| Notes |
- William was probably born in the early 1600's in County Clare, Ireland, and lived during a time of great religious and political turmoil. When much of
England's ruling class followed the Crown in the break with the Pope in Rome, the growth of Pruitanism again split the nation which culminated in the English Civil War. This war began in 1642 and ended in 1651 with the establishment of the Commonwealth by Oliver Cromwell, and the beheading of King Charles I. The war was also referred to as the "Pruitan Revolution" because so many of the King's opponents belonged to the Pruitan Party of the Church of England.
This brief sketch of English History is related only because of the impact it had on our Bryan family, since William Smith Bryan supported the losing side. The defeat of the King resulted in his exile to Virginia in 1650 "as a rebellious subject." Thus the family of William Smith Bryan, including eleven sons and three daughters along with a shipload of chattels, landed in Gloucester County, Virginia, on the York River across from present day Yorktown.
We presume that William Smith and wife Catherine lived here for the remainder of their lies, and that most of their children melted into the growing Colonial society. The exception was their oldes son, Francis III, who returned to Ireland.
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Abt 1600 - Aft 1650 (~ 51 years)