Silas L. Bryan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Illinois Senate | |
| In office 1852–1860 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 4, 1822 Culpeper County, Virginia |
| Died | March 30, 1880 (aged 57) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mariah Elizabeth Jennings |
| Children | 9, including William and Charles |
| Residence(s) | Salem, Illinois |
| Profession | Politician |
Silas Lillard Bryan (November 4, 1822 – March 30, 1880) was a judge and member of the Illinois Senate.
Born in Culpeper, Virginia, Silas Lillard Bryan, of Scots-Irish and English descent,[1] was an avid Jacksonian Democrat and supporter of states' rights.[2] Silas won election to the Illinois State Senate in 1852 on a platform on preventing the immigration of Free Negroes into Illinois.[3] He won again in 1856 but was defeated for re-election in 1860 and in 1878.[4] During the American Civil War, he was a Copperhead Democrat.
He did win election as a state circuit judge for the 2nd Judicial Circuit, and moved to a 520-acre (210.4 ha) farm north of Salem in 1866,[5] living in a ten-room house that was the envy of Marion County.[6] He retained his position on the bench through 1873.[7][8]
Bryan and his wife, Mariah Elizabeth (née Jennings), were the parents of nine children, including William Jennings Bryan and Charles W. Bryan. Also, Ruth Bryan Owen was a granddaughter.[9]
- ^ Asked when his family "dropped the 'O'" from his O'Bryan surname, he responded there never had been one. Bryan Memoirs of William Jennings Bryan; Kessinger, p. 22-26. Likewise there never was a "T" in the name.
- ^ Brenda Wineapple, "Keeping the Faith: God, Democracy, and the Trial That Riveted the Nation." (Random House: New York, 2024), p.39.
- ^ Brenda Wineapple, "Keeping the Faith: God, Democracy, and the Trial That Riveted the Nation." (Random House: New York, 2024), p. 39.
- ^ Brenda Wineapple, "Keeping the Faith: God, Democracy, and the Trial That Riveted the Nation." (Random House: New York, 2024), p. 40.
- ^ Paolo E. Colletta, William Jennings Bryan: Colletta: Volume 1, Political Evangelist, 1860-1908 (University of Nebraska: Lincoln, 1964) pp. 3-4.
- ^ Paulo E. Colleta, William Jennings Bryan: Volume 1, Political Evangelist, 1860-1908, p. 5.
- ^ 'S. L. Bryan,' Chicago Tribune, April 1, 1880, pg. 2
- ^ 'Five Minutes With News Of The Day-Hon. Silas Bryan,' The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois), April 1, 1880, pg. 1
- ^ Political Graveyard-Bryan-Jenninggs Family of Illinois