Henry Austin (January 31, 1781– January 23, 1852) was a Texas settler.
Early life
editAustin was born in New Haven, Connecticut to Elijah and Esther (Phelps) Austin. He joined the merchant marine at the age of twelve, first as a cabin boy on a ship bound for China.[1] He had five brothers and two sisters. One of his sisters was Mary Austin Holley.[2]
Elijah Austin was a ship owner, a captain, and a shop keeper. He died of yellow fever in New York in 1794.[3] After the family learned that the estate was insolvent, Henry, at the age of fourteen, joined the crew of Captain Daniel Greene and embarked on a round-the-world tour on board the Neptune.[4]
Career
editAustin was a merchant in New Haven and New York City between 1805 and 1825, but by his own omission, some of those early business ventures were failures.[1]
In 1824, Austin received an invitation from Stephen F. Austin to settle and establish a business in his Texas colony. While not immediately taking up the offer, Henry did sail to other parts of Mexico in 1825, where he attempted various businesses.[5]
Personal life
editAustin married Mary Tailer in 1814.[1] They had three daughters and three sons.[2]
Death
editAustin died on January 23, 1852.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Allen, Winnie (November 1, 1994). "Henry Austin". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Lee (1962), pp. 12–13.
- ^ Lee (1962), p. 10.
- ^ Lee (1962), pp. 17–19.
- ^ Hogan, William Ransom (1934). "The Life of Henry Austin". Southwestern Historical Quarterly. 37 (3): 185–214.
Bibliography
editLee, Rebecca Smith (1962). Mary Austin Holley: A Biography. Austin: University of Texas Press.
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