Re: HUMPHREYS, PELHAM 1800's Texas
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In reply to:
Re: HUMPHREYS, PELHAM 1800's Texas
9/21/98
The William Pelham Humphries that had a league of land in Jefferson Co that later became Spindletop Oil fields, died before 1849 as that is when his widow filed for guardianship on the three children and their father's estate. Matter of court records, no hear-say and prior to any oil being pumped out of the land. Some seem to think that William and Pelham were two brothers and there very well may have been two brothers by that name. I have read what a couple of elderly people testified to and it is very questionable and only of you read the papers that were filed in court could you understand why this story was not accepted. It was near 1900 that the testimony was given and then by someone that never really knew the family that they were suspose to be testifing about. This person said that she knew that Pelham and William Humphries were living in Tennessee in Nov 1834 and did not move to Texas until 1835! Look at the date on the orginial Spanish land grant to Humphries. HE APPEARED IN PERSON WITH HIS WIFE TO APPLY FOR THE LAND in late 1834 and the received the land in 1835. I can not figure out how he could be in both states at the same time, therefore her testimony was not considered to be correct. She said that the reason that she knew that the Humphries boys that she knew did not leave TN until 1835 is because they were in Tn when she got married. Now, she may have been old but surely she could remember what year she got married if she could remember the Humphries boys that she wasn't really aquainted with. Again, it is something that you'd have to read for yourselfs. It is page upon page of things that didn't match up.
Only one problem, this was not the same 'Pelham' that had the land in question. William Pelham Humphries was a close friend to Jonathan Anderson (at one time was sheriff) and William Inglish. They (and others) signed letterd on his behalf. He was not a crook running from crimes that were committed in Tennessee or anywhere else. Some of these things just take a little comon sense. I would challenge anyone to read this stuff for themselfs and forget that they may be connected to any money that was ordered to be put up for 'heirs' yet to be determained. Did I hear an AMEN...have a great 2000!