Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-08-13

wcather-pesten and storm-swept un.Il
about eighteen months ago. "len ,u2
family which now occupies the puIiulls
Sotorr,inad 10 give it g. more modern ap-
ne3rance and to patch over the ID 20
p,i, Tine mad made. They had the
bniISJng weather-boarded and 2daeu two
roons n The front. the l. remaining III
the same condition as When II was - ~
occupied by the original owners, on4o,
This home is situated on I've Oyen nU6
mountain. a spur Of the Blue h!use, an, anu
I II oyerlooks the Thornton EalIeS :
through which. winding It's way tue en-
tire length of the yalleS IS the slIIeL
,hread of Thornton river. This vailey
! &c nj Imrosing beauty and exceeding Ter
/ tilitv. dotted over with substantial Lal4ll
houses It's hills are covered with luAu-
riant grasses, furnishing grazing Iol
i countless e.. lie and sheep.
The old barn stands on small emil
nence almost directly in front OF me
fause. Wea;her-beayen and diIapi-
dated. lis appearance plainly indicates
thai it has occupied lis present po@iAoh
J for a century.
About half mile to the west from the
, old homestead, standing under narrow
rock road. is 10 be seen the old Bryan
meeting house." 1t is q large, rambling
structure. in pretty much the same con-
dition as ii was when The organs Wor-
shiued there. II was and IS an Old
school baptist church, and from the size
CT the building seating 500 persons that
&C mush have been very numerous IN
( those days.
! The BIyans are said to have been peo-
ole of deep religious convictions, and the
! church was named for the Bryans from
/ the fact that they built il or were the
( chief contributors to it. Upon this poins
Tho neighborho0d traditions are conflict
i ing. Also the Bryans are said to have
/ been enthusiastic and earnest in their
attachments to the principles Of free
/ government and JeffersODian democracy
as they were in their religious convic-
lions. In fact, it is said Of them that
/ their religion and their love Of country
were sentiments that dominated and
controlled their lives.
William Bryan, the great-grandfather
) of the candidate, died in Culpeper county
in 1906. Having made his will by which,
after providing for his wife, Nejtic
/ Bryan, and two maiden sisters. who
lived with MIN, he devised his property
/ TO be equally divided between his call
/ dren, James, John, William, Aquilla,
I Lucy ard Elizabeth. He was 50 or 60
years Of age at the time Of his death.
James, his eldes, son, was the only child
/ married at the time of his Death, but
they all married shortly thereafter. One
/ daughter married a Mr.. Dunaway and
J the other MIR. Baldeck. IN year af,cr
the death of William Bryan his real es-
/ tate was divided among his children and
10 John. the grandfather o. William Jen-
uings Bryan, was allotted the tract Of 2l5
acres near tbs town OF Sperryville. BY
-eason Of its location 1t was perhaps the
most valuable portion Of the estate.
On January 16. 1857. John Bryan was
married &c Nancy Lilard. The cere-
noHy was performed by the Rev. Lewis
I Conner, a Baptis, preacher OF considera-
tie prominence in the community. John
lived on the old homeplaco until 1926,
when he sold ont, ana, with his family,
/ 'emCyed 10 The then western part Of
Virginia-now Wes, Virgin.a-seling
on the bank OF the Ohio, near the mouth
OF the Great Kan2wha river
The Lillard family are supposed to be
of Scotch origin. LARGE members Of The
Lillard descendants sill live in Kappa
hammock and Culpeper counties Tn y
are noted for their vim, courage, will,
integrity and fix dness Of purpose.
Silas Lillard, brother Of Nancy Lii
lard Bryan. and for whom the "a her Of
itda candidate was named. lef, Virginia
about the same time the organs left il.
He went 20 Mississippi and became a
wealthy planter, bus died carly in life
without issue
Another brother, Cent; BENJAMIN Lii
lard, lived and died il Rappahannock
county. Ha was 3 worthy and highly re-
spec,5d citizen.
Capt. benjamin Lillard died in 1870,
and his descendants of the male and fe-
male line liyeia the counties Of Culpeper
and Rappahannock. Conspicuous among
these is p. II. O'Bannon, who at the time