Eliza Jane Todd and her mother, Melinda Bryan Todd, descended from King Edward III of England through his 7th son Thomas of Woodstock. Edward III’s g-g-g-g grandson Sir Francis Bryan  Eliza's ancestral grandfather many generations earlier, was appointed as Lord General of Ireland in 1540. He was a distinguished Knight Bannerette (a prestigious knight who carries his own banner).

Bryan was educated at Oxford and in the French court. He was a poet, the designated “Cup Bearer” to King Henry VIII of medieval England and a cousin to Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, two ill-fated wives of King Henry. Fiercely loyal to Henry, and a favorite, Sir Francis was part of the “inner circle” or “Privy Council.” He was referred to by Henry as the “One-Eyed Vicar from Hell;” having lost an eye from a splinter in a jousting match. (This disfigurement may be why no paintings of Bryan exist).

Among others, Henry VIII sent Sir Francis to Pope Clement in an effort to have his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled so he could marry Francis’ cousin, Anne Boleyn. Eventually, Anne became queen, and Lady Margaret Bryan (Francis’ mother) became the nursemaid to young Elizabeth I. Designated as Captain of the Henchmen, Sir Francis Bryan was the chief mourner at the funeral of Henry VIII. Some undocumented accounts state that Henry’s last words were, “Bryan, all is lost.” Francis married into the powerful Irish Fitzgerald family (Joan Fitzgerald Butler, Countess of Ormond from Kilkenny), who descended from Brian Boru, first King of Ireland through her mother’s line. Sir Francis died in 1550 (possibly poisoned) and is buried in Waterford, Ireland. Many castles and great estates that Sir Francis resided in still remain operational in Ireland today. The great castle of the Ormonds and Fitzgeralds in Kilkenny is worth exploring, as is the surrounding area.

Sir Francis Bryan’s grandson would later come to the American colonies. His g-g-g-g-g-grandson George Bryan, Melinda Bryan's father and Eliza’s grandfather, helped establish Bryan Station in Kentucky. George was the nephew of Rebecca Bryan and Daniel Boone. He lived with them for a time and, as a young man, surveyed with Boone through Kentucky as his chain bearer. George Bryan fought to defend the fort - Bryan Station. He served as an Indian fighter and spy during the American Revolution. Bryan was present at the surrender of Cornwallis in Yorktown on October 19, 1781.  See ancient lineage from the Magna Charta barons