James Kerr

James Augusta Kerr was one of the more interesting people in the early days of Texas. He was born September 24, 1790 in Boyle County, Kentucky to Reverend James Kerr II (1749 – 1811) and Patience Wells Kerr (1759 – 1799). He was the seventh child and second son of the couple’s ten children born over a twenty year period from 1777 to 1797. The father, James, was a farmer and a Baptist minister, more accurately described as a circuit riding preacher. A descendant, James Kerr Crain, writes that Patience, the youngest of a large group of children, had eloped with her husband to be after her parents objected to the relationship, but the union lasted until her untimely death. The mother, Patience, died in 1799 after taking ill on a horseback trip to visit one of their older children. Her husband preached the funeral, which was said to be the first Protestant sermon preached in the sparsely populated Upper Louisiana Territory. Rev. Kerr married a widow by the name of Phoebe Bonham one year after the death of Patience. The family moved to St. Charles County, Missouri in 1808 and Rev. Kerr passed away there in 1811.

Mr. Crain, a direct descendant of James A. and Angeline Caldwell Kerr, relates a family story about his ancestor. One Sunday after services, Rev. Kerr’s congregation exited the services to a group of rowdy boys rushing past leading a boy riding a cow. The boy riding was none other than young James Kerr. James was in his early 20s when he volunteered for the War of 1812, at one point being second in command to a son of the well known frontiersman, Daniel Boone. When the war ended, Kerr returned to Missouri where he first served as sheriff for four years. He married the former Angeline Caldwell in 1818. In 1822, he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives. Then in 1824, he was elected to the Missouri Senate, unseating his father in law, James Caldwell, causing some dissension between his and his wife’s family. Kerr soon resigned his senate seat and around 1825 decided to move the family to Texas. It is not completely clear how he came to know Green DeWitt, but it is believed that he was already acquainted with DeWitt, although DeWitt did not apparently come to Texas with his colonists until 1827 and 1828.

The Kerr family arrived on the Texas coast by boat in 1825. James Kerr, reported to be a close friend of Stephen F. Austin is listed as a member of Austin’s “Old 300” families. Although this was decades before the Civil War, Missouri was a state where slavery was allowed and he owned a small number of slaves which he brought with him. James received a land grant through Austin’s Colony (where he would later build a home and settle). Having no physical structure for his family nor anyone to leave them with, James set up temporary quarters for his family near the Bernard River (near present day Columbia) while he departed further inland to look for DeWitt’s colony. Unfortunately while he was away, his young wife Angeline had died of cholera or some similar disease. She was only twenty-three at the time. Not long after his return, his first and third children also died. This left only James and his daughter Margaret, then about three years old.

From that time on, Kerr seems to have been acting on behalf of DeWitt most of the time although he continued to assist Austin on occasion, including opposing with Austin the unsuccessful Fredonian Rebellion. Kerr is said to have laid out the first settlement of Gonzales, though it was later destroyed in an Indian attack. He acted as surveyor general for DeWitt’s Colony for several years living on the Lavaca River.

Kerr took part in early political activities, serving as a delegate from Port Lavaca to the Convention of 1832 held at San Felipe de Austin. This meeting followed some of the early clashes between the Mexican government and the Texas settlers. Headed up by Austin, it dealt with relations between Mexico and the settlers, Mexican tariffs, the need for more Anglo settlements, the desire to set up a defense force and other topics. The convention did not represent all the colonists, a significant group not participating was from San Antonio. The following year, also the year that he married Sarah Fulton, he was a delegate to the Convention of 1833, also held at San Felipe de Austin. This gathering was presided over by William H. Wharton (Austin being occupied elsewhere) and again focused on the desire for more Anglo immigration, a request of Mexico to separate Texas from Coahuila and create a new Mexican state. If the latter request were to be granted, a committee was chosen to create a state constitution. Austin was selected to deliver the requests to Mexico. San Antonio leadership again did not participate and the timing of this meeting in the spring of 1833 coincided with Santa Anna seizing power in Mexico.

James’ wife Sarah was raised by the family of John J. Linn after her parents died in 1806 and 1808. Not a lot is known about Sarah’s parents other than they both died either on a voyage to America or shortly afterward. Sarah was a child at the time and was taken in by the Linns, founders of Linnville in DeLeon’s colony which bordered DeWitt’s to the south and extended to the Gulf. Sarah was born in 1804 so she was in her upper twenties when they married. The ceremony was a Catholic wedding and Kerr had been baptized into the Catholic church a few days before the wedding. Four children were born to James and Sarah. The Catholic faith was for many years the only official religion allowed during the years of Mexican control. It also figures into the James Kerr family history. His daughter by Angeline was named Margaret. When she was baptized into the Catholic church, her godfather was Stephen F. Austin. The family history relates that Kerr and Austin developed a strong friendship and that Kerr was by his side when Austin died.

James continued serving in the defense of the settlers by becoming a member of the Texas militia. He is believed to have taken part in the defense of Goliad in October, 1835 and is known to have served in a campaign against to capture the Mexican frontier post at Lipantilan. Soon afterward, he led his family and the families of some of his neighbors to safety in the Runaway Scrape. His oldest child with Sarah died during that time. During the heaviest fighting of the Texas Revolution, Kerr remained in Texas but sent his family to safety in Missouri.

During the days of the Republic, the Kerr family rejoined James to live in Jackson County. He was elected to the Third Texas Congress and lived out his remaining years there. Kerr died of pneumonia at his home in Navidad on December 23, 1850. He and several members of his family are buried in Kerr Cemetery in Navidad. In recognition of Kerr’s service to Texas during its early years, after his death Kerr County and Kerrville were named for him.

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