Jonathan Bryan

Jonathan Bryan (September 7, 1708 – March 9, 1788) was an American patriot originally from South Carolina but who moved Savannah, Georgia, where he assisted James Edward Oglethorpe in the foundation of Georgia's first colony. He also held several political offices in Georgia, and was a large landowner.

Jonathan Bryan
BornSeptember 7, 1708
Pocotaligo, South Carolina
DiedMarch 9, 1788(1788-03-09) (aged 79)
Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Resting placeLaurel Grove Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
SpouseMary Williamson (–1781; her death)

Georgia's Bryan County was named for him, while Savannah's Bryan Street was named in his and his brothers' honor.

Life and career

Bryan was born on September 7, 1708, in Pocotaligo, South Carolina. His brothers were middle son Hugh and the oldest Joseph Jr.[1] The brothers' sister was Hannah, born in 1706. Bryan's father, Joseph Sr., was an Englishman from Hereford.[2] His mother died three weeks after his birth.[3]

In 1799, during the Revolutionary War, he and his son were captured and imprisoned on Long Island for two years.[2][4]

He served as a member of the Provincial Congress and of the Council of Safety. He was also acting vice-president and commander-in-chief of Georgia in 1777.[5]

He was a supporter of George Whitefield, himself a supporter of slavery.[4] Bryan's "treatment of [his] slaves with a respect ordinarily denied them may have contributed to the great success of his plantations."[6]

Bryan was the grandfather of Joseph Bryan.[7]

Death

Bryan died on March 9, 1788, aged 79. He was buried in the Brampton Plantation cemetery.[2]

During the Civil War, Union Army soldiers raided his grave, looking for valuables they believed were hidden by locals.[2]

Bryan Street in Savannah was named in his and his brothers' honor.[8] Bryan County, Georgia, was named solely for him.[9] A historical marker, erected by the Georgia Historical Society, stands in Savannah's Franklin Square, in front of the First African Baptist Church.[4]

See also

References
  1. "The Carolina Connection: Jonathan Bryan, His Brothers, and the Founding of Georgia, 1733-1752", Georgia Historical Quarterly, volume 68, no. 2 (summer 1984), p. 150
  2. Wheeler, Frank T. (1998). Images of America: Savannah River Plantations. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738500305.
  3. Redding, Mrs. J. H. (1901). Life and times of Jonathan Bryan, 1708-1788. Savannah Morning News Print.
  4. "Jonathan Bryan 1708-1788 historical marker - Digital Library of Georgia". dlg.usg.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  5. "Jonathan Bryan papers". ghs.galileo.usg.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  6. "Bryan's Plantation Empire", The William and Mary Quarterly, volume 34, no. 2 (April 1988) p. 277
  7. Meldrim, Mrs. Peter W. (1924). Some Early Epitaphs in Georgia. p. 34.
  8. Cope, Tony (2016). It's Not That Lincoln. The Abercorn Press.
  9. Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 27. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
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