Friday's Photo: Frances L. Bryan - Bienville Parish, LA to Erath County, TX

Frances L. Bryan 1859 to 1894
This appears to be a copy of the tintype seen below. Using Mark Thompson's
Historical Photo Analyzer at ChatGpt, I can surmise that due to her age and
the style of clothing, this photo was likely taken between 1875 and 1880.
As the family left Bienville in about 1876, and they were in Erath County
by 1878, I am unable to identify the location where the photo was taken.

This is likely the original image,
and the hand-colored version was
probably a later copy.

Frances L. Bryan was born in Louisiana on February 13, 1859, to twenty-two-year-
old parents, Terrell Bryan and Harriet Louisa Albritton. Frances was the second of their ten known children—her older brother Joseph had died in infancy two years before her birth. Family stories suggest that Frances may have had an intellectual disability, or possibly epilepsy. 

Frances spent the first part of her childhood in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. In 1861, when she was about two years old, her father joined the Louisiana Infantry. During his time away, Harriet and her children lived with Harriet's mother, Hollon Albritton.  By the war's end, Frances was the eldest of three girls, with at least six more children to be born to Harriet and Terrell by 1884. 

In about 1876, the Bryan family relocated to Eastland County, Texas, looking for new opportunities.  Frances was almost 20 when they moved to Erath County in 1878. Unlike her siblings, who married and started their own families, Frances did not marry or have children. She passed away on December 24, 1894, in Erath County at the age of 35. 

Frances’ cemetery stone at the Old Valley Grove Cemetery near Stephenville in Erath County lists her death as occurring in 1904. However, Terrell and Harriet Bryan's family Bible records her passing in 1894 at the age of 35 years, 10 months, and 11 days. I have not found any other records or reports confirming her death. She does not appear in the 1900 census, which also states that only six of Terrell and Harriet's children were still living at that time. Those six were Terrell L. Bryan Biggs, Hollon S. Bryan Latta, Laura L. Bryan Keith, Alice A. Bryan Hammett, Dorothy (Dollie) E. H. Bryan Wylie, and my grandfather, Redic E. Bryan.

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Diana

© 2025 

"Frances L. Bryan," colorized photograph, about 1880; scanned image, from the privately held photo collection of Jane Aebersold, CO, 2013.

"Frances L. Bryan," photograph, ca.1880; scanned image, from the privately held photo collection of D.B. Quinn, 2022.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28974168/frances_l-bryan: accessed February 1, 2025), memorial page for Frances L. “Fanny” Bryan (13 Feb 1869–24 Dec 1904), Find a Grave Memorial ID 28974168, citing Old Valley Grove Cemetery, Erath County, Texas, USA; Maintained by LookingForFamily (contributor 47127361).

Mark Thompson’s Historical Photo Analyzer (ChatGPT), response to a question by Diana Quinn, February 28, 2025. Available at https://chatgpt.com/g/g-gbEbpBXtc-mark-thompson-s-historical-photo-analyzer. 

Memories written by Terrell Little "Bunch" Biggs, 13 July 1937; digital copy, original copy held by Pat Waas, TX.

Terrell Bryan Family Bible Records, 1836 - 1927, The Illustrated Polyglot Household Bible (Philadelphia: G. Zeigler, McCurdy, & Co., 1870), "Family Record," privately held by Diana Bryan Quinn, Virginia Beach, VA, 2021