Johnson H. Bryan, Jr. Papers

1842-1883, 1917
Manuscript Collection #1458
Creator(s)
Bryan, Johnson H., Jr.
Physical description
0.15 Cubic Feet, 1 half document case, consisting of correspondence, receipts, promissory notes, deeds, estate documents, bankruptcy documents, legal documents, and hire of and sale of enslaved persons documents
Preferred Citation
Johnson H. Bryan, Jr. Papers (#1458), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
Repository
ECU Manuscript Collection
Access
The collection is open for research.

These papers (1848-1882) belonged to Johnson H. Bryan, Jr.(1824-1883) of Craven County, North Carolina. Included are deeds, statements of debt and obligation, receipts, receipts for purchase and sale of enslaved people, correspondence, mortgages, bankruptcy papers, and a resolution of complaint related to tariff discriminations and maintenance deficiencies on the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad.


Biographical/historical information

Johnson H. Bryan, Jr. was the son of Johnson Bryan and Elizabeth Clemmons Bryan. He was born on May 27, 1824, in Craven County, North Carolina, and lived his life in said county and died there on September 8, 1883. He is buried in the Bryan Cemetery in Fort Barnwell, Craven County, North Carolina.

Bryan fought in the American Civil War with the First Cavalry (9th State Troops) of North Carolina. The 1880 U.S. Census lists his occupation as farmer.

Bryan was married twice, first to Jane B. Lane Bryan (1823-1867) and later in 1869 to Elizabeth J. Rhem Bryan (1839-1900). He and Jane had children John J. Bryan (1850-1896), Julia Harris Bryan Rhem (1851-1926), Bettie Bryan (1854-1855), and Mary Lane Bryan (1856-1919). He and Elizabeth J. Rhem Bryan had children Sarah E. "Sallie" Bryan Hartley (1876-1931), George Hamilton Bryan (1879-1920), Sallie Bryan and Joseph Bryan.

Another family member who appears in the documents in this collection is Richard Thomas Bryan who is a brother of Johnson H. Bryan, Jr. He moved to South Carolina.

Sources: Census records and Civil War records found in FamilySearch and cemetery listings in Find A Grave (both accessed on July 22, 2024).


Scope and arrangement

These papers (1848-1882) belonged to Johnson H. Bryan, Jr. of Craven County, North Carolina. Included are deeds (1842-1867), statements of debt and obligation, receipts, promissory notes, correspondence, and some business records. Included are mortgage papers related to a public stage line operating between New Bern and Beaufort, North Carolina (1848) and the mail line operating between Plymouth and New Bern (January, 1860); and adjudication of bankruptcy documents (1868-1869) for Johnson H. Bryan in New Bern. Also included are a certificate of exempted property, a dismissal of debt concerning Johnson Bryan (1868), and a resolution from the North Carolina Board of Internal Improvements (undated) complaining of tariff discriminations and maintenance deficiencies on the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad. 1917 documents refer to Sallie Bryan Hartley daughter of Johnson H. Bryan, Jr., and Elizabeth L. Bryan, widow of John J. Bryan, son of Johnson H. Bryan, Jr.

Of special interest are documents (1856-1861) related to the sale of and hiring out of enslaved African Americans in Craven County, North Carolina. An estate division for Johnson H. Bryan (Sr.) who died in 1856 names enslaved persons listed in his estate. One document regards hiring a formerly free African American who has been sold due to a fine from a State indictment against him.


Administrative information
Custodial History

July 19, 2024, 0.15 cubic feet; These papers (1848-1882) belonged to Johnson H. Bryan, Jr. of Craven County, North Carolina. Included are statements of debt and obligation, receipts, correspondence, and some business records. Included are mortgage papers from the public stage line operating between New Bern and Beaufort, North Carolina (1848); receipts of purchase and sale of enslaved people (1857-1859); mortgage of the mail line operating between Plymouth and New Bern (January, 1860); and a receipt of payment of one hundred dollars for the hiring of a freed person for a fine on a state indictment. Also included is an adjudication of bankruptcy, a certificate of exempted property, a dismissal of debt concerning Johnson Bryan (1868), and a resolution from the North Carolina Board of Internal Improvements (undated) complaining of tariff discriminations and maintenance deficiencies on the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad. 1917 documents refer to Sallie Bryan Hartley daughter of Johnson H. Bryan, Jr., and Elizabeth L. Bryan, widow of John J. Bryan, son of Johnson H. Bryan, Jr. Gift of Mrs. Charles L. Abernethy, Jr. (Sarah Alva All Abernethy)

Source of acquisition

Gift of Mrs. Charles L. Abernethy, Jr. (Sarah Alva All Abernethy)

Copyright notice

This material is made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to taking precautions against infringement of copyright and respecting the publication rights of reproduced materials. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards. Any materials used should be fully credited with their source according to the example given in the Preferred Citation note. Requests for assistance with citations and images of publication quality should be directed to specialcollections@ecu.edu. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state law. The user assumes full responsibility for using such information and is advised that the disclosure of such information about identifiable living individuals without their consent may have legal ramifications.


Container list
Box 1 Folder a Deeds, 1842-1867
Box 1 Folder b Documents (1856-1861) related to the sale of, hiring out of and estate division of enslaved African Americans in Craven County, North Carolina. The estate division concerns named enslaved persons belonging to Johnson H. Bryan, deceased, in 1856. One document regards hiring a formerly free African American sold due to a fine from a State Indictment against him.
Box 1 Folder c Promissory Notes and a Deeds of Mortgage, 1848-1867
Box 1 Folder d Receipts for payment of taxes, judgments, and notes, 1857-1883
Box 1 Folder e Bankruptcy Documents (1868-1869) related to Johnson H. Bryan in New Bern, North Carolina, in Pamlico District; undated document shows how Johnson Bryan Sr. estate was divided up among the heirs and what happened to "The Green Place."
Box 1 Folder f Letter (June 13, 1861) from Fernandina (Florida?) to J. H. Bryan in New Bern discusses problems getting supplies to Bryan's Camp (Confederate Camp?).
Box 1 Folder g Documents related to the Administration of Mary Palmer's Estate in Craven County, North Carolina, by Johnson H. Bryan, 1870-1879
Box 1 Folder h Documents (1917) related to case Sallie Bryan Hartley vs. Elizabeth L. Bryan (widow of John J. Bryan). Includes a listing of Johnson H. Bryan's children and who they married and where they were living in 1917.
Box 1 Folder i Legal Documents including complaints to the Office of the Board of Internal Improvements related to the Atlantic and North Carolina Rail Road; appointment (1873) of Johnson H. Bryan (Craven County, North Carolian) as Richard T. Bryan's (of Georgetown District, South Carolina) agent and attorney in fact; a listing (1872) of Bastardy Bond cases in 9th Township, Craven County (J. H. Bryan is Clerk); a Protest of Note and Bill of Exchange (March 1861) related to payment from J. H. Bryan, George E. Pritchett (Charleston, South Carolina), Richard T. Bryan and Enoch H. Lane to Merchants Bank of New York; release (1858) of a Guardian from any demands by Philip W. Herritage and John Lucas Herritage; and other concerns. 1848-1878