Allamakee Album Thomas More family |
Thomas More and his wife Isabella Rose Bryson
Thomas More & Isabella Rose Bryson were married at Thompsonville, CT in 1847. In the summer of 1849 they removed to Garnavillo, Clayton Co., Iowa where they resided until some time between 1857 and 1860 according to the birth entries of 2 of their children. Thomas was born in Scotland in 1826, the son of Robert More. Isabella was the daughter of James and Margaret (Scott) Bryson, of who additional information can be found on this website.
On August 1, 1860, Thomas patented 120 acres of Military Bounty Land, originally warranted to Arthur Bell (who had served in Captain Winter's Company, Illinois Militia during the Black Hawk war). Bell had assigned the land to Albert Deming, who in turn assigned it to Thomas More. (image below left)
More had previously took up a claim of "school lands" in 1850 by pre-empting 51.8 acres from the U.S. Government. On June 1, 1861, having provided the necessary documents showing the improvements he'd made to the land, he purchased the land under a State Volume Patent, cash entry sale. (image below right)
The 120 acre and the 51.8 acre parcels were adjacent and in Section 18, Paint Creek twp. Allamakee co. In the 1882 History of Allamakee county, Chapter X, Paint Creek township, gives a wonderful description of the vicinity as it was at that time.
 Patent #42319, Vol 299, pg 240 |
 Cash entry #4685, Vol 271, pg 486 |
Thomas & Isabella were active members of the Rossville Baptist Church. During the Civil War, in 1864, Thomas More was selected to take the militia rolls of Paint Creek Twp., preparatory to an expected draft, but Paint Creek Twp. filled it's quota with volunteers. At that same time Thomas More filled the Paint Creek Twp. offices of Trustee and Assessor.
Their children:
Robert S. More, born 11-06-1848, at Thompsonville, Connecticut .
Margaret S. More, born 09-14-1850, at Garnavillo, Clayton Co., Iowa.
Isabella Rose More, born 02-27-1857, at Garnavillo, Clayton Co., Iowa.
James Bryson More, born 12-11-1858, at Paint Creek, Allamakee Co., Iowa.
William Scott More, born 02-04-1861, at Paint Creek, Allamakee Co., Iowa.
John F. More, born 06-18-1863, at Paint Creek, Allamakee Co., Iowa.
Alexander L. More, born 08-02-1865, Paint Creek, Allamakee Co., Iowa.
In the spring of 1866 Thomas & Isabella sold their land in Allamakee Co. and moved the family to a farm near Killduff, Jasper Co., Iowa where they spent the remainder of their lives. Three more chidren were born in Jasper Co. All of their children lived to adulthood and most married and had children of their own. In 1900 Thomas & Isabella Rose (Bryson) More had 33 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.
~sources:
-"History of the Scott & Bryson Families", 1901, by John Scott Bryson; Chapter X.
-BLM General Land Office records
~contributed by Reid R. Johnson, gg-grandson of John Scott Bryson: "I am just now re-visiting this family and attempting to track them further to the modern era. If the descendants are having as much trouble trying to go back in time as I have had in going forward then information from the "History of the Scott and Bryson Families" will be of great value to them." Reid is willing to share much more information on this family. He has scanned all of Chapter X and it is available on the Jasper co. IAGenWeb (see Bryson-More Family). Interested researchers can contact Reid at his email address shown recorded in the Surname Registry for More.
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