When Dr. Stuart made his "Official" statement to the law, he described the two men who brought Booth to him as "Mr Bryant and a Mr. Crisman". We have since learned that in reality Crisman was "Mr. Crismond". I have not found a Bryant in King George, in this time frame - but there was a William Bryan living in the Edge Hill Postal Area, where the man named "Bryant" was recruited. So, for the sake of perfection, I researched to see what the Government called this man on his arrest sheet. ( I used "The Evidence", for the names.) Among the prisoners in Old Capitol Prison, with the other Assassination suspects was William Bryan. On another list, he becomes Bryant and shows his arrest was on Mathias Point. Then Warden Wood says he has William Bryant and describes him as a Confederate Agent living on Mathias Point. The 1860 Census shows William L. Bryan living in the Edge Hill Area of K.G.

I believe that "Bryant" was wrong, just as "Crisman" was wrong. Could Stuart have mixed up the spelling, in an effort to protect his "friends? In conclusion - so what?

PS In the 1860 Census, this William Bryan has a mulatto cook named Susan Magee. That is the same name of the cook who fed E. Pliny Bryan, (No known relation to William Bryan) when he opened his spy camp in this same specific area, early in the War. E. Pliny is the one who worked with Major Watson and family. He was transferred to South Carolina, and died there. Maybe I should have posted this in the "Interesting People in King George."

Hi John. Did you see the post the late Kathryn Coombs made 11 years ago? She called him "Bryant," but she used the 1850 census.

http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.no....1/mb.ashx

I think every author on the subject that I have read has referred to William L. Bryant, a neighbor of Mrs. Quesenberry. This includes the team of Tidwell, Hall, and Gaddy, who did not take anyone else's research for granted. I'm sticking with Bryant because census takers were/are notoriously wrong in spelling people's names.

Laurie. The Census Takers were the U.S. Marshals - what else would you expect? I will poke around in the County Tax Records - to see what they used. If there are honors to be bestowed, lets get the name right.

One of the 1860 Census takers down here in Southern Maryland was Thomas Harbin, if I'm not mistaken.

(03-01-2014 07:08 PM)L Verge Wrote:  One of the 1860 Census takers down here in Southern Maryland was Thomas Harbin, if I'm not mistaken.

Laurie,

Can't say if Thomas Harbin was a U.S. Marshall, maybe census enumerators were sworn in temporarily for the purpose, but he sure was the census taker for the Piscataway & Surratt's Districts.

Rick

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(03-01-2014 01:56 PM)L Verge Wrote:  I think every author on the subject that I have read has referred to William L. Bryant, a neighbor of Mrs. Quesenberry. This includes the team of Tidwell, Hall, and Gaddy, who did not take anyone else's research for granted. I'm sticking with Bryant because census takers were/are notoriously wrong in spelling people's names.

Laurie,

Can't remember where I read it, but it may be that William L. Bryant's wife was a woman of color. I believe that I mentioned to you that I found a William L. Bryant on the 1870 Census living in an area just west{?} of Washington City where housing was provided by the federal government. This Bryant was working as a carpenter. If our Bryant was a man of color, it would also make sense having someone along {Chrismond} to establish bona fides when delivering Booth & Herold to Dr. Stuart's.

Rick

(03-02-2014 03:14 PM)Rick Smith Wrote:  

(03-01-2014 07:08 PM)L Verge Wrote:  One of the 1860 Census takers down here in Southern Maryland was Thomas Harbin, if I'm not mistaken.

Laurie,

Can't say if Thomas Harbin was a U.S. Marshall, maybe census enumerators were sworn in temporarily for the purpose, but he sure was the census taker for the Piscataway & Surratt's Districts.

Rick

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(03-01-2014 01:56 PM)L Verge Wrote:  I think every author on the subject that I have read has referred to William L. Bryant, a neighbor of Mrs. Quesenberry. This includes the team of Tidwell, Hall, and Gaddy, who did not take anyone else's research for granted. I'm sticking with Bryant because census takers were/are notoriously wrong in spelling people's names.

Laurie,

Can't remember where I read it, but it may be that William L. Bryant's wife was a woman of color. I believe that I mentioned to you that I found a William L. Bryant on the 1870 Census living in an area just west{?} of Washington City where housing was provided by the federal government. This Bryant was working as a carpenter. If our Bryant was a man of color, it would also make sense having someone along {Chrismond} to establish bona fides when delivering Booth & Herold to Dr. Stuart's.

Rick

Rick. The 1869 Census for Wm. Bryan ( the Elder) lists him at the top of the column and Susan McGee at the bottom, in the slot usually reserved for "Domestics" - no race mentioned. In the 1870 Census, she is still living in the same general area, and her race is shown to be mulatto.
I will go to the Court House tomorrow to find a marriage listing for Wm.

(03-02-2014 11:49 PM)SSlater Wrote:  

(03-02-2014 03:14 PM)Rick Smith Wrote:  

(03-01-2014 07:08 PM)L Verge Wrote:  One of the 1860 Census takers down here in Southern Maryland was Thomas Harbin, if I'm not mistaken.

Laurie,

Can't say if Thomas Harbin was a U.S. Marshall, maybe census enumerators were sworn in temporarily for the purpose, but he sure was the census taker for the Piscataway & Surratt's Districts.

Rick

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(03-01-2014 01:56 PM)L Verge Wrote:  I think every author on the subject that I have read has referred to William L. Bryant, a neighbor of Mrs. Quesenberry. This includes the team of Tidwell, Hall, and Gaddy, who did not take anyone else's research for granted. I'm sticking with Bryant because census takers were/are notoriously wrong in spelling people's names.

Laurie,

Can't remember where I read it, but it may be that William L. Bryant's wife was a woman of color. I believe that I mentioned to you that I found a William L. Bryant on the 1870 Census living in an area just west{?} of Washington City where housing was provided by the federal government. This Bryant was working as a carpenter. If our Bryant was a man of color, it would also make sense having someone along {Chrismond} to establish bona fides when delivering Booth & Herold to Dr. Stuart's.

Rick

Rick. The 1869 Census for Wm. Bryan ( the Elder) lists him at the top of the column and Susan McGee at the bottom, in the slot usually reserved for "Domestics" - no race mentioned. In the 1870 Census, she is still living in the same general area, and her race is shown to be mulatto.
I will go to the Court House tomorrow to find a marriage listing for Wm.

John,

That's great. Let me know what you find.

Rick

The snow delayed my visit to the Court House - I had to clear a path to the out-house. All OK now. Bear in mind that this is all raw data. I have not arrived at a conclusion and then cross-checked that.
King George has two sets of marriage records. One starts in 1721, and two starts in 1857. The first set lists the Bride and Groom and the date. The second set lists the Bride and Groom, the date and the PARENTS. In Dr. Stuarts deposition, he referred to Bryant as "The old man". One Bryant was 69 in 1865 and the other was 54. So, I favor the older one. This also steered me away from the Records that started in 1857. Obviously these two guys had families, so they are not newlyweds.
I first searched William L Bryant - any age. THERE ARE NONE.
The first logical candidate -named William Bryan was William L. Bryan who married Catherine McClanahan on March 26, 1834 (William would have been 33). Another possible candidate would be William Bryan who married Ann Jones, Feb 22, 1827.(he would have been 26). Apparently William L. Bryan's wife is deceased by the 1860 Census, because the oldest girl in the family is 23 - born 1837. Her birthday follows both of the marriage dates being considered - thus Elizabeth is not his wife.
Another factor I stumbled onto - There are 4 Bryan children living in the Albert Suttle family in nearby Millville (in K. G. Co.) They are Samuel 16, John 13, William 10 and Mary E 7. These are valid candidates to be from the William Bryan family. That is a "considered" guess.
I also checked Land Deeds for the Bryans - There were none. Wills - Nothing.
I did not find either of these two families in later years, except William Bryan b 1801, 69 yrs old m to Sallie 50 b N.C. in Cainsville, TN
There is where we stand with the Ct. Hs. (I did get some more good-stuff on the Crismonds and the McDaniels.
I will continue to Search.{ Laurie. Hall et. al. didn't make a mistake - they worked with the information they had, which was primitive. We can do more in one day now, than they could manage, in a year.}

I agree, census takers were notorious for spelling names wrong, getting the wrong birth years, as well as numerous other errors. I know this from researching my own family ancestors from various census years.

(03-01-2014 01:56 PM)L Verge Wrote:  a neighbor of Mrs. Quesenberry.

Here's an article entitled "How the Quesenberys are connected to Booth:"

http://www.cecildaily.com/our_cecil/arti...72809.html

Interesting article - made more so since my great-grandmother Huntt was originally from Cecil County, Maryland. The carpetbag story is new to me. I thought Mrs. Q was identified when the authorities found a napkin that she had wrapped food in for the fugitives. The napkin, like most of that time, was embroidered with the family's initial(s).

Someone please check the trial records also, because I don't think young Rousby testified at the trial. For some reason, I thought he was just a toddler in 1865. The brain fadeth, however, so...

Also, the beginning part about how Jones met the pair is a little shaky.

(10-19-2014 11:57 AM)L Verge Wrote:  Interesting article - made more so since my great-grandmother Huntt was originally from Cecil County, Maryland. The carpetbag story is new to me. I thought Mrs. Q was identified when the authorities found a napkin that she had wrapped food in for the fugitives. The napkin, like most of that time, was embroidered with the family's initial(s).

Someone please check the trial records also, because I don't think young Rousby testified at the trial. For some reason, I thought he was just a toddler in 1865. The brain fadeth, however, so...

Also, the beginning part about how Jones met the pair is a little shaky.

I don't see a Rousby listed among the witnesses in Pitman.

I've never heard of Rousby either - in any of the trial transcripts....

The name should be Nicholas Rousby Quesenberry. For some reason I'm also thinking that the third given name might be Plater - Nicholas Rousby Plater Quesenberry. I remember that we had a lady who had married into the Quesenberry family on one of our Booth tours. Mike pronounced the entire name and maybe put III at the end, and he and people sort of snickered about such a "difficult" name. At the next stop, the lady informed Mike and me that she was married to Nicholas Rousby Plater Quesenberry the something or other. She laughed about it too, so we breathed a sigh of relief.