Deep in the DNA of Texas

James Stephens (Stevens) original 1831 land grant in Washington County, Texas.¹

 

James Stephen is my husband Jim's earliest known ancestor in his maternal Stephen line—his 4th great grandfather.

Jim's genetic lineage to James Stephen (below) was confirmed in 2021 by the Texas State Genealogical Society's Early Texans DNA Project.² The project is a geographically-oriented effort focused on analyzing the DNA of those with ancestors who settled in Texas before 31 December 1900. They hope to make historical discoveries among members, such as particular DNA segments in common, or determining the ethnicity admixtures (or geographical origins) of early Texans.³

 

 

Of the two groups the project is studying, Jim's lineage qualified for Group 1, "A subset of members with the earliest ancestors—those who settled before Texas became a state on 19 February 1846; this group includes descendants of early Spanish and Mexican settlers, Austin’s Old Three Hundred, Families of Alamo Defenders, descendants whose ancestors were part of a colony such as Mercer’s, Robertson’s, Castro’s, DeWitt’s, Edwards, and others."⁴

Jim's 4x Great Grandfather James Stephen arrived well before Texas statehood. He petitioned for a land grant from the State of Coahuila y Tejas on 26 February 1831. The parcel was situated in current-day Washington County, on Caney Creek, a tributary to the west of the Brazos, just southwest of Chappell Hill.⁵

Stephen's petition stated that he was a "native of the United States of the North and one of the colonists introduced by Empresario [Stephen F.] Austin..." "That with my family I entered this country to settle permanently, and having with the prior consent of the said empresario selected a league of land on Caney Creek, adjoining and north of James Stephenson's tract."⁶

Stephen's grant was awarded on 8 March 1831 by Miquel Arciniega, the land commissioner for the state.⁷ Thus the Stephen family’s history became intertwined with the history of Texas.

The red circle shows Stephen's land location within Washington County.8

 

Two of James Stephen's sons—John Miller Stephen and William F. Stephen—were pioneers instrumental in the formation of Erath County, Texas, and in particular Stephenville. In 1856 John Miller Stephen donated the land for the townsite which was laid out by George Erath; the city was named for Stephen.⁹ Jim had often heard this family lore growing up. Little did he know that his family's Texas roots extended even further back to the state's very beginnings. 

If you have early Texas pioneers, consider joining the Early Texans DNA Project. Not sure if you have early Texans? Check out the project database for current entries.

Until next time...

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NOTES

All website accessed on 4 July 2023.

¹ Atlee, Tom & Giles, J. Bascom, Washington County (Austin, Texas: General Land Office, 1920); image, Portal to Texas History (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth493152/)

² Debbie Parker Wayne [e-address for private use], to Nancy Casey, e-mail, 13 October 2021,"any update?"; privately held by Casey [(e-address) and address  for private use] Tioga, Texas.

³ Texas State Genealogical Society (https://www.txsgs.org/programs/dna-project/early-texans/), "Early Texans DNA Project."

⁴ Ibid.

⁵ "Sello Tercero: Dos Reales," (Third Stamp: Two Reales), Spanish Collection, Box 6, Folder 47, pages 242-245, land grant petition of James Stephen; Gaylen Greaser, translator, Texas General Land Office, Austin.

⁶ Ibid.

⁷ Ibid.

⁸ Atlee, Tom & Giles, J. Bascom, Washington County (Austin, Texas: General Land Office, 1920).

⁹ Handbook of Texas (https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/stephenville-tx), "Stephenville, Texas," 1952; rev. 1 July 1995.