A Church Meeting Held at Liberty Chapel, Bienville Parish, Louisiana - April 11, 1875

The following description of the Liberty Chapel was found on a paper titled "Brief Statement of the History of the Grand Bayou Church. It appears to have been written by Marguerite Cook Clark. She sent this to E. Ragan Pruitt in 1982. He passed this on to me in 2003.

"Liberty Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church South, Bienville Parish was located some 6 or 7 miles SE of Ringgold on what was the Reddick Bryan place, near the Bryan cemetery was the founder of Methodism in this area.  As early as Oct. 1845 they were having Camp Meetings. Elizabeth S. Bryan reported there were only 4 tents, but they had a fine time. That had a good many hearers, and there were 13 who joined the church."

Along with this description, Ragan sent me a copy of this information about the Liberty Chapel and its members. However, when I visited Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter, Palma, I saw the actual document and scanned it along with the back of the document, which contained some notes and a few more names.

I have identified the individuals named in this document below. At least thirty-one of those named are connected to my Bryan/Regan family. There may be errors, and I would appreciate any corrections or additional information about the persons listed.

Mrs. Mary Manning 

May have been the mother of Mildred Manning Prothro Bryan, wife of Tillmon C. Bryan. In 1870, Mary Manning was living with the Tillmon C. Bryan family. 

Mrs. Eliza S. Bryan 

Born Elizabeth S. Regan in 1798, she was the daughter of Joseph and Dorothea Regan of Robeson County, NC. In 1875, she was the widow of Reddick Bryan.

Mrs. Sarah Bryan

"Absent" was written next to her name. Could this be Sarah Lawson Bryan, widow of Miles Bryan, who died in 1863? Miles is thought to be closely related to Reddick Bryan.

Mr. John Regan and Mrs. John Regan

"Moved" was found next to their names. John Regan was the son of Elizabeth Regan and her first husband, Joseph Regan. He married Martha Davis. All surviving children of John Regan and Martha Davis were on this list.  Three of the Regan's four sons were killed during the Civil War.

Mr. James Bryan

James Bryan, first son of Reddick Bryan and his first wife. James Bryan married Alice Mary Wimberly.

Mrs. A. M. Bryan

Alice Mary Bryan, daughter of William Wimberly and wife of James Bryan.

Mr. Kenneth Wardsworth and Ann Wardsworth

"Died" is written next to "Kenneth Wardsworth." No other information can be found about Kenneth or Ann Wardsworth. 

Mrs. Amanda Watts

Catharine Amanda Bryan, sometimes called "Manda."  She was the daughter of Reddick Bryan and Elizabeth Regan and the widow of James C. Watts.

Mr. T. C. Bryan and Wife

Tillman C. Bryan, son of Reddick Bryan and Elizabeth Regan, was married to  Mildred Manning Prothro Bryan.

Mrs. Sarah M. Bryan 

Sarah Margaret Wimberly was married to Joseph B. Bryan. She was the daughter of William Wimberly.

Mrs. Laura F. Martin 

Laura Frances Bryan, the first child of Joseph B. Bryan and Sarah Margaret Wimberly. She was married to Thomas Jefferson Martin.

Mrs. Fannie Thomas 

This may be Frances Louisa Wimberly, daughter of William Wimberly, who married Benjamin Franklin Thomas.

Mr. J. L. Wimberly

John Lawson Wimberly, son of William Wimberly.

Mrs. Fannie Wimberly

Georgia Ann Frances Bryan was the daughter of Reddick Bryan and Elizabeth Regan.  She was first married to James S. Pittman, who was killed in the Civil War, and later to Ezekiel Wimberly.

Mrs. Lucy Thomas

This might be Lucy T. Wimberly, daughter of John Lawson Wimberly and Sophanny A. Nix.  She was a granddaughter of William Wimberly. Lucy married Newport L. "Port" Thomas.

Mrs. Martha Caldwell

Currently unknown; however, I did find a Martha Susan Lawson, who married Isaac Caldwell in Bienville Parish in 1850, and a Martha Rebecca Leatherman, who was married to Alexander Hamilton Caldwell.

Mr. Terrell Bryan

"Withdrawn" is written by his name but not his wife, Harriet's. Terrell Bryan was my great-grandfather and the son of Reddick Bryan and Elizabeth Span Regan. It is said that he was in Texas by 1876 and lived in Eastland County. By 1878, he and his family were living in Erath County, Texas. 

Mrs. Harriet Bryan 

Harriet Louisa Albritton, my great-grandmother, was the daughter of Peter and Hollon Albritton. She married Terrell Bryan in 1855 in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. 

Mrs. Lou M. Brice

Louise Marian Regan was the daughter of John Regan and Martha Davis. She was first married to John Gregg. After his death, she married Columbus Brice. "Dropped" was written next to her name. 

Mrs. Fannie Davis 

"Absent by letter" was written by her name. Nothing was found regarding Fannie Davis.

Mrs. Lizzie Watts 

Martha Elizabeth Wimberly was married to Edmund B. Watts. "Lizzie" was the daughter of John Lawson Wimberly and Sophanny A. Nix.

Mrs. Lizzie Carr 

Elizabeth Frances Regan, daughter of John Regan was married John Carr. His name was crossed out on the list.  

Mrs. Cate Cabones 

Mary Catherine Regan married Andrew Cabiness.  "Cate" was the daughter of John Regan and Martha Davis. 

Mrs. Lucy Lawson 

Lucy Miranda Regan married Roger Lawson.  Lucy was the daughter of John Regan and Martha Davis.

Mrs. Josie Cook 

Joseph Sarah Catherine Bryan was the daughter of Joseph B. Bryan and Sarah Margaret Wimberly.  Josie was adopted by her Aunt Alice Mary Wimberly Bryan and Uncle James Bryan, a childless couple. Josie was married to Joseph W. Cook. 

Mrs. Alice Huckaby 

Alice E. Watts was the daughter of James C. Watts and Catherine Amanda Bryan. Alice was married to Green H. Huckaby.

Mr. E. B. Watts 

Edmund B. Watts was the son of Catherine Amanda Bryan and James C. Watts. He was married to Martha Elizabeth "Lizzie" Wimberly. 

 Mr. Thomas Wimberly

This may be Thomas Henry Wimberly, who died in 1871. Thomas Henry Wimberly was the son of William Wimberly and Lucy Wimberly. He was married to Josephine A. Davis.

Mrs. Sophronie Cutter 

This name was difficult to read and may not be correct. No information was found about Mrs. Sophronie Cutter. 

Mr. Ezekel Wimberly 

Ezekiel S. Wimberly was the second husband of Georgia Ann Frances Bryan Pitman. He was the son of David Wimberly.  This family's relationship to the William Wimberly family is unknown.

Mr. John Bryan 

This may be John Terrell Bryan son of Joseph B. Bryan and Sarah Margaret Wimberly.  John was adopted by his Aunt Alice Mary Wimberly Bryan and Uncle James Bryan, a childless couple. 

Mr. R. Bryan Regan 

Reddick Bryan Regan was the son of John Regan and Martha Davis. He was married to Sarah Elizabeth “Sallie” Gardner.

Mr. Edward H. Prothro 

Son of Mildred R. Manning Prothro Bryan and her first husband, E. Hartwell Prothro.

Mr. Andrew Shepherd 

Husband of Delpha Bryan, daughter of Miles Bryan and Sarah Lawson. "Dropped" is written next to his name. 

Mr. Roger Lawson 

Husband of Lucy Miranda Regan

Mr. George Pior  

George Pior was the first husband of Dorthy Emily Regan. "Died" followed his name in the minutes. 

Mrs. Dorrathy Rogers 

Dorthy Emily Regan was the daughter of John Regan and Martha Davis. She was first married to George Pior, and after his death, she married David A. Rogers. "Dropped" was written next to her name.

Mrs. Amanda Pior

I found no information about Amanda Pior. "Dropped" was written next to her name. 

Mrs. A. G. Davis

I found no information about Mrs. A. G. Davis. She was also dropped. 

On the back are some notes about the meeting as well as a few more names. The names are as follows:

Mr. Frances Alums

This name was followed by "joined Babtist," leading me to believe that he joined a Baptist church. Nothing more was found about this person. 

Miss Alice S. M. Wimberly

The most likely match for this person, as found in the Wimberly book, is Alice Martha Smith Wimberly. Born in 1857, she was the daughter of Charles Perry Wimberly and Lucy Adeline Thomas. 

Mr. Andrew L. Wimberly

Andrew Lawson Wimberly, born in 1855, was the son of John Lawson Wimberly and Sarah Ann Frances (Sophanny) Nix.

Mr. J. W. Cook

Joseph W. Cook was married to Joseph "Josie" Sarah Catherine Bryan, the daughter of Joseph B. Bryan and Sarah Margaret Wimberly.  

Lucy A. Wimberly

Lucy Adeline Thomas was married to Charles Perry Wimberly. 

~~~~~~~

 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

© 2024 

A Church Meeting Held at Liberty Chapel, Bienville Parish, Louisiana - April 11, 1875, digital image of the original found in the privately held collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), 2023. Documents were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas, on April 28, 2014, September 14, 2014, and November 9 to 11, 2016.

Billie Jean Poland, The History of Bienville Parish Vol. I (Bossier City, Louisiana: Everett Companies, 1984).

Copy of the Bible of John Regan - typed manuscript, digital image of the original found in the privately held collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), 2023. Documents were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas, on April 28, 2014, September 14, 2014, and November 9 to 11, 2016.

Diana Bryan Quinn "Catharine Amanda Bryan Watts of Bienville Parish, Louisiana" blog entry, 18 January 2020, Moments in Time: A Genealogy Blog (https://momentsintimeagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/2020/01/catharine-amanda-bryan-watts-of.html: accessed 4 December 2023).

Miles Bryan's Probate Papers, 1863, digital image of the original found in the privately held collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), 2023. Documents were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas, on April 28, 2014, September 14, 2014, and November 9 to 11, 2016.

Sherrod, Ricky L. "Strong Southern Women: Female Leadership on the Northwest Louisiana Frontier." Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association 52, no. 1 (2011): 5-34. Accessed January 16, 2021. 

Vera Meeks Wimberly, Wimberly Family History, Ancestors, Relatives, and Descendants of William Wimberly, Pioneer from Georgia to Louisiana 1837 (Houston Texas: D. Anderson, 1979).