James Bryan's Bible - Recorded Births, Deaths, and Marriages of Bryan and Wimberly Family Members in Northwest Louisiana.

This Bible is identified as James Bryan's Book. It is part of the Frye family's collection of family documents and photos. James and Alice Mary Wimberly did not have children but did adopt Joseph "Josie" Sarah Catherine Bryan and John Terrel (also seen as Terrell) Bryan, siblings and children of Sarah Margaret Wimberly (Alice's sister) and Joseph B. Bryan (James's half-brother). It appears that this Bible was passed down from James and Alice to Josie Bryan Cook then on to her grandson, William Trott and finally to the Frye family. In this post, I have included the scanned images of the pages in the Bible containing family information. 

On this page in the first column, marriages were recorded for James and Alice, for Josie and Joseph W. Cook, for Thomas H. Wimberly (Alice's brother) and Josephine A. Davis, and for Josie's brother, John T. Bryan and Sarah Elizabeth "Lizzie" McElroy. 

In the second column, the marriages of the children of Josie Bryan and Joe Cook are recorded; Lula L. Cook to William J. Trott, Alice Belle Cook to Thomas W. Neal, Mary Elizabeth Cook to Thomas Corley, and James Bryan Cook to Ollye Mae Reed. The death of S. E. McElroy, wife of John T. Bryan is found at the bottom of the column. 

On this second page are the births and deaths of James, Alice, Josie, and John. On the bottom of the page are the birth and death dates of the biological parents of Josie and John, Joseph B. Bryan and Sarah M. Wimberly. 

The second column also shows the deaths of James Anderson Bryan and Fannie Nix Bryan. James A. was Josie and John's brother (another son of Joseph and Sarah). James A. and Fannie died of influenza within only a few days of each other. 

This third page tells of births and deaths of several family members. 

Thomas Henry Wimberly, Alice's brother, died in 1871, just a few years after his wife, Josephine, and young daughter, Lula. 

Under Thomas Henry Wimberly's birth, John Lawson Senior's death on April 6th, 1888 can be seen in very faded handwriting. This may be Alice's uncle as her mother, Lucy Lawson Wimberly did have a brother, John, who lived in Louisiana. 

Sophanny Ann Frances Nix Wimberly was the first wife of John Lawson Wimberly who is named below her and died on April 13, 1888. John was Alice's brother. 

C. A. Martin was Charles Arthur Martin, son of Laura Frances Bryan Martin (Josie's biological sister) and Thomas Jefferson Martin. He died at age 27 on June 15, 1912. 

At the bottom of the second column find the deaths of Martha S. Caldwell and Alice M. Stewart sisters of Alice's mother, Lucy Lawson.

This final page names some birth and death dates of  Josie and Joe Cook's children. 

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 

 Posts Related to James Bryan and Alice Mary Wimberly

Friday's Photo: Alice Mary Wimberly and James Bryan

Correcting Mistakes in Bryan Family Trees And How You Can Help

Friday's Photo: Joseph B. Bryan or James Bryan?

James Bryan - No Middle Initial

Friday's Photo: James Bryan - He Died Happy

Friday's Photo: Alice Bryan and Albert Bryan of Bienville Parish, Louisiana

Friday's Photo: Alice Mary Wimberly Bryan of Bienville Parish, Louisiana

James Bryan's Bible, 1869; scanned images, from the privately held collection of the Frye Family, San Francisco, 2019. Used with permission. 

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

From the Files of Marguerite Cook Clark: To Sarah M. Wimberly From Martha S. Lawson - October 28th 1839

Martha Susan Lawson gave or sent this poem to her eleven-year-old niece almost 185 years ago. Both Martha and Sarah left their homes in Georgia for Northwest Louisiana. Sarah's parents settled on land later known as Bienville Parish by 1838, and Martha did not come to Louisiana until sometime after 1838. The year is not known. 

Sarah Margaret Wimberly was the daughter of William Wimberly and Lucy Smith Lawson. Martha Susan Lawson was the sister of Sarah's mother, Lucy. Both women were married in Bienville Parish. Sarah married Joseph B. Bryan, brother of my great-grandfather, Terrell Bryan. Margaret married Dr. Isaac Anderson Caldwell. 

The poem is probably not an original poem written by Martha, as I have found the lines written in a variety of places on the Internet. 

Can memory e're forget the hours

That I have spent with you

As soon might  a fragrance quit

Or flowers refuse the dew

As soon might Sol withhold his rays

Or rivers cease to flow

Or should I e're forget the days

That I have spent with you.

As soon might stars refuse to shine

Or the moon her light impart

For the fond affections now entwine

Around my pensive heart.

As soon might beauty quit the flowers

Or the earth refuse the dew

As I should e're forget the hours

That I have spent with you. 

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 

Poem to Sarah M. Wimberly from Martha S. Lawson, 1839, from the privately held collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), Waynesville, North Carolina, 2021. The poem was 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. 

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

Look Beyond the Indexed Records When Searching Louisiana Wills and Probate Records at Ancestry.com

Isaac Anderson Caldwell was married to Martha Susan Lawson, sister to 

Lucy Smith Lawson, and first wife of William Wimberly of Bienville Parish. 

This page shows his will. 

"Succession of Isaac A Caldwell Decd, Louisiana, U.S., Wills, and Probate Records,

1756-1984," database, Ancestry.com

(https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9067/ : accessed 20 Feb 2024), 

pages 365-370.

I spent most of an afternoon last week at my local library, a FamilySearch Affiliate Library, looking at Bienville Parish, Louisiana deed records in an attempt to answer several questions about friends, neighbors, and associates of my Bryan family. Luckily, there were indexes, and I downloaded several wanted deed records. 

I also needed to look at wills and probate records, but none of the will or succession books were indexed, and there was no time left in the day to browse through the books. 

Later, hoping that someone had indexed these records, I checked the FamilySearch Research Wiki for Bienville Parish and found the following information about wills and probate records in Bienville Parish. 

"Bienville Parish, Louisiana Genealogy," FamilySearch Wiki (https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Bienville_Parish,_Louisiana_Genealogy :

accessed 20 Feb 2024).

The Index, Bienville Parish, Louisiana Will Book 1850-1932, compiled by Jinks Pate Lee, is an excellent resource that Bienville Parish researchers should save for future reference. However, know that not all wills are found in the Will Book - many others are seen in the succession books. 

Searches for several names in Ancestry's Louisiana, U.S., Wills, and Probate Records, 1756-1984  failed to come up with any results in Bienville Parish. Was that because the names were not found in the books or because the Bienville books were not in the collection? Or maybe they were in the collection but not indexed. 

"Louisiana, U.S., Wills, and Probate Records, 1756-1984," database, Ancestry.com (httphttps://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9067/ : accessed 20 Feb 2024), Source Information.

A look at the source information (see above) revealed the types of records found in the collection and stated that the collection includes "images of probate records from approximately 72 percent of Louisiana parishes." To find details on the parishes included, it was suggested to explore the browse menu. 

"Louisiana, U.S., Wills, and Probate Records, 1756-1984," database, Ancestry.com (httphttps://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9067/ :accessed 20 Feb 2024), Source Information.

The browse menu above shows that all probate and will records found at FamilySearch.org for Bienville Parish are also found at Ancestry.com. They are free to browse at a FamilySearch Library or Affiliate, but as I subscribe to Ancestry, I will be able to read them on my large screen while in my comfortable chair. 

However, I still had not completely answered my question about these records at Ancestry. Were the names I looked for not shown because they were not in the book or because the book was not indexed? The only way to quickly find out is to test it. I know that at least three of my Bryans in Bienville Parish had records in the Bienville succession books. A quick search for Bryan without specifying a parish resulted in 111 results, with only one for Bienville Parish. That one result for James Bryan was from the Will Book, revealing that only the Bienville Parish Will Book was indexed. I need to browse the succession books to find my people. 

"Louisiana, U.S., Wills, and Probate Records, 1756-1984," database, Ancestry.com (httphttps://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9067/ : accessed 20 Feb 2024),
search results for Bryan.

Browsing the Succession Books 

I began by browsing Probate Book C, called Succession Book C, in parish records and at FamilySearch. So far, it is fairly easy to read, and the content is very interesting. This book begins just before the end of the war in 1865, so you will still see some estates that include enslaved persons. If you are researching enslaved persons in this area of Louisiana, you will definitely want to browse all of these books. 

At the top of many pages is a descriptive title such as the one at the beginning of this post, "Succession of Isaac A. Caldwell Decd," or something like "Tutorship of minor John T. Chappel." This allows you to go through the book quickly without having to read each page. When you find a title with a name that interests you, check the previous page, as sometimes a record might begin in the middle of a page. 

I hope that this post was helpful. If you are a Bienville Parish researcher and find something new and exciting, please share!

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

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.

T. C. Bryan of Bienville Parish, Louisiana - Was he Tillman or Tilman?

When writing about my great-grandfather's brother, I never know if I should write Tillman or Tilman as his first name. I began with my father's family information, and he wrote the name as Tilman Capus Bryan. I was told by a Tillman/Tilman descendant early in my research that his name was Tillman Capers, not Tilman Capus, so I changed that in my tree but still see much confusion about his name. And, to add to the confusion, his son is also Tillman/Tilman Capers Bryan. 

Tillman and Tilman are found as surnames and given names, and both have the same meaning. Tillman is the English variation of the German Tillmann and was originally given to farmers or makers of tiles. Webster-dictionary.org shows the meaning as "a man who tills the earth; a husbandman." Tilman is considered a variation of Tillman. 

Tillman/Tilman Capers Bryan, son of Reddick and Elizabeth Regan Bryan
1830 to 1899

Going through my files and online postings, I found I use both Tillman and Tilman. To make this post easier to read, I will just use one name, Tillman. 

Beginning with Tillman, the father, at Ancestry's Public Member Trees, 117 used the spelling Tilman, 75 used Tillman, and 12 recorded his name as Tilmon. Where did they get the spelling they used? Maybe the name from another family tree, his cemetery stone, or a census record?  In 1850, the census taker wrote Tilman C. Bryan; in 1870 it was Fred Bryant and in 1880 Tilmon C. Bryan. 

Maggie Martin Cook, who only knew Tillman as a young girl, labeled her photos Tillman in her albums. The person who recorded his death in the bible belonging to his brother, Joseph B. Bryan, wrote Tillman as well. 

I have copies of two documents with Tillman's actual signature. Unfortunately, he signed his name as T. C. Bryan. Look at the third document. It is another probate document. Tillman was not present to sign the document. His wife signed his name as Tillman C. Bryan. 

Tillman's signature as T. C. Bryan on his father's probate record in 1864. 

This is referring to a Tribute of Respect written after the death of Martha Caldwell.
T. C. Bryan wrote the document for the Liberty Chapel Grange No. 111
[Farming organization] P. of H.  [The Patrons of Husbandry] and
signed this on August 16, 1875. 

Mildred R. Bryan signed for her husband, Tillman C. Bryan, in 1864. 
Note that Harriet L. Bryan signed for her husband, Terrel Bryan. Terrell
spelled his name as Terrell, not Terrel. 

I have never seen Tillman's family bible, but a 1976 transcription was found at National Headquarters of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2010. The transcription begins with the statement below. 

Tillman Bryans Holy Bible, July 21, 1894

New York American Bible Society, Distributed in the year 1853. The Old and New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This Bible in the possession of Martha Ann Bryan White, great-great-granddaughter of T. C. Bryan. 

Following this was one marriage - Tillman Capus Bryan and Mildred R. Manning Prothro was married April 15th AD 1851. 1851 could easily be a transcription error as they were married in 1857. 

Who has this bible? There were births and deaths of children, some not found in family trees at Ancestry or FamilySearch. I will list them in my next post. However, look at what I found under births for Tillman and his son. 

T. Capus Bryan was borned Sept. 13th A.D. 1830

Tillman Capus Bryan Jr. was borned April 17th AD 1862

Is it really Tillman? And is it Capus, not Capers? We will not know unless we see the actual Bible. Many times the writing is difficult to read and sometimes transcribers correct information. 

A transcription of Reddick Bryan's family Bible was also found at the National Headquarters of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and Tillman's name is transcribed as Tilman. At the time of the transcription in 1950, James Bryan Cook had the Bible. Who has this Bible now? 

Tillman was a life member of the Mackey Lodge No. 122 Free and Accepted Masons. I found his name on rolls and in minutes, but each time he was listed as T. C. Bryan. 

Tillman died on June 16, 1899. This photo of his current cemetery stone, in the Bryan Cemetery, was taken in 1981 when my parents visited Bienville Parish. My father wrote, in the Bryan Cemetery, there is a broken cast-aside stone (Masonic Symbol) T. C. Bryant b 9-13-1820 d. 6-16-1899. This marker is not over a grave but leaning up against the fence. 

 

This tintype found in Terrell Bryan's Bible was labeled Tillman Bryan. 
It was assumed that this was the older Tillman, Terrell's brother; 
however, after asking Maureen Taylor, the Photo Detective, to compare
and help identify some of my old photos, I realized this was not Tillman,
the father. Maureen pointed out facial features that didn't match the
known photo of Tillman as well as dating the clothing to be that of the 
1870s. This is more likely to be Tillman, the son. 

Tillman Bryan was written twice under this tintype. 

Tillman, the son, had the same inconsistencies in the spelling of his name. I could not find anything signed by him. He was Tillman, Tilman, and Tilmon on census records. In a letter his sister wrote to a cousin, she spelled his name as Tilmon. His obituary is titled Tillman C. Bryan, while his headstone names him as Tilman C. Bryan. 

My conclusion? We really don't know the correct spelling and probably will not unless we find Tillman's Bible. I will continue spelling his name as Tillman Capers and note the spelling variations in my family tree.  

Check my blog tomorrow for a great photo of Tillman as well as more information from the Bible record. 

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

© 2021

Sources 

100 Year History of Mackey Lodge #122. 1954. Photocopy held by D. B. Quinn [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Virginia Beach, Virginia.*

A Footstep In Time"Tilman Capers Bryan Jr. Cemetery Stone Photograph."  Find A Grave Memorial https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34638429/tilman-capers-bryan#view-photo=82174082. Accessed 3 Jan. 2021.

Bryan, Tillman C. Cemetery Stone Photograph. 1981. Photograph held by D. B. Quinn [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Bryan, Tillman C. Memorial Obituary. 1958. Digital copy held by D. B. Quinn [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Virginia Beach, Virginia.* 

Bryan, Tillman C. Obituary. 1958. Digital copy held by D. B. Quinn [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Virginia Beach, Virginia.* 

Bryan, Tillman C. Photograph. No date. Digital copy held by D. B. Quinn [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Virginia Beach, Virginia.*

Bryan, Tillman C. Tintype in Terrell Bryan's Bible. No date. Tintype held by D. B. Quinn [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Virginia Beach, Virginia. 

Caldwell, Martha. Tribute of Respect. 1875. Digital copy held by D. B. Quinn [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Virginia Beach, Virginia.* 

Clark, Mrs. Albert for the Bistineau Chapter, Louisiana DAR, “Bible Records Bryan and Related Families Bienville and Natchitoches Parishes Louisiana.” Louisiana DAR Genealogical Records Committee Report, Series 1, Volume 117: Louisiana. (1976), 57. digitized typescript, DAR Library, Washington, D.C.

Hammett, Sally Bryan. Sally to cousin Lizzie Regan, no date. Photocopy held by D. B. Quinn [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Virginia Beach, Virginia.  

Louisiana, Bienville Parish. 1850 U. S. Census, population schedule. Database with images. Ancestry. https://www.ancestry.com : 2020. 

Louisiana, Bienville Parish. 1870 U. S. Census, population schedule. Database with images. Ancestry. https://www.ancestry.com : 2020. 

Louisiana, Bienville Parish. 1880 U. S. Census, population schedule. Database with images. Ancestry. https://www.ancestry.com : 2020. 

Louisiana, Bienville Parish. 1900 U. S. Census, population schedule. Database with images. Ancestry. https://www.ancestry.com : 2020. 

Louisiana, Bienville Parish. 1910 U. S. Census, population schedule. Database with images. Ancestry. https://www.ancestry.com : 2020. 

Louisiana, Bienville Parish. 1920 U. S. Census, population schedule. Database with images. Ancestry. https://www.ancestry.com : 2020. 

Louisiana, Bienville Parish. 1930 U. S. Census, population schedule. Database with images. Ancestry. https://www.ancestry.com : 2020. 

Louisiana, Bienville Parish. 1940 U. S. Census, population schedule. Database with images. Ancestry. https://www.ancestry.com : 2020. 

Pharr, Mrs. John Newton for the New Iberia Chapter, Louisiana DAR, “Bible Records Bryan and Related Families Bienville and Natchitoches Parishes Louisiana.” Louisiana DAR Genealogical Records Committee Report, Series 1, Volume 25: Louisiana. (1950), 123-126. digitized typescript, DAR Library, Washington, D.C.

Proceedings of the M. W. Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana, Free and Accepted Masons, ... Annual Grand Communication. United States: The Lodge, 1912. Digital Copy. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Proceedings_of_the_M_W_Grand_Lodge_of_th/FHktAQAAMAAJ?hl=en

"Public Member Trees." Ancestry. https://www.ancestry.com. 2020.

Reddick Bryan Pension Record. 1864. Digital copy held by D. B. Quinn [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Virginia Beach, Virginia.* 

"Tillman."  Definition of Tillman by Webster's Online Dictionary http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/tillman. Accessed 3 Jan. 2021.

"Tillman."  Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tillman. Accessed 3 Jan. 2021.

_________________________________________________________

*Family photographs and documents from the collection of Marguerite Cook Clark. Accessed April 28, 2014, September 14, 2014, and November 9 to 11, 2016. Used with permission.