Two Bryant/Stanbury marriages

[Lindsay]

I have an aunt and niece who both married men called Bryant, both mariners. I was hoping the men were related, but I’m struggling to find any evidence they were.

The aunt, Jane (Jennifer) Stanbury, married Edward Bryant, Lieutenant RN, in 1817 in Stoke Damerel Devon. Edward was born 1792 in Stoke Damerel, parents John Bryant and Joanna nee Keast. John and Joanna had married in Cornwall 1774 and bap 9 children in Stoke Damerel 1775-1792. Joanna died 1823, but there are several possible deaths for John.
Edward and Jane had moved to Shoreditch, Middlesex by the 1820s and had several children there.

Jane’s niece, Mary Ann Stanbury, married Christopher Kellaway Bryant, mariner, in Stepney Middlesex in 1856. Christopher was probably born in Winterborne Stickland Dorset in 1827, father Christopher Kellaway Bryant (I haven’t found CK junior on any census to confirm place of birth). CK senior was a mariner on his son’s marriage cert, and a yeoman on other docs on FindMyPast. He was born 1794 in Dorset, parents John Bryant and Mary nee Kellaway who married in 1792 also in Dorset.
(In case it helps in any way, there seems to be a Jersey connection with the Kelloway/Bryant branch).

If anyone can spot something I’ve missed which connects the 2 men I’d be very grateful!

[kiterunner]

Did John and Joanna have a son called John? And was the John who married Joanna a bachelor or widower?

[Lindsay]

The transcription of the John / Joanna marriage which is all I've seen doesn't give marital status.

John and Joanna did have a son John in 1778. However, there's a death for a John Bryant in 1845 age 67 ie born 1778.

[kiterunner]

Okay, so if John and Joanna had a son John in 1778, the one who married in 1792 is unlikely to be a son of the John who married Joanna. Could be a cousin, maybe? But it could just be a coincidence they have the same surname.

A Bristow uncle and nephew in my tree (both mariners from London) both married Clarks from Aberdeenshire, but I haven't found any connection between the two Clarks, and one of them wrote a very long will which more or less named everyone she had ever met!

[Lindsay]

It's frustrating - although I'm 95% sure Mary Ann is Jane's niece, it's all based on circumstantial evidence. Anything extra I can find to tie her to the family is a bonus.

These families do seem to have gone in for cousin / 2nd cousin marriages so the odd 3rd cousin marriage wouldn't surprise me. Unfortunately there seem to be more Bryants around than I expected and pinning down connections is tricky - a bit like your Clarks.