Birdsall, Lewis, 1770-1843

Lewis Birdsall, the son of Benjamin Birdsall, married Patience Lee in 1790 in Columbia County, New York. Their eldest of five children, Jane, was born in 1791 followed by Maurice Lee, Egbert B., Eliza, and Lewis A. In 1800 the family moved to Seneca County, New York, and settled on a farm between Waterloo and Seneca Falls. Jane married John Richardson Harris in 1813. After meeting Moses Austin while living in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, the Harrises decided to emigrate to Texas. While Jane returned to New York with their children, John traveled to upper Galveston Bay and arrived in 1824. He died in 1829 of yellow fever after establishing a town site on Buffalo Bayou named Harrisburg. In 1833 Jane arrived in Texas to gain control of his estate and was followed by her brother Maurice and her parents. All of the Birdsall children resided in Texas at one time or another. Jane Harris and her sister, Eliza Van Tuyl, died in Harrisburg within 8 days of each other in August, 1869.

From the description of Lewis Birdsall family papers, 1829-1860 (bulk 1835-1845). (San Jacinto Museum of History). WorldCat record id: 50080974

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