1 William B. Lapham, Lt. John Bryant of Plymouth, NEHGR Vol. 35, p. 37-38 (Jan. 1881).
"In Vol. twenty-four of the REGISTER, Mr. J. A. Boutelle gave some account of Stepehen Bryant, of Duxbury and Plymouth, who married Abigail, daughter of John Shaw, and of descendants. He states that their oldest daughter Abigail married Lt. John Bryant, of Plymouth, Nov. 23, 1665. The Plymouth Colony Records make the eldest child of Stephen Bryant a son, and do not record the birth of an Abigail. Savage conjectures that she may have been the daughter of Stephen, and probably she was, but I have failed to find positive evidence that such was the case. Perhaps Mr. Boutelle may have evidence not given in his article.* Who was Lt. John Bryant? In a note in the Plympton town records made by a former town clerk (Bradford), it is stated he was the son of John Bryant and Mary Lewis his wife, of Scituate, but this is improbable, for Deane makes John Bryant, Jr., a resident of Scituate, and gives the names and dates of birth of his children, which are difference enough to prove that they could not have been the same. I have made considerable effort to find out who this Lt. John Bryant was, but without results.
The children of Lt. John and Abigail Bryant, as recorded on the Plympton records, are as follows:
i. MARY, b. Sept. 11, 1666.
ii. HANNAH, b. Dec. 2, 1668.
iii. BETHIAH, b. July 25, 1670.
1. iv. SAMUEL, b. Feb. 3, 1673; m. Joanna -----.
v. JONATHAN, b. March 23, 1677.
vi. ABIGAIL, b. Dec. 30, 1682.
vii. BENJAMIN, b. Dec. 16, 1688.
Abigail, wife of John Bryant, died May 12, 1715.
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* Mr. Boutelle writes us that, owing to a recent removal, he cannot conveniently refer to all his memoranda, but he sends us the following items to prove that John Bryant was a son-in-law of Stephen Bryant: "Edward Gray for vsing revileing speeches to John Bryant the son in law to Seuen [Stephen] Bryant of Plymouth of Plymouth on the Lords day as soone as they came out of the meeting was fined 10.00" [probably 10 shillings].--Plymouth Colony Court Orders, June 3, 1668. "John Bryant son in Law to Stephen Bryant for vsing revileing speeches to Edward Gray was fined ten shillings to the vse of the Colonie."--ED.".2Dr. Percy Bryant, Descendants of John Briant, Sen., of Scituate, Mass., NEHGR Vol. 48, p. 47 (1894).
This last source shows a different wife and children for the same John Bryant.
"2. LIEUT. JOHN2 BRYANT (John,1 Sen.), married Mary -------. He was born in Scituate, Aug. 17, 1644, died there Jan. 26, 1708; will proved Feb. 12, 1708; inventory of estate £395. His children, born in Scituate, were:
6. i. JOHN,3 Jun., b. March 27, 1678; m. Deborah Barstow, Jan. 1, 1707.
7. ii. JONATHAN, b. Jan. 1, 1679; m. Elizabeth -------.
iii. MARY, b. Sept. 3, 1682, m. Jabez Rose, May 6, 1707.
8. iv. DAVID, b. Aug. 17, 1684; m. Hannah Church.
v. JOSHUA, b. Nov. 14, 1687; d. June 9, 1709.
9. vi. SAMUEL, b. Jan. 15, 1689; m. Abigail Turner.
vii. MARTHA, b. Aug. 22, 1691."