James Franklin Perry (1790–1853) was an American who was an early settler of

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. James married to

Emily Austin Perry Emily Austin Bryan Perry (June 22, 1795 – 1851) was the sister of Stephen F. Austin and an early settler of Texas. She was an heir to Austin's estate when he died in 1836. She achieved significant political, economic and social status as a woma ...

, and together they operated

Peach Point Plantation Peach Point Plantation is a historic site located in Jones Creek, Brazoria County, Texas. It was a forced-labor farm and the homestead and domicile of many early Texas settlers, including Emily Austin Perry, James Franklin Perry, William Joel Bry ...

. He was involved in Texas land distribution.

Life

James Franklin Perry was born in

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Allegheny County ( ) is a County (United States), county in Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the List of counties in Pennsylvania, state's second-most populous county, after Philadelp ...

on September 19, 1790. He married Emily Austin on September 23, 1824. He was her second husband, and the two had six children together: *

Stephen Samuel Perry Stephen Samuel Perry (1825–1874) was an American early settler and pioneer of the state of Texas. He had managed the Peach Point Plantation, and he is credited with amassing and preserving significant historical manuscripts related to Texas histo ...

(born June 24, 1825, in

Potosi, Missouri Potosi is a city and the county seat of Washington County, Missouri, United States. Potosi is southwest of St. Louis. The population was 2,538 as of the 2020 census. Located in the Lead Belt, the city was founded in 1763 by French colonists as ...

; died September 5, 1874, in

Brazoria, Texas Brazoria ( ) is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, United States, and is part of the metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 2,866. Geography Brazoria is located southwest of the center of Brazoria County. The northe ...

). *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, Texas. *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, Mississippi). *Cecilia Perry (born December 10, 1835, at Peach Point Plantation; died June 8, 1836, at Peach Point Plantation By marrying Emily Austin, James became owner of

and was one of the first plantation owners to shift from

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

production. He also was involved in the earliest plans for a

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

in Texas. He was offered the position of Secretary of the Treasury of the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas (), or simply Texas, was a country in North America that existed for close to 10 years, from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846. Texas shared borders with Centralist Republic of Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande, an ...

in 1839, but declined. James was also the executor of the

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

of Stephen F. Austin (Emily Austin's brother), a distinction that directly involved him in land distribution, maps, and early Texas colonial affairs. A court case related to titles of land was at one time filed and even appealed by

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two indi ...

against James Franklin Perry in his capacity as executor for Stephen F. Austin. James Franklin Perry and his son Henry each died from yellow fever on September 13, 1853. There are obituary references to James in various newspapers.

Legacy

Letters between James, his wife, and their son,

Stephen Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...

, serve as significant records, frequently referenced as foundational in Texas history. They were archived in the 1930s and housed at the Center for American History at the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

. Perry's Landing, in

, is named for James Franklin Perry. There is an historical marker for James Franklin Perry at the

Gulf Prairie Cemetery Gulf Prairie Cemetery (also known as Gulph Prairie Cemetery, Gulf Prairie Presbyterian Cemetery, and Peach Point Cemetery) is located in Jones Creek, Texas, United States, off State Highway 36 and County Road 304 and was the original resting pla ...

. He is referenced as "James F. Perry" in the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

decision ''

Bryan v. Kennett ''Bryan v. Kennett'', 113 U.S. 179 (1885), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that, under the treaty providing for the Louisiana Purchase, the United States would recognize property interests granted by the previous so ...

''.Bryan v. Kennett, 113 U.S. 179 (1885)
Justia.com; accessed September 13, 2015.

Life

Legacy

References

Further reading