B. about 1697 in (probably) England or Netherlands
M. (probably) 1719 in Chester County, Pennsylvania
Husband: Morgan Bryan
D. 29 Aug 1762 in Rowan County, North Carolina
Martha Strode and her husband Morgan Bryan each brought a lofty heritage to the American backwoods. And while some researchers doubt his pedigree is accurate, hers has been fully verified through records, although a few sketchy details remain.
Martha’s story begins with her parents Edward Strode and Joanna Hatchett having to leave England because he wouldn’t swear loyalty to King William. They fled to the continent where some of their children were born in France, and the youngest of these was Martha whose birth year was about 1697. When she was still a baby, the family decided to settle in America, and boarded a ship bound for Philadelphia. Then both of Martha’s parents died — it isn’t clear from records if this happened at sea or shortly after landing. What is certain is that Martha and her three older brothers suddenly became orphans in a strange new place.
Who raised Martha and her brothers? Unfortunately, we don’t know. It’s believed that people took the children in, perhaps those who had traveled on the same ship. Martha seemed to have had a good upbringing, and was told about who her parents were. In 1719, Martha was said to have married her husband, Morgan Bryan. He was much older than she was (born in 1671), which would have made him about 47 when they married. Like Martha, Morgan was a high-born immigrant of English, Dutch and Irish descent, but born in Denmark because his parents were said to be in exile. The couple made their home in Chester County and began a family; by 1737, Martha gave birth to at least eight children.
There were two times during her married life that Martha moved with her family to a more remote location. The first venture was in about 1730 when Morgan joined a group who bought a massive amount of land in Frederick County, Virginia. For the next several years, the Bryan family lived a pioneer existence in the backwoods of Virginia, moving at least three times. Typically this meant building a log cabin each time they settled, where Martha kept house and looked after her children.
The second major move happened in 1748, and this time Martha’s family settled in the piedmont of North Carolina. It’s been written in many places that Martha died in Virginia before they migrated south, but records and a grave stone have disproved this. The 1748 trek was described as a “dangerous” route, where Morgan had to sometimes disassemble part of the wagon because the road was too narrow. It took three months to reach their destination at the forks of the Yadkin River and the Bryans were said to be the first family to reach it.
As he had done in Virginia, Morgan acquired as much land as he could, and the place where they lived was called Bryan’s Settlement. Within a few years, other families moved into the area, including the father of Daniel Boone; Martha’s son William married Boone’s sister Mary, and in 1756, her granddaughter Rebecca married Boone himself.
Martha died on August 29, 1762; her husband Morgan survived her by a short time, dying in April 1763. Years later, Martha’s tombstone was uncovered by workers who were building a road. The stone is now in a museum in Rowan County, North Carolina.
Because of Martha’s granddaughter, all descendants of Daniel Boone are also descendants of Martha; this includes actor Richard Boone, and Major League Baseball players Ray Boone, Bob Boone, Brett Boone and Aaron Boone.
Children (many birth years are rough estimates):
1. Joseph Bryan — B. about 1720, Chester County, Pennsylvania; D. before Mar 1805, Jefferson County, Kentucky; M. (1) Hester ______ (~1720-1741), (probably) Virginia; (2) Aylee Linville (1722-1805), about 1741, Winchester, Virginia
2. James Bryan — B. about 1723, Orange County, Virginia; D. 14 Aug 1807, St. Charles, Missouri; M. Rebecca Enochs (1732-1768), 1756, North Carolina
3. Samuel Bryan — B. about 1726, Chester County, Pennsylvania; D. 1798, Rowan County, North Carolina; M. (1) Masmilla Simpson; (2) Elizabeth McMahan (1737-?), 1755, North Carolina
4. Mary Bryan — B. about 1728, Chester County, Pennsylvania; D. 25 Feb 1742, Orange County, Virginia; M. Thomas Curtis, about 1740, Virginia
5. Elenor Bryan — B. about 1729, Chester County, Pennsylvania; D. 21 Oct 1792, Madison County, Kentucky; M. William D. Linville (1710-1766), about 1745
6. Morgan Bryan — B. 20 May 1729, (probably) Chester County, Pennsylvania; D. before 4 Jul 1804, Fayette County, Kentucky; M. Mary Forbis (~1731-~1794), about 1747, Rowan County, North Carolina
7. John Bryan — B. about 1730, (probably) Frederick County, Virginia; D. before 5 Nov 1800, Rowan County, North Carolina; M. Sarah, about 1750, (probably) Rowan County, North Carolina
8. William Bryan — B. 10 Mar 1734, (probably) Frederick County, Virginia; D. 30 May 1780, Bryan’s Station, Kentucky; M. Mary Boone (1736-1819), 1755, Rowan County, North Carolina
9. Thomas Bryan — B. about 1737, (probably) Frederick County, Virginia; D. about 1777, Kentucky; M. Sarah Hunt
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