Was the wife of Philip Byerly (d 1800) a Briles or Broyles?
Other researchers have reported that in Randolph Co., NC on May 5, 1772 - Susannah, widow of Michael Broyles, qualified as administrix of Michael's estate, with David Smith and Philip Byerly as security.
I have read that Michael's widow Susannah was a Smith, so David Smith is likely to have been a relative. And I suspect that Philip Byerly was a brother-in-law.
I am looking for any other records showing a connection between the Byerly and Broyles/Briles families in NC.
Philip Byerly is an ancestor of mine. Born 1735-1740, he married Mary "Molly" Brals and raised a family in Randolph County, NC, where his will was recorded in 1800. His widow Mary/Molly went west with her son John Byerly (b 1785) and daughter Margaret (Byerly) Ray (b 1782) and son-in-law Hutson Ray, and settled in Shelby Co., IN, where Mary, Margaret and Hutson are buried in the Ray/Center Cemetery. John Byerly continued west to Dewitt County, IL.
The gravestone of Mary Byerly says she died 17 Sep 1838 at age 95 years, which implies she was born about 1743. I have posted photos of Mary (Brals) Byerly's gravestone at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=byerly&GSiman=1&GScid=84593&GRid=62708957&http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=byerly&GSiman=1&GScid=84593&GRid=62708957&
Since I have found no Brals family in NC, I am working on the assumption that Brals is just a spelling variant of Briles or Broyles. But I have not been able to confidently place her in the logical family, that of Conrad Briles, whose eldest daughter named Mary married a Rush. I have seen references to a younger daughter Elizabeth, however, with no spouse attached.
Here's my suspicion. Since Conrad Briles had a sister named Maria Elizabetha, it occurred to me that his daughter Elizabeth might have been named Mary Elizabeth, after her aunt. If so, then my Mary Brals could have been Mary Elizabeth Briles/Broyles, a sister of Michael Broyles, and so my Philip Byerly, bondsman for Michael's widow Susannah, would have been Michael's brother-in-law.
Any records supporting or refuting this suspicion would be appreciated.