DAVIDSON COUNTY, TN - BIOGRAPHIES - Charles Henry Ryman (1809-1879)
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Biography of Charles Henry RYMAN (1809-1879)
Compiled & Contributed by Jeanne Chesher Johnson, jj@tampabay.rr.com, 
March 12, 2001

Charles H. RYMAN was the eldest of the RYMAN brothers of Nashville. The
other three brothers were: John (1819-1864), William (abt. 1814 - bef.
1872), and Francis "Frank" (abt. 1824 - 1866). Thomas Green RYMAN
(1841-1904), the well-known steamboat captain and owner/operator of the
largest Cumberland River steamboat company was Charles' nephew and the son
of his brother John. The RYMAN Auditorium (better known as the "Grand Ole
Opry") was named in Tom's honor after his death.

The exact birthplaces of the RYMAN brothers is unknown, but census records
state their nativity as Tennessee and Nashville was where they lived,
raised families, and conducted businesses for many years until their
deaths. It is uncertain when the RYMAN family first came to the River City.
The 1830 Davidson County census includes the name of the possible patriarch
of the family, Frederick REINMAN. In the earlier 1820 Sumner County census
can be found a possible variation of his name, Ferdinand RHYNEMAN, which
may indicate that the family first lived in neighboring Sumner County
before Davidson county. Many variations of the surname are found in the
Davidson County records, including RIMON, RYMAN, and RINEMAN. Charles could
not write and this may have contributed to the various spelling
interpretations that county officials used in recording his surname.

The earliest official record in Davidson County that names Charles RYMAN is
his marriage to Prudence Mary V. REDDICK (1818-1874) on June 22, 1834 in
Nashville. Following that, Charles is listed in the 1839 Davidson County
Tax List. One year later, his name is recorded as "C. RINEMAN" in the 1840
federal census of Ward 6 of Nashville.

Charles RYMAN's occupation in the federal 1850 & 1860 censuses of Nashville
is "Steamboat Captain". According to biographies of Thomas G. RYMAN, Tom's
Uncle Charlie helped pilot Tom's first steamboat to Nashville in 1867
following its purchase in New Orleans. Tom did not have a pilot license at
that time but his uncle did. Charles' occupation in the Nashville City
Directories from 1855-1868 is "steamboat captain", "river captain" and
"steamboatman".  From 1870 until the year of his death in 1879, his
occupation is listed as "grocer" and "grocery". Following Charles's death,
his widow is listed in the 1880 census as "grocer". It is likely that
Charles' retired from the physically demanding river occupation to that of
proprietor of a grocery store.  Perhaps the grocery store was an existing
family business. Younger brother Frank is listed as a "grocer" in the
1855-1857 Nashville city directories and living with Charles. Unable to
locate the possible parents of the RYMAN brothers after the 1830 census, it
seems likely that Charles helped raised and support his youngest brother
Frank and played an important role in his life. Charles is named as Frank's
bondsman in his marriage record to Matilda AKIN in 1844.

Charles and his first wife Prudence were childless. Prudence died December
31, 1874 at the age of 56. Charles, 65, wasted no time following the death
of his wife of 40 years before marrying the young Kate DAILEY/DALY (b.1843
England) seventeen weeks later on May 6, 1875. Kate and Charles were united
for four years until Charles' death from "exhaustion" according to the
Tennessee mortality schedule. (Charles managed to outlived his three
younger brothers.)

The widow Kate had a son John DAILEY/DALY (b. 1864) living with her in the
1880 census, indicating that her surname on her marriage license to Charles
was most likely her married name from a former marriage to a DAILEY/DALY.

It is an interesting study of RYMAN transactions of real estate. In his
first wife's will dated December 10, 1874, Prudence M. V. RYMAN leaves all
her personal and real property to "my husband Charles H. RIMON". Charles
later deeds his second wife Kate several pieces of real estate that may
have first belonged to Prudence but with conditions: that if their marriage
ended in divorce or death, the deeds reverted back to Charles. In Charles'
will, he gave all his properties to Kate with no conditions attached. Kate
then sold real estate to her son, John E. DALY and held a mortgage. On
February 20, 1893, she records the release in the margin of the deed and
signs as "Mrs. Kate CAULFIELD nee Kate RYMAN", prompting this researcher to
search and find the 1890 Davidson County marriage record of Mike CAUFIELD
and Kate RYMAN.