Peter Bryan Bruin (ca 1750 - 27 Jan 1827)

Peter Bryan Bruin was born before 28 Sep 1750 at Winchester in Frederick County, Virginia, a son of Bryan and Elizabeth Bruin. At her son’s birth, Elizabeth Bruin was about 23 years of age, and Bryan Bruin was about age 26 years. Elizabeth was likely a daughter of Ralph Humphreys and Hannah Humphreys (Walker). Bryan and Elizabeth Bruin operated an ordinary in Winchester, and Bryan Bruin speculated in land.

In 1769, at about age 13, Peter B. Bruin entered the College of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania; however, he did not return the following year.

On 28 Sep 1771, in Augusta County, Virginia, Peter Bruin witnessed power of attorney granted to Alexander White in order to sell land and slaves mortgaged by Mathew Harrison to Alexander White (209).

At about 19 years of age in 1775, Peter B. Bruin entered military service, and on 13 Dec 1776, he was appointed Captain in the Seventh Virginia Regiment.

On 23 Feb 1785, John Donovan, of Hancock Town in Washington County, Maryland a tavern keeper, and wife Frances Donavon deeded to Col Peter Bryan Bruin of Bath, Berkeley County, Commonwealth of Virginia, for 300 £ current money of Virginia a certain lot or parcel of ground in the Town Bath, Berkeley County. The said lot on which the playhouse now stands, extending 8 perches along on the south side of Washington Street in front and 5 perches in front on street laid out for one quarter of an acre.

Witnesses: Phil Pendleton, James Meylor, and John Shelding.
Bond: Clark and Keller to Bruin and Davenport.

(Source: Deed Book 6, Pages 323-324, Berkeley County, Commonwealth ofVirginia)

A Plat map of Bath indicates that this property fronted on Union Street.

Peter Bryan Bruin was a subscriber in The Patowmack Company, created by the Virginia Assembly on 5 Jan 1785 to improve inland waterways, in particular the Potomac River as a route to the west (279). On 17 May 1785, Peter Bryan Bruin attended a meeting of subscribers in the Patowmack Company with proxies by Richard Harrison, James W. Harrison, Thomas Lewis, Robert Mackey, Henry Ridgeley, William Bates, George Scott, James Rumsey. The meeting elected the first President of the Patowmack Company, George Washington, and four Directors.



On 14 Apr 1788, a mortgage by Peter Bryan Bruin of Berkeley County to Messrs Smith and Moreton of Baltimore County for 200 acres on Patterson Creek, 402 acres on Little Cacapeon, 421 acres on Patterson Creek, and 402 acres on North Branch was recorded. Witnesses: Andrew Wodrow, James Murphy, Mary Ann Wodrow, and Ralph Humphreys. The mortgage was recorded on 7 Oct 1788.

Between 14 Apr 1788 and 17 Dec 1788, the Peter B. Bruin family migrated from Hampshire County, Virginia to Claiborne County, Mississippi where Peter Bruin witnessed a deed by Phoebe Goodwin on 17 Dec 1788.

On 17 Dec 1788, Peter B. Bruin witness a deed by Phoebe Goodwin to Henry Manadue for 600 arpents of land on Cypress Swamp bought by St. Germain and John Baptiste Lapuente, three leagues from Fort, on which are erected a saw-mill and other buildings, for $1,100, in hand paid.

Phoebe (X) Goodwin

Witnesses: Bryan Bruin, Daniel Burnet, Ezekiel Hoskinson.

IN 1790, Peter B. Bruin reported to the Spanish Government at Natchez producing 7,000 pounds of tobacco.

On 1 Feb 1793, Governor Gayoso appointed Colonel Peter Bruin and William Brocas to point out places for pens on Bayou Pierre to protect domestic animals. Governor Gayoso made a number of similar appointments to leading planters across the Spanish territory. (Source: Dunbar Rowland, Encyclopaedia of Mississippi History, VolumeII, Page 313)

On 7 Apr 1794, Peter Bryan Bruin and Elizabeth Bruin (Edmonds), his wife, exchange a negro boy "Toney", aged 15 native of Virginia, for 16 cows with their calves and two oxen in full satisfaction for the same. Witnesses: Bryan Bruin, Thomas Calvet, George W. Humphreys. (Source: Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805; Ancestry.com, Accessed 8 May 2011)


In Jul 1797, Governor Gayoso appointed a Permanent Committee to aid in preserving good order and the peace of the country. The committee of nine was: Joseph Bernard, Peter B. Bruin, Daniel Clark, Gabriel Benoist, Philander Smith, Isaac Gaillard, Roger Dixon,William Ratliff, and Frederick Kimball. They regularly met in the Natchez house rented by Ellicott as his headquareters. (Source: Dunbar Rowland, Encyclopaedia of Mississippi History, Volume II, Page 396)

On 7 May 1798, President Adams appointed Winthrop Sargent as the first Govenor of the Mississippi Territory and William McGuire, Peter Bryan Bruin, and Daniel Tilton as justices of the court. The Governor and justices were the sole officers of the Territory, and comprised the legislature of the territory. At the time of his appointment, Peter Bryan Bruin was the only resident member of the Court.

At the Mississippi Territorial Government in 1798 and land ownership in the Mississippi Territory, the pre-emption claims were generally under 640 acres. Four of them were in excess, one of these being the claim of Peter B. Bruin for 1,160 acres on Bayou Pierre.

In about 1800, Elizabeth Bruin, a daughter of Peter B. Bruin, married William Scott. The original survey plat of Township 11 N, Range 1 E in Claiborne County, Mississipp shows ownerhsip of Section 19 by Peter B. Bruin. During some time between the original survey and a re-survey in 1829, William Scott owned Section 20. On 13 Jan 1802, William Scott purchased seven slaves from Peter Bryan Bruin at Bruinsburg Plantation, Claiborne County, Mississippi.

On 22 Dec 1807, Peter Bryan Bruin deeded a tract of land in Claiborne County, Mississippi adjoining William Smith and George Humphreys to Lewis Evans and George Overaker. Ely Loring and Abijah Hunt witnessed the deed.

According to a 1835 Mississippi Federal Pension List, Peter B. Bruin of Claiborne County, a Major in the Virginia Continental Line, received an annual allowance of $240.00 as a pension for his service during the American Revolution. Payments began 21 May 1819, and by 1835, Peter B. Bruin had received $2,098.00. Peter B. Bruin died 27Jan 1827. (Source: 1835 Federal Pension List, Mississippi, Report from Secretary of War in Relation to the Pension Establishment of the United States, 1835; URL: http://members.tripod.com/~rosters/index-45.html , Accessed 8 May 2011)

Notes and Comments

Assuming that Peter B. Bruin was at least 21 years of age on 28 Sep 1771 when he witnessed a power of attorney to Alexander White then he was born before 28 Sep 1750. This estimate of the date of birth of Peter B. Bruin implies that his parent likely married before about Dec 1749.

Sources

209. Chalkley, Lyman. Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, 1745-1800, Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County. Genealogical Publishing, Co., Baltimore, Maryland, 1965.

279. Bacon-Foster, C. Early Chapters in the Development of the Potomac Route to the West. Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C., 1912.