Growth
When he began advertising his colony, he received a great deal of interest. He was able to be selective in his choice of colonists, which enabled his colony to be very different from most others of the time period. Settlers were chosen based on whether Austin believed they would be appropriately industrious. Overall, they belonged to a much higher economic scale than most immigrants, and all brought some property with them. One-quarter of the families brought slaves with them. Surprisingly for the time, all but four of the men could read and write. This unheard-of level of literacy had a great impact on the future of the colony. According to historian William C. Davis, because they were literate, the colonists "absorbed and spread the knowledge and news always essential to uniting people to a common purpose".
Despite a provision in Mexican law requiring immigrants to be Catholic, most of Austin's settlers were Protestant. Many were unenthused about being ruled by Catholics. Most also held strong feelings about property ownership and personal liberty.
Lester G. Bugbee in his article The Old Three Hundred published in the October 1897 issue of The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, identifies the head of each family who purchased land in Austin's colony. They were:
| Head of household | Born | Died | Family as of March 1826 | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elijah Allcorn | 1769 | 1844 | Wife, five children and two servants. | |||
| Martin Allen | 1780 | 1837 | Wife, nine children | |||
| John C. Alley | 1822 | Brother of Thomas, Rawson and William Alley. | ||||
| Rawson Alley | 1793 | 1833 | Single | Brother of John, Thomas and William Alley | ||
| Thomas Alley | 1826 | Single | Brother of John, Rawson and William Alley | |||
| William Alley | 1800 | August 15, 1869 | Single | Brother of John, Rawson and Thomas Alley | ||
| Charles Alsbury | Single | Brother of Harvey and Horace Alsbury | ||||
| Harvey Alsbury | Wife | Brother of Charles and Horace Alsbury | ||||
| Horace Alsbury | 1805 | June 1847 | Single; later married Juana Navarro | Brother of Charles and Harvey Alsbury. Member of the Coahuila y Tejas legislature in 1835. Left the Alamo Mission as a courier during the Siege of the Alamo in February 1836. Fought at the Battle of San Jacinto. | ||
| Thomas Alsbury | 1773 | Wife and two daughters | Father of Charles, Harvey and Horace Alsbury. Served in the War of 1812. | |||
| Simeon Asa Anderson | Wife, three children, one slave | |||||
| John Andrews | February 1838 | Wife, two children, one servant | ||||
| William Andrews | 1840 | Wife, five children, two slaves | Daughter married Randal Jones in 1824. | |||
| Samuel Angier | August 26, 1792 | In 1829, married fellow colonist Pamelia Pickett | ||||
| James E.B. Austin | October 3, 1803 | August 14, 1829 | Helped put down the Fredonian Rebellion. Brother of Stephen F. Austin. | |||
| John Austin | March 17, 1801 | August 11, 1833 | Member of the Long Expedition in 1819. Served as alcalde of Brazoria in 1832, and was a delegate to the Convention of 1832. Participated in 1832 Anahuac Disturbances, led Texian forces at the Battle of Velasco, and signed the Turtle Bayou Resolutions. | |||
| Stephen F. Austin | November 3, 1793 | December 27, 1836 | Brother of James Austin. Convinced Mexico to reinstate the Spanish policy of land grants for empresarios, and organized the first colony in Texas. President of the Convention of 1832 and delegate to the Convention of 1833. In 1835, served as the first general of the Texian Army. In November 1835, became Texas commissioner to the United States. Defeated in election for first president of the Republic of Texas, and instead served as the first secretary of state. | |||
| James B. Baily | ||||||
| Daniel E. Balis | ||||||
| William Baratt | ||||||
| Thomas Barnet | ||||||
| Mills M. Battle | ||||||
| James Beard | ||||||
| Benjamin Beason | 1837 | |||||
| Charles Belknap | ||||||
| Josiah H. Bell | ||||||
| Thomas B. Bell | ||||||
| M. Berry | ||||||
| Isaac Best | ||||||
| Jacob Betts | ||||||
| Francis Biggam | ||||||
| William Bloodgood | ||||||
| Thomas Boatwright | ||||||
| Thomas Borden | ||||||
| Caleb R. Bostwick | ||||||
| John T. Bowman | ||||||
| Edward R. Bradley | ||||||
| John Bradley | ||||||
| Thomas Bradley | ||||||
| Charles Breen | ||||||
| Patrick Brias | ||||||
| William B. Bridges | 1795 | April 4, 1853 | ||||
| David Bright | ||||||
| Enoch Brinson | ||||||
| Bluford Brooks | ||||||
| Robert Brotherington | ||||||
| George Brown | ||||||
| John Brown | ||||||
| William S. Brown | ||||||
| Aylett C. Buckner | ||||||
| Pumphrey Brunet | ||||||
| Jesse Burnam | 1792 | 1883 | ||||
| Micajah Byrd | ||||||
| Morris A. Callihan | ||||||
| Alexander Calvit | ||||||
| David Carpenter | ||||||
| William C. Carson | ||||||
| Samuel Carter | ||||||
| Jesse H. Cartwright | ||||||
| Thomas Cartwright | ||||||
| Sylvenus Castleman | ||||||
| Samuel Chance | ||||||
| Horatio Chriesman | ||||||
| John C. Clark | ||||||
| Antony R. Clarke | ||||||
| Merit M. Coats | ||||||
| John P. Coles | ||||||
| James Cook | ||||||
| John Cooke | ||||||
| William Cooper | ||||||
| John Crier | ||||||
| John Crownover | ||||||
| James Cummings | ||||||
| John Cummings | ||||||
| Rebecca Cummins | ||||||
| William Cummings | ||||||
| James (Jack) Cummins | ||||||
| James Curtis, Sr. | ||||||
| James Curtis, Jr. | ||||||
| Hinton Curtis | ||||||
| Samuel Davidson | ||||||
| Thomas Davis | ||||||
| D. Deckrow | ||||||
| Charles Demos | ||||||
| Peter Demos | ||||||
| William B. Dewees | 1878 | |||||
| John Dickinson | ||||||
| Nicholas Dillard | ||||||
| Thomas M. Duke | ||||||
| George Duty | ||||||
| Clement C. Dyer | ||||||
| Thomas Earle | ||||||
| G.E. Edwards | ||||||
| John Elam | ||||||
| Robert Elder | ||||||
| Charles Falenash | ||||||
| David Fenton | ||||||
| John F. Fields | ||||||
| James Fisher | ||||||
| David Fitzgerald | ||||||
| Isaiah Flanakin | ||||||
| Elisha Flowers | ||||||
| Isaac Foster | ||||||
| John Foster | ||||||
| Randolph Foster | ||||||
| James Frazier | ||||||
| Charles Fulshear | ||||||
| Charles Garret | ||||||
| Samuel Gates | ||||||
| William Gates | ||||||
| Freeman George | 1780 | 1834 | Wife, 8 sons | Freeman George received 1 sitios land between San Bernard and Bay Prairie (Matagorda County) and 1 labor of land located Brazos East side opposite San Felipe (Waller County). According to The Hand Book of Texas, he was given a league and a labor of land (see above) which is known as Matagorda and Waller counties on July 7 1824. Also one of the original patentees in the vicinity of Old Ocean, Texas, in southwestern Brazoria Co. | ||
| Preston Gilbert | ||||||
| Sarah Gilbert | ||||||
| Daniel Gilleland | ||||||
| Chester S. Gorbet | ||||||
| Michael Gouldrich | ||||||
| Thomas Gray | ||||||
| Jared E. Groce | 1782 | 1839 | ||||
| Robert Guthrie | ||||||
| John Haddan | ||||||
| Samuel C. Hady | ||||||
| George B. Hall | ||||||
| John W. Hall | ||||||
| W. J. Hall | ||||||
| David Hamilton | ||||||
| Abner Harris | ||||||
| David Harris | ||||||
| John R. Harris | ||||||
| William Harris | ||||||
| William J. Harris | ||||||
| George Harrison | ||||||
| William Harvey | ||||||
| Thomas S. Haynes | ||||||
| James Hensley | ||||||
| Alexander Hodge | ||||||
| Francis Holland | ||||||
| William Holland | ||||||
| Kinchen Holliman | ||||||
| James Hope | ||||||
| C.S. Hudson | ||||||
| George Huff | ||||||
| John Huff | ||||||
| Isaac Hughes | ||||||
| Eli Hunter | ||||||
| Johnson Hunter | ||||||
| John Iiams | ||||||
| Ira Ingram | ||||||
| Seth Ingram | ||||||
| John Irons | ||||||
| Samuel Isaacks | ||||||
| Alexander Jackson | ||||||
| Humphrey Jackson | ||||||
| Isaac Jackson | ||||||
| Thomas Jamison | ||||||
| Henry W. Johnson | ||||||
| Henry Jones | ||||||
| James W. Jones | ||||||
| Oliver Jones | ||||||
| R. Jones | ||||||
| Imla Keep | ||||||
| John C. Keller | ||||||
| John Kelly | ||||||
| Samuel Kennedy | ||||||
| Alfred Kennon | ||||||
| James Kerr | ||||||
| Peter Kerr | ||||||
| William Kerr | ||||||
| William Kincheloe | ||||||
| William Kingston | ||||||
| James Knight | ||||||
| Abner Kuykendall | ||||||
| Brazilla Kuykendall | ||||||
| Joseph Kuykendall | ||||||
| Robert Kuykendall | ||||||
| Hosea H. League | ||||||
| Joel Leakey | ||||||
| Benjamin Linsey | ||||||
| John Little | ||||||
| William Little | ||||||
| Jane H. Long | ||||||
| James Lynch | ||||||
| Nathanael Lynch | ||||||
| John McCroskey | ||||||
| Arthur McCormick | ||||||
| David McCormick | ||||||
| John McCormick | ||||||
| Thomas McCoy | ||||||
| Aechilles McFarlan | ||||||
| John McFarlan | ||||||
| Thomas F. McKenney | ||||||
| Hugh McKinsey | ||||||
| A.W. McClain | ||||||
| James McNair | ||||||
| Daniel McNeel | ||||||
| George W. McNeel | ||||||
| John McNeel | ||||||
| John G. McNeel | ||||||
| Pleasant D. McNeel | ||||||
| Sterling McNeel | ||||||
| Elizabeth McNutt | ||||||
| William McWilliams | ||||||
| Shubael Marsh | ||||||
| Wily Martin | 1776 | 1842 | ||||
| William Mathis | ||||||
| David H. Milburn | ||||||
| Samuel Miller | ||||||
| Samuel R. Miller | ||||||
| Simon Miller | ||||||
| James D. Millican | ||||||
| Robert Millican | ||||||
| William Millican | ||||||
| Joseph Minus | ||||||
| Asa Mitchell | ||||||
| John L. Monks | ||||||
| Colonel John Henry Moore | ||||||
| Luke Moore | ||||||
| Moses Morrison | ||||||
| William Morton | ||||||
| David Mouser | ||||||
| James Nelson | ||||||
| Joseph Newman | ||||||
| Charles Isaac Nidever | ||||||
| M.B. Nuckols | ||||||
| James Orrick | ||||||
| Nathan Osborn | ||||||
| William Parks | ||||||
| Joshua Parker | ||||||
| William Parker | ||||||
| Isaac Pennington | ||||||
| George S. Pentecost | ||||||
| Freeman Pettus | ||||||
| William A. Pettus | ||||||
| John Petty | ||||||
| J.C. Peyton | ||||||
| James A.E. Phelps | ||||||
| I.B. Phillips | ||||||
| Zeno Philips | ||||||
| Pamelia Picket | ||||||
| Joseph H. Polley | ||||||
| Peter Powell | ||||||
| William Prater | ||||||
| Pleasant Pruitt | ||||||
| William Pryor | ||||||
| Andrew Rabb | ||||||
| John Rabb | ||||||
| Thomas J. Rabb | ||||||
| William Rabb | ||||||
| William Raleigh | ||||||
| L. Ramey | ||||||
| David Randon | ||||||
| John Randon | ||||||
| Frederic H. Rankin | ||||||
| Amos Rawls | ||||||
| Benjamin Rawls | ||||||
| Daniel Rawls | ||||||
| Stephen Richardson | ||||||
| Elijah Roark | ||||||
| Earle Robbins | ||||||
| William Robbins | ||||||
| Andrew Roberts | ||||||
| Noel F. Roberts | ||||||
| William Roberts | ||||||
| Edward Robertson | ||||||
| A. Robinson | ||||||
| George Robinson | ||||||
| James Ross | ||||||
| June Salmeron | ||||||
| Joseph San Pierre | ||||||
| Robert Scobey | ||||||
| Marvin Scheick | ||||||
| James Scott | ||||||
| William Scott | ||||||
| William Selkirk | ||||||
| David Shelby | ||||||
| Daniel Shipman | ||||||
| Moses Shipman | ||||||
| Bartlet Sims | ||||||
| G.W. Singleton | ||||||
| Phillip Singleton | ||||||
| Christian Smith | ||||||
| Cornelius Smith | ||||||
| John Smith | ||||||
| William Smeathers | 1767 | 1837 | ||||
| Gabriel S. Snider | ||||||
| Albert L. Sojourner | ||||||
| Nancy Spencer | ||||||
| Adam Stafford | ||||||
| William Stafford | ||||||
| Thomas Stevens | ||||||
| Owne H. Stout | ||||||
| John Strange | ||||||
| Walter Sutherland | ||||||
| David Tally | ||||||
| John I. Taylor | ||||||
| George Teel | ||||||
| Ezekiel Thomas | ||||||
| Jacob Thomas | ||||||
| Jesse Thompson | ||||||
| Thomas J. Tone | ||||||
| James F. Tong | ||||||
| Samuel Toy | ||||||
| John Trobough | ||||||
| Elizabeth Tumlinson | ||||||
| James Tumlinson | ||||||
| Isaac Vandorn | ||||||
| Martin Varner | ||||||
| Allen Vince | ||||||
| Richard Vince | ||||||
| Robert Vince | ||||||
| William Vince | ||||||
| James Walker | ||||||
| Thomas Walker | ||||||
| Caleb Wallice | ||||||
| Francis F. Wells | ||||||
| Amy White | ||||||
| Joseph White | ||||||
| Reuben White | ||||||
| Walter C. White | ||||||
| William White | ||||||
| Boland Whitesides | ||||||
| Henry Whitesides | ||||||
| James Whitesides | ||||||
| William Whitesides | ||||||
| Nathaniel Whiting | ||||||
| William Whitlock | ||||||
| Elias D. Wightman | ||||||
| Jane Wilkins | ||||||
| George I. Williams | ||||||
| Henry Williams | ||||||
| John Williams | ||||||
| John R. Williams | ||||||
| Robert H. Williams | ||||||
| Samuel M. Williams | ||||||
| Solomon Williams | ||||||
| Thomas Williams | ||||||
| Zadock Woods aka Zaduck | 1773 | 1842 | Served in the battle of Gonzales, the battle of Concepción, the Grass Fight and the Runaway Scrape. In the Mexican invasions of 1842 Woods and his sons fought with Mathew Caldwell's troops against General Adrián Woll, where he was killed during the Dawson Massacre. |
Read more about this topic: Old Three Hundred
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