Hugh Bryan facts for kids

Hugh Bryan (1699-1753) was an important person in the early days of the South Carolina colony. He was a Christian who owned large farms called plantations.

In 1742, he bravely spoke out and wrote that owning enslaved people was wrong. He believed God would punish people for it. Because of his strong views, a group called a Grand Jury accused him of encouraging enslaved people to rebel. This was a very serious charge.

Hugh Bryan later took back his statements and apologized. However, he continued to help enslaved African Americans learn to read and become Christians. He also helped start the first church in South Carolina that wasn't Anglican. This church, the Stoney Creek Independent Presbyterian Chapel of Prince William Parish, welcomed both Black and white worshippers.

Andrew Bryan, an enslaved man who worked for Hugh's brother Jonathan, was one of the people who worshipped there. Andrew Bryan later went on to start the First Bryan Baptist Church in Savannah.

Early Life and Family

Hugh Bryan was born in 1699 near a place called Pocotaligo. He was the second of four children. His parents, Janet Cochran and Joseph Bryan, had moved from Hereford in 1680.

His older brother, also named Joseph, was born in 1697. His sisters, Hannah and Jonathan, were born in 1706 and 1708. Sadly, his mother, Janet Cochran, passed away just three weeks after Jonathan was born.

In 1735, Hugh Bryan took over the family's land and businesses. The Bryan family grew crops like rice and indigo on their plantations. They also raised cattle for beef. They even ran ferry boats in the southeastern part of the South Carolina colony.

Hugh Bryan was married three times. We don't know the name of his first wife or when she passed away. His second wife was Catherine Barnwell, who died in 1740. His third wife was Mary Prioleau. She outlived Hugh and later married his friend, William Hutson, in 1758.

Hugh Bryan had at least one daughter who was already an adult and married by 1741. He also had at least one son. He wrote letters to his son in 1740 when his son was attending school in Charleston. In 1751, he wrote in his diary about visiting his daughter's grave.

Captured During the Yamasee War

In 1715, when Hugh Bryan was a teenager, he was captured during the Yamasee War. This was a conflict between English settlers and Native American groups. He was held by a Native American leader who was fighting the English.

Bryan was taken to St. Augustine and held captive for about a year. During this time, he was given a Bible and a book by William Beveridge (bishop). Bryan later wrote that these books helped him become open to new religious ideas. He also became interested in the teachings of George Whitefield.

Involvement in Colonial Government

In 1733, Hugh Bryan was chosen to be part of the Royal Assembly. This was like being elected to a government body in the colony. From 1735 to 1737, he held important positions in St. Helena parish.

Bryan was also involved in protecting the colony. The colony was often in danger from the Spanish and some Native American groups. These groups sometimes worked together to stop the English from taking more land.

Hugh Bryan and Nathaniel Barnwell, who later became his brother-in-law, asked the assembly for money. They wanted to build a fort to protect against attacks from the sea. Bryan also took it upon himself to prepare a scout boat to look out for danger.

His Religious Journey

In 1735, Hugh Bryan delivered cattle to Salzburger emigrants in Georgia. Georgia was a new colony founded as a safe place for people who had different religious beliefs. He went back several times to deliver more supplies. He also stayed to spend time with the people and talk about religion.

In 1739, a famous preacher named George Whitefield began preaching in South Carolina and Georgia. Whitefield was a key figure in a religious movement called the First Great Awakening. Whitefield's powerful sermons helped Hugh's wife, Catherine, become deeply religious.

Catherine encouraged Hugh to meet with Whitefield in the summer of 1739. After this meeting, Hugh began to seriously think about his own faith. Catherine believed that her strong faith helped her recover from a serious illness. After much thought and self-reflection, Hugh also declared that he had been "born again" into faith.

Warnings About Enslavement

Several events in 1739 and 1740 made Bryan believe that God was punishing white Christians. He thought this was happening because of how they treated the people they enslaved.

In the summer and fall of 1739, a terrible illness called yellow fever spread through the population. That September, enslaved people working near the Stono River rebelled. They took weapons and fought back against their enslavers.

In 1740, a fast-moving fire destroyed many buildings in Charleston. Bryan believed that God's anger would continue until enslavers changed their ways. He felt it was his duty to warn other wealthy landowners.

He wrote a letter to the South-Carolina Gazette newspaper. In it, he warned of severe judgments from God. He accused leaders and church officials of not doing enough. He urged them to change or face "more terrible" punishments from God. George Whitefield had helped him write this letter. Both men were arrested but later released without charges.

Bryan had started holding regular worship services for enslaved people on his property. He continued to do this, even though it was against the law. This worried his white neighbors and other plantation owners.

In early 1741, he wrote a long letter to the speaker of the Commons House of Assembly. In this letter, he predicted that God would destroy Charleston. He also prophesied that God would free the enslaved people to punish white society. A Grand Jury then accused him of encouraging enslaved people to rebel. Warrants were issued for his arrest.

However, Hugh was not arrested. His brother Jonathan reported that Hugh had "recovered his senses." Hugh later wrote an apology letter to the Commons House. Jonathan explained that Hugh had believed an "Invisible Spirit" told him to get a rod. This spirit supposedly told him to "smite the Waters of the River" so he could walk across on dry land.

Jonathan found Hugh "smiting, splashing and spluttering the Water about with it." Hugh believed he would die if he went to sleep without parting the waters. But Jonathan convinced him to go home and go to bed. When Hugh woke up and found himself alive, he became convinced that the "spirit" was a trick from Satan. Hugh Bryan's letter to the Commons House confirmed this.

Hugh Bryan's actions were sometimes used by the Anglican church to warn against "excessive religious enthusiasm." They used his story to try and make people doubt George Whitefield and other passionate religious movements.

Even though Bryan took back his public statements, he never stopped believing he had a duty to the souls of enslaved people. He and his brother Jonathan continued to support their education and their right to gather for worship.

Supporting Education and New Churches

George Whitefield supported the idea of slavery. However, he criticized white society for how they treated enslaved people. He preached that enslavers were risking their own souls if they didn't give enslaved people a chance to become Christians. After his sermons, many enslaved African Americans converted to Christianity for the first time.

Hugh Bryan hired a teacher named William Hutson to teach the enslaved people on his plantation. Both Hugh and Jonathan Bryan encouraged African American preachers. They also arranged for enslaved people to attend worship services and form their own church groups.

On their property, the Bryan brothers founded the first church in South Carolina that was not Anglican. This church became the Stoney Creek Independent Presbyterian Chapel of Prince William Parish. Both Black and white people worshipped there together.

After Hugh Bryan passed away, his brother Jonathan continued to support the education of enslaved workers. He also encouraged their participation in the new Christian revival movement. Jonathan encouraged his enslaved servant, Andrew Bryan, to travel and preach on his own. Andrew had been converted by a free Black preacher named George Liele.

Andrew Bryan often preached to and with the congregation of the African American Silver Bluff Baptist Church, which was founded in 1750. With money left to him by Jonathan, Andrew Bryan bought his freedom. He also bought land to build a church in Savannah, which became the First Bryan Baptist Church.