Austin Family History & Genealogy

This story was passed down to me by my mother, and it was passed down to her by her grandmother. This is a story about forbidden love. My great grandmother Blanche Austin was born on December 10th 1910 in Texas. Her parents were the owners of an Inn/lodging place. This girl had fiery red hair, blue eyes, and was of European descent. She met a Mexican man who was staying there. He was much older than her. She was about 15 years old and he was about 27. He had a dark complexion, brown eyes, and dark hair. He was of a lower class than she but despite all their differences they fell in love. Their love was frowned upon by her parents and it was forbidden. Desperate to be with the man she desired she fled texas and traveled to Pennsylvania. There she bore their first child, my grandfather in 1927 at the age of 17.

During that time, Blanche was listed as a missing person and her family looked all over for her. Eventually, for unknown reasons Blanche and her husband fled to Mexico where she bore the rest of his children and raised them there. She would tell them stories of her genealogy but would never directly speak of her family. My great grandmother Blanche tried to teach her grandchildren English so that they don't lose her piece of their heritage. Blanche lived until 1991 and died in North Hollywood at the age of 80.

If any of you have information on the family that she left behind in Texas, please leave a comment below. Her mothers maiden name was Najar and it is unknown how many siblings Blanche had.

Theirs was a forbidden love. Forbidden for what reason hasn't been discovered. Some say that John William Austin, born on Nov. 14, 1839 in Georgia or Alabama stole his young bride away from her family in the middle of the night. His bride, ten years younger, was Mary Elizabeth Sutherland, Southerland, or Sutherlin, born in Nov. 1849. She gives conflicting states where she was born just like her spouse except she sometimes puts Louisiana or Alabama as her birthplace. One story states that several Austin brothers were running from a possee in Texas for horse rustling. They supposedly stopped to rest and hide for awhile in Mississippi at a relatives home. Some say that during the two months visit, John William and Mary Elizabeth fell in love and they may have been cousins or Uncle/Neice. The age difference or relationship made them hide their affections, and "they lit out for the woods one night, never to be heard from again". Her family swore to kill John William Austin if they ever caught him, and her family was of some great importance or influence. The brothers split up as they traveled to allow the couple an escape. As they traveled eastward, one went to Tennessee, one went to Georgia, and the lovers settled in mid-Alabama and raised a family and I am the great-grandson of this couple.They are mostly found in Coosa, Shelby and Talladega County.
Another reason they may have hid their past is that Mary Elizabeth Sutherland Austin looks very Native American. She was born at a critical time, when Native American removal was still taking place. They seemed to not trust anyone with the government or Census takers. When their grandchildren asked, "What is Grandma and Grandpa Austin's name"? The kids were quickly told, "None of your business, you are mean enough already, without knowing about them"!
One story says that they came down from Virginia, through the Carolinas and into Georgia. A mysterous relative showed up from Winder, Georgia to visit with them from time to time. The only name we know him by is Rock Austin. He never said much about his business, just stayed awhile, and left. He had a little neice named Gertrude Austin that he was fond of and she told of fun times when he held her on his lap. She always looked forward to seeing her Uncle Rock, but he would soon be gone again, never promising when he would return to her. Some said he was in an outlaw gang and would hide-out until the sheriff was gone. We think that Rock Austin was one of the brothers of John William, and he was returning to check on them. Rock could be a nick-name since someone told this story; one day, he was mounting his horse, when it stepped forward, he missed the stirrup, and he landed on his butt. Someone ran to assist and said, "Oh, Mr. Austin, are you hurt"? To which he said, "He** no, can you hurt a rock?" Then the name "Rock" stuck.
John William Austin may have been named William Ralph Austin, says one source. Their children; John Charlie Austin bn. 1872, m. Susan Nolen, they named their last child William Ralph Austin-because John Charlie said this WAS his fathers name, and it makes sense if your in-laws are trying to kill you, you might change your name. Mary Alice Austin bn. 1874 m. Jonathan Grant Hosey. Julia Austin ? Loucinda Austin m. Samuel Merrell, William Lawson Austin bn. 1885 m. Ludie Thornton. George Washington Austin m. Lula Bell Robinson. James Allen Austin m. ?

REFERENCE TO JESSE STEPHEN PECKHAM AUSTINS GRANDFATHER AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY LISTED WERE OBTAINED FROM REFERENCES IN THE OLD AUSTIN PHOTO ALBUM.

JESSIES GREATGRANDMOTHER AND GREAT AUNT WERE ENGLISH GIRLS BY THE NAME OF FULLER, THEY WERE STOLEN BY THE INDIANS, FOLLOWING 2 OR 3 GENERATIONS SHOW INDIAN FEATURES IN THESE WOMEN. JESSE'S GRANDMOTHER LIVIED TO BE 116 YEARS OLD, WHILE HIS GRANDFATHER ONLY LIVED TO BE 36. WHILE JESSE'S GRANDMOTHER LOOKED VERY INDIAN, PICTURES OF HER CHILDREN DID NOT SHOW THE SHARPER INDIAN FEATURES.

ACCORDING TO A SEACH CONDUCTED BY LAURENA VA SYCKLE AND JOSPHINE AUSTIN SMITH IN 1996
JESSE'S FATHERS NAME WAS GEORGE COMFORT AUSTIN AND IT APPEARED HE WENT BY COMFORT.
HE WAS A REAL ESTATE AGENT IN CANADA AT ONE TIME.

JESSE'S UNCLES AND AUNTS AS LISTED IN THE OLD PHOTO ALBUM ARE:

LUCY--HUSBAND ASA WILSON--ADOPTED SON WILL WILSON
MARY--MARRIED NAME MOONEY, HAD A DAUGHTER MARY, LIVED SYRACUSE, NY
BILL--WIFE MELLISA--THEY LIVED AT CONRAD, MICH.

A R AUSTIN--MONROE, OHIO

HIGHRAM--HIRAM? PHOTO SHOWS HIM IN MILITARY DRESS

JERRY--CHESINING, MICH

MERT--MARRIED HAROLD HOOD, LOCKPORT, NY

MARGARET--PICTURE OF SON, DEL COLMAN, FLINT, MICHIGAN

ALMENIA--MARRIED A GOODMAN, SHERIDAN, WY

JOHN--HIS PICTURE WAS LOOSE IN THE PHOTO

ALBUM AND JUST SAID JOHN, BUT HIS FEATURES SHOW A STRONG POSSIBILITY OF THOSE LISTED ABOVE BEING HIS SIBLINGS.

THE PHOTO ALBUM IS AROUND THE 1850,S ERA.

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Joanne Austin At Bucklin sent this information.
(Fathers brothers or sister would be our Dad's Fathers relative.)
Fathers- Step Mothers- Half Sister -Mel & Marie Streeter
Olyaphia, Washington
Rebecca Fuller - Great Aunt
Grandmas Mothers Sister - Wife of a Oneida Chief
Grandma Austin's Mother - Taken by Oneida Indians when quite young
Married a Mohawk Chief
Her daughter married an Oneida Chief,
Grand Dad Austin.
Grandma Austin died at age 116
Granddad Austin died at age 36
He was an Onondager Chief
Grandma Austin's Grandmother was English by name of Fuller.
She was stolen by Mohawks when a small girl.

Grandma Austin's Father was a Oneida Chief.
Her Mother was half breed daughter of Mohawk Chief

Father's Brothers Father's Sisters

A.H. Austin Monroe, Ohio Almenia Goodman Sheridan, Wyoming
Bill Austin Conrad, Michigan Margaret Coleman Flint, Michigan
wife - Melissa Mrs Harold Hood Lockport, New York
Highram Austin 'Aunt Mert'
Jerry Austin Chesining, Michigan Lucy Wilson
Husband - Ora
Adopted Son - Will
Mary Mooney Syracuse, New York
Daughters - Mary & Rebecca
Fathers StepMothers parents - Granddad & GrandMother Holmes
Goose Corner's. Niagara Co. New York
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GEORGE AUSTIN AND HIS WIFE MARY, WERE THE PARENTS OF JESSE STEPHEN PECKHAM AUSTIN AND ALVIN AUSTIN. MARY WAS 28 IN THE 1865 CENSUS OF NEW YORK AND ACCORDING TO LEGEND SHE MUST HAVE BEEN ABOUT 33 YEARS OLD WHEN SHE PASSED AWAY. GEORGE LIVED ANOTHER FOUR YEARS AND DURING THAT TIME HE MARRIED A HOLMES LADY, MARRIED NAME UNKNOWN--REFERENCE IN PICTURE REFERS TO STEPMOTHERS PARENTS GRANDFATHER AND GRANDMOTHER HOLMES. GEORGE DIED ABOUT 1874 ACCORDING TO LEGEND. GEORGE HAD A STEPDAUGHTER MARIE WHO MARRIED A MEL STREETER AND LIVED AT OLYMPHIA, WA. GEORGE WOULD HAVE BEEN AROUND 37 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF HIS PASSING. HE WAS 28 IN THE 1865 NEW YORK CENSUS. JESSE WAS 12 WHEN HIS MOTHER DIED AND 16 WHEN HIS FATHER DIED. HE KEPT BROTHER OR BROTHERS WITH HIM AND HE WORKED FOR A STEAMSHIP COMPANY ON THE ERIE LAKE AFTER THEY WERE LEFT WITHOUT PARENTS. SOME BELIEVED THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE BROTHER.
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Jessie according to Uncle Miles, was agent for a steamship company, mother died when he was 12 and father when he was 16. He kept 2 of his younger brothers with him.
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JESSE AUSTIN WAS BORN IN NIAGRA CO NY JUNE 8 1857 TO GEORGE AND MARY AUSTIN, A NEW YORK CENSUS STATES HE HAD A BROTHER, ALVIN, WHO WAS BORN IN SEPTEMBER 1862. ALVIN AUSTIN WAS IN WALLA WALLA, WA IN 1905 ACCORDING TO LETTER RECEIVED BY JESSE'S WIFE, MARY LULU HOWARD AUSTIN. JESSE MARRIED MARY LULU HOWARD SEPTEMBER 17, 1877 AT MILES GROVE, ERIE CO PA.

JESSE'S MOTHER, MARY, DIED WHEN HE WAS 12 YEARS OLD AND HIS FATHER REMARRIED TO A LADY BY THE NAME OF HOLMES AND THEN JESSE'S FATHER DIED WHEN HE WAS 16 YEARS OLD. JESSE TOOK HIS BROTHER WITH HIM AND WORKED ABOARD SHIPS ON THE ERIE CANAL.

JESSE AND LULU LIVED AT PLYMOUTH, OHIO IN ASHTABULA CO FOR A TIME AND LATER MOVED TO BURTON, KAN AS IN HARVEY COUNTY WHERE THE REST OF THEIR CHILDREN WERE BORN.

MARY LULU HOWARD AUSTIN WAS BURIED IN BURTON, KANSAS BUT JESSE AUSTIN WAS BURIED IN THE MAPLE GROVE CEMETERY IN WICHITA, KANSAS WHICH IS LOCATED AT 1000 N HILLSIDE.

JESSE HAD BEEN LIVING IN CALIFORNIA AND WHEN HIS HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH
DETERIORATED HIS SON JESSE HOWARD WENT TO CALIFORNIA AND BROUGHT HIM TO WICHITA. NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW IF JESSE AND MARY WERE SEPERATED OR NOT, BUT IT WAS KNOWN THAT HE WAS PRONE TO ROAM ABOUT AND RETURN TO HER FROM TIME TO TIME. WHEN HE LIVED AT BURTON, KS HE WAS A FARMER, BUT LATER IT WAS SAID HE WAS A RAILROAD POSTAL EMPLOYEE, THUS HE TRAVELED MUCH.