Biographical Historical Memoirs of Mississippi, Vol. I

447

One of the wealthiest and best. known citizens of the state of Mississippi is Dr.
ALEXANDER A. BRYANT, a resident of Coffeeville, Yalobusha county. He was born in
Richmond county, Va., in 1829. His parents, Thomas and Susan (Pope) BRYANT, were
natives of Virginia. In 1840 they removed to Mississippi, settling in Marshall
county, where Mr. THOMAS BRYANT purchased a tract of land near Holly Springs. He
was fortunate in business and acquired considerable property. He was a soldier in
the war of 1812, volunteering as a substitute for an old gentleman who had been
drafted. He died in De Soto county, Miss., in 1854, having removed to that county
in 1852; he was fifty-seven years of age. His wife was born in 1797 and died in
1846; she was the daughter of Ezekiel Pope, who was one of the early settlers of
Westmoreland county, Va. His ancestors came from England. He married Rachel
Packett, a Virginian by birth, and to them were born three sons and three
daughters. ALEXANDER BRYANT, the grandfather of our subject, was of Scotch
ancestry, his forefathers having immigrated to this country as early as 1420. The
land on which they settled on the Rappahannock river, in Virginia, has never passed
out of the family, and is now owned by ALEXANDER BRYANT. The grandfather served in
the Revolutionary war, as did also Ezekiel Pope. He married SUSAN LYLES, and to
them were born several children. The parents of ALEXANDER A. reared a family of two
sons and four daughters, all of whom are living except one daughter; their names
are as follows: Mrs. E. C. Still, JOHN W. BRYANT, Mrs. Fowler, Mrs. Weber. The
subject of this sketch was reared in Mississippi and received his education at
Holly Springs. In 1851-2 he was a student in the medical college of Louisville. He
began the practice of his profession in 1803 in Lafayette county, Miss., and
remained there until 1866; in that year he came to Coffeeville, Miss. He decided to
abandon his profession and embark in the mercantile trade. He formed a partnership
with S. B. Herron, the firm name being BRYANT & Herron; this relationship continued
until 1878, when Mr. BRYANT retired, devoting his whole time to his landed
interests, which are very large. He owns about seven thousand acres of land in
Mississippi, five thousand five hundred of which are in Yalobusha county; he also
owns vast tracts in other states. The Doctor was united in marriage in 1860 to Miss
Margaret Steen, a daughter of W. H. Steen, of South Carolina. She was born in
Mississippi in 1844, and all the relatives bearing that name, except J. B. Steen,
her father’s brother, are now deceased; they were early settlers in Rankin county,
Miss. Mrs. BRYANT was an only child. Her mother’s maiden name was Elizabeth Lusk;
she died at the residence of her daughter in 1889, aged eighty-two years. Mrs.
BRYANT was educated in Pontotoc county, Miss., and was a woman of rare attainments
and unusual force of character. She died in December, 1884, leaving three sons and
one daughter: Edgar, an attorney of Arkansas, was elected judge of the Fort Smith
district in 1884); William C. is one of the proprietors of the Birmingham Wholesale
Dry Goods company; Clyde, who takes her name from the river Clyde, Scotland, is a
highly accomplished young woman, and was educated in Nashville, Tenn.; ALEXANDER,
the youngest, is named for his father. In his early life Dr. BRYANT became
connected with the Masonic fraternity. In his political opinions he affiliates with
the democratic party, and he is an enthusiastic supporter of the principles of that
body. He has a most. comfortable home, where he is surrounded with all the luxuries
of modern life. He is a man fully abreast of the times, of broad, liberal views,
generous in his support of public measures, and withal a citizen of whom any state
may well be proud. The original home place, that was settled by his ancestors in
1720, is a tract of twelve hundred acres; the name of Alexander is a family name,
and with one exception it has never been held by one of any other name; ALEXANDER
BRYANT is the present owner of this place. The father of the Doctor was a musician
of no little note. He delighted in singing the beautiful Scotch ballads, and, in
fact, was pleased with anything pertaining to the native land of his ancestors.

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One of the oldest and most highly respected citizens of Lee county, who has been
prominently connected with its history for many years, is SAMUEL BRYSON, of
Bethany. He is a native of South Carolina, born August 15, 1809, in Laurens
district, the son of JAMES and ELIZABETH ANN (BLAKELY) BRYSON, also natives of
South Carolina. JAMES BRYSON was a son of WILLIAM BRYSON, a native of Ireland, who
emigrated to America with his parents, and settled in South Carolina. There he grew
to maturity, and was a conspicuous figure during Revolutionary times. He was twice
married, but his children were born by the first union. JAMES BRYSON, father of our
subject, was born, lived, and died in Laurens, S. C. He died in 1831, aged sixty
years. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. His wife, Elizabeth Ann Blakely, was
the daughter of Thomas and Margaret (McGaftick) Blakely, natives of Pennsylvania
and Ireland respectively. They reared a family of eight children, of whom Elizabeth
Ann was the oldest. She lived to be eighty-six years of age, and died September 27,
1874. Our subject is one of a family of thirteen children: William, Thomas, Samuel,
James, Hampton, Margaret, (wife of Alfred O. Sheills), Polly, Eliza, Henry, Porter,
Emily, Presley and John. Eliza married William Caldwell, and Emily is the wife of
MATTHEW BRYSON. The family emigrated to Mississippi in 1801, making the journey
from South Carolina by wagons. SAMUEL BRYSON settled on the place where he now
resides. He was married December 3, 1833, to Miss Jane Milam, a native of South
Carolina. She died August 1, 1857. They had born to them twelve children, three of
whom are yet living: William D., Thaddeus M., and Mary E., wife of Robert Gambrel;
the names of the other children were, Alvinus, Wilson, Elizabeth, Margaret (the
wife of T. W. Houston), Nancy, Samuel, Martha, Jane, Eliza G. and Milton. Four of
the children and the mother died at the same time of flux. Mr. BRYSON was married a
second time, October 25, 1860, to Margaret A. Crockett, widow of Eli Crockett. Her
maiden name was McCullough. Seven children were born of Mrs. BRYSON’s first
marriage, one of whom survives, Thomas J. Those deceased were Anna E., John M.,
David E., Benjamin F., Ruth E. and Priscilla. Three children were born to Mr. and
Mrs. BRYSON by their second union: Calvin L., Ludie P., and Argile, deceased. They
are now bringing up a little girl, Abby Adelia, daughter of W. D. BRYSON. Dr.
BRYSON and wife are members of Bethany church. Politically he adheres to the
principles of the democratic party. He is a man of superior business
qualifications, and accumulated a large amount of property. He has been able to
assist his children in making a start in life, giving to each of them at one time
$2,000, THADDEUS M. BRYSON, a son of SAMUEL BRYSON, was born December 12, 1845, and
was but six years of age when his parents removed to Mississippi. He was educated
in the common schools, hut owing to the late Civil war his advantages were
extremely limited. He left the schoolroom for the battlefield, and enlisted in the
Thirty-second Mississippi regiment. He saw a great deal of active service, and was
seriously wounded at Chickamauga. He had a furlough of seventy days and rejoined
his regiment at Tunnel hill, Ga. He was wounded again at Jonesboro, in the right
hand, and before that, by a spent shell. After the surrender he made his way home,
and found that everything there had been laid waste. He went to work with a will to
assist his father, and by their joint management, soon recovered a portion of their
property. The son operated a saw and gin mill in connection with the planing, and
for several years led a very busy life. He was married December 20, 1866, to Miss
Louisa E. Young, a daughter of Francis and Elvira (Caldwell) Young, natives of
South Carolina. Mrs. BRYSON was born in October, 1817. Nine children having been
born of this union: Mary J., James Y., M. Ella, Samuel F., Anna E., Effie E., Essie
E., John M. and Zilphia. The Brysons are of excellent lineage, and stand second to
no family in the community.




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Transcribed from original documents by Brent R. Brian & Martha M. Brian.

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Brent R. Brian
Martha M. Brian
BrianMitchellGenealogy@gmail.com




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