Elizabeth (Bryan) Musgrove

Elizabeth (Bryan) Musgrove is our third great-grandmother* (see relationship notes below). She had three sons: John 'David,' Charles, and James Musgrove. Her middle child died in 1915.

"Charles 'Charley' H. Musgrove was born in August of 1850 in either Baker or Ware County, Georgia. Charles is thought to be the son of James W. Musgrove and Elizabeth Bryan. He was the grandson of James Bryan (b. 1799) of Bladen County, North Carolina, and the great grandson of William and Sarah Bryan (Vol 5)." 

Folks Huxford "Pioneers of Wiregrass, Georgia" Vol 12, page 350.

This is what we know of her story.

William Bryan

Grandma Elizabeth Bryan's father was James Bryan, and her grandfather was William Bryan, a Revolutionary War soldier.

"William Bryan was born in Bladen County, N. C., on May 14, 1757... . He spent his entire life in the county of his birth. His wife was named Sarah; maiden name unknown. (Singletary ed.) She was born in 1760 in N. C.   

 

They had the following children, viz:

1. Philemon (Vol II)   b 1779 m Nancy Hawthorne
2. Benjamin   b 1783 m unknown
3. William b 1784 m Sarah___
4. Sarah   b 1787 m William R Towler
5. Prudence   b 1789 m John White
6. Joseph (Vol III)   b 1790 m Sophia
7. Lewis   b 1795 m Susan
8. James   b 1799 m (unknown)
9. Nathan b 1801 m Margaret Allen.

Folk's Huxford "Pioneers of Wiregrass, Georgia Vol V pages 51-2

James Bryan

About William Bryan's family, Huxford writes:

"The youngest son, Nathan Bryan, remained in Bladen but all the other children after reaching their maturity and marrying, moved to other states. Philemon, James and Joseph Bryan and the Towlers all moved to Georgia and lived for a short time in Wayne and Ware Counties , then moving on to Hamilton County, Florida, where their brother, Lewis Bryan, joined them... ." 

Folk's Huxford "Pioneers of Wiregrass, Georgia Vol V pages 51-2

Ellender Bryan

We have records for James Bryans' brothers, tracing their path through Wayne and Appling (later Ware) County, Georgia. But for James Bryan, we have only the 1830 Federal census in North Carolina and the 1860 Federal census in Florida.

Our records of his daughter, our grandma Elizabeth Bryan, only start in Clinch County, Georgia, on the 1860 Federal census. But we know she had a sister named Ellender that married William Leverett through Leverette family rumors. Our records for William and Ellender Leverett begin ten years earlier, on the 1850 Federal census.

William and Ellender Leverret were living in Dooly County, Georgia. Ellender is our step-grandmother through John Leverret's marriage to grandma Macy (Williams) Musgrove.

Next door lived M G and M J Bryan, with their one-year-old daughter, Samantha. Also living with them is Martha A Collins, twenty-eight years old, with William, twelve, Thomas, eleven, and Robert, eight months old.

It's possible, but not guaranteed,  M.G. Bryan is a brother of Ellender, son of James Bryan. It's less likely that Collins is related to John Forbes Collins, but it's possible.

Note: Relationships are expressed from the perspective of the grandchildren of Willis Edgar and Carrie (known as) Mae (Merritt) Musgrove. 

*Terms of relationship - grandmother, uncle, aunt, cousin, etc.  - are used here generically to include relatives such as fourth great-grandfathers, great grand uncles, second cousins twice removed, etc.