Donegore - Bryson-Wilson

[threekids5]

The 1855 marriage of James Bryson to Agnes Bird does indeed have a James Bryson father. However,  it's not the 1909 James Bryson.  This James Bryson b. 1833-34 d. 1861 was the youngest son of my John W Bryson's eldest son James who is listed as deceased in John W's 1836 will. After James #1 died his widow, Martha Ann McConnell remarried another James Bryson, son of an Andrew Bryson.  The James on the marriage records is either his biological father or the step father James (probably the step). After he married he emigrated to Australia (I think in 1857) and died there in 1861. His death is memorialized on the marker for his step father and mother at Kilbride Cemetery. 

[threekids5]

1909 James Bryson married Agnes Boyd (widow). This information is directly from his descendents who currently live on the Ballyvoy property.

[threekids5]

1909 James Bryson married Agnes Boyd (widow). This information is directly from his descendents who currently live on the Ballyvoy property.

[Kiltaglassan]

1909 James Bryson married Agnes Boyd (widow). This information is directly from his descendents who currently live on the Ballyvoy property.

                                             

You've just repeated your previous post (00:32)

[Gilby]

Agnes Bird = Agnes Boyd

I originally read it as Bird too, but I went back to check it when I couldn’t find an earlier Bryson-Bird marriage.  It’s a bit more obvious if you look at the Thompson-Boyd marriage at the top of the page.

I believe Agnes’s first marriage was to James Boyd of Drummaul on 4th Jan 1842 (Donegore 1st Presbyterian).

And then he’s probably the James Boyd who died in 1852…

Belfast Newsletter, 15th Mar 1852:
March 6, of fever, aged 51 years, Mr. James Boyd, Drumaul, Randalstown.

[Gilby]

This is how I currently have the James Bryson of Holestone family (mainly from the headstone in Kilbride Graveyard):

James Bryson (c1803-1878) m. (1831) Martha Ann McConnell (c1811-1870):
-   James Bryson (c1834-1861), died in Australia
-   John Bryson (c1838-1864)
-   Sarah Bryson (c1838-1912) m. Andrew Murdoch
-   Thomas Bryson (c1841-1860)
-   Lizzie Bryson (c1848-1858)
-   Robert Bryson (c1851-1872)

You’re saying the James Bryson b. c1834 was son of a different James Bryson?  What’s the evidence for that?

[Gilby]

I was also just looking at another James Bryson family trying to work out if there’s a connection…

1829 - PRONI D509/2479
Lease of 24 acres 3r. 4 per. I.P.M. for three lives renewable forever (See D509/690) - Consideration: £150 - Rent: £7.7s.9d. p.a. plus fees of Most Hon. George Augustus, Marquess of Donegall to James Gawn, Donegore, Co.Antrim and James Bryson, Jr., Holestone, Co. Antrim (Trustees for Arthur and Samuel Armar) relating to Ballyclaverty, Co. Antrim.

He’s probably the same James Bryson who was father of:

-   Robert Bryson (c1830-1897) m. (1860) Sarah Caldwell.
-   Mary Bryson (c1838-1903) m. (1858) William Samuel Bell.

Both of them were of Ballyclaverty when they married, and both mentioned Andrew Gawn (of Halftown) in their wills.

Edit: Mind you, James Bryson and James Gawn were only acting as trustees in 1829, so perhaps that James Bryson of Holestone never moved to Ballyclaverty.

[lmgnz]

Robert Bryson of Ballyclaverty, son James of married at 1st Donegore in 1860 to Sarah Calwell of Holestone. James Bryson is in 3kids tree as the oldest son of John W Bryson, the one who stayed behind in Ireland and died prior to John W Bryson's will. (Which I find very difficult to read! so I will take 3kids word for it.)

[threekids5]

Robert Bryson b. 1830 and James b. 1833-34 were both the sons of John W. Bryson's eldest son James b. Abt 1797 d. 1835 and Martha Ann McConnell.  There is an 1830 marriage record at 1st Donegore which was probably the bride's church. There are also baptism records for Robert's children after he married Sarah Calwell/Caldwell (there are two different spellings at Kilbride). After John W's son James died (as mentioned in John's 1836 will along with a bequest to "the children of my son James, deceased") his widow, Martha Ann married a different James Bryson, son of Andrew Bryson (no idea who he is but John and his second wife Mary McCune named their first child Andrew Smyth. I have a tiny DNA link to the Smyths so I think it was Mary's mother's family name). They had several children of their own. The 1833-34 James married Agnes Bird/Boyd and emigrated to Australia. There is no record that Agnes went with him. He died in Australia in 1861 (per the tombstone of his step father and his mother at Kilbride). I have DNA links to Robert from two of his daughters...O'Hara here in the States and Foster in Northern Ireland. Robert and most of his family are buried at Kilbride Cemetery. James is memorialized on the aforementioned stone.

The will is difficult to read. There are two copies of it. One appears to have been written by John W Bryson and is easier to read.

Frankly, there are too many James, Roberts and Johns. The Charles and Williams are so much easier.  My great grandfather tried to break the mold with Earl, Verner, Wilson, Norman but he was so loved my grandfather named my Dad after him and so the William was back. Luckily too my Bryson branch is a direct line unlike my McCunes and McCutcheons.  My from  Ballymena originally Boals are a direct line too.

All of the confusion of marriages etc.would be cleared up if the 2nd Donegore records would magically reappear.  I have put in a request to the NIFHS to look through the records they have at the 2nd Donegore Burying Ground tombstones. Unfortunately many of the plots at Kilbride have burials but no marker, or no dates or the marker is in very bad shape. There is a marker next to my 3rd great aunt Jane Bryson Ferguson and her mother, Margaret Wilson that is moss covered. Hoping that might be a missing Bryson.