MARY LUPTON-BRYARLY was the daughter of Quakers, and she was excommunicated for marrying Thomas F. Bryarly.

Thomas married his first wife Mary Lupton on 24 March 1831 in Frederick County, Virginia, and they had FOUR children that are known of:

Joseph Lupton Bryarly (1831-1902),
Susan Louisa Bryarly-Walker (1834-?),
Hester "Hettie" Esther Ann Bryarly (1836-1921), and
Mary Virginia "Jennie" Bryarly-Moore (1839-1903.

However, one of Mary's brothers, Joseph Lupton, remained by her side, and lived with the family as they migrated from Virginia to Ohio and eventually to Texas. Thomas F. Bryarly writes in a letter dated 18 December 1839 (preserved in the Antebellum records at Duke University) that Joseph Lupton had continued to Texas with him after Mary passed away to help him with their four small children, however, Joseph fell ill and Thomas had to take care of him as well.

The same letter expresses Thomas' overwhelmed disillusionment and grief over the loss of Mary, and his fear of how he will manage to care for the children. Their youngest daughter Mary was still breast feeding at the age of 8 mos when Mary passed away.

Mary was laid to rest near the Washita River in Choctaw Nation, Montgomery Co, Arkansas on 23 November 1839.

Faded from life, but ever present in our hearts. Your memory and courage in facing the wilderness of a developing nation lives on.

REFERENCES:

1. Bryarly Family Bible in possession of Janie Land-Gilbreth, xerox copy received 05 February 2005.

2. Brown, Stuart E. Jr. (1983), "Annals of Clarke County Virginia,"
Virginia Book Company, Berryville, Virginia, Vol 1, pp. 226-236.

3. Hackett, Joan D. & Good, Rebecca H., (1992), "Frederick County Virginia Marriage Bonds," Heritage Books, Inc, p.202.

4. Vogt, John & Kthley, T. William Jr., (1984), "Virginia Historic Marriage Register: Frederick County Marriages 1738-1850," Iberian Press, Athens, Georgia, p. 63. Note: Minister, Joannes E. Jackson.

5. Stampp, Kenneth M., 1999, "Records of Ante-Bellum Southern Plantations from the Revolution through the Civil War: Series F, Selections from the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University, Part 4: North Carolina and Virginia Plantations: Samuel Bryarly Papers, 1787-1884, Frederick County, Virginia," Duke University: Bethesda, MD, p. 00312.

Letter from Thomas Fitzhugh Bryarly to his Father, Samuel Bryarly, dated 18 December 1839.
"Mary Bryarly died Saturday, 23 November 1839 near the Washita River, Choctaw Nation, Arkansas."

©Mark Morrow