Born in Robeson, North Carolina, January 9, 1806. He was the first county judge who was elected on the organization of the county, in 1851. Upon him devolved the duty of perfecting the organization of county, dividing it into townships, and such other work as was necessary to perfect a system of government. He held this office until October, 1854, when he gave way for a successor. He represented Guthrie county in the Iowa Senate in the 5th General Assembly, 1854. Judge Bryan was a large-hearted, honorable, upright man, who came here, in 1850, from Indiana. He was a strong democrat of the old Jackson school, extremely partisan in his politics, and if a man was only a democrat, he was all right with the judge. He married Miss Hannah Cox April 14, 1825, in Jefferson county, Indiana.