The earliest record I have, so far, for Cranborne, is the baptism of Thomas Symes BRYER on 12 Mar 1805. He was the son of John BRYER and Hannah Maria.
The earliest record I have found so far for Dorchester is the baptism in 1740 of Mary, daughter of William and Mary BRYER. Apart from the ten children that William had with various wives, the next major event was the 1767 Will of
William BRYER, gentleman and man of some substance in both Dorchester and Weymouth. He names four sons in his will, William the executor, John Bampfield, Edmund, and Thomas who was still at University at the time and who went on to become a clergyman. He also names his wife Sarah as executrix, but my researches suggest that she was the third of his three wives, and was not the mother of any of the children named in the will. Their
family chart is still being researched.
Another
William BRYER also flourished in Dorchester about the same time. This is the William who married Elizabeth PERROTT in 1756 in Dorchester. His descendents have been easier to trace than those of William Bryer, Gent. (above).
A third, possible, son of Dorchester is
Arthur Blewert BRYER, who lived for many years and died in Newington South London. From the contents of his will he is patently related to the second of the above families.
Box charts for each of the families can be found here.
