William J. Carson

b. circa 1824, d. after 20 May 1847
William J. Carson|b. c 1824\nd. a 20 May 1847|p141.htm|William Clark Carson|b. 9 Jan 1790\nd. a 8 Dec 1830|p76.htm|Catherine Jane Patterson|b. c 1795\nd. 1 Jul 1875|p77.htm|Charles Carson|b. 22 Oct 1761\nd. 5 Oct 1816|p158.htm|Rachel Clark|b. 10 Dec 1766\nd. 17 Nov 1842|p159.htm|John Patterson||p1579.htm||||

Granduncle of Louise Underwood.
2nd great-granduncle of Laura Jane Munson.
Family Background:
Underwood and Allied Families
     William J. Carson was born circa 1824, probably in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana.1 He was the son of William Clark Carson and Catherine Jane Patterson. He died after 20 May 1847, and before 1850, probably, in Brazoria County, Texas.
     
     Though it appears from available sources that William J. Carson was much too young to have served in the Texas Revolution, family tradition is that he and his older brother John were away in the Texas Army in April 1836 when their mother and sister fled their home in Columbia during the Runaway Scrape. Furthermore, John was paid for 1836 service, but William's name doesn't appear in the Republic of Texas Claims until 1853 when his mother received pay due him for his service in the 1842 Vasquez Campaign. William never married.

Additional Data
He was credited for six weeks service in Captain Gill's company under Colonel Clark L. Owen on the Vasquez Campaign in the spring of 1842.2 Click to view image

On 23 August 1844, the Planter printed a call for "all young men who feel an interest in the welfare of our country" to come and join a group called the Columbia Minute Men being organized because of "the probable necessity of soldiers upon our frontier." Brothers William J. Carson and John P. Carson, and their brother-in-law, Ammon Underwood, all appear on a list of men who volunteered.3

At the August 1845 meeting of the Association of Columbia for the preservation of Temperance, a committe of sixteen was appointed with William J. Carson as secretary.3

On 20 May 1847, William J. Carson and Gail Borden, Catharine J. Borden and John P. Carson, all of Brazoria County, Texas, sold to Ammon Underwood for $2,214, "one third of a certain undivided half league of land say siven hundred and thirty eight acres more or less, out of league number twenty one granted to William C Carson as a colonist of Texas, situated between the river Bernard and Bay Prairie."4

In regard to a Republic of Texas claim by Mrs. C.J. Borden for pay due William J. Carson for his service in the Vasquez Campaign in 1842, on 18 April 1853 in Travis County, Texas, William Simpson and Gail Borden signed a sworn affidavit that Mrs. C.J. Borden "is the Mother of William J. Carson now decd _ and we do further solemnly Swear that the said Mrs. C.J. Borden is the only living heir of the said William J. Carson decd..."5 Click to view image The claim in the amount of $31.50 was paid, and a receipt was signed by "C.J. Borden."6 Click to view image

E.S. Carson and her son, James Carson, both of Wharton County, sold to Ammon Underwood of Brazoria County, Texas, on 28 February 1887, for $200,
. . .all our rights, title, interest and claim by heirship, inheritance or otherwise in and to fractional undivided parts of two tracts of land in the State of Texas, both inherited from the estate of William J. Carson, the first named being our entire interest and inheritance of a fraction of 738 acres of the William C. Carson grant in Brazoria County, comprising togather one hundred and twelve acres 1/4 acres, more or less, and the other being our fractional interest and heirship in these [?] and twenty acres of land situated partly in Kerr and partly in Kendall counties, originally granted to William J. Carson, and inherited by us respectively from his estate, our joint Share being fifty eight acres more or less undivided land, and both tracts being our joint and undivided entire inheritance in same two tracts and estimated to comprise togather one hundred and seventy acres 1/4 acres of land, more or less.7

Citations

  1. [S64] Austin's Colony Records (Austin's Register), (MS, 1824-1836; Austin's Colony, Coahuila and Texas), Texas General Land Office (TGLO); Austin.
  2. [S243] Public Debt, William J. Carson; Republic of Texas Claims; 1303 (Austin: Texas State Library and Archives Commission), roll 155, frame 1, 5.
  3. [S40] James A. Creighton, A Narrative History of Brazoria County, Texas (Angleton, Texas: Brazoria County Historical Commission, 1975), 192.
  4. [S74] Brazoria County Deeds, Book E: 162, County Clerk's Office, Angleton, Texas.
  5. [S243] Public Debt; Republic of Texas Claims, roll 155, frame 657.
  6. [S243] Public Debt; Republic of Texas Claims, roll 155, frame 658-659.
  7. [S84] Brazoria County Deeds, Z: 183-184, County Clerk's Office, Angleton, Texas.