Submitted by:
Daniel O'dell
Gregory
©2003
Additions added 2007
Samuel Briley died in Sumner County, Tennessee in February of 1824.
He had six children:
1. John Jackson Briley born 1784 in North Carolina and died in1862 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. He was married to Polly Mary Barnes who was born on August 22, 1807. They had seven children: Sarah H., John G., Thomas B., William, Jasper Newton, Rebecca, and Rhoda.
2. William Briley born 1785 in North Carolina. Died in 1870. He was married to Pitey ? They had three children: Mary Polly, Hiram, and John.
3. James Briley born 1794 in North Carolina and died after 1870. He was married to Jane Bandy. They had three children: Samuel, Mary, and Marcus. James Briley, son of Samuel Briley, was said to have served in the War of 1812 and was at the Battle of New Orleans under General Andrew Jackson.
4. Elizabeth Briley born in Sumner County, Tennessee. She died on November 5, 1822. She was married to Daniel Looney Minor, Sr. They had one child, Montgomery.
5. Polly Briley married Thomas Summers.
6. Nancy Briley married Cornelius Summers.
William Briley (son of Samuel Briley) was born around 1785 in North Carolina. He married Piety ? born around 1785 in East Tennessee.
William Briley and Piety had three known children:
1. Mary Polly Briley born in 1810. She married Noah Nathaniel Summers, the son on Thomas Summers and Priscilla Summers. They were married on August 13, 1827 in Sumner County, Tn. They had seven children: J. Green, Martha, Jessie, Caroline, Ortemilia, L., and Harriett. Noah died in 1893 in Franklin Co., Illinois.
2. Hiram Briley born in 1816. He married Martha ? They had seven children: Peity, Elisha, John, Thomas, Amann, Andrew, and Susan.
3. John Briley was born in 1820. He married Peggy Summers. They had six children: Stephen Howard, Charity, Elias, Berry, Louiza, and Larkin.
John Briley (son of William Briley and Piety) was born in 1820. He married Peggy Summers.
John Briley and Peggy Summers had the following six children:
1. Stephen Howard Briley was born on January 14, 1841. His first marriage was to Lumera “Emily” Wright and his second marriage was to Mildred Isabell Young.
2. Charity Briley born in 1843.
3. Elias Briley born in 1845.
4. Berry Briley.
5. Louiza Briley.
6. Larkin Briley born December 25, 1848. He married Mary F. Williams who was born on June 14, 1847 and died on October 15, 1887. Larkin then married Elizabeth Suttle. Larkin and Mary had four children: John, Perry, Virgil, and Frank. Larkin and Elizabeth had two: George Burt and Dempsie W. Larkin is buried beside his first wife Mary at the Briley Cemetery on the Leon Durrett Farm in Clearview Community of Sumner Co., Tn. Both of their graves markers are broken in half.
Stephen Howard Briley (son of John Briley and Peggy Summers) was born on January 14, 1841. It is hard to research this individual as there were several Stephens, Samuels, and Howards in the Briley family and more than one man who simply went by S. H. Briley. It may be that this Stephen Howard Briley served in the Civil War but it cannot at this point be proved 100%.
In 1972, local Sumner County historian, Edwin L. Ferguson, wrote a book titled “Sumner County, Tennessee In The Civil War”. The book lists all the men who served the Confederacy from Sumner County, TN. On page 250 he records this entry: Briley, S. Howard – Deserted at Egypt, Mississippi, Dec. 17, 1862, angered by an officer’s remark. With Jacob Link (Dock). The entry is under the Muster Roll for Company D, 7th Cavalry Battalion (Bennett’s) – Later known as Company F, 22nd Cavalry Regiment (Barteau’s). I simply decided that that was my ancestor and later when I ordered his records I was surprised to see listed “Samuel H. Briley” and later simply “S. H. Briley”. The great-granddaughter of Stephen Howard Briley, Mamie Ruth Gregory, still believes it is her ancestor as she heard the old folks talk about Jacob Link and several of her family, are buried in Link Cemeteries. Mr. Ferguson had evidently interviewed families in the area as the records stated that S. H. Briley deserted in Egypt, Mississippi but they do not mention that he was angered by an officer’s remark or that he deserted with Dock Link, material Mr. Ferguson obviously obtained from some other source.. So more research needs to be done but it will be difficult as there was 1 adult Samuel and two adult Howard’s on the 1860 Census. On the 1870 Census there is one Howard and one Samuel. Stephen Howard Briley’s first wife was Lumera “Emily” Wright whom he married on September 17, 1860 in Sumner County, Tennessee. This can be verified from the Wilkinson and Wiseman funeral record for their daughter, Laura Briley Summers. It lists her father as Howard Briley and her mother’s maiden name as Wright.
Stephen Briley and Emily had three children:
1. Stevenson Douglas Briley b. 1858 and died Jan.2, 1950. He married Mallissa A. Mackey b. 1868 and died Sept. 12, 1944. She is listed as a Mulatto (M) on her death certificate. However, several relatives have expressed that they believed she was a full blooded Cherokee Indian.
2. Louella Briley born around 1861. She married John Logan Summers on June 22, 1884 in Sumner County, Tn. She died on June 23, 1910. I know of two children: Rob and Jess. Louella and John are buried on the Leon Durrett Farm in the Clearview Community of Sumner County, Tn.
3. Laura Florence Briley born on August 15, 1862 probably in Robertson Co., Tn. She married John Andrew Jackson Summers (the son of Commodore and Keziah Ann (Briley) Summers) on May 28, 1882 in Sumner County, Tn. He was born on May 22, 1863. They had seven children: Eldon, Alice, Johnny Abner, Lucy, Oscar, Jaby Denning, and Dewey. Laura's husband John died on March 27, 1944. Laura then married Tom Goodman. Laura died on June 23, 1951. She and John are buried in the Jake Link Cemetery in the Clearview Community of Sumner County, Tn.
In time, Stephen Howard Briley's first wife, Emily ?, became ill. He hired a woman named Mildred Isabell Young to care for his wife. He fell in love with Isabell. My grandmother, Mamie Ruth (Summers) Gregory recalls this story she heard growing up:
"My great-uncle, Douglas Briley, recalled that as a kid his dad, Stephen Howard Briley, told him to bring up the woodbox and fill it up with wood before he got home. Instead, Douglas got a chair and put it where the woodbox was supposed to go and he put a small amount of wood on top of the chair. When his dad got home he got wore out with a strap. Back in those days when a parent told a child to do something they meant it."
"I don't know what year it was, but one year a big flood came. The water rose on the Briley property and entered the house and was literally filling it up with water. Stephen Howard first went in and carried the nurse, Mildred, out of the house. Then he went back in for his ill wife, Emily."
This story was told to my grandmother by her grandmother, Laura Florence (Briley) Summers- a child of the first wife, Emily. When my grandma asked why Stephen carried out his ill wife last - Laura only replied "I don't know".
When Emily died, Stephen married Mildred Isabell Young who had been born on March 15, 1841.
Stephen Briley and his second wife Mildred had four children:
1. George Julius Briley born on April 3, 1872. He never married. He is buried in the Maple Hill Cemetery in Portland, Sumner Co., Tn.
2. Edward L. Briley born February 13, 1875. He married Julia Ann ? She was born on June 22, 1876. He died on May 18, 1966 and she on December 10, 1954. They are buried in the Maple Hill Cemetery in Sumner County, Tn.
3. Oliver M. Briley born on July 3, 1880. He married Mamie E. ? who was born on January 2, 1881. He died on February 11, 1964 and she on April 28, 1964. They are buried in the Maple Hill Cemetery in Portland, Sumner Co., Tn.
4. Anthony who married a Mr. Griffin.
Stephen Howard Briley died on November 1, 1920 and his second wife, Mildred Isabell Young Briley died on January 26, 1920. They are buried beside each other in the Maple Hill Cemetery in Sumner Co., Tn.
*On June 30, 1870 in Sumner County, Tennessee an S. H. Briley married an E. D. Garrett. Again, I don’t know who this is. The author would welcome all queries in helping to sort through all this.
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