biography – Page 23 – Texas History Notebook

Mabel Gilbert and family

Mabel Gilbert was a Texas resident for most of his adult life. He and his family only lived in Dallas a few years, but they were contemporaries of the Beemans and John Neely Bryan and other early settlers. The Gilbert family story begins with Mabel himself. Mabel Gilbert was born on March 4, 1797 in what is now Dickson County, Tennessee. At that time, however, it was still part of North Carolina. According to genealogy records, his parents were William Gilbert/Gilbreath (1764 – 1827/1836) and Nancy “Nicy” Morris Gilbert/Gilbreath (1770 – 1840). Mabel is believed to have been the third son of the couple. The origin of his first name is unknown as Mabel is generally considered to be a feminine name. Mabel was followed by Temperance Gilbert, a daughter, and at least three more sons. The Gilbert childrens’ years of birth range from 1790 to 1810.

Sallie Chisum

Sallie Lucy Chisum Robert was born May 28, 1858 in Bolivar, Denton County, Texas to James Thomas “Jim” Chisum (1827 – 1908) and Ara Josephine Wright Chisum (1830 – 1875). Jim Chisum was the brother of John Simpson Chisum (1824 – 1884).

Edward H. Tarrant

Edward H. Tarrant (1796 or 1799 – 1858) was the namesake of Tarrant County. He was born in South Carolina and was the son of Samuel A. Tarrant and Nancy Anna Hampton Tarrant. He was the youngest of at least four children. His father died in 1799 and his mother remarried after many years. Tarrant was living in Muhlenburg, Kentucky at the outset of the War of 1812 and is said to have participated throughout the war, including the Battle of New Orleans. After the war ended, he lived for some time in Tennessee before moving to Texas after 1830, settling first in Red River County.

Jim Perry

Jim Perry was the name of an African American cowboy who lived from about 1858 to 1918. He resided mostly in West Texas and the Panhandle. Perry was considered a top hand and was skilled in all aspects of ranching including roping, riding, breaking horses and the like. He was also considered to be a good cook and a good musician on the fiddle. Perry is generally noted along with the most well known African American cowboys including Bones Hooks, Bose Ikard, Bill Pickett and Addison Jones.

Knox Beall, Foster Son of Quanah Parker

Knox Beall was one of several youths who lived at least for a while at Quanah Parker’s home in Cache, Oklahoma. Others included Rudolph Fisher, David Grantham, Charles Hart and Tom Burnett.

Knox’s parents are believed to have been Otho Washington Beall (1845 – 1878) and Almira or Elmira Parker Beall (1853 – 1878). Knox is believed to have been born in 1878 in Rockdale, Milam Co., Texas which is located roughly midway between Austin and College Station. Little is known about his birth parents, but the accepted story is that Knox was orphaned soon after he was born, perhaps the same year he was born. His mother Almira/Elmira was also said to possibly have been a cousin of Cynthia Parker in some accounts (as was Zilpha Parker Hart, the mother of Charles Hart). After they passed, Knox was sent first to an orphan’s home. He was later placed in the home of a German couple in the Fort Worth area. At one point, the tale continues that Knox ran away from home literally to join the circus (a vaudeville troupe associated with the Mollie Bailey Circus). A more sensational and probably less likely account has him being kidnapped to join the group. In any event Knox was associated with this traveling troupe until he was about seven years old.