Francis BRYAN, III

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Descendants of Guy de Brienne


Generation No. 14


15. FRANCIS14 BRYANIII (WILLIAM SMITH 13, FRANCIS 12, FRANCIS 11, THOMAS 10,
THOMAS 9, EDMUND 8, THOMAS SIR KNIGHT 7, WILLIAM 6 DE BRYAN, SIR, GUY 5, GUY 4,
GUY 3, GUY 2 DE BRIAN, BARON OF TALACHARN, GUY 1 DE BRIENNE) was born 1630 in
County Claire, Ireland, and died April 1694 in Belfast, North Ireland. He
married SARAH BRINKER 1667 in Denmark.

Notes for FRANCIS BRYANIII:
Standard bearer to William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne
August. 12, 1690
Info from C. Moore P. O. Box 19042, Jacksonville, Fl. 32245

In 1667, Francis Bryan III (son of William Smith Bryan) returned to Ireland in
an attempt to regain the family estates in county Claire. Meeting with strong
opposition he fled to Denmark where he married Sarah Brinker, said to have been
a cousin to the Prince of Orange. Francis was able to return to Ireland after
the "Bloodless Revolution" about 1683 where he settled in Belfast and lived to
the date of his death in 1694. It was in Belfast 1685, that his second son
William, was born.

Historical information obtained from Melise Lyneille Leech of Grand Junction,
CO. e-mail address Mleech@gj.net

Francis Bryan III was born in 1630. Most researchers indicate that he was born
in Gloucester, Virginia, but this appears to be in error since both his parents
lived in Ireland until 1650. Francis III no doubt saw the new world for the
first time at about age 20 when the Bryan family was exiled to the Virginia
Colony.

We no nothing about the life of Francis in Virginia, but with the end of the
Commonwealth and the reestablishment of the Monarchy under Charles II in 1660,
he no doubt felt that it was safe to return to Ireland. Thus, in 1667 after 17
years in Virginia, he left for Ireland with the intent of reclaiming his father's
estates. He was 37 years old at this time which gives rise to the possibility
that he could have been married a first time in Virginia.

The presence of Francis III in Ireland was anything but welcome by English
officials, and in particular by those now in possession of his father's lands.
He was so threatened that he fled to Denmark, which had become a haven for
persecuted protestants whose cause had been championed by the Dutch Prince of
Orange. Francis III soon married Sarah Brinker, a cousin of the Prince of
Orange, and their first son, Morgan Bryan, was born in Denmark. He was finally
permitted to return to Ireland in 1683.

A little background history will help explain the future movements of Francis
and his family. The Dutch Prince William of Orange married Princess Mary,
daughter of King James II of England and though her father was Roman Catholic,
she embraced the Protestant cause. The three year rein of James II was one of
turmoil and William of Orange and Mary were invited by the protestant controlled
Parliament to assume the Throne. On 5 November 1688 William landed at Brixham,
Devon, with a sizable army, quickly advanced to London and took the Throne on
Christmas Day, forcing James II into exile in France. They officially became
King William III and Queen Mary II in February 1689. The deposed King James II
did not accept his fate and with the help of the French managed to raise a
Catholic Irish army. King William's army met the forces of James II at the Boyne
River about 25 miles north of Dublin and here took place the historic "Battle of
the Boyne" on 11 July 1690 where the forces of James II were soundly defeated.
Francis III was a standard bearer to King William in that battle.

When the Battle of the Boyne was fought in Ireland in 1690, between King William
II of Orange against James II, Francis Bryan, and his sons William and Morgan
served in King William's Color Guard.

Francis died in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1694, the country of his birth, and
spent much of his adult life fighting to restore his lost heritage. A descendant
of the leading families of both England and Ireland, he began his life as a
defendant of the Roman Catholic Church and ended as a staunch Protestant. He
lived 31 years in Ireland, 17 years in Virginia and 15 years in Denmark.

We surmise, that when Francis Bryan III returned to Ireland from his exile in
Denmark, all hopes for the restoration of family estates and titles had been
given up. Instead, he, or his family, turned to become a part of the
Scotch-Irish group, which was to play so prominent a part in the New World.

We wonder if some influences he came under while exiled in Denmark did not have
much to do with it. Or it might have been contact with the Protestant Movement
in northern Ireland. Any way we now see political titles, offices in the
government. landed estates, royal affiliations, all tossed aside and the Bryans
as every day common people. But the adventurous spirit of their forefathers was
not tossed aside. We find them setting their faces toward a new and hazardous
world.

Children of FRANCIS BRYAN and SARAH BRINKER are:
17.         i. MORGAN15 BRYAN, b. 1671, Denmark; d. April 03, 1763,
               Mocksville, Rowan Co., NC (Joppa Cemetery).
18.         ii. WILLIAM S. BRYAN, b. 1684, Ballyrong, Belfast, Ireland; d.
               1789, Salem, VA.
             iii. CORNELIUS BRYAN.
             iv. JOHN ANDREW BRYAN.