Emily Austin Perry
Encyclopedia
Emily Austin Perry was an early settler of Texas
and sole heir to Stephen F. Austin
. She achieved significant political, economic and social status as a woman in Texas at a time when women often were not equal to men.
and Moses Austin
on June 22, 1795. Her birth city of Austinville, Virginia
was named after her father and uncles. Her siblings included Stephen Fuller Austin and James Elijah Brown Austin.
When Perry was almost three years of age, in 1798, she moved with her family to Potosi, Missouri
, then located in Upper Louisiana. Moses Austin’s company mined for lead in Potosi just as they had in Austinville.
from October 1804 until December 1808, then two years at the Hermitage Academy located on the Hudson River
to further her education.
, from 1813-1814. In 1815, they moved to Hazel Run, Missouri, and also later to Herculaneum, Missouri
. Emily and James Bryan had five children:
James Bryan (Emily’s first husband) died on July 16, 1822, in Potosi, Missouri. Perry supported her family by taking in boarders and teaching at a school in Hazel Run, Missouri.
. Emily and James Franklin Perry had six children:
Of her eleven total children, six would live to adulthood. On June 7, 1831, the family, composed of Emily and James Perry, four Bryan children, and Stephen Perry, began the long move from Potosi, Missouri, to Texas.
and cotton
.
and developed Peach Point Plantation
also known as "Peach Point"; she lived at Peach Point until she died in 1851.
during his visit to Peach Point Plantation in 1848. Hayes wrote in a letter that Perry was, "an excellent motherly sort of woman, whose happiness consists in making others happy." Hayes also wrote in a letter to his mother that, "instead of having the care of one family, [Emily] is the nurse, physician, and spiritual adviser of a whole settlement of careless slaves. She feels it is her duty to see to their comfort when sick or hurt." Some historians argue that Perry's relatively/comparatively favorable treatment of slaves can be generalized to other holders of the time period, while others question whether this generalization is reasonable.
Though they may not themselves have known when they met, Perry was also, via shared descent from Anthony Austin and Esther Huggins, a third cousin once removed of U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes.
. In fact, Perry was meticulous to ensure the Austin estate proceeds, books, and operations were not commingled, thus maintaining their legal characterization as her separate property, rather than community property with her husband (even though her husband, James F. Perry, was executor of Austin's estate).
Perry raised capital and invested in the first attempt to build a railroad in Texas: The Brazos and Galveston Railroad Company, chartered by the Congress of the Republic of Texas
, on May 24, 1838. The rail was initially to go from Galveston Bay
to the Brazos River
, and later plans were for the rail to go from San Luis Island instead of Galveston Bay. She was the largest shareholder of the first railroad company in Texas. Perry was at the helm of the development and planning of San Luis.
Perry not only owned the league of land which contained Dollar Point, she also managed the development of the town of Austinia, located within that league. Austinia is known in the present day as Texas City.
Perry loaned money to Gail Borden
(as in the founder/pioneer of Borden Milk Products
) to buy his first herd of cows.
in Texas. In 1848, she donated to a visitor to Peach Point, Episcopal Bishop George Washington Freeman
of Arkansas, in order to help launch the Episcopal Diocese of Texas
. In addition, she paid to underwrite Leonidas Polk
's trip to Texas from Louisiana. Polk was the Bishop
of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana
and later served as a General in the American Civil War
, ultimately having Fort Polk
named in his honor. Perry also donated the land on which the Union Church Building was originally built; this one structure served as a prayer center for Methodists, the Episcopalians, and the Presbyterians.
to teach her children; Pilgrim started the all-boys' school, Austin Academy, in 1829, which was the first school in Texas. Austin Academy had about 40 students.
Perry deeded 1500 acres (6.1 km²) of land for the support and founding of Austin College
. In addition, she directed monies owed by the State of Texas to the Austin estate to Austin College. Perry agreed to support her family friend and Austin College Founder Reverend Daniel Baker
(who had been Pastor of the Washington, DC Presbyterian church attended by Andrew Jackson
and John Quincy Adams
); she supported Baker in his pursuit of expanding religious foundations and education in Texas.
Ironically, some of the land provided by Perry to support Austin College was later built on by a different academic institution: Sam Houston State University
. (The irony here is the friendly rivalry between Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston
).
, are each geographic names in Texas. For example, Bryan, Texas
is the location of Texas A&M University
; Perry's Landing
is located in Brazoria County.
, of Austin College, the official Historian of the State of Texas at the time of this writing, points out that despite her important participation in and contributions to Texas history, there is no collection of letters archived under Emily's name; rather, the collection archived in the 1930s was titled for her husband and son, "the James F. and Stephen S. Perry Papers." Cummins, who has reviewed the papers housed at the Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin
, notes that this collection includes "as much of Emily's letters, documents, and papers as those of her husband and son." Cummins points out that the archive was named in 1930s, and were they named under archiving standards in 2009, they would very likely instead have been called, "The James and Emily Austin Perry Papers."
at the site of the present day historical marker in her honor, and beside her brother, Stephen F. Austin. (Stephen F. Austin's remains were moved to Austin, Texas in 1910). An obituary at the time reflects that "Funeral services were
performed by the Rev. Mr. Phillips, of the Methodist Episcopal church."
was commissioned in recognition of Perry's contribution to Texas history.
, Volume 1, states that on her birthday more than 200 meet to "rise up and call her blessed", (applying to Perry the language from the poem, Eishes Chayil (אשת חיל), "A Woman of Valor", with which King Solomon concludes the Book of Proverbs
).
In addition to the above, there are still other references to Emily by just her first name, as well as references without use of her given, marital or personal name (as chattel), i.e. "and wife" or "his wife," "Miss", "Mrs." and "Ms." all of which are not here provided.
(father—biography published by Trinity University Press), Abia Brown
(grandfather), Joseph Sharp
(great grandfather), Isaac Sharp
(great, great grandfather), Anthony Sharp
(great, great, great grandfather—biography published by Stanford University Press). Accordingly, history records noteworthy social contribution in each generation of Perry's family dating back to the early 17th century.
Some additional background, Perry's father, Moses was the son of Elias Austin & Eunice Phelps; Moses was the son of Richard Austin & Dorothy Adams; Richard was the son of Anthony Austin & Esther Huggins, Jacob Adams & Anna Allen; Richard Austin & Elizabeth Betsy Austin (born 1610), John Huggins & Bridget Green (gave birth to Esther Huggins), Robert Adams & Eleanor ___, Nicholas Allen & Martha Allen (gave birth to Anna Allen).
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and sole heir to Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia and raised in southeastern Missouri. He was known as the Father of Texas, led the second, but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin in Travis County,...
. She achieved significant political, economic and social status as a woman in Texas at a time when women often were not equal to men.
Early life
Emily Austin Perry was born as "Emily Margaret Brown Austin", to Mary Brown AustinMary Brown Austin
Mary Brown Austin had dramatic influence on early Texas history. Perhaps her most important contribution to history is writing a letter to her son, Stephen, two days before the death of her husband, Moses Austin, imploring Stephen F. Austin to carry out the dying wish of his father—that Stephen...
and Moses Austin
Moses Austin
Moses Austin played a large part in the development of the American lead industry and is the father of Stephen F. Austin, a leading American settler of Texas. He was the first to be allowed to gather Anglo Americans for settlement in Spanish Texas...
on June 22, 1795. Her birth city of Austinville, Virginia
Austinville, Virginia
Austinville is an unincorporated community that spans both Carroll County and Wythe County, Virginia, United States. New River Trail State Park runs through Austinville. Shot Tower Historical State Park is located nearby. The town is the birthplace of Stephen F. Austin, for whose family it is...
was named after her father and uncles. Her siblings included Stephen Fuller Austin and James Elijah Brown Austin.
When Perry was almost three years of age, in 1798, she moved with her family to Potosi, Missouri
Potosi, Missouri
Potosi is a city in Washington County, Missouri, United States. Potosi is about 10 miles north of Belgrade. The estimated population in July 2008 was 2,698. It was 2,662 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...
, then located in Upper Louisiana. Moses Austin’s company mined for lead in Potosi just as they had in Austinville.
Education
Perry attended Mrs. Beck's Boarding School in Lexington, KentuckyLexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
from October 1804 until December 1808, then two years at the Hermitage Academy located on the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
to further her education.
First marriage and children
Perry married James Bryan (1788–1822) in Potosi, also known as "Mine á Breton" or "Mine au Breton." The two lived with Emily’s parents at their home called Durham Hall, in MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, from 1813-1814. In 1815, they moved to Hazel Run, Missouri, and also later to Herculaneum, Missouri
Herculaneum, Missouri
Herculaneum is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population estimate in 2008 was 3,582. It was 2,805 at the 2000 census. The City of Herculaneum was the first county seat of Jefferson County from January 1, 1819 to 1839. The city celebrated its Bicentennial throughout the...
. Emily and James Bryan had five children:
- Stephen Austin Bryan was born on July 17, 1814 in Durham Hall, Missouri. He died on August 12, 1814 in Durham Hall, Missouri.
- William Joel BryanWilliam Joel BryanWilliam Joel Bryan was a Texas soldier and land owner.Bryan was born at Hazel Run in Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri to James Bryan and Emily Austin Perry. He attended school at Potosi, Missouri until 1830. In 1831, William Joel Bryan's mother and stepfather James Franklin Perry followed...
was born on December 14, 1815 in Hazel Run, Saint Genevieve, Missouri. He died on March 13, 1903. - Moses Austin BryanMoses Austin BryanMoses Austin Bryan was an early settler of Texas. Moses served as Secretary for his uncle, Stephen F. Austin.-Family:...
was born on September 25, 1817 in Herculaneum, Jefferson County, MissouriJefferson County, MissouriJefferson County is a county located in East Central Missouri in the United States. The county was included as the mean center of U.S. population in 1980. It is the sixth most-populous county in Missouri. Census 2010 put the population at 218,733 Its county seat is Hillsboro. The county was...
. He died on March 16, 1895 in Brenham, TexasBrenham, TexasBrenham is a city in east-central Texas in Washington County, Texas, United States, with a population of 16,147 according to the 2009 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...
. - Guy Morrison Bryan was born on January 12, 1821 in Herculaneum, Jefferson County, Missouri. He died on June 4, 1901 in Austin, Travis County, Texas.
- Mary Elizabeth Bryan was born on July 5, 1822 in Herculaneum, Jefferson County, Missouri. She died on August 4, 1833.
James Bryan (Emily’s first husband) died on July 16, 1822, in Potosi, Missouri. Perry supported her family by taking in boarders and teaching at a school in Hazel Run, Missouri.
Second marriage and children
On September 23, 1824, Perry married her second husband, James Franklin PerryJames Franklin Perry
James Franklin Perry was an early settler and prominent citizen of Texas. James married Emily Austin Perry, operated Peach Point Plantation, and was involved in Texas land distribution.-Life:...
. Emily and James Franklin Perry had six children:
- Stephen Samuel PerryStephen Samuel PerryStephen Samuel Perry managed Peach Point Plantation, and is credited with amassing and preserving significant historical manuscripts related to Texas history....
(Born June 24, 1825 in Potosi, Missouri; died September 5, 1874 in Brazoria, Texas). - Emily Rosanna Perry (Born September 24, 1826 in Potosi, Missouri; died December 6, 1827 in Potosi, Missouri).
- Eliza Margaret Perry (Born January 3, 1828 in Potosi, Missouri; died January 3, 1862 in Austin, TexasAustin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
). - James Elijah Brown Perry (Born May 17, 1830 in Potosi, Missouri; died February 14, 1831 in Chocolate Bayou, Texas).
- Henry Austin Perry (Born November 17, 1831 at Chocolate Bayou, Texas; died September 10, 1853 in Biloxi, MississippiBiloxi, MississippiBiloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....
). - Cecilia Perry (Born December 10, 1835 at Peach Point Plantation; died June 8, 1836 at Peach Point Plantation).
Of her eleven total children, six would live to adulthood. On June 7, 1831, the family, composed of Emily and James Perry, four Bryan children, and Stephen Perry, began the long move from Potosi, Missouri, to Texas.
First year in Texas: San Filipe de Austin and Chocolate Bayou
Emily and most of her family (including Samuel Stephen and Eliza Margaret) arrived at San Felipe de Austin, Texas, on August 14, 1831. Her son, Moses Austin Bryan, had arrived in Texas some months before his parents, on January 2, 1831. Emily and the younger children remained in San Filipe de Austin for several months, and then the family lived for about one year on the Chocolate Bayou producing sugarSugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
and cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
.
Remaining years in Texas: Peach Point Plantation
Perry, her husband, and her children settled in Jones Creek, Texas, in present day Brazoria County, TexasBrazoria County, Texas
Brazoria County[p] is a county in the U.S. state of Texas, located on the Gulf Coast within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Regionally, parts of the county are within the extreme southern-most fringe of the regions locally known as Southeast Texas. Brazoria County is among a...
and developed Peach Point Plantation
Peach Point Plantation
Peach Point Plantation was the homestead and domicile of early Texas settlers Emily Austin Perry, James Franklin Perry, William Joel Bryan Stephen F. Austin, and Guy Morrison Bryan...
also known as "Peach Point"; she lived at Peach Point until she died in 1851.
Rutherford B. Hayes
Perry interacted with Rutherford B. HayesRutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution...
during his visit to Peach Point Plantation in 1848. Hayes wrote in a letter that Perry was, "an excellent motherly sort of woman, whose happiness consists in making others happy." Hayes also wrote in a letter to his mother that, "instead of having the care of one family, [Emily] is the nurse, physician, and spiritual adviser of a whole settlement of careless slaves. She feels it is her duty to see to their comfort when sick or hurt." Some historians argue that Perry's relatively/comparatively favorable treatment of slaves can be generalized to other holders of the time period, while others question whether this generalization is reasonable.
Though they may not themselves have known when they met, Perry was also, via shared descent from Anthony Austin and Esther Huggins, a third cousin once removed of U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes.
Sole heir to Stephen F. Austin
Perry was the sole heir to Stephen Fuller Austin following his death. Half the estate went to her immediately and half the "entire estate reverted to Emily" in 1837 upon the death of Brown Austin's eight-year-old son, who happened to be named Stephen F. Austin, Jr. Everything was bequeathed not in James Perry's name and not to her sons, but to Perry, a woman, in 1836. Transferred by bequest, all of Stephen F. Austin's possessions, property and land became Perry's separate property, and not community propertyCommunity property
Community property is a marital property regime that originated in civil law jurisdictions and is now also found in some common law jurisdictions...
. In fact, Perry was meticulous to ensure the Austin estate proceeds, books, and operations were not commingled, thus maintaining their legal characterization as her separate property, rather than community property with her husband (even though her husband, James F. Perry, was executor of Austin's estate).
Wealth
Accordingly, Perry was one of the largest Texas individual landholders and irrefutably the wealthiest woman in Texas. She was actively involved in management of the Austin estate, including investments and land, actively involved in a time where male signatures were still required on contracts and women could not vote.Support of land planning, railroads, and industry
Perry was very involved in the urban planning and settling land. For example, she was one of the founders of the San Luis Company, which managed the development of San Luis, including the initial sale of 450 lots, development of streets, building a bridge, and construction of a lighthouse.Perry raised capital and invested in the first attempt to build a railroad in Texas: The Brazos and Galveston Railroad Company, chartered by the Congress of the Republic of Texas
Congress of the Republic of Texas
The Congress of the Republic of Texas was the national legislature of the Republic of Texas established by the Constitution of the Republic of Texas in 1836. It was a bicameral legislature based on the model of the United States Congress...
, on May 24, 1838. The rail was initially to go from Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay is a large estuary located along the upper coast of Texas in the United States. It is connected to the Gulf of Mexico and is surrounded by sub-tropic marshes and prairies on the mainland. The water in the Bay is a complex mixture of sea water and fresh water which supports a wide...
to the Brazos River
Brazos River
The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers , is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river in the United States at from its source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a drainage...
, and later plans were for the rail to go from San Luis Island instead of Galveston Bay. She was the largest shareholder of the first railroad company in Texas. Perry was at the helm of the development and planning of San Luis.
Perry not only owned the league of land which contained Dollar Point, she also managed the development of the town of Austinia, located within that league. Austinia is known in the present day as Texas City.
Perry loaned money to Gail Borden
Gail Borden
Gail Borden, Jr. was a 19th century U.S. inventor, surveyor, and publisher, and was the inventor of condensed milk in 1853.- Early years :...
(as in the founder/pioneer of Borden Milk Products
Borden Milk Products
Borden Milk Products L.P. is a privately held American corporation owned by the Dallas, Texas-based Milk Products LLC, a subsidiary of Grupo Lala.- Borden's Beginnings :...
) to buy his first herd of cows.
Support of religion
Perry played a key role in founding the first Episcopal ChurchEpiscopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
in Texas. In 1848, she donated to a visitor to Peach Point, Episcopal Bishop George Washington Freeman
George Washington Freeman
George Washington Freeman was the second Episcopal bishop of Arkansas and Provisional Bishop of Texas.Freeman was born of a Congregationalist family in Sandwich, Massachusetts. He did not initially intend a career in the clergy, but he afterward went to North Carolina and studied for the ministry...
of Arkansas, in order to help launch the Episcopal Diocese of Texas
Episcopal Diocese of Texas
The Episcopal Diocese of Texas is one of the largest dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. The diocese consists of all ECUSA congregations in the southeastern quartile of Texas, including the cities of Austin, Beaumont, Galveston, Houston and Waco.The 153 congregations...
. In addition, she paid to underwrite Leonidas Polk
Leonidas Polk
Leonidas Polk was a Confederate general in the American Civil War who was once a planter in Maury County, Tennessee, and a second cousin of President James K. Polk...
's trip to Texas from Louisiana. Polk was the Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana
Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana
The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the eastern part of the state of Louisiana. The see city is New Orleans.-History:...
and later served as a General in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, ultimately having Fort Polk
Fort Polk
Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, approximately 7 miles east of Leesville, Louisiana and 20 miles north of DeRidder, Louisiana....
named in his honor. Perry also donated the land on which the Union Church Building was originally built; this one structure served as a prayer center for Methodists, the Episcopalians, and the Presbyterians.
Support of education
Perry paid Thomas J. PilgrimThomas J. Pilgrim
Thomas Jefferson Pilgrim started the first school in Texas. The town of Pilgrim, Texas is named for Thomas J. Pilgrim. Thomas was born to Thomas and Dorcas Pilgrim, in East Haddam, Connecticut. Thomas attended the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institute at Colgate University...
to teach her children; Pilgrim started the all-boys' school, Austin Academy, in 1829, which was the first school in Texas. Austin Academy had about 40 students.
Perry deeded 1500 acres (6.1 km²) of land for the support and founding of Austin College
Austin College
Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated by covenant relationship with the Presbyterian Church and located in Sherman, Texas, about 60 miles North of Dallas....
. In addition, she directed monies owed by the State of Texas to the Austin estate to Austin College. Perry agreed to support her family friend and Austin College Founder Reverend Daniel Baker
Daniel Baker
Daniel Baker is the CEO of FlightAware, a real time flight tracking and status company. He originally became known in the 1990s as a principal of distributed.net, which pioneered Internet distributed computing. Baker was the head of the systems department at NeoSoft, the first Internet provider in...
(who had been Pastor of the Washington, DC Presbyterian church attended by Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
and John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
); she supported Baker in his pursuit of expanding religious foundations and education in Texas.
Ironically, some of the land provided by Perry to support Austin College was later built on by a different academic institution: Sam Houston State University
Sam Houston State University
Sam Houston State University was founded in 1879 and is the third oldest public institution of higher learning in the State of Texas. It is located in Huntsville, Texas. It is one of the oldest purpose-built institutions for the instruction of teachers west of the Mississippi River and the first...
. (The irony here is the friendly rivalry between Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
).
Geographic names
Perry's children and their progeny also played important roles in Texas history and the development of the State. The surnames of Emily's first husband, James Bryan, and her second husband, James PerryJames Franklin Perry
James Franklin Perry was an early settler and prominent citizen of Texas. James married Emily Austin Perry, operated Peach Point Plantation, and was involved in Texas land distribution.-Life:...
, are each geographic names in Texas. For example, Bryan, Texas
Bryan, Texas
Bryan is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,201. It is the county seat of Brazos County and is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley . It shares its border with the city of College Station, which lies to its south...
is the location of Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
; Perry's Landing
Perry's Landing
Perry's Landing, located in on the Brazos River in Jones Creek, Brazoria County, Texas, is named for James Franklin Perry. There is an Historical Marker for James Franklin Perry at the Gulf Prairie Cemetery.-Postal service and name change:...
is located in Brazoria County.
James and Emily Austin Perry Papers
Professor of History, Light Townsend CumminsLight Townsend Cummins
Light Townsend Cummins, born 1946, is an educator and historian. He is the Bryan Professor of History at Austin College in Sherman, Texas and is also the official State Historian of Texas.-Education:...
, of Austin College, the official Historian of the State of Texas at the time of this writing, points out that despite her important participation in and contributions to Texas history, there is no collection of letters archived under Emily's name; rather, the collection archived in the 1930s was titled for her husband and son, "the James F. and Stephen S. Perry Papers." Cummins, who has reviewed the papers housed at the Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, notes that this collection includes "as much of Emily's letters, documents, and papers as those of her husband and son." Cummins points out that the archive was named in 1930s, and were they named under archiving standards in 2009, they would very likely instead have been called, "The James and Emily Austin Perry Papers."
Death
Perry is buried at Gulf Prairie CemeteryGulf Prairie Cemetery
Gulf Prairie Cemetery is located in Jones Creek, Texas, off State Highway 36 and County Road 304 and was the original resting place of Stephen F. Austin. While Austin's remains were later moved to Austin, Texas, the ceremonies and details related to this transfer , are recorded in a book by Guy...
at the site of the present day historical marker in her honor, and beside her brother, Stephen F. Austin. (Stephen F. Austin's remains were moved to Austin, Texas in 1910). An obituary at the time reflects that "Funeral services were
performed by the Rev. Mr. Phillips, of the Methodist Episcopal church."
Historical marker
In 1986, as part of the Texas Sesquicentennial, an historical markerHistorical marker
A historical marker or historic marker is an indicator such as a plaque or sign to commemorate an event or person of historic interest and to associate that point of interest with a specific locale one can visit.-Description:...
was commissioned in recognition of Perry's contribution to Texas history.
Austin-Bryan-Perry family reunion
Each year, descendants of the Austin, Bryan, and Perry families from across the country gather in Jones Creek for reunion in celebration of Perry's life and her birthday. The Daughters of the Republic of TexasDaughters of the Republic of Texas
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas is a sororal association dedicated to perpetuating the memory of Texas pioneer families and soldiers of the Republic of Texas. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas is best known for its role as caretakers of The Alamo. They also operate a museum in Austin...
, Volume 1, states that on her birthday more than 200 meet to "rise up and call her blessed", (applying to Perry the language from the poem, Eishes Chayil (אשת חיל), "A Woman of Valor", with which King Solomon concludes the Book of Proverbs
Book of Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs , commonly referred to simply as Proverbs, is a book of the Hebrew Bible.The original Hebrew title of the book of Proverbs is "Míshlê Shlomoh" . When translated into Greek and Latin, the title took on different forms. In the Greek Septuagint the title became "paroimai paroimiae"...
).
Name variations
Perry is recorded in history by a variety of names which encompass her maiden name, her first marriage name, her second marriage name, a middle initial, and her mother's maiden name. These include:- Emily Austin
- Emily M. Austin
- E.M. Austin
- Emily Margaret Austin
- Emily Margaret Brown Austin
- Emily Brown Austin
- Emily Margaretta Brown Austin
- Emily M. Bryan
- Emily M. Austin Bryan
- Emily Margaret Bryan
- Emily Margaret Austin Bryan
- Emily A. Bryan
- Emily A. Perry
- Emily M. Bryan Perry
- Emily Margaret Austin Perry
- Emily Austin Bryan
- Emily Austin Perry
- Emily M. Austin Perry
- E. M. Perry
- E. M. P-
- Emily Perry
- Emily M. Perry
- Emily M. B. Austin
- Emily M. B. Perry
- Emily Margaret Perry
- Emily Bryan
- Emily Austin Bryan Perry
- Emily Margaret Austin Perry Bryan
- Emily Margaret Austin Bryan Perry
- Emily Margaret Brown Austin Bryan Perry
In addition to the above, there are still other references to Emily by just her first name, as well as references without use of her given, marital or personal name (as chattel), i.e. "and wife" or "his wife," "Miss", "Mrs." and "Ms." all of which are not here provided.
Penmanship style
Perry had a unique penmanship style. Her penmanship style from letters and writings were reduced to a single typeset font for word processing purposes. The Emily Austin font has been used in actual published literature.Past family
Perry and her brother, Stephen F. Austin, themselves descended from several noteworthy people including: Moses AustinMoses Austin
Moses Austin played a large part in the development of the American lead industry and is the father of Stephen F. Austin, a leading American settler of Texas. He was the first to be allowed to gather Anglo Americans for settlement in Spanish Texas...
(father—biography published by Trinity University Press), Abia Brown
Abia Brown
Abia Brown served as a Deputy to the Provincial Congress of New Jersey in the years 1775 and 1776 . As Deputy to the Provincial Congress of New Jersey, Abia Brown represented Sussex County, New Jersey...
(grandfather), Joseph Sharp
Joseph Sharp
Joseph Sharp was an early settler of New Jersey, landowner, supporter of education, an iron manufacturer, an industrialist; his mill provided flour to American Troops in the War of 1812.-Influence on education:...
(great grandfather), Isaac Sharp
Isaac Sharp
Isaac Sharp was an early New Jersey settler, politician, judge and Colonel of the militia.-Early life and family:Born January 13, 1681, in Dublin, Ireland, Isaac Sharp was the eldest surviving son of Quaker Anthony Sharp and Ann Crabb...
(great, great grandfather), Anthony Sharp
Anthony Sharp (Quaker)
Anthony Sharp was a Dublin Quaker and wool merchant.-Early life:Anthony Sharp, the son of Thomas Sharp, was born in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England in January 1643.-Religion and business:...
(great, great, great grandfather—biography published by Stanford University Press). Accordingly, history records noteworthy social contribution in each generation of Perry's family dating back to the early 17th century.
Some additional background, Perry's father, Moses was the son of Elias Austin & Eunice Phelps; Moses was the son of Richard Austin & Dorothy Adams; Richard was the son of Anthony Austin & Esther Huggins, Jacob Adams & Anna Allen; Richard Austin & Elizabeth Betsy Austin (born 1610), John Huggins & Bridget Green (gave birth to Esther Huggins), Robert Adams & Eleanor ___, Nicholas Allen & Martha Allen (gave birth to Anna Allen).
Further reading
- Eugene C. Barker, ed., The Austin Papers (3 vols., Washington: GPO, 1924–28).
- David B. Gracy II, Moses Austin: His Life (San Antonio: Trinity University Press, 1987).
- James Franklin and Stephen Samuel Perry Papers, Barker Texas History Center, University of Texas at Austin. E. W. Winkler, ed.
- "The Bryan-Hayes Correspondence," Southwestern Historical Quarterly 25 (October 1921-April 1922).
See also
- Angleton, Texas
- Freeport, Texas
- Clute, Texas
- Brazosport, Texas
- Jones Creek, Texas