Nancy Tennille was born in Washington County, Georgia, the daughter of Benjamin Tennille, who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He is buried in the Tennille Cemetery across the bayou from University of Louisiana - Monroe.

The Tennille family were refugees from France, Huguenots (French protestants) fleeing religious persecution, arriving on our continent in the early 1700s.

Nancy first married Dr. Thomas Barlow in 1810 at age 17, but he died in 1822 – they had no children. In 1823 Nancy married Isaac Henry Bry, also a recent widow, who had 5 children.

In her young life before marrying Henry, she saw many family members die including both her parents, 5 of her 10 siblings and her first husband. In her married life with Henry she had 8 children, only 2 of whom survived to adulthood. In the Bry Layton Cemetery on the grounds you’ll see the gravestones of several children. You have to wonder at the capacity to handle so much grief…and marvel at the difference modern medicine now makes in life expectancy.

Their youngest daughter, Melinda Tennille Bry (1838-1892) inherited the family homestead on which Layton Castle now stands and the current occupants are descendants of hers.

The Bry Layton Collection includes a cookbook of Nancy’s from 1853– you’ll find a printed copy of select recipes by her portrait – listing fascinating sounding recipes like Snow Pudding, Spotted Dick, and Nothings.

Also in the collection is a hymnal of Benjamin Tennille’s with handwritten hymns.