T H E W I D D E R D Y C H E S Page
Nancy "Ann" Dyches, daughter of Josiah Dyches and
Lucinda Dyches, was born in South Carolina in 1802. Her 1850 and 1870 census enumerations show her birthplace as Louisiana,
but her 1880 enumeration, believed to be more accurate, shows her birthplace as
South Carolina.
Her mother addressed a note to the Tammany Parish Judge dated
January 13, 1820:
"You are hereby requested to issue license authorizing the
marriage of Joseph Fish and my daughter, Ann Dyches.
Lucy Dyches"
The bride's brother, William Dyches was security for the marriage,
along with the groom. She was married
to Joseph Martin Fish, a German emigrant, in St. Tammany Parish January 13,
1820, according the parish Marriage Book 1, page 45. The marriage register recorded, "A License issued, directed
to Peter Bauhthane, Esqr, who returned certificate of having performed on the
13th Jany. in the presence of Thomas Addison, Cullen Saunders and Lot
Ridgle."
Joseph Martin Fish was enumerated as the head of a household in
the 1820 census of St. Tammany Parish:
"Fish, Martin white male 26-45
white female 26-45
two foreign born, not
naturalized"
The enumeration was repeated in the 1820 census of adjoining
Washington Parish, suggesting that they lived near the boundary line and were
recorded in both parishes. The second
listing appeared as:
"Fish, Martin white male 16-26
white
female 16-26"
He was enumerated as the head of a household in the 1830 census of
Washington Parish, page 81. The
household was recorded as:
"Fish,
Joseph white male 30-40
one foreign born and
white female 20-30
naturalized
white male 5-10
white female 5-10
white female 0-5
white female 0-5
white female 0-5"
His was the only Fish family indexed in the 1830 Louisiana census.
Washington Parish adjoined St. Tammany Parish on the north and the
state of Mississippi on the west.
Also enumerated in 1830 in Washington Parish were the households of
Samuel Dykes, William Dykes, page 80; William Dykes and Joseph Dykes, page 81.
Joseph Adam Fish , son of Joseph Martin Fish , reported in his
1850 census enumeration that he was born "in Mississippi" in 1830,
however this is believed to be an error.
He reported that he was born in Louisiana in the 1880 and 1900 enumerations.
During this decade the battle for Texas independence was fought,
and Joseph Martin Fish was influenced
to move to the new republic, perhaps by his brother-in-law, David Hutcheson
McFaden who was a soldier under Gen.
Sam Houston in the conflict.
He moved to Texas and located very near the Louisiana state line,
in 1833, according to an affidavit made March 2, 1838 to Jasper County, Texas
Board of Land Commissioners:
"No. 28
This is to certify that Joseph Fish has appeared before us, the
Board of Land Commissioners for the County of Jasper and proved according to
law that he arrived in this country in the year 1833 and that he is a married
man and entitled to one leage and labor of land upon the condition of paying at
the rate of $3.50 for every labor of irrigable land; $2.50 for every labor of
temporal or arable land; $1.20 for every labor of pasture land, which may be
contained in the survey secured to said Fish by this certificate.
Given under our hands this second day of March 1838.
Attested George W.
Smyth
A. Pinnall Thomas B.
Huling
Clerk John
Bevil"
John Dodd McCall , a great-grandson, related that the family
"moved to Texas in oxcarts and settled in an area where timber was plentiful. They used the wood to construct wagons and
implements. From seasoned hickory they
made ox-bows." He appeared there
on the 1840 Jasper County tax roll as "Joseph Fish, one poll and 10 head
of cattle." He received a labor of
land under First Class Certificate No. 28 February 15, 1855, according to
Jasper County Deed Book 12, patent 109.
Upon arrival in Texas Joseph Martin Fish applied for a land grant.
On May 13, 1836 he gave a deed to "one-half of a sitio of land
which Joseph M. Fish is entitled to as an emigrant and settler in Zavala's
Colony, Department of Nacogdoches, Municipality of Jasper" to Stephen W.
Everitt for $2,000, according to Williamson County Deed Book 2, page 426. He gave bond to insure title to Everitt, and
in it stated that he had "served the Republic of Texas in the capacity as
landowner and loyal citizen." The
bond was also recorded in Williamson County Deed Book 2, page 426.
Joseph Martin Fish
appeared as a taxpayer in the 1840 tax list of Jasper County. Appearing on the same page were the
renditions of "Lewis Dykes and William Dykes .
On April 1, 1844 he purchased land for $1,000 "from the
northwest quarter of the headright league of Jesse McGee, 600 acres adjoining
Joseph Fish, from Jesse McGee, Malinda McGee and Jane Duncan of Jasper
County," according to Jasper County Deed Book G, page 166-67. The deed was witnessed by Philip Stone and
"John Fish," believed to be a son of Joseph Martin Fish . It was also recorded November 25, 1851 in
Williamson County Deed Book 2, page 424, suggesting that the land was
surveyed in that county.
When Newton County was formed from Jasper County in 1846 Joseph
Martin Fish found himself in the new
county. He was a taxpayer in Newton
County in 1846, according to "Republic of Texas Poll Lists for 1846"
by Marion Day Mullins. His name appeared
on Newton County jury panels of January 25, 1847, July 12, 1847, January 24,
1848, and January 1, 1850. Alfred Lyons
served with Joseph Martin Fish and John
N. Fish on the jury panel of July 12,
1847 and January 24, 1848, according to Newton County court records. Judge Charles Augustus Lord , a grandson of
Joseph Martin Fish , of Beaumont, Texas wrote in 1941, "A fellow by the
name of Lyons once visited in Beaumont and mentioned that he was a
descendant." Henry Whitmire , his
son-in-law served with him on the jury panels of January 11, 1847 and January
1, 1850. James Hickman and Joshua
Hickman also appeared on the jury panel of January 11, 1847.
He was enumerated there in the 1850 census as the head of
Household 31-31:
"Fish,
Joseph 53, farmer, born in Germany
Nancy 40, wife,
born in Louisiana
Isaac
17, born in Louisiana, attending - school
Louisa 12, born
in Texas
Celia 10,
born in Texas
Nancy 8, born
in Texas
Creecy 5, born in Texas
Rebecca 2, born
in Texas"
Joseph Martin Fish
ultimately received a land grant in Williamson County, for 4,425 acres
signed by Pres. Anson Jones dated February 11, 1846, as recorded in the
county's Deed Book 2, page 426. His
deed to the property, which lay T-shaped, astride the North San Gabriel River,
was recorded in Deed Book 2, page 383.
No other land was patented to Joseph Martin Fish by either the Republic or State of Texas.
His land grant read:
"IN THE NAME OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS:
To all to whom these presents shall come, know ye, I, Anson Jones,
President of the Republic aforesaid, by virtue of the power vested in me by law
and in accordance with the statutes of said Republic in such cases made and
provided do by these presents grant to Joseph Fish, his heirs or assigns
forever one league of land situated in Milam [County] on South [North] San
Gabriel River and described as . . . Hereby relinquishing to him the said
Joseph Fish and his heirs and assigns forever all the right and title in and to
said land heretofore held and possessed by the Government of said Republic and
I do hereby issue this Letter Patent for the same.
In testimony whereof I have caused the great seal of the Republic
to be affixed as well as the seal of the General Land Office, done at the city
of Austin on the eleventh day of February one thousand eight hundred and forty
six and the year of the Independence of said Republic the Tenth.
Anson Jones
President"
Shortly after his arrival in Williamson County he built a stone
fort on his property for protection against Indian marauders since his sitio
was a frontier outpost.
Judge D. B. Wood who in 1969 owned 1,500 acres which comprised the
base of the "T" of the original Fish grant wrote December 20, 1969:
"I believe that the old Fish home was on my land call it "Old Fort") adjacent to
land occupied by Henry Boufford, now deceased.
[Boufford owned land on the east side of the base of the
"T".] There existed only two
houses in that area some 300 yards apart.
The "Old Fort" was torn down by one of my title predecessors
so that he could get the hand hewn stones for use in the construction of his
dwelling house located some two miles southerly, which I later acquired and
improved and now occupy.
I acquired this land in 1934 and have been keenly interested in
the "Old Fort," made many inquiries as to who built it, but never got
any authentic information. Henry
Boufford moved to the other old house in 1892 and told me the "Old
Fort" was even then an old fallen-down house, but with a cellar under
it. It had walls of hand-hewn rocks,
large cedar supports, portholes in the sides for defense, surrounded by a high
rock wall also containing portholes and with an adjacent pen for livestock
also of rock. Nothing now remains
except piles of rock which define the outside walls."
On October 9, 1851 Joseph Martin Fish sold 104.5 acres of his land to Benjamin Gooch, Jr. as a site
for a gristmill at $1 per acre. The
deed, recorded in Williamson County Deed Book 2, page 384 read:
"Know all men by these presents: That I, Joseph Fish of the
County and State aforesaid for and in consideration of the sum of one hundred
and four & one-half dollars to me in hand paid by Benjamin Gooch, Junr. of
said County and State, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, have
bargained, sold, aliened, conveyed and confirmed and by these presents do
bargain, sell, alien, convey and confirm unto him the said Benj. Gooch, Junr.
his said heirs and assigns forever a certain piece or parcel of land situate
in said County on the N. San Gabriel containing one hundred four and one-half
acres more or less.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal scroll for seal) this the 9th day of October
A.D. 1851.
Joseph Fish"
The deed was recorded the same day by Benjamin Gooch, Sr, county
clerk and father of the purchaser. The
gristmill was constructed there a short time later.
Apparently Joseph Martin Fish
made good on his contract to Stephen W. Everitt by deeding land to him
November 29, 1851, according to Williamson County Deed Book 2, page 426. On July 26, 1853 he deeded 230 acres,"
a portion of my headright league of land" to Ben Gooch and John W. Owen
for $50.
Nancy "Ann" Dyches Fish
received a deed of gift from her mother Lucinda Dyches October 30,
1854, according to Williamson County Deed Book 5, page 523. The deed conveyed a portion of the league
and labor Lucinda Dyches had received for being a resident citizen at the
beginning of the Texas Revolution.
Joseph Martin Fish gave a
deed to William T. Gann November 11, 1854 for "land on San Gabriel"
for $275, according to Williamson County Deed Book 5, page 541. Joseph Martin Fish deeded 160 acres, "part of my headright," to Joseph R.
Shults January 6, 1855 for $360, according to Williamson County Deed Book 5,
page 600.
On February 15, 1855 Joseph Martin Fish received a patent to a labor of land located in Newton County
which he had applied for while he was a resident there. The land was described as "177 acres on
Bear Creek, 14 miles northwest of Burkeville.
This land was sold by "John Fish of Jasper County," probably
his son John N. Fish , to W. H. Truett October 9, 1869 for $20, according to
Newton County Deed Book K, page 189.
The "Joseph Fish Labor" was sold by Truett to John Dick and
his wife Caroline Dick in 1876. When
they resold the property December 9, 1876 to J. B. Swann it was again
described as the "Joseph Fish Labor," according to Newton County Deed
Book K, page 263.
On May 9, 1855 Joseph Martin Fish
and Nancy "Ann" Dyches Fish
"for the love and deep solicitude we have and feel for the
happiness and prosperity and established settlement of our two sons, Isaac
Fish and Joseph Fish" deeded to them part of the headright in joint
ownership "adjoining Gooch & Owens mill tract, on North San Gabriel
River, eight miles above Georgetown," according to Williamson County Deed
Book 6, page 102.
He wrote his will June 13, 1855, and it was recorded in Williamson
County Probate File 80. The document
specified:
"State of Texas
County of Williamson
In the name of God, Amen.
I, Joseph Fish, being at this time of sound and disposing mind have thought
it proper and do hereby make and constitute this my last will and testament--to
wit: I hereby at my death give and bequeath to my three daughters, Nancy,
Cretia and Rebecca Fish all my community interest in and to five hundred acres
of the league of land patented to me the said Joseph Fish by the Government of
Texas situate on the North Gabriel River about five miles above Georgetown,
said five hundred acres to include my homestead, and it is further my will
that my wife Nancy Fish have the full control of said land in case I die before
her and before the said daughters arrive at the legal age of maturity, for the
purpose of supporting and suitably educating the said daughters. It is further hereby my will that when each
of my said daughters shall arrive at the age of legal maturity or shall marry
that then my said wife's control shall cease as to said daughters share so
married or arrived at maturity and each daughter's share in and to said land
at the happening of such event shall be set off and given to her by partition
from the other shares of my said daughters and wife--And I do further will to
my said daughters to be equally divided between them all my cattle branded
"J.F," to be disposed of if I die before my said wife by her for the
use and benefit of my said daughters to be delivered to them each at the same
time that she received her share of the said land, this is when each of my said
daughters shall marry or arrive at maturity then such daughters share of the
cattle shall be given to her along with her land.
In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and scrawl for seal
this the 13th day of June 1855.
Executed in the presence of
A. J. Strickland Joseph Fish
A. S. Walker"
He deeded additional land to Joseph Adam Fish July 14, 1855, according to Williamson
County Deed Book 6, page 102.
Joseph Martin Fish and
Nancy "Ann" Dyches Fish
prepared a deed to their widowed daughter Amanda M. Fish Whitmire July 14, 1855 in which they each conveyed
250 acres of land to her, according to Williamson County Deed Book 6, page 105.
He conveyed 500 acres "seven miles above Georgetown on the
north side of North San Gabriel of the original Fish League" to his
"daughter Louiza Barker," August 6, 1855, according to Williamson
County Deed Book 6, page 112.
On the same date he deeded to his daughter Celia Fish 300 acres "adjoining Mrs. Barker on the
north side of North San Gabriel," according to Williamson County Deed Book
6, page 121.
On the same day he conveyed "for the love and affection I
entertain for the children [unnamed] of my daughter Catharine Dresser dcsd.
about 350 acres adjoining Whitmire about six miles above Georgetown,"
according to Williamson County Deed Book 6, page 122.
Joseph Martin Fish conveyed
August 22, 1855 250 acres of land, believed to be east of the "Old
Fort," to his daughter Jerusha Fish Whitmire , according to Williamson
County Deed Book 6, page 134. He deeded
250 acres in the "southeast corner of my headright to Jarusha Whitmire,
now the wife of Hezekiah Whitmire."
For $200 he prepared a deed to his wife Nancy "Ann"
Dyches Fish November 3, 1855 conveying
1,000 acres "adjoining tract of Jerusha Whitmire to include the houses in
which I, the said Joseph Fish, at present reside and also the farm and
improvements adjoining and all my stock of cattle being branded 'J F',"
according to Williamson County Deed Book 7, page 92.
On March 20, 1857 Joseph Martin Fish and Nancy "Ann" Dyches Fish prepared a quit claim deed to Dr. David F. Knight "of
Jerusha Whitmire property," according to Williamson County Deed Book 7,
page 106. Dr. Knight lived on Brushy
Creek near Round Rock.
Nancy "Ann" Dyches Fish
gave a quit claim deed to "Louisa Barker et al in confirmation of
gift of Joseph Fish for the use and benefit of Mephy Dobbs," May 27, 1857,
according to Williamson County Deed Book 7, page 151.
On November 11, 1857 Joseph Martin Fish and Nancy "Ann" Dyches Fish for $1,100 conveyed 1,000 acres to Josiah Taylor, according to
Williamson County Deed Book 7, page 254.
The deed recited that it covered "all the land owned in the original
Fish League, having previously made other deeds." He perhaps forgot that he had previously
willed this property to his three unmarried daughters. A suit subsequently was filed by them to
recover their inheritance, but was denied by Williamson County District Court.
On March 22, 1858 Joseph Martin Fish , his brother-in-law Joseph
Josiah Dyches and Thomas B. Huling were bondsmen for James Clark Eaves ,
another brother-in-law when he was indicted for murder in Williamson
County. When Eaves failed to make his
court appearance the $1,800 bond was forfeited, according to Williamson County
District Court Minute Book 2, page 62.
On March 25, 1858 the three bondsmen filed an appeal with the Supreme
Court of Texas where it was denied.
On September 1, 1858 Nancy "Ann" Dyches Fish received a deed from William T. Gann et al
to "part of the SE corner of Joseph Fish headright, same sold to A. D.
Bucy by William T. Gann" for $500, according to Williamson County Deed
Book 7, page 407.
Joseph Martin Fish and
Nancy "Ann" Dyches Fish sold 500 acres in the northwest corner of the
headright April 6, 1860 to William M. Sawyer
for $300, according to Williamson County Deed Book 8, page 154. He was killed three years later in a Bandera
County massacre.
The household of Joseph Martin Fish did not appear in the fragment of the 1860 census of Williamson
that survived. Mary Alnora
"Nora" Cox Drennan suggested
that he was enumerated in the 1860 census of Fayette County, Texas, but a
search of that census did not show any Fish households. Joseph Martin Fish died in 1862 in
Williamson County.
Nancy "Ann" Dyches Fish
appeared as the head of a household enumerated in the 1870 census of
Williamson County, Household 92-92. The
family was listed as:
"Fish, Nancy 68, born in Louisiana, keeping house, - $300 real estate,
$200 personal - - property, illiterate
Thompson, Gordon
22, born in Arkansas,
stockraiser, - -- $500
personal property
Kyle, John 8, born in Texas
[grandson
Kyle, Necia 5, born in Texas"
[granddaughter]
For $40 Nancy "Ann" Dyches Fish , "feme sole,"
deeded 40 acres additional land to Dr. David F. Knight June 14, 1873,
according to Williamson County Deed Book 14, page 480. The land was located at the southeast corner
of the Joseph Fish League and adjoined the Dresser land.
She gave a correction deed to W. R. Piper October 22, 1873 to
clarify the deed made by her deceased husband "to the heirs of Catherine
Dresser" concerning land that adjoined her east boundary line, according
to Williamson County Deed Book 14, page 666.
For $15 she deeded 20 acres additional to W. R. Piper February 27, 1874,
according to Williamson County Deed Book 15, page 662.
She received a deed to 160 acres located five miles northwest of
Georgetown from R. F. Jenkins for $300 January 3, 1876, according to Williamson
County Deed Book 16, page 689.
She appeared June 14, 1880 in the federal census living in the
home of her daughter Amanda M. Fish Whitmire
in Williamson County Justice Precinct 4. She was listed as "Nancy Fish, 79, widow, lame."
She gave a deed in May 1883 to her son-in-law Leroy Boyce
Lord according to Williamson County
Deed Book 28, page 548.
Nancy "Ann" Dyches Fish
survived her husband for about 38 years and died about 1900 at about the
age of 98. She continued to do her own
housework, according to Blanche Maurie Duncum Monroe , a descendant. She was buried in Chalk Ridge Cemetery
where her daughter Amanda M. Fish Whitmire
was later buried.
Apparently the deed to Josiah Taylor was contested by some of the
Fish heirs. Williamson County District Court minutes record a judgment
"in Cause No. 1250 for E. H. Napier, Emma B. Napier, John L. Peay,
defendants and against Nancy Short, Evan Short, Cretia Lord, Rebecca Thompson
and T. G. Thompson, plaintiffs."
The decree stated that "on November 11, 1857 Joseph Fish was
mentally capable of making a good and valid deed to Josiah Taylor,"
according to Minute Volume 4, page 585. John L. Peay served as sheriff of
Williamson County from 1869 to 1874.
Children born to Joseph Martin Fish and Nancy "Ann" Dyches Fish include:
John N. Fish born in 1823
Mary Fish born in 1824
Amanda M. Fish born in 1826
Catherine Fish born about 1827
Joseph Adam
Fish born in December 1830
Isaac Franklin
Fish born in 1833
Jerusha Fish born in 1834
Louisa Fish born in February 1838
Celia M. Fish born
in 1840
Nancy Fish born in 1842
Lucretia E.
"Crecy" Fish born in
1845
Sarah Rebecca
Fish born in 1848
John N. Fish son of Joseph
Martin Fish and Nancy "Ann"
Dyches Fish , was born in 1823 in Louisiana.
He was married about 1845, probably in Jasper County to Martha Harriet
Whitmire daughter of Jesse
Whitmire and Nancy "Ann"
Durden Whitmire .
"John Fish" appeared as a juror along with Joseph Martin
Fish on the jury lists of Newton County
dated July 12, 1847 and January 24, 1848.
He was enumerated October 27, 1850 in the federal census of Newton
County as the head of Household 101-101 composed of:
"Fish, John
27, born in Louisiana, farmer,$400 --- real estate
Martha 21, born in Mississippi
Lettie
4, born in Texas
Nancy Mary A. 2, born in Texas"
In March 1851 he appeared in Trinity County, Texas. It is reported that he remained on his
father's land in Jasper County when the family removed to central Texas.
He paid taxes in Williamson County in 1860 on land in the Joseph
Fish Survey valued at $200. He paid
taxes there again in 1861 and 1865. In
1866 he paid taxes on "1 horse."
John N. Fish enlisted as
private in Confederate service in August 1861 and served in Williamson in a
company commanded by Capt. R. C. Hart.
On August 7, 1863 at age 45 he reenlisted for six months in Willow
Springs, Texas in Bell County as a second corporal in Company A, Second Texas
Regiment commanded by Brig. Gen. H. P. Hale.
It was noted in company records that his horse was valued at $175, his
equipment at $20 and his arms at $50.
He reenlisted January 28, 1864 as a private in Company B, First
Frontier District commanded by Capt. J. M. Hawks. He served 30 days in Wise County, Texas on the frontier.
On March 16, 1864 he was a private in Company C, Texas State
Troops, Williamson County under Capt. A. J. Berry. His unit had been
"detailed to take care of indigent families by Gov. [Pendleton]
Murrah."
In December 1865 he lived in Milam County. "John Fish of Jasper County,
Texas" deeded "177 acres on Bear Creek, 14 miles northwest of
Burkeville in Newton County, patented to Joseph Fish February 15, 1855"
to W. H. Truett October 9, 1869 for $20, according to Newton County Deed Book
K, page 189.
He appeared as the head of Household No. 906 in the 1870 census of
Milam County com-posed of:
"Fish, John
N. 50, born in Louisiana
Martha 40, born in Mississippi
Bettie 15, born in Texas
Isaac 13, born in Texas
Hesekiah 9, born in Texas
Leroy 8,
born in Texas
Bell 5,
born in Texas"
A tax foreclosure was filed against John N. Fish for unpaid taxes of $4.11 on 151 acres in
the Hobson Survey September 4, 1876, according to Milam County Deed Book 16,
pages 82 and 333. "John E. Fish of
Williamson County," possibly , deeded 112.75 acres in Pedro Zarza Survey
to James M. Williams and Sara Ann Williams for $845.62 June 20, 1882, according
to Williamson County Deed Book 29, page 79.
"Uncle Johnny Fish died close to Newton [Texas],"
according to a letter written in 1941 by Judge Charles Augustus Lord .
It is suggested by Patricia Ann "Patty" Bennett
McGinty that Martha Harriet Whitmire
Fish died about 1878 and that John N.
Fish was remarried about 1879, to Mary
Brown , sister of Nancy Ann Brown who
was married to Jesse Whitmire . She
cites a household in the 1880 census of San Jacinto County as possibly being
the widow and son of John N. Fish who
must have died shortly after his remarriage:
"Fish,
Mary 25, widow, dumb, illiterate
John
1, diseased"
The household adjoined the household of Jesse Whitmire . Verna Mae Smith Bennett , a descendant of
Mexia, Texas wrote June 19, 1983:
"There may be one other half-brother. We think John N. Fish was married a second
time, and a little boy was born to them before John died. Her people [Whitmires] were supposed to have
come and got her and the baby. My
grandmother never heard from them again, but my grandmother named one of her
children after her step-mother, Pearlee."
This all came from my Aunt Lavanda French."
Children born to John N. Fish
and Martha Harriet Whitmire Fish
in-clude:
Letta
"Lettie" Fish born in 1846
Nancy Mary Ann
Fish born in 1848
Elias F. Fish born March 10, 1851
Elizabeth
"Betty" Fish born in 1855
Isaac Franklin
Fish born September 4, 1856
Hezekiah Carr
Fish born March 4, 1860
Leroy Fish born in 1862
Riddy Belle Fish born December 4, 1865
Letta "Lettie" Fish , daughter of John N. Fish and Martha Harriet Whitmire Fish , was born
in 1846, probably in Jasper County. She
was married October 20, 1865 to Henry C. Paul ` according to Williamson County
Marriage Book 2, page 189. They were
enumerated in the 1870 census of Milam County in the household of her brother
Elias F. Fish . They appeared in the
1880 census of Milam County, Enumeration District 103, page 22 as Household No.
178 with children: Louisa Paul, Margaret E. Paul, Martha M. Paul, Charles M.
Paul and Samuel R. Paul. "Bellfority Fish, sister, 18" also appeared
in the household.
Children born to Henry C. Paul
and Letta "Lettie" Fish Paul
include:
Louisa Paul born about 1867
Margaret E.
Paul born about 1868
Martha M. Paul born about 1871
Charles M.
Paul born about 1874
Samuel R. Paul born about 1877
Nancy Mary Ann Fish s
aughter of John N. Fish and Martha Harriet Whitmire Fish , was
born in 1848, probably in Jasper County.
She was married May 31, 1866 in Williamson County to John Wesley Kile ,
who was born June 5, 1844 in Washington Parish, Louisiana. He was a brother to Jacob Kyle who was married December 6, 1860 to Nancy
Fish and a brother to George Kyle .
They were sons of Mary "Polly" Dyches Kyle . She died in 1881 in Williamson County. For details of their life, see his section,
page 602.]
Elias F. Fish , son of John N. Fish and Martha Harriet Whitmire Fish , was born March 10, 1851 in
Trinity County. He was married in 1870
to his cousin Electra Jane Levica Bingham
who was born March 18, 1851 in Milam County. She was the daughter of James S. Bingham and Lavica Ann Dyches Bingham
He appeared as the head of a household in the 1870 census of Milam
County, page 125. Included in his
household, No. 905, was the family of a sister:
Fish, Elias 19, born in Texas
Jane 19,
born in Texas
Poll, Henry 25, born in Georgia
Letta 23,
born in Texas, sister
Louisa
3, born in Texas
Margaret
2, born in Texas"
Elias F. Fish appeared as the head of a household in the 1880
census of Milam County, Enumeration District 103, page 22, precinct 4. The family, No. 175, was located near the
family of Henry C. Paul , No. 178, and recorded as:
"Fish,
Elias 29, farmer, born in Texas,
father born in Texas, mother born in - Texas
Jane 29, wife, born in Texas, father born in Texas
Letta
10, daughter, born in Texas,
father born in Texas, mother born - in Texas
Malcolm 7, son, born in Texas, father born in Texas,
mother born in ------- Texas
Samuel 5, son, born in Texas, father born in Texas,
mother born in - Texas"
On August 20, 1881 he
purchased a 100-acre tract in the Gravis League in Williamson County, according
to Williamson County Deed Book 48, page 171.
He reappeared as the head of a household in the 1900 census of
Kimble County, Texas Enumeration District 45, page 2, Precinct 1:
"Fish, E.
F. 49, born March 1851 in Texas
Lester [Electra] J. 49, born March 1851 in Texas, wife
William M. 24, born September 1875 in Texas, son
Sam H. 22, born January 1878 in Texas, son
John M. 16, born August 1883 in Texas, son
Rosa L. 14, born October 1885 in Texas, daughter
James R. 11, born October 1888 in Texas, son
Louis E. 6, born July 1893 in Texas, son"
He died of pneumonia March 15, 1937, according to Kimble County
Death Book 4, page 10, and was buried at Junction, Texas. Excerpts from his obituary read:
"E. F. Fish was born in Trinity County March 10, 1851, being
86 years and 5 days old at the time of his death. He was only nine years old when the Civil War broke out, and
being the eldest son, the burden of caring for the family fell upon his young
shoulders as his father was called into service. He remembered vividly many Indian raids and as a youngster
endured many hardships.
In 1870 he was married to Jane Bingham of Milam County. Soon after marriage the couple moved to
Williamson County where a family of 13 children were born. The mother and six of the children
predeceded him in death. The family
moved to Kimble County in 1900 where he was a rancher. About the time of the World War they moved
to Junction. Mrs. Fish died in 1928.
The surviving children are Loie, Manuel, Sam, Malcolm, Mrs. Lettie
Smith, Mrs. Frank Smith and Mrs. Ancel Wallace. One brother Carr Fish of Ft. McKavett, 22 grandchildren, and 19
great grandchildren also survive."
Thirteen children born to Elias F. Fish and Electra Jane Levica Bingham Fish include:
Lettie Ann Livonia
Fish born September 19, 1870
William Malcolm
Fish born September 26, 1873
Samuel Houston
Fish born January 2, 1876
Mary Lucinda
Fish born
June 12, 1878
Emma Jane Fish born November 4, 1879
Missouri Angeline
Fish born January 28, 1881
John Emanuel
Fish born August 6, 1883
Rosa Lavicie
Fish born
October 20, 1886
James Riley
Fish born October 15, 1888
Jessie Ivy
Fish born May 27, 1892
Louis Elias
Fish born July 25, 1893
Ollie Ethel
Fish born May 24, 1896
Lettie Ann Livonia Fish , daughter of Elias F. Fish and Electra Jane Levica Bingham Fish , was
born September 19, 1870 in Milam County.
She was married about 1890 to Lue Smith \S3/1.1) at Junction.
William Malcolm Fish , son of Elias F. Fish