• Index to Homes

Brampton and Walnut Hill Plantations

Jonathan Bryan was born 1708 in Pocotaligo, South Carolina and died at his plantation in 1788, near Savannah. He lived first in South Carolina where he removed from in 1750, to Georgia. During the American Revolution, he was captured by the British, along with his son, James, and was taken prisoner to New York in 1799, where he remained for two years. After the 1757 treaty with the Indians, Jonathan Bryan became owner of all the lands located northwest of Savannah to Pipemaker's Creek, being part of the Yamacraw Village. The first acreage consisted of 250 acres, then 500 acres first belonging to Patrick Graham, on the Savannah River called Redfoord. Samuel Barker owned Retreat Plantation, which later became part of Brampton was established about 1765 and grew into to a very large and prosperous rice plantation. By 1757, it had over 1,500 acres and 60 slaves. It was named after the Bryan's ancestral home in England. Jonathan Bryan also owned the plantation Walnut Hill on Salter's Creek in Chatham County, which first belonged to Thomas Christie. He resided there between 1758 and 1764. Walnut Hill was later called Brewton Hill. In 1765, Jonathan Bryan began developing another plantation, Seven Oaks where he moved. That's when he sold Walnut Hill to Miles Brewton for 1400 pounds.

During the Revolutionary war when Jonathan and his son were in prison, the plantation became inactive and was plundered by the Tories. After the war, his son, William Bryan, permitted his slave Andrew Bryan to preach at Brampton Plantation..

When Jonathan Bryan died, his body was interred in a vault on the old plantation. The inventory of his estates itemized more than 50 slaves. His daughter, Mrs. Bryan Wylly sold her interested in the plantation in 1792 to John G. Williamson, and all of the other heirs followed suit except James Bryan, whose share was not sold until after the death of his son in 1807, also to Williamson.