William Joel Bryan (December 14, 1815 – March 3, 1903) was a

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

soldier and planter.

Biography

Early life

William Joel Bryan was born on December 14, 1815 at Hazel Run in

Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri Sainte Genevieve County, often abbreviated Ste. Genevieve County (French: Ste-Geneviève), is a county located in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,479. The largest city and county ...

. His father was James Bryan and his mother,

Emily Austin Perry Emily Austin Bryan Perry (June 22, 1795 – 1851) was the sister of Stephen F. Austin and an early settler of Texas. She was an heir to Austin's estate when he died in 1836. She achieved significant political, economic and social status as a woma ...

. He was the grandson of

Moses Austin Moses Austin (October 4, 1761 – June 10, 1821) was an American businessman and pioneer who played a large part in the development of the lead industry in the early United States. He was the father of Stephen F. Austin, one of the earliest ...

and

Mary Brown Austin Mary Brown Austin (1768–1824) had dramatic influence on early Texas history. Perhaps her most important contribution to history is writing a letter to her son, Stephen, two days before the death of her husband, Moses Austin, imploring Stephen F. ...

Stephen F. Austin Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836) was an American-born empresario. Known as the "Father of Texas" and the founder of Anglo Texas,Hatch (1999), p. 43. he led the second and, ultimately, the successful colonization ...

was his uncle. He had two brothers,

Moses Austin Bryan Moses Austin Bryan (September 25, 1817 – March 16, 1895) was an early settler of Texas. Moses served as Secretary for his uncle, Stephen F. Austin. Family His mother was Emily Austin Perry and his father was James Bryan. Born in Herculaneum, M ...

and Guy Morrison Bryan, and a half-brother, Stephen Samuel Perry. He attended school in

Potosi, Missouri Potosi is a city in Washington County, Missouri, United States. Potosi is seventy-two miles southwest of St. Louis. The population was 2,660 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Washington County. Located in the Lead Belt, the city ...

until 1830. In 1831, his mother (Emily) and stepfather,

James Franklin Perry James Franklin Perry (1790–1853) was an American who was an early settler and prominent citizen of Texas. James married to Emily Austin Perry, and together they operated Peach Point Plantation. He was involved in Texas land distribution. Life Ja ...

, followed his uncle, Stephen F. Austin, to Texas. They settled in the eastern part of

Brazoria County, Texas Brazoria County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 372,031. The county seat is Angleton. Brazoria County is included in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan statis ...

. In 1832, the family moved to the

Peach Point Plantation Peach Point Plantation is a historic site, it was a plantation and the homestead and domicile of many early Texas settlers, located in Jones Creek, Brazoria County, Texas. The land was operated as a working slave plantation from 1832 until 1863 wi ...

Jones Creek, Texas Jones Creek is a village in Brazoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,020 at the 2010 census. It is the first location in Texas where Stephen F. Austin settled. History The Father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin, first settled in J ...

, where Bryan was instructed by a governess and his parents together took care of the plantation, cattle and other such property of Bryan's uncle. The estate of Stephen F. Austin went in whole to Emily Austin Perry and remained her separate property until she died in 1851.

Career

Shortly after Texas declared its independence from

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

in 1835, Bryan took his part in the

siege of Bexar A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterize ...

at his uncle's side among the Brazoria County Volunteers. He also served with

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...

in the retreat of the army across Texas. However, he became ill with the measles shortly before the

Battle of San Jacinto The Battle of San Jacinto ( es, Batalla de San Jacinto), fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day La Porte and Pasadena, Texas, was the final and decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Samuel Houston, the Texan Army engaged ...

. From 1836 to 1839, he served in a managerial capacity at the Peach Point Plantation. Upon getting married, he became the owner of the Duranzo Plantation in Jones Creek. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

of 1861-1865, he fed Confederate troops stationed at the mouth of the Brazos at his own expense. Shortly after the war, in 1865, he granted the Houston & Texas Central Railroad a right-of-way through his land in Brazos County. A projected townsite,

Bryan, Texas Bryan is a city and the county seat of Brazos County, Texas, United States. It is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley (East and Central Texas). As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 83,980. Bryan borders the city of College ...

was named in his honor. He gave the town financial assistance and helped to establish its bank. He was a member of the Texas Veteran's Association.

Personal life

He married Lavinia Perry, his stepfather's niece, in April 1840. The Duranzo Plantation, an extension of Peach Point Plantation, was given to them as

dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment b ...

. The couple had seven children, four of whom served in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

during the Civil War.

Death

He died on March 3, 1903.

Legacy

The Brazos County Historical Commission erected an Historical Marker for William Joel Bryan.Brazos County Historical Commission
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