Nathan Bush & Family In Austin County, Texas

The Nathan W. Bush in the deeds below was the 2nd great-grandfather of my niece and nephew through their father's side of the family (not mine).

The deed information was taken from the book Austin County, Texas, Deed Abstracts by Joyce Murray:

Title: Austin County, Texas deed abstracts, 1837-1852 : Republic of Texas and State of Texas / abstracted by Joyce Martin Murray ; index system by Martin Murray.
Publication info: Dallas, Tex. : J.M. Murray, c1987.

_ Apr 1840 Joseph Davis to William Frampton*, 344 acres on which I now reside, being tract I bought from James Stephenson less 211 acres sold by me to NATHAN BUSH, being therefore bounded on W & N by BUSH & E by Cloud. Witnesses: Robert McNutt, John Ward (Deed - p. 140) *Living next to N.W. Bush and family in the 1850 census - Austin Co. shown here - the F. M. Grimes family is on the other side of N.W. Bush

29 December 1842 David Ayers and wife Ann M. Ayers ...to David Hedden, Silas Day and Mary Ann Ayers $1,000. 1,000 acres beginning at NW corner Lea on Piney Creek being headright of James Stephenson, deceased. Witnesses: Louis Thickston, Murdock McKinnon** (Deed - p. 44) **Possibly the Murdock McKinnon whose probate file was listed in Fayette Co., TX, here

29 December 1842 David Ayers and wife Ann M. Ayers of Center Hill, to David Heddin, Silas C. Day and Mary Ann Ayers, $2,000.00., land bought by Ayers from J. Benton Johnson, except 175 acres Ayers sold but not yet deeded to N. BUSH and conveyed to said David Ayers in three separate deeds. Witnesses same as above [Louis Thickston, Murdock McKinnon] (Deed - p. 45)***This reference stated that Wm. Travis's son lived with the David Ayers family and this said that Travis wrote his last letter from the Alamo to David Ayers, a letter that started with "take care of my little boy..."

29 December 1842 David Ayers and wife Ann M. Ayers of Center Hill, to David Heddin, Silas C. Day and Mary Ann Ayers, $2,500. .....English acres in forks of Mill Creek and being part lots to P Four of survey of Stephen F. Austin Reserve as granted him by the Mexican Government. Witnesses same as above [Louis Thickston, Murdock McKinnon] (Deed - p. 47)

4 February 1844 John Tyler (signed also by Sarah Tyler, relationship note stated) to James Hall, 3rd, 75 acres Caney Creek pt Lea granted by Austin's Colony to James Stephens, beginning at crossing...from Andrew Miller home to San Felipe. Witnesses: A. W. Bush, A. C. Hall (Deed - p. 491)

19 April 1848 John W. Collins to NATHAN W. BUSH, $500.00, 56 acres & 4 acres, the 56 acres beginning in E boundary line of Lea granted to D.C. Chandler, and the other tract beginning on line between James Stephenson and D.C. Chandler. Witnesses: A. T. Norris & B. S. Harrison (Deed - p. 331)

8 September 1849 (executed in Washington County, Texas) James Hall, 3rd & wife Nancy, to WILLIAM T. BUSH, $500., tract on waters of Caney Creek beginning at Jerry Cloud SW corner which is on William Frampton's N line, also abutting lands of Stephenson, Chandler, Samuel Marshall, being 125 acres. Witnesses: Sarah A. Cheek, J. D. Giddings (Deed - p. 65)

22 October 1849 NATHAN W. BUSH to Thomas Whitley, $87.50 on Cooper League on East side East fork Mill Creek beginning at SW ... of McMillin (Deed - p. 59)

22 October 1849 NATHAN W. BUSH to Hopson Whitley $87.50, 87 1/2 acres on Cooper League on E side of E fork of Mill Creek. Witnesses: None (Deed - p. 61)

29 December 1849 Samuel Marshal to WILLIAM T. BUSH $56.00, land being on waters of Caney Creek being 22 acres. Witnesses: None (Deed - p. 67)

N. Bush was the administrator of the estate of George Graves and there were deeds (and probate documents) involving Bush regarding his duties as administrator.

In Deed Record Book B there was a statement at the beginning of the book regarding the Republic of Texas, County of Austin...believed to be genuine claims.... . Listed among those with legitimate claims was "N. W. Bush, March 29, 640 acres... ."

While extracting the above information from the book, I thought that William T. Bush who was part of deeds above was William Tandy Bush, the brother of Nathan Bush. W. T. Bush and family were in Austin Co., Texas, in the 1850 census.

The Montgomery-Bush Family Cemetery is on N.W. Bush's land "as part of the “league of lands granted to James Steefshinsen [Stephenson]" according to this site.

N.W. Bush on an 1858 census as transcribed for Austin County, Texas, here. N.W. Bush was on the 1840 Tax list in Austin Co., Texas, here.

I have additional (some redundant) information regarding Nathan W. Bush on my "Relatively Fiction" blog entry "Going To Texas."

Note: Found the above information on my field trip to the Mid-Continent Library near Kansas City, Missouri.