#52ancestors Post Thirty-Three: Were Your Bryans Famous?

William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925)

This week's writing prompt for #52ancestors is Family Legend.  Merriam-Webster.com defines a legend as a story coming down from the past.  In my family, there are some family stories I will not / cannot write about. There are others that have been proven, some I cannot prove, and, others, I seriously doubt. 

My Bryan family passed on this short list of famous people that were thought to connect to us; some Bryans and some not. 

John Nance Garner

John Nance Garner was a Texas congressman and Vice President under Franklin Delano Roosevelt during his first two terms. He is not connected to my family. However, my grandfather's sister, Terrell "Bunch" Bryan married a James D. Biggs. John Nance Garner is connected to this Biggs family. 

John Neely Bryan

John Neely Bryan is known as the founder of Dallas, Texas. Although his last name is Bryan, I found him while researching my Hairston family. He is connected to the Hairstons only by marriage. See more at this link.

William Jennings Bryan

When Bryan family members learn I am researching family, they ask about the family's link to William Jennings Bryan. William Jennings Bryan was a Democratic and Populist leader who ran unsuccessfully three times for the U.S. presidency between 1896 and 1908. 

If there is a link, I doubt I will find it in my lifetime. William Jennings Bryan was born in Marion County, Illinois in 1860 and his father (Silas Bryan) born in Culpepper, Virginia in 1822. Silas Bryan's father was John; also of Culpepper.  My Bryan family was in North Carolina at this time. My Reddick Bryan was probably the same age as John of Culpepper. If there is a link it would be many, many generations beyond the unproven father of my Reddick Bryan. 

Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone's wife was Rebecca Bryan; born before 1740 in Virginia. If there is any connection at all to my Bryan family it would again need to be many, many generations beyond the unproven father of Reddick Bryan. 

James Stephen Hogg

James Stephen Hogg was governor of Texas from January 20, 1891 to January 15, 1895. My father mentioned several times that Governor Hogg was family. I found a connection when I was researching Hairstons and learned he is probably very distantly related. See more at this link. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana
© 2018 

Sources

Britannica.com. William Jennings Bryan AMERICAN POLITICIAN.  Britannica, July 2018. Web. 19 Aug. 2018. 

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn. 

Meriam- Webster. Definition of Legend. Web. 19 Aug. 2018. <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legend>.