--those of Elisha and William 'Byron' (and son Plat)--were all enumerated together in the same census household.Take a look at the Episcopal records as transcribed: