James Orrick - Old Texas 300

Last updated 14 June 2012

Contact: Roger If you have info or comments

 


James Orrick - One of the Old Texas 300

In 1823, Stephen F. Austin gathered a colony of about 300 to populate land along the Brazos river. They were called the Old Three Hundred, and James Orrick was one of them.

I've run across James' name in lists of the old 300 but, in typical Orrick style, there is not much other information around. I can't even find him in the census. So now my curiousity is in full gear. I'd bet a Ruben sandwich that James traces back to the Maryland Orricks and therefore is connected to my Arrick family.

Finding the Land
A friend of mine Eddy is an oil and gas land man. He was able to find the Tobin Survey for Austin county. Right there is a block for James Orrick. #74. On the west side of the Brazos river not far from the county seat of Bellville.

Modern Map
Map showing location of grant.
I figured this would be in the middle of a modern subdivision
or under a mall parking lot, but nope, right there out in the
middle of nowhere.
West bank of Brazos river.
Near Bellville TX.
West of Houston.

 

Satellite Map
Here's the satellite image of the land (2012).
West bank of Brazos river.
West of Houston.

 

Original Grant
Here's the original Grant to James Orrick.
James received title to his 1 labor of land (177 acres) in Austin county on Aug 10, 1824. It's in Spanish and dated 1824.
Signed by Stephen F. Austin.
4 pages, 4MB PDF (large)

 

A random mention of James being a mail carrier in 1835 was found on the web.

 

A very nice lady at the Bellville abstract company found a few documents for me about James Orrick's land.
It mentions his death in 1837
Elizabeth Orrick, widow.

And a recovery document between Thomas H. Hughes and Oliver Jones 8/19/1842
Elizabeth married Thomas H. Hughes.

The plot thickens.

 

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