Mary Shepard Bryan was born 1824 in New Bern, Craven County, NC the 2nd of 14 known surviving children (8 boys/6 girls) born to wealthy attorney and Congressman, Hon. John Heritage Bryan Sr. and his wife, Mary Williams Shepherd (Shepard/Sheppard).

She was the paternal grandchild of James D. Bryan & Rachel Heritage; and gr-grandchild of John Bryan & Elizabeth Oliver, all of Craven County, NC. The lineage of this Branch of the Bryan family has been traced by other researchers to the Brian's & O'Brien's of Ireland. The Bryan family of eastern North Carolina was founded by William Bryan, who married in England about 1689 Alice Needham, said to have been a daughter of the Irish Lord Needham of that day. About 1690 William, Alice and their son Needham came to America and settled in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. He subsequently had two more sons, John and William. In about 1722, William left VA with 2 of his sons, Needham & John. Needham settled at Snowfield, Bertie County; and son, John, son settled in Craven County, NC. (William later returned to Virginia.) John Bryan of Craven County had a son Edward, who is said to have married Christina. They had a son William, who married Ann Dawson. Their son John married Elizabeth Oliver. Their son James married Rachel Heritage. James and Rachel had two sons, (1st) John Heritage, who married Mary Shepard, and who was the father Mary Shepard Bryn. On her mother's side, John was the maternal grandson of William Sheperd and Mary Williams Blount of Craven County, and later Hillsborough, Orange Co, NC.

Mary was 27 years old when she became the (2nd) wife of 33-year old widower, Edwin Gray Speight. Her husband was descended from the wealthy Speight family of Greene County, and had served as State Senator from Greene and Lenoir in 1850. He had married (1st)in 1841 to Mary Elizabeth Blount of Greene County, who died childless in 1846.

Following their marriage, the couple removed to Sumter County, Alabama where her husband's wealth purchased a considerable plantation. This marriage was also childless.

Mary was widowed in 1863 when her husband of 12 years passed at age 45. The wealthy 39-year widow returned to Raleigh and never remarried.

Mary died in her sleep, apparently from a massive stroke, on February 23, 1895. She was 71 years old. According to her sister, she was found dead early in the morning by the servant who went to her room to make the fire. She died of apoplexy (stroke) in the night.

Mary had no heirs, and it is not known what became of her fortune other than the bequest of $10,000.00 dollars to the University of North Carolina for a scholarship in memory of her father, Hon. John H. Bryan.

Mary is buried next to her nephew, William Anderson Syme (1879-1909), son of her sister Annie Shepard Bryan and husband, Andrew Syme.