Jacob MASTERS, Sr., b.ca 1780, North Carolina; d. ca 1854 Crockett, Houston Co. TX m. Elizabeth Shaw, b. ca 1783; d. ca 1858, Crockett, Houston Co. TX.
Jacob Masters signed the petition to the Citizens of the Republic of Texas to form the county of Houston on 22 April 1837. On 4 Sept 1837 he also signed a petition to the Congress of The Republic of Texas to lower taxes. Vol I of "Founders and Patriots of the Republic of Texas" says Jacob served the Republic in Houston County and is one of the Founders of Crockett, TX.
Jacob Master buried his loved ones in a cemetery on his property. The cemetery is still being looked for.
*****
Jacob 'Jake' Masters Sr (ca1780-ca1859) and Elizabeth Shaw (ca1783-ca1858), married 1800, and their children
Sources for Jake and Elizabeth include Maxine Powell's Masters Family History (Mountain Home TX, 1994) and pp 171-2 of Armistead Albert Aldrich's The History of Houston County, Texas (1943). Aldrich, Jacob and Elizabeth's great grandson, records the date of their marriage as 28 January 1800. The Masters family arrived in present Texas in 1829. See 1830 Citizens of Texas by Gifford White, p 160.
Jacob petitioned the Mexican government for a league/sitio (4,425 acres) of land in then Coahuila y Tejas 30 October 1834. His land was on the Old San Antonio Road near Crockett in present Houston Co TX. The road was also known as the Camino Real, the King's Highway, and the San Antonio-Nacogdoches Road.
State Highway 21 mostly follows what was the Old San Antonio Road. Jake and Elizabeth were likely buried on their land but the graves have been lost, possibly bulldozed during the construction of SH 21.
According to Powell's family group sheet Jacob was born in North Carolina and Elizabeth was probably born in Mercer Co PA, the daughter of John Shaw (born 1750 in Mercer County) and Eliza Jones (born ca 1756, also in Mercer County).
John appears to have been a Revolutionary War patriot and to have received bounty land. A document signed by surveyor John Findley 15 April 1803 records that on the 14th John Shaw was settled with his family on land in Mercer County in a two-story house and that he had at least 40 acres cleared.
Powell writes 'Vol 1 of "Founders & Patriots of [the] Republic of Texas" states Jacob served with the Republic in Houston County and that he was one of the founders of Crockett, Texas.' Jacob Masters Sr and his son Jacob Masters Jr both signed the 1837 petition to form Houston County, the first county created in the Republic of Texas. Houston County was formed from the former Department of Nacogdoches, Coahuila y Tejas, United Mexican States.
Jacob Masters Sr is mentioned as follows in the diary of Adolphus Sterne who was born born in Cologne, Germany in 1801 and who immigrated to New Orleans in 1817. Arriving in Texas in 1826, he petitioned for land at Nacogdoches in 1835, befriended Sam Houston, strongly supported the Texas Revolution, and served in the Texas House of Representatives. Sterne died in 1852.
Tuesday 23 April 1839
Left at 7 and crossed the River the road for 4 miles lies through bottom knee deep in mud— Musquitoes & gnats abound — reached Tomkin's, 7 miles at 9 A M at 4 P M met Judge Hart at Box's— reached Master's at 7– having come 42 miles this day Masters is a timid old Dutchman, has built a Block house and makes all the members of establishment sleep there at night— I didn't the honor of the fortification, and was content to Sleep in the old house— Dr Lucket & Crane joined— the bugs however, humbugged our repose, and we had to take to the floor
Now the fields, prairies, woods & grass show evidence of a healthy country so different to what I passed through on the Trinity yesterday & former days—
(The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol 30, No 4, pp 318-9)
Wednesday 2 June 1941
Fine weather— left Col Bean's early in the morning traveled slow to Jacob Master's, an other old friend of 13 years standing, this day is the 13th anniversary of my marriage with my dear wife
(The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol 32, No 1, p 89)
Sterne's description of Jacob as a Dutchman indicates German ancestry.
The evocative Texas Slave Narrative of Lou Austin follows:
I was born in the country, four miles east of Crockett, Houston County, Texas. My marster was Henry Masters, the bes' man ebber wore shoe leather, I know. He fought in de Injun wars. My ole Miss' was Louisa Masters. She named me atter her. Marse had five chillun by his furst wife an' five by he las', all ob'em dead now. Dar was 'bout twenty five or thirty chillun, black an' w'ite in dat yard at one time and dey all dead now but me. My Mammy was Julia Ann and my Daddy was Ned Masters. Dar was ten chillun in my Mammy's family, Becky, Alfred, Frieland, Ned, Millie, Lewis, me and tree dat died as babies. Mis' Louisa allus had a hankerin' atter me from de cradle. My Gran'ma was Millie an' my Gran'dad was Lewis Roberts. My daddy's folks come from N'oth Ca'lina. Marse Masters had all Houston an' Crockett Counties gib him kase he fit in de Injin wars an' fit de Mexicans. De soljers got paid off in land. Marse Henry Masters' daddy was named Jake. W'en he died my daddy fell to his son, Marse Henry Masters. Marse Henry come to Texas an' fit de Injins an' Mexicans an' w'en things kinder settled down, he brung ole Mis an he slaves to Texas. My Mammy an' daddy come wid him.
I was born in January 1850. Marster Bill English, a w'te man now, was chillun on de yards wid us. He daddy was ole Mis' brudder. She was Miss Louisa English w'en she married Marse Henry Masters. Marster Bill English, he swar I'ze 87 years ole. Dat's what he put on de paper fer de ole age pension man. I married Jack Johnson de furst time, an' he died. Den I married Dan Dean. My third husband was Wan Austin. De first time I married us libed down on de ribber (Brazos) an' us traded at Waco an' Marlin. Us wukked as share croppers.
I only had one month's schoolin'. Marse Henry Masters moved from East Texas to Mastersville, McLennan county. He had 11,000 acres ob land. Atter he died, dey changed de name of de place to Bruceville. He was de furst settler to build at Mastersville, dat's why it got its name. De stage ran in front of he door. Hit ran from Belton to Waco right in front of he door. His brudder libed jes' cross de krik from him an' kep' de stage stand. Dat was Marse Jake Masters, he named fer his daddy, de real ole Marse back in de ole states. Dey changed de stage hosses an' de passengers et dinner at Marse Jake's house. Den dey'd pull out to Belton.
Dar was no settlers, cep' Marse Henry an' Marse Jake hardly. You could go from Waco to Belton an' I don' speck you could count five houses. Dar was nuddin' but horses an' cattle. In dem days, eny stock dat you put your brand on, dey was yourn. Marse Henry had cullud Sam an' he own son, Bob, to round up an' brand cattle de year roun'. Some ob de neighbors dat later moved in 'roun' Mastersville, was Marsters Mixson, Tom Cox, Abe English, Bill Holcomb, Billie Jackson, who libed whar Lorena is now. Neighbors in dem days libed from eight to twenty miles away. Marse Henry Masters come to Mastersville befo' freedom. He brung Jake, Ellis, Sam, Moore, dem four men and dere wives and chillun. Dar was Aunt Julia, an' Aunt Emmeline 'sides. Aunt Julia an' Aunt Emmeline spun an' wove cloth fer everyboddy on de plantation. Us gals used to hab so meny cuts of thread to spin at night. Dey ust to gib my cousin Clara an' me three cuts of thread apiece to spin in one night. I'ze so sleepy headed dat Clara, she allus beat me.
Marse Henry moved he spinnin' wheels an' looms from East Texas w'en he come. In fac' he move eberything. Dey come in ox waggins. De wi'te folkses come in kerridges an' buggies an' de men an' boys mos'ly on hoss back, so dey could bring Marse' fine hosses and cattle. Dar was no roads an de hans ud offen hab to camp an' build er pole bridge to git er cross on. Marse Henry had de lumber to build he big house at Mastersville hauled in ox waggins from de piney woods in East Texas. Hit was a two-story, white house wid nine er ten rooms. Ob course, at furst he had a double log cabin built to lib in till he git ebery thing fer de big house.
Marse Jake Masters was already here in McLennan County, an' I specs dat hit was on 'count ob his tales dat Marse Henry up an' lef ' East Texas. De Quarters fer de slaves was in behime de big house. Dey was one-room log cabins wid board roofs an' no windows, an' er stick an' dirt chimbly. Some ob 'em had split picket fences, effen de husban' git ambi'shus nuff to cut dem palins. My Mammy was de boss cook fer Marse Henry. Dey all, black an' w'ite, cooked on fire places. C'ose w'en eny ob de w'ite folkses brung stoves inter de houses, Marse Henry, he ain't gwine be behime de res' an' he git one too. Fust stove I ebber seed, Marse Henry brung it to der big house. Him an' de boys had er time er gittin' de pipe up an' den Mis' Louisa an' Mammy, dey feared to light hit for fear hit'ud blow up. But twarn't long till dey had dat piece ob fernichure mastered. I 'members atter Miss Sissy Jane, Marse Henry's daughter, married dey cooked on de fire place a long time 'fore dar was eny stoves.
De w'ite folkses had one great big garden an' de sarbants an' ebery boddy git all dey wants of vegetables an' water melons. De orchards dey nebber was any good lak dat back in East Texas. An' Marse Henry he brung trees, an' brung trees from back dar, but it ain't no good. Dey nebber did habe fruit lak back dar. In East Texas us had figs, cherries, apples, an' peaches ter throw away.
De whole prairie was full ob wild chickens an' de woods was full ob antelope, turkeys, an' bears. De las' bar I 'member was w'en us libed at what is now Moorville, den hit was Bruceville. My husban' an' de chillun an' me was gone to church. W'en us git back from Meetin' de folkses had been a bar huntin' an' us had bar meat fer mos' er week. Dar was painters too (Panthers), in dem bottoms. One ob de negro wimmin' dat libed neighbors to us said she was huntin' turkey eggs down in de bottom an' she heard a child 'er cryin'. She kep' followin' dat cry an' bye-me-bye she git close to er thicket. An' a painter jump on her. Dey fought, her an' dat painter, an she jes' gibbed' 'tirely out; an' she drap down. An' she close her eyes; he come smell ob her, den he dig er hole an' brung her inter hit. She so scairt she jes hole her bref' an close her eyes. Den de painter went off tru de brush er callin' he mate. An she says ter herself 'I gotter git outten here 'fore he git back'. An' she scramble an' crawl an' get home finally. But she so tore up an' so weak dat she ain't outter her bed fer er week.
Dar was er lot ob desperadoes in dis country in dem days. 'Bout de year 1865, Bruceville or as dey call hit den, Mastersville, was de only village in de southern part of dis county. By dat year, right after de war ob freedom, dar was a store, a blacksmith shop an' dat was de town. Dar was a grove ob libe oak trees kinder out on de edge of town an' dey had dere church under dem trees fer some time. An' durin' de war ob freedom, de bushwackers, deserters from de army an' other bad men jes' nacherly drifted inter de country. Marster Tom Cox and Marster Henry Williams had 'em some dogs dat dey trained to run niggers an' to help in deer hunts. De outlaws had er camp hid in de upper thickets on South Cow Bayou. An' Marster Cox's dog trailed er antelope inter de outlaws camp. Dey knew de dog an' thot Marse Cox atter dem. Dey writ er note an' lot ob dem sign hit an' den dey lef' in er store on Rat Row in Waco. Dey was er warnin' Marse Cox to lebe'em erlone er dey gwine shoot his hide full ob holes. De store keeper he sent de note ter Marse Cox an' he an' his frens' answer hit. De outlaws dey moved down to Owl Creek beyon' de Leon Ribber. Marse Henry had er lot ob cattle. Atter de freedom war, he took de cattle to Kansas fer ter sell 'em. He had a lot ob hosses too. He sent der hosses ter Galvez. Dat black Sam he had er lot ter do wid de hosses an' cattle. He'd cut de hosses' tails an' make rope outtern de har. But dat black boy was shore full ob debblement. Come night time, an' held cotch him up a horse to ride. He'd go rarin' all ober de country. W'en dat hoss 'ud git tired, he'd cotch him anodder an' ride till day light. One day Mammy was in de kitchen er cookin' an' ole Mis' Louisa she come to der door. Marse be in nodder door. Mis she ask whar Sam an' Moore? An Marse he say 'Dey in dar etin' dere brekfas'.' She say 'Dey jes' got in come daylight, in time ter git dere brekfas'. I bet dey bin' ridin' hosses agin.' Marse, he jes' laff an' laff. Sam an' Moore allus git in time to git ter de fiel'. Marse, he know where dey bin. He gal, Mis' Lucy, my young Mis', she 'ud write Sam an' Moore a pass. De patty-rollers, dey try an' try ter cotch dem black hellions widout dere pass, but no good. Mis' Louisa say our neighbors all call dem Marsters' free niggers.
On de day Marse Henry Masters tell de sarvants dey free, he jes' call 'em togedder an' he tell dem dey was free. Nebber gibed 'em noddin'. Dey didn't git what de Children of Izre'l got, dey was sont fo'th to make dere way barefoot an' almos' nakkid. Marse say 'Now you all as free as I am an' doze dat want ter stay wid me, come up an' tell me and de odders go way.'
I never saw him whip a servant an' nebber heard of him havin' one whipped. Oh, chilluns, you know how dey is, dey got ter hab dere hide loosened iffen dey gwine grow up right. But Mammy an' de odder sarvants whipped dem, white an' cullud. You see, de sarvants dey had to look atter de w'ite one er growin' up same as de cullud. An' effen dey didn' make 'em mind den dey grow up no-'count. Marse Henry was he own ober seer. Mammy stayed wid him awhile after freedom. Us all, w'ite an' black, wore home made close. C'ose de Masters family had store close too. Us wimmin had blue, brown, er white dresses. All de black chillun wore long shirts and you couldn't tell er gal from er boy till dey git 'bout fo'teen.
Majer George Erath was big friends wid de Masters boys. He surveyed de land fer dem 'roun ole Mastersville. Marster Joseph Naler an' he son come from back in Ge'gia an' dey settled whar de town of Moody now is. Marse Joe Naler had him a big rock house built up on a big hill. Dat house is dar right today. Mr. J. D. Reynolds was born in dis house an' he was sixty-eight years ole tother day. Den dar was de Connallys. Marster Tom Connelly, de Senator, he daddy libed 'bout whar de town ob Eddy is now. Marse Tom's nuss boy libes at Eddy now. He name Steve Connolly. Den der was Marster Bob McClain's fambly, dey libed over near what is Moody now. Marse Bob McLain, he de Dist'ct Clerk ober in de County C'ote House dis day. An' den dar was Gubbernor Neff's fambly. Dey libed 'bout eight miles west of where Moody is now. All on dem folkses come to Marse Henry's ter de big goin's on.
No m'am, dere wan't no mills nowhere roun Mastersville in de furst times. Fer some time atter us move dar, Marse Henry sont wheat an' meal ober de ribber (Brazos), ter de Towash mill ter be groun' on de Dyer water mill. Den dey got er mill at Waco. Dar was a ferry 'cross de ribber in dem days. Den de Earls an odder folkses git tired ob dat an' dey build a bridge. Dat's de 'spension bridge. Fer a long time, folkses jes shore dat ar bridge gwine kallapse. But one time a whole herd ob steers stampede an git jammed on hit at one time. Atter dat, dey 'cides it gwinter stan' er lot. Hit was a toll bridge at furst. I'ze crossed hit meny er time.
W'en I gits de misery in my back, I puts terpentime on a string an' tie it 'roun my leg an' purty soon hit's all right.
W'en you shiver, dar's a rabbit er runnin' ober your grave, shore's you born.
Dat blue-winged, long fly, he a snake doctor. Don't kill him Miss, case he cures de snake when he gits hurt. Effen you turn ober an old stump an' finds er ole stump tail moccasin er takin' a nap, an' you gits you a stick an' beats him up, den you go off, dat snake doctor, he comes er-long an' he fan dat snake an' blow on him an' purty soon, de snake he crawl in de water an he's all right. De onlest way ter keep a snake dead an' ter keep dat snake doctor from bringin' him alive agin' is ter cutt off dat snake's head.
Ole Jim, he a lazy, slick nigger. Effen he can't cotch a wild turkey er a 'possum he gwine git one ob Marse's pigs. One time dough, he mos' night get heself cooked 'stead ob de pig. He went huntin' an' didn't cotch noddin', so he gits a pig outten de pen. 'Bout midnight he started ter cook hit. He lit er light an' Marse Henry he happen' ter be awake an' see de light. He think maybe someone sick, so he slips down to Jim's cabin. Jim had de pig under he arm er fixin' ter kill hit, w'en he heard Marse Henry comin'. Jim stuck de pig in de hen house. Marse come er knockin' at de door an' ax is eny one sick. Jim say 'No.' Just den de chickens dey get 'roused an' de pig grunts. Marse he heard de soun' but he can't quite tell what it is. He say 'Jim, dars a fox atter your chickens.' Jim, he say 'No, Marse, dat's a sick rooster; he jes' er floppin' 'roun.' Den Marse say he gwine see. So Jim say 'Marse, dat rooster gwine git out effen you open dat door, an' den he slip away an' die 'cause I can't fin' him in de dark ter doctor him. But Marse he go on out to der hen house. Den Jim say 'All right, open de door, kotch dat fox effen you can, but you ain' gwine cotch me.' An' off he run.
A song dat us servants ust ter sing was Jesus Gonner Make Up My Dying Bed. It goes something lak dis: "When you hear dat I'm dyin' I don' want you to be afraid, All I want my friens ter do Is take de pillow from under my head. Well, well, well, so I kin die easy Well, well, well, so I kin die easy Well, well, well, so I can die easy Jesus Gonner Make Up My Dying Bed."
Atter de reg'lar preachin' us'd gather fer a ring shout an' sing: "Sit down, sister, sit down, walk right in an' sit down. When I gits ter heaben, gwine ter sit down, sit down an' res' er little w'ile; My Lawd tol' me fer ter sit down, sit down an' res' er little w'ile." De folks' ud git in er ring an' march roun' in time ter der singin' an' den w'en dey git wa'amed up, dey shout an' clap an' dance an' sing. Some on' em 'ud get weak an' drop down den de odders 'ud keep on wid de singin' till mos' come day. Some on de w'ite folkses 'ud whip dar sarbants effen dey cotch dem at er ring shout meetin'. But dey shore had er big time down in de thickets an' in de deep woods.
I don' 'member clear meny ob de songs but I allus had a hankerin' fer dis one: I wrastled wid Satan, I wrastled wid sin, Stepped ober hell an' come back agin'. Isiah mounted on de wheel ob time, Spoke to God A-mighty 'way down de line. Oh hear dat lumberin' thunder a-roll from door to door, A-callin' de people home to God, dey'll git home bye-me-bye. Dey crucified my Lawd, an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, Dey crucified my Lawd, an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, Not a word, not a word, not a word. De blood come twinklin' down an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, De blood come twinklin' down an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, Not a word, not a word, not a word.
De folks on de plantation liked to sing dis one, an' my Daddy shore could make it ring: Sometimes I feel like a motherless child, Sometimes I feel like a motherless child, Sometimes I feel like a motherless child a long ways from home. Sometimes I feel like an eagle in de air, Some-a dese mornin's bright an' fair I'ze gwine to lay down my heavy load, Goin' to spread my wings an' cleave de air. Anodder song dey used at de ring shout was dis one: Sister, you better min' how you walk on de cross, Yo foot might slip an' you soul git los'. De debbil am a liar an' a kunjurer too, Effen yo' don' look out, he'll kunjur you too.
Har some ob de songs my Gran'mammy ust ter teach us to sing w'en us was little er playin' on de yard; I'ze mos' forgot dem but I kin 'member some ob dem. C'ose us sings some ob de line ober an' ober wid jes a kinder change in de tune, you know, high an' den low, an' sech. "Oh, I want two wings ter veil my face, Oh, I want two wings to fly away, Oh, I want two wings to veil my face, Oh, I want two wings ter fly away. Oh, meet me Jesus, meet me Lawd, meet me in de middle of de air, An' if my two wings should fell me, Lawd, I'll hitch on anodder pair."
My Lawd calls me, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. Brother can't you jump fer joy, can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. Way down in de valley I kneel and pray. Sister can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. I pray all night, an' I pray all day, sister can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. Chillun can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. My Saviour's voice done bid me rise, chillun can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. I been in de storm so long, I been in de storm so long, chillun I been in de storm so long,
Oh, gimme er little time ter pray; Oh, let me tell you mother jus' how I come erlong, Oh, gimme er little time ter pray. With a hung down head an' an achin' heart, Oh, gimme er little time ter pray.
CHILDREN
• ELIZA MASTERS was born in North Carolina about 1802. She married Alexander Shaver and her sister Elizabeth married his brother Sanford Shaver. Both couples were living in Claiborne Parish LA in 1840. Alexander died about 1847 and Eliza married 2) John Cawthon. Eliza, again widowed, was living in Houston Co TX (PO Crockett) in 1860 and 1870.
• MARY 'POLLY' MASTERS was born 17 April 1803 in North Carolina. She married Lemuel Rice and her sister Willie married his brother Joseph 'Joe' Redmond Rice. A document (Houston County, 5 January 1838) certifies through witnesses that Lemuel emigrated to the Republic in 1828, that he was a married man at the time of the Declaration of Independence, and that he is entitled to one league and one labor of land as his headright. Widowed, Polly was living in Houston County in 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The 1860 census lists her occupation as farmer.
• HENRY MASTERS was born about 1806 in North Carolina. His stone at the Carolina Cemetery in Lott, Falls, Texas, which appears to have been placed some years after his death, records his dates as 1806-1869. Henry married 1) Nancy Ellen Erwin, who died giving birth to her namesake 27 January 1847, and 2) Louisa English (1827-1880). Henry petitioned the Mexican government for land and he received title to a league of land along the Trinity River on the San Antonio Road 28 June 1835. He also received a labor of land in Houston Co TX 5 January 1838 according to Texas General Land Office file # 000304. Henry appears on 1839 Ranger Muster Rolls as a 2nd lieutenant in the Houston County Rangers. He was a farmer in Houston County at the time of the 1850 census and he was a farmer in McLennan Co TX at the time of the 1860 census. Henry's daughter Eliza married Oliver Cromwell Aldrich 5 January 1857 'in the old Double Log house, where Henry Masters lived, on Masters Hill, about three miles east of the courthouse in Crockett, now known as Campbell Hill,' according to AA Aldrich's The History of Houston County, Texas (p 125).
• JACOB 'JAKE' MASTERS JR was born 28 October 1807 in North Carolina. He married Eliza Wagley (1812-1888) about 1829. Eliza's parents, Abraham Wagley and Sarah 'Polly' Henson, were early settlers in Red River County TX. Jacob's petition for a league of land, which began at the NW corner of his father's, was granted in a document signed 14 February 1835 at Nacogdoches. A Jacob Masters, likely our subject, requested compensation from the quartermaster in 1839 for a gun deposited with the public arms. This weapon was provided at the time of the Cherokee War of East Texas when the Cherokee were driven from their territory north of the San Antonio Road between the Trinity and Sabine rivers. Jacob and Eliza were in Houston County at the time of the 1850 census. They were in McLennan County when the 1860, 1870 and 1880 censuses were taken and Jacob's occupation was listed as farmer. He also kept a stage stand where the horses were changed and dinner was served to passengers on the stagecoach that ran from Belton to Waco. According to A Memorial and Biographical History of McLennan, Falls, Bell and Coryell Counties, Texas (1893), Jacob participated in the Battle of San Jacinto and moved to McLennan County in 1856. Jacob Masters Jr is also mentioned as having fought in the Battle of San Jacinto in an article that appeared in Uncle Cox's 'Peregrinations' column in the Waco Times-Herald 7 March 1920. Eliza died 6 April 1888 and Jake died a week later on the 13th. They are buried with other family members at the Bruceville-Moore Cemetery in Bruceville (formerly Mastersville) TX.
• WILLIE MASTERS was born 17 August 1809, apparently in Kentucky, and she died 6 September 1881 in Houston Co TX. She married Joseph 'Joe' Redmond Rice (1805-1866) 19 December 1822. They are buried at the Rice Cemetery in Houston County. An historic marker for the Rice Cemetery records that Joe and Willie erected a log cabin across the San Antonio Road from the cemetery in 1828 and that the oldest stone marks Joe's grave. An historic marker on the original site of the cabin suggests that Rice's brothers and his father-in-law Jacob Masters probably helped build the cabin. The men cut the logs in the woods and Willie drove the team that carried them to the clearing for the house-raising. The cabin home, originally of one room, became the Stage Coach Inn after Joe and Willie died and was eventually moved to Mission Tejas State Park ten miles northeast of the original site. A marker erected by the State of Texas in 1936 records that the Stage Coach Inn was built as a home by Joseph D. Rice Sr who came to Texas in 1828. 'In 1838 it was designated as a stopping place for the stage coach from Nacogdoches to Crockett.'
• SARAH 'SALLIE' MASTERS was born 15 November 1813 and she died 18 January 1853 according to Powell who has the date of Sallie's marriage to John Van Dyke Gossett (born 1814 in Tennessee) as 28 April 1836. John's niece, Mrs. Josie Gossett Newton, wrote of the Gossett family's 1833 journey from Tennessee to Texas: 'They traveled in a large party, as was necessary in those days because of danger from marauding Indians, wild beasts, etc. They were more than two months en route, were camped on "Grand Prairie" Ark. when the 'Stars' fell.' This would have been the spectacular Leonid meteor shower of 12-13 November 1833. John's land is described in the survey as being situated on Hurricane Bayou of the Trinity and as beginning on the south corner of Jacob Masters Sr's league of land. John served in the Texas Revolution and he was a Texas Ranger in the Republic of Texas (see The History of Houston County, Texas by AA Aldrich, p 152). Sarah died nine days after giving birth to a daughter, her namesake.
• ELIZABETH MASTERS, born about 1814 in Missouri, married Sanford Shaver, born about 1806 in Tennessee. The couple were in Claiborne Parish LA in 1840. The 1850 and 1860 censuses found Sanford and Elizabeth in Bossier Parish with their Louisiana born children. Sanford was a planter.
• FRANCES 'FANNIE' MASTERS, born about 1818 in Missouri, married Solomon 'Sol' Albright 31 May 1838. Sol was born about 1816 and arrived in Texas as a single man 6 May 1836 (see Texas GLO file # 000033). He served as a soldier in the Republic of Texas in 1839 and in the Texas State Troops during the Civil War. Fannie and Sol were in Houston Co TX in 1850, 1860 and 1870.
lili li née Loretta McKay Masters
4th great granddaughter of Jacob and Elizabeth
6 December 2023
Jacob Masters signed the petition to the Citizens of the Republic of Texas to form the county of Houston on 22 April 1837. On 4 Sept 1837 he also signed a petition to the Congress of The Republic of Texas to lower taxes. Vol I of "Founders and Patriots of the Republic of Texas" says Jacob served the Republic in Houston County and is one of the Founders of Crockett, TX.
Jacob Master buried his loved ones in a cemetery on his property. The cemetery is still being looked for.
*****
Jacob 'Jake' Masters Sr (ca1780-ca1859) and Elizabeth Shaw (ca1783-ca1858), married 1800, and their children
Sources for Jake and Elizabeth include Maxine Powell's Masters Family History (Mountain Home TX, 1994) and pp 171-2 of Armistead Albert Aldrich's The History of Houston County, Texas (1943). Aldrich, Jacob and Elizabeth's great grandson, records the date of their marriage as 28 January 1800. The Masters family arrived in present Texas in 1829. See 1830 Citizens of Texas by Gifford White, p 160.
Jacob petitioned the Mexican government for a league/sitio (4,425 acres) of land in then Coahuila y Tejas 30 October 1834. His land was on the Old San Antonio Road near Crockett in present Houston Co TX. The road was also known as the Camino Real, the King's Highway, and the San Antonio-Nacogdoches Road.
State Highway 21 mostly follows what was the Old San Antonio Road. Jake and Elizabeth were likely buried on their land but the graves have been lost, possibly bulldozed during the construction of SH 21.
According to Powell's family group sheet Jacob was born in North Carolina and Elizabeth was probably born in Mercer Co PA, the daughter of John Shaw (born 1750 in Mercer County) and Eliza Jones (born ca 1756, also in Mercer County).
John appears to have been a Revolutionary War patriot and to have received bounty land. A document signed by surveyor John Findley 15 April 1803 records that on the 14th John Shaw was settled with his family on land in Mercer County in a two-story house and that he had at least 40 acres cleared.
Powell writes 'Vol 1 of "Founders & Patriots of [the] Republic of Texas" states Jacob served with the Republic in Houston County and that he was one of the founders of Crockett, Texas.' Jacob Masters Sr and his son Jacob Masters Jr both signed the 1837 petition to form Houston County, the first county created in the Republic of Texas. Houston County was formed from the former Department of Nacogdoches, Coahuila y Tejas, United Mexican States.
Jacob Masters Sr is mentioned as follows in the diary of Adolphus Sterne who was born born in Cologne, Germany in 1801 and who immigrated to New Orleans in 1817. Arriving in Texas in 1826, he petitioned for land at Nacogdoches in 1835, befriended Sam Houston, strongly supported the Texas Revolution, and served in the Texas House of Representatives. Sterne died in 1852.
Tuesday 23 April 1839
Left at 7 and crossed the River the road for 4 miles lies through bottom knee deep in mud— Musquitoes & gnats abound — reached Tomkin's, 7 miles at 9 A M at 4 P M met Judge Hart at Box's— reached Master's at 7– having come 42 miles this day Masters is a timid old Dutchman, has built a Block house and makes all the members of establishment sleep there at night— I didn't the honor of the fortification, and was content to Sleep in the old house— Dr Lucket & Crane joined— the bugs however, humbugged our repose, and we had to take to the floor
Now the fields, prairies, woods & grass show evidence of a healthy country so different to what I passed through on the Trinity yesterday & former days—
(The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol 30, No 4, pp 318-9)
Wednesday 2 June 1941
Fine weather— left Col Bean's early in the morning traveled slow to Jacob Master's, an other old friend of 13 years standing, this day is the 13th anniversary of my marriage with my dear wife
(The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol 32, No 1, p 89)
Sterne's description of Jacob as a Dutchman indicates German ancestry.
The evocative Texas Slave Narrative of Lou Austin follows:
I was born in the country, four miles east of Crockett, Houston County, Texas. My marster was Henry Masters, the bes' man ebber wore shoe leather, I know. He fought in de Injun wars. My ole Miss' was Louisa Masters. She named me atter her. Marse had five chillun by his furst wife an' five by he las', all ob'em dead now. Dar was 'bout twenty five or thirty chillun, black an' w'ite in dat yard at one time and dey all dead now but me. My Mammy was Julia Ann and my Daddy was Ned Masters. Dar was ten chillun in my Mammy's family, Becky, Alfred, Frieland, Ned, Millie, Lewis, me and tree dat died as babies. Mis' Louisa allus had a hankerin' atter me from de cradle. My Gran'ma was Millie an' my Gran'dad was Lewis Roberts. My daddy's folks come from N'oth Ca'lina. Marse Masters had all Houston an' Crockett Counties gib him kase he fit in de Injin wars an' fit de Mexicans. De soljers got paid off in land. Marse Henry Masters' daddy was named Jake. W'en he died my daddy fell to his son, Marse Henry Masters. Marse Henry come to Texas an' fit de Injins an' Mexicans an' w'en things kinder settled down, he brung ole Mis an he slaves to Texas. My Mammy an' daddy come wid him.
I was born in January 1850. Marster Bill English, a w'te man now, was chillun on de yards wid us. He daddy was ole Mis' brudder. She was Miss Louisa English w'en she married Marse Henry Masters. Marster Bill English, he swar I'ze 87 years ole. Dat's what he put on de paper fer de ole age pension man. I married Jack Johnson de furst time, an' he died. Den I married Dan Dean. My third husband was Wan Austin. De first time I married us libed down on de ribber (Brazos) an' us traded at Waco an' Marlin. Us wukked as share croppers.
I only had one month's schoolin'. Marse Henry Masters moved from East Texas to Mastersville, McLennan county. He had 11,000 acres ob land. Atter he died, dey changed de name of de place to Bruceville. He was de furst settler to build at Mastersville, dat's why it got its name. De stage ran in front of he door. Hit ran from Belton to Waco right in front of he door. His brudder libed jes' cross de krik from him an' kep' de stage stand. Dat was Marse Jake Masters, he named fer his daddy, de real ole Marse back in de ole states. Dey changed de stage hosses an' de passengers et dinner at Marse Jake's house. Den dey'd pull out to Belton.
Dar was no settlers, cep' Marse Henry an' Marse Jake hardly. You could go from Waco to Belton an' I don' speck you could count five houses. Dar was nuddin' but horses an' cattle. In dem days, eny stock dat you put your brand on, dey was yourn. Marse Henry had cullud Sam an' he own son, Bob, to round up an' brand cattle de year roun'. Some ob de neighbors dat later moved in 'roun' Mastersville, was Marsters Mixson, Tom Cox, Abe English, Bill Holcomb, Billie Jackson, who libed whar Lorena is now. Neighbors in dem days libed from eight to twenty miles away. Marse Henry Masters come to Mastersville befo' freedom. He brung Jake, Ellis, Sam, Moore, dem four men and dere wives and chillun. Dar was Aunt Julia, an' Aunt Emmeline 'sides. Aunt Julia an' Aunt Emmeline spun an' wove cloth fer everyboddy on de plantation. Us gals used to hab so meny cuts of thread to spin at night. Dey ust to gib my cousin Clara an' me three cuts of thread apiece to spin in one night. I'ze so sleepy headed dat Clara, she allus beat me.
Marse Henry moved he spinnin' wheels an' looms from East Texas w'en he come. In fac' he move eberything. Dey come in ox waggins. De wi'te folkses come in kerridges an' buggies an' de men an' boys mos'ly on hoss back, so dey could bring Marse' fine hosses and cattle. Dar was no roads an de hans ud offen hab to camp an' build er pole bridge to git er cross on. Marse Henry had de lumber to build he big house at Mastersville hauled in ox waggins from de piney woods in East Texas. Hit was a two-story, white house wid nine er ten rooms. Ob course, at furst he had a double log cabin built to lib in till he git ebery thing fer de big house.
Marse Jake Masters was already here in McLennan County, an' I specs dat hit was on 'count ob his tales dat Marse Henry up an' lef ' East Texas. De Quarters fer de slaves was in behime de big house. Dey was one-room log cabins wid board roofs an' no windows, an' er stick an' dirt chimbly. Some ob 'em had split picket fences, effen de husban' git ambi'shus nuff to cut dem palins. My Mammy was de boss cook fer Marse Henry. Dey all, black an' w'ite, cooked on fire places. C'ose w'en eny ob de w'ite folkses brung stoves inter de houses, Marse Henry, he ain't gwine be behime de res' an' he git one too. Fust stove I ebber seed, Marse Henry brung it to der big house. Him an' de boys had er time er gittin' de pipe up an' den Mis' Louisa an' Mammy, dey feared to light hit for fear hit'ud blow up. But twarn't long till dey had dat piece ob fernichure mastered. I 'members atter Miss Sissy Jane, Marse Henry's daughter, married dey cooked on de fire place a long time 'fore dar was eny stoves.
De w'ite folkses had one great big garden an' de sarbants an' ebery boddy git all dey wants of vegetables an' water melons. De orchards dey nebber was any good lak dat back in East Texas. An' Marse Henry he brung trees, an' brung trees from back dar, but it ain't no good. Dey nebber did habe fruit lak back dar. In East Texas us had figs, cherries, apples, an' peaches ter throw away.
De whole prairie was full ob wild chickens an' de woods was full ob antelope, turkeys, an' bears. De las' bar I 'member was w'en us libed at what is now Moorville, den hit was Bruceville. My husban' an' de chillun an' me was gone to church. W'en us git back from Meetin' de folkses had been a bar huntin' an' us had bar meat fer mos' er week. Dar was painters too (Panthers), in dem bottoms. One ob de negro wimmin' dat libed neighbors to us said she was huntin' turkey eggs down in de bottom an' she heard a child 'er cryin'. She kep' followin' dat cry an' bye-me-bye she git close to er thicket. An' a painter jump on her. Dey fought, her an' dat painter, an she jes' gibbed' 'tirely out; an' she drap down. An' she close her eyes; he come smell ob her, den he dig er hole an' brung her inter hit. She so scairt she jes hole her bref' an close her eyes. Den de painter went off tru de brush er callin' he mate. An she says ter herself 'I gotter git outten here 'fore he git back'. An' she scramble an' crawl an' get home finally. But she so tore up an' so weak dat she ain't outter her bed fer er week.
Dar was er lot ob desperadoes in dis country in dem days. 'Bout de year 1865, Bruceville or as dey call hit den, Mastersville, was de only village in de southern part of dis county. By dat year, right after de war ob freedom, dar was a store, a blacksmith shop an' dat was de town. Dar was a grove ob libe oak trees kinder out on de edge of town an' dey had dere church under dem trees fer some time. An' durin' de war ob freedom, de bushwackers, deserters from de army an' other bad men jes' nacherly drifted inter de country. Marster Tom Cox and Marster Henry Williams had 'em some dogs dat dey trained to run niggers an' to help in deer hunts. De outlaws had er camp hid in de upper thickets on South Cow Bayou. An' Marster Cox's dog trailed er antelope inter de outlaws camp. Dey knew de dog an' thot Marse Cox atter dem. Dey writ er note an' lot ob dem sign hit an' den dey lef' in er store on Rat Row in Waco. Dey was er warnin' Marse Cox to lebe'em erlone er dey gwine shoot his hide full ob holes. De store keeper he sent de note ter Marse Cox an' he an' his frens' answer hit. De outlaws dey moved down to Owl Creek beyon' de Leon Ribber. Marse Henry had er lot ob cattle. Atter de freedom war, he took de cattle to Kansas fer ter sell 'em. He had a lot ob hosses too. He sent der hosses ter Galvez. Dat black Sam he had er lot ter do wid de hosses an' cattle. He'd cut de hosses' tails an' make rope outtern de har. But dat black boy was shore full ob debblement. Come night time, an' held cotch him up a horse to ride. He'd go rarin' all ober de country. W'en dat hoss 'ud git tired, he'd cotch him anodder an' ride till day light. One day Mammy was in de kitchen er cookin' an' ole Mis' Louisa she come to der door. Marse be in nodder door. Mis she ask whar Sam an' Moore? An Marse he say 'Dey in dar etin' dere brekfas'.' She say 'Dey jes' got in come daylight, in time ter git dere brekfas'. I bet dey bin' ridin' hosses agin.' Marse, he jes' laff an' laff. Sam an' Moore allus git in time to git ter de fiel'. Marse, he know where dey bin. He gal, Mis' Lucy, my young Mis', she 'ud write Sam an' Moore a pass. De patty-rollers, dey try an' try ter cotch dem black hellions widout dere pass, but no good. Mis' Louisa say our neighbors all call dem Marsters' free niggers.
On de day Marse Henry Masters tell de sarvants dey free, he jes' call 'em togedder an' he tell dem dey was free. Nebber gibed 'em noddin'. Dey didn't git what de Children of Izre'l got, dey was sont fo'th to make dere way barefoot an' almos' nakkid. Marse say 'Now you all as free as I am an' doze dat want ter stay wid me, come up an' tell me and de odders go way.'
I never saw him whip a servant an' nebber heard of him havin' one whipped. Oh, chilluns, you know how dey is, dey got ter hab dere hide loosened iffen dey gwine grow up right. But Mammy an' de odder sarvants whipped dem, white an' cullud. You see, de sarvants dey had to look atter de w'ite one er growin' up same as de cullud. An' effen dey didn' make 'em mind den dey grow up no-'count. Marse Henry was he own ober seer. Mammy stayed wid him awhile after freedom. Us all, w'ite an' black, wore home made close. C'ose de Masters family had store close too. Us wimmin had blue, brown, er white dresses. All de black chillun wore long shirts and you couldn't tell er gal from er boy till dey git 'bout fo'teen.
Majer George Erath was big friends wid de Masters boys. He surveyed de land fer dem 'roun ole Mastersville. Marster Joseph Naler an' he son come from back in Ge'gia an' dey settled whar de town of Moody now is. Marse Joe Naler had him a big rock house built up on a big hill. Dat house is dar right today. Mr. J. D. Reynolds was born in dis house an' he was sixty-eight years ole tother day. Den dar was de Connallys. Marster Tom Connelly, de Senator, he daddy libed 'bout whar de town ob Eddy is now. Marse Tom's nuss boy libes at Eddy now. He name Steve Connolly. Den der was Marster Bob McClain's fambly, dey libed over near what is Moody now. Marse Bob McLain, he de Dist'ct Clerk ober in de County C'ote House dis day. An' den dar was Gubbernor Neff's fambly. Dey libed 'bout eight miles west of where Moody is now. All on dem folkses come to Marse Henry's ter de big goin's on.
No m'am, dere wan't no mills nowhere roun Mastersville in de furst times. Fer some time atter us move dar, Marse Henry sont wheat an' meal ober de ribber (Brazos), ter de Towash mill ter be groun' on de Dyer water mill. Den dey got er mill at Waco. Dar was a ferry 'cross de ribber in dem days. Den de Earls an odder folkses git tired ob dat an' dey build a bridge. Dat's de 'spension bridge. Fer a long time, folkses jes shore dat ar bridge gwine kallapse. But one time a whole herd ob steers stampede an git jammed on hit at one time. Atter dat, dey 'cides it gwinter stan' er lot. Hit was a toll bridge at furst. I'ze crossed hit meny er time.
W'en I gits de misery in my back, I puts terpentime on a string an' tie it 'roun my leg an' purty soon hit's all right.
W'en you shiver, dar's a rabbit er runnin' ober your grave, shore's you born.
Dat blue-winged, long fly, he a snake doctor. Don't kill him Miss, case he cures de snake when he gits hurt. Effen you turn ober an old stump an' finds er ole stump tail moccasin er takin' a nap, an' you gits you a stick an' beats him up, den you go off, dat snake doctor, he comes er-long an' he fan dat snake an' blow on him an' purty soon, de snake he crawl in de water an he's all right. De onlest way ter keep a snake dead an' ter keep dat snake doctor from bringin' him alive agin' is ter cutt off dat snake's head.
Ole Jim, he a lazy, slick nigger. Effen he can't cotch a wild turkey er a 'possum he gwine git one ob Marse's pigs. One time dough, he mos' night get heself cooked 'stead ob de pig. He went huntin' an' didn't cotch noddin', so he gits a pig outten de pen. 'Bout midnight he started ter cook hit. He lit er light an' Marse Henry he happen' ter be awake an' see de light. He think maybe someone sick, so he slips down to Jim's cabin. Jim had de pig under he arm er fixin' ter kill hit, w'en he heard Marse Henry comin'. Jim stuck de pig in de hen house. Marse come er knockin' at de door an' ax is eny one sick. Jim say 'No.' Just den de chickens dey get 'roused an' de pig grunts. Marse he heard de soun' but he can't quite tell what it is. He say 'Jim, dars a fox atter your chickens.' Jim, he say 'No, Marse, dat's a sick rooster; he jes' er floppin' 'roun.' Den Marse say he gwine see. So Jim say 'Marse, dat rooster gwine git out effen you open dat door, an' den he slip away an' die 'cause I can't fin' him in de dark ter doctor him. But Marse he go on out to der hen house. Den Jim say 'All right, open de door, kotch dat fox effen you can, but you ain' gwine cotch me.' An' off he run.
A song dat us servants ust ter sing was Jesus Gonner Make Up My Dying Bed. It goes something lak dis: "When you hear dat I'm dyin' I don' want you to be afraid, All I want my friens ter do Is take de pillow from under my head. Well, well, well, so I kin die easy Well, well, well, so I kin die easy Well, well, well, so I can die easy Jesus Gonner Make Up My Dying Bed."
Atter de reg'lar preachin' us'd gather fer a ring shout an' sing: "Sit down, sister, sit down, walk right in an' sit down. When I gits ter heaben, gwine ter sit down, sit down an' res' er little w'ile; My Lawd tol' me fer ter sit down, sit down an' res' er little w'ile." De folks' ud git in er ring an' march roun' in time ter der singin' an' den w'en dey git wa'amed up, dey shout an' clap an' dance an' sing. Some on' em 'ud get weak an' drop down den de odders 'ud keep on wid de singin' till mos' come day. Some on de w'ite folkses 'ud whip dar sarbants effen dey cotch dem at er ring shout meetin'. But dey shore had er big time down in de thickets an' in de deep woods.
I don' 'member clear meny ob de songs but I allus had a hankerin' fer dis one: I wrastled wid Satan, I wrastled wid sin, Stepped ober hell an' come back agin'. Isiah mounted on de wheel ob time, Spoke to God A-mighty 'way down de line. Oh hear dat lumberin' thunder a-roll from door to door, A-callin' de people home to God, dey'll git home bye-me-bye. Dey crucified my Lawd, an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, Dey crucified my Lawd, an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, Not a word, not a word, not a word. De blood come twinklin' down an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, De blood come twinklin' down an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, Not a word, not a word, not a word.
De folks on de plantation liked to sing dis one, an' my Daddy shore could make it ring: Sometimes I feel like a motherless child, Sometimes I feel like a motherless child, Sometimes I feel like a motherless child a long ways from home. Sometimes I feel like an eagle in de air, Some-a dese mornin's bright an' fair I'ze gwine to lay down my heavy load, Goin' to spread my wings an' cleave de air. Anodder song dey used at de ring shout was dis one: Sister, you better min' how you walk on de cross, Yo foot might slip an' you soul git los'. De debbil am a liar an' a kunjurer too, Effen yo' don' look out, he'll kunjur you too.
Har some ob de songs my Gran'mammy ust ter teach us to sing w'en us was little er playin' on de yard; I'ze mos' forgot dem but I kin 'member some ob dem. C'ose us sings some ob de line ober an' ober wid jes a kinder change in de tune, you know, high an' den low, an' sech. "Oh, I want two wings ter veil my face, Oh, I want two wings to fly away, Oh, I want two wings to veil my face, Oh, I want two wings ter fly away. Oh, meet me Jesus, meet me Lawd, meet me in de middle of de air, An' if my two wings should fell me, Lawd, I'll hitch on anodder pair."
My Lawd calls me, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. Brother can't you jump fer joy, can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. Way down in de valley I kneel and pray. Sister can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. I pray all night, an' I pray all day, sister can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. Chillun can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. My Saviour's voice done bid me rise, chillun can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. I been in de storm so long, I been in de storm so long, chillun I been in de storm so long,
Oh, gimme er little time ter pray; Oh, let me tell you mother jus' how I come erlong, Oh, gimme er little time ter pray. With a hung down head an' an achin' heart, Oh, gimme er little time ter pray.
CHILDREN
• ELIZA MASTERS was born in North Carolina about 1802. She married Alexander Shaver and her sister Elizabeth married his brother Sanford Shaver. Both couples were living in Claiborne Parish LA in 1840. Alexander died about 1847 and Eliza married 2) John Cawthon. Eliza, again widowed, was living in Houston Co TX (PO Crockett) in 1860 and 1870.
• MARY 'POLLY' MASTERS was born 17 April 1803 in North Carolina. She married Lemuel Rice and her sister Willie married his brother Joseph 'Joe' Redmond Rice. A document (Houston County, 5 January 1838) certifies through witnesses that Lemuel emigrated to the Republic in 1828, that he was a married man at the time of the Declaration of Independence, and that he is entitled to one league and one labor of land as his headright. Widowed, Polly was living in Houston County in 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The 1860 census lists her occupation as farmer.
• HENRY MASTERS was born about 1806 in North Carolina. His stone at the Carolina Cemetery in Lott, Falls, Texas, which appears to have been placed some years after his death, records his dates as 1806-1869. Henry married 1) Nancy Ellen Erwin, who died giving birth to her namesake 27 January 1847, and 2) Louisa English (1827-1880). Henry petitioned the Mexican government for land and he received title to a league of land along the Trinity River on the San Antonio Road 28 June 1835. He also received a labor of land in Houston Co TX 5 January 1838 according to Texas General Land Office file # 000304. Henry appears on 1839 Ranger Muster Rolls as a 2nd lieutenant in the Houston County Rangers. He was a farmer in Houston County at the time of the 1850 census and he was a farmer in McLennan Co TX at the time of the 1860 census. Henry's daughter Eliza married Oliver Cromwell Aldrich 5 January 1857 'in the old Double Log house, where Henry Masters lived, on Masters Hill, about three miles east of the courthouse in Crockett, now known as Campbell Hill,' according to AA Aldrich's The History of Houston County, Texas (p 125).
• JACOB 'JAKE' MASTERS JR was born 28 October 1807 in North Carolina. He married Eliza Wagley (1812-1888) about 1829. Eliza's parents, Abraham Wagley and Sarah 'Polly' Henson, were early settlers in Red River County TX. Jacob's petition for a league of land, which began at the NW corner of his father's, was granted in a document signed 14 February 1835 at Nacogdoches. A Jacob Masters, likely our subject, requested compensation from the quartermaster in 1839 for a gun deposited with the public arms. This weapon was provided at the time of the Cherokee War of East Texas when the Cherokee were driven from their territory north of the San Antonio Road between the Trinity and Sabine rivers. Jacob and Eliza were in Houston County at the time of the 1850 census. They were in McLennan County when the 1860, 1870 and 1880 censuses were taken and Jacob's occupation was listed as farmer. He also kept a stage stand where the horses were changed and dinner was served to passengers on the stagecoach that ran from Belton to Waco. According to A Memorial and Biographical History of McLennan, Falls, Bell and Coryell Counties, Texas (1893), Jacob participated in the Battle of San Jacinto and moved to McLennan County in 1856. Jacob Masters Jr is also mentioned as having fought in the Battle of San Jacinto in an article that appeared in Uncle Cox's 'Peregrinations' column in the Waco Times-Herald 7 March 1920. Eliza died 6 April 1888 and Jake died a week later on the 13th. They are buried with other family members at the Bruceville-Moore Cemetery in Bruceville (formerly Mastersville) TX.
• WILLIE MASTERS was born 17 August 1809, apparently in Kentucky, and she died 6 September 1881 in Houston Co TX. She married Joseph 'Joe' Redmond Rice (1805-1866) 19 December 1822. They are buried at the Rice Cemetery in Houston County. An historic marker for the Rice Cemetery records that Joe and Willie erected a log cabin across the San Antonio Road from the cemetery in 1828 and that the oldest stone marks Joe's grave. An historic marker on the original site of the cabin suggests that Rice's brothers and his father-in-law Jacob Masters probably helped build the cabin. The men cut the logs in the woods and Willie drove the team that carried them to the clearing for the house-raising. The cabin home, originally of one room, became the Stage Coach Inn after Joe and Willie died and was eventually moved to Mission Tejas State Park ten miles northeast of the original site. A marker erected by the State of Texas in 1936 records that the Stage Coach Inn was built as a home by Joseph D. Rice Sr who came to Texas in 1828. 'In 1838 it was designated as a stopping place for the stage coach from Nacogdoches to Crockett.'
• SARAH 'SALLIE' MASTERS was born 15 November 1813 and she died 18 January 1853 according to Powell who has the date of Sallie's marriage to John Van Dyke Gossett (born 1814 in Tennessee) as 28 April 1836. John's niece, Mrs. Josie Gossett Newton, wrote of the Gossett family's 1833 journey from Tennessee to Texas: 'They traveled in a large party, as was necessary in those days because of danger from marauding Indians, wild beasts, etc. They were more than two months en route, were camped on "Grand Prairie" Ark. when the 'Stars' fell.' This would have been the spectacular Leonid meteor shower of 12-13 November 1833. John's land is described in the survey as being situated on Hurricane Bayou of the Trinity and as beginning on the south corner of Jacob Masters Sr's league of land. John served in the Texas Revolution and he was a Texas Ranger in the Republic of Texas (see The History of Houston County, Texas by AA Aldrich, p 152). Sarah died nine days after giving birth to a daughter, her namesake.
• ELIZABETH MASTERS, born about 1814 in Missouri, married Sanford Shaver, born about 1806 in Tennessee. The couple were in Claiborne Parish LA in 1840. The 1850 and 1860 censuses found Sanford and Elizabeth in Bossier Parish with their Louisiana born children. Sanford was a planter.
• FRANCES 'FANNIE' MASTERS, born about 1818 in Missouri, married Solomon 'Sol' Albright 31 May 1838. Sol was born about 1816 and arrived in Texas as a single man 6 May 1836 (see Texas GLO file # 000033). He served as a soldier in the Republic of Texas in 1839 and in the Texas State Troops during the Civil War. Fannie and Sol were in Houston Co TX in 1850, 1860 and 1870.
lili li née Loretta McKay Masters
4th great granddaughter of Jacob and Elizabeth
6 December 2023
Jacob MASTERS, Sr., b.ca 1780, North Carolina; d. ca 1854 Crockett, Houston Co. TX m. Elizabeth Shaw, b. ca 1783; d. ca 1858, Crockett, Houston Co. TX.
Jacob Masters signed the petition to the Citizens of the Republic of Texas to form the county of Houston on 22 April 1837. On 4 Sept 1837 he also signed a petition to the Congress of The Republic of Texas to lower taxes. Vol I of "Founders and Patriots of the Republic of Texas" says Jacob served the Republic in Houston County and is one of the Founders of Crockett, TX.
Jacob Master buried his loved ones in a cemetery on his property. The cemetery is still being looked for.
*****
Jacob 'Jake' Masters Sr (ca1780-ca1859) and Elizabeth Shaw (ca1783-ca1858), married 1800, and their children
Sources for Jake and Elizabeth include Maxine Powell's Masters Family History (Mountain Home TX, 1994) and pp 171-2 of Armistead Albert Aldrich's The History of Houston County, Texas (1943). Aldrich, Jacob and Elizabeth's great grandson, records the date of their marriage as 28 January 1800. The Masters family arrived in present Texas in 1829. See 1830 Citizens of Texas by Gifford White, p 160.
Jacob petitioned the Mexican government for a league/sitio (4,425 acres) of land in then Coahuila y Tejas 30 October 1834. His land was on the Old San Antonio Road near Crockett in present Houston Co TX. The road was also known as the Camino Real, the King's Highway, and the San Antonio-Nacogdoches Road.
State Highway 21 mostly follows what was the Old San Antonio Road. Jake and Elizabeth were likely buried on their land but the graves have been lost, possibly bulldozed during the construction of SH 21.
According to Powell's family group sheet Jacob was born in North Carolina and Elizabeth was probably born in Mercer Co PA, the daughter of John Shaw (born 1750 in Mercer County) and Eliza Jones (born ca 1756, also in Mercer County).
John appears to have been a Revolutionary War patriot and to have received bounty land. A document signed by surveyor John Findley 15 April 1803 records that on the 14th John Shaw was settled with his family on land in Mercer County in a two-story house and that he had at least 40 acres cleared.
Powell writes 'Vol 1 of "Founders & Patriots of [the] Republic of Texas" states Jacob served with the Republic in Houston County and that he was one of the founders of Crockett, Texas.' Jacob Masters Sr and his son Jacob Masters Jr both signed the 1837 petition to form Houston County, the first county created in the Republic of Texas. Houston County was formed from the former Department of Nacogdoches, Coahuila y Tejas, United Mexican States.
Jacob Masters Sr is mentioned as follows in the diary of Adolphus Sterne who was born born in Cologne, Germany in 1801 and who immigrated to New Orleans in 1817. Arriving in Texas in 1826, he petitioned for land at Nacogdoches in 1835, befriended Sam Houston, strongly supported the Texas Revolution, and served in the Texas House of Representatives. Sterne died in 1852.
Tuesday 23 April 1839
Left at 7 and crossed the River the road for 4 miles lies through bottom knee deep in mud— Musquitoes & gnats abound — reached Tomkin's, 7 miles at 9 A M at 4 P M met Judge Hart at Box's— reached Master's at 7– having come 42 miles this day Masters is a timid old Dutchman, has built a Block house and makes all the members of establishment sleep there at night— I didn't the honor of the fortification, and was content to Sleep in the old house— Dr Lucket & Crane joined— the bugs however, humbugged our repose, and we had to take to the floor
Now the fields, prairies, woods & grass show evidence of a healthy country so different to what I passed through on the Trinity yesterday & former days—
(The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol 30, No 4, pp 318-9)
Wednesday 2 June 1941
Fine weather— left Col Bean's early in the morning traveled slow to Jacob Master's, an other old friend of 13 years standing, this day is the 13th anniversary of my marriage with my dear wife
(The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol 32, No 1, p 89)
Sterne's description of Jacob as a Dutchman indicates German ancestry.
The evocative Texas Slave Narrative of Lou Austin follows:
I was born in the country, four miles east of Crockett, Houston County, Texas. My marster was Henry Masters, the bes' man ebber wore shoe leather, I know. He fought in de Injun wars. My ole Miss' was Louisa Masters. She named me atter her. Marse had five chillun by his furst wife an' five by he las', all ob'em dead now. Dar was 'bout twenty five or thirty chillun, black an' w'ite in dat yard at one time and dey all dead now but me. My Mammy was Julia Ann and my Daddy was Ned Masters. Dar was ten chillun in my Mammy's family, Becky, Alfred, Frieland, Ned, Millie, Lewis, me and tree dat died as babies. Mis' Louisa allus had a hankerin' atter me from de cradle. My Gran'ma was Millie an' my Gran'dad was Lewis Roberts. My daddy's folks come from N'oth Ca'lina. Marse Masters had all Houston an' Crockett Counties gib him kase he fit in de Injin wars an' fit de Mexicans. De soljers got paid off in land. Marse Henry Masters' daddy was named Jake. W'en he died my daddy fell to his son, Marse Henry Masters. Marse Henry come to Texas an' fit de Injins an' Mexicans an' w'en things kinder settled down, he brung ole Mis an he slaves to Texas. My Mammy an' daddy come wid him.
I was born in January 1850. Marster Bill English, a w'te man now, was chillun on de yards wid us. He daddy was ole Mis' brudder. She was Miss Louisa English w'en she married Marse Henry Masters. Marster Bill English, he swar I'ze 87 years ole. Dat's what he put on de paper fer de ole age pension man. I married Jack Johnson de furst time, an' he died. Den I married Dan Dean. My third husband was Wan Austin. De first time I married us libed down on de ribber (Brazos) an' us traded at Waco an' Marlin. Us wukked as share croppers.
I only had one month's schoolin'. Marse Henry Masters moved from East Texas to Mastersville, McLennan county. He had 11,000 acres ob land. Atter he died, dey changed de name of de place to Bruceville. He was de furst settler to build at Mastersville, dat's why it got its name. De stage ran in front of he door. Hit ran from Belton to Waco right in front of he door. His brudder libed jes' cross de krik from him an' kep' de stage stand. Dat was Marse Jake Masters, he named fer his daddy, de real ole Marse back in de ole states. Dey changed de stage hosses an' de passengers et dinner at Marse Jake's house. Den dey'd pull out to Belton.
Dar was no settlers, cep' Marse Henry an' Marse Jake hardly. You could go from Waco to Belton an' I don' speck you could count five houses. Dar was nuddin' but horses an' cattle. In dem days, eny stock dat you put your brand on, dey was yourn. Marse Henry had cullud Sam an' he own son, Bob, to round up an' brand cattle de year roun'. Some ob de neighbors dat later moved in 'roun' Mastersville, was Marsters Mixson, Tom Cox, Abe English, Bill Holcomb, Billie Jackson, who libed whar Lorena is now. Neighbors in dem days libed from eight to twenty miles away. Marse Henry Masters come to Mastersville befo' freedom. He brung Jake, Ellis, Sam, Moore, dem four men and dere wives and chillun. Dar was Aunt Julia, an' Aunt Emmeline 'sides. Aunt Julia an' Aunt Emmeline spun an' wove cloth fer everyboddy on de plantation. Us gals used to hab so meny cuts of thread to spin at night. Dey ust to gib my cousin Clara an' me three cuts of thread apiece to spin in one night. I'ze so sleepy headed dat Clara, she allus beat me.
Marse Henry moved he spinnin' wheels an' looms from East Texas w'en he come. In fac' he move eberything. Dey come in ox waggins. De wi'te folkses come in kerridges an' buggies an' de men an' boys mos'ly on hoss back, so dey could bring Marse' fine hosses and cattle. Dar was no roads an de hans ud offen hab to camp an' build er pole bridge to git er cross on. Marse Henry had de lumber to build he big house at Mastersville hauled in ox waggins from de piney woods in East Texas. Hit was a two-story, white house wid nine er ten rooms. Ob course, at furst he had a double log cabin built to lib in till he git ebery thing fer de big house.
Marse Jake Masters was already here in McLennan County, an' I specs dat hit was on 'count ob his tales dat Marse Henry up an' lef ' East Texas. De Quarters fer de slaves was in behime de big house. Dey was one-room log cabins wid board roofs an' no windows, an' er stick an' dirt chimbly. Some ob 'em had split picket fences, effen de husban' git ambi'shus nuff to cut dem palins. My Mammy was de boss cook fer Marse Henry. Dey all, black an' w'ite, cooked on fire places. C'ose w'en eny ob de w'ite folkses brung stoves inter de houses, Marse Henry, he ain't gwine be behime de res' an' he git one too. Fust stove I ebber seed, Marse Henry brung it to der big house. Him an' de boys had er time er gittin' de pipe up an' den Mis' Louisa an' Mammy, dey feared to light hit for fear hit'ud blow up. But twarn't long till dey had dat piece ob fernichure mastered. I 'members atter Miss Sissy Jane, Marse Henry's daughter, married dey cooked on de fire place a long time 'fore dar was eny stoves.
De w'ite folkses had one great big garden an' de sarbants an' ebery boddy git all dey wants of vegetables an' water melons. De orchards dey nebber was any good lak dat back in East Texas. An' Marse Henry he brung trees, an' brung trees from back dar, but it ain't no good. Dey nebber did habe fruit lak back dar. In East Texas us had figs, cherries, apples, an' peaches ter throw away.
De whole prairie was full ob wild chickens an' de woods was full ob antelope, turkeys, an' bears. De las' bar I 'member was w'en us libed at what is now Moorville, den hit was Bruceville. My husban' an' de chillun an' me was gone to church. W'en us git back from Meetin' de folkses had been a bar huntin' an' us had bar meat fer mos' er week. Dar was painters too (Panthers), in dem bottoms. One ob de negro wimmin' dat libed neighbors to us said she was huntin' turkey eggs down in de bottom an' she heard a child 'er cryin'. She kep' followin' dat cry an' bye-me-bye she git close to er thicket. An' a painter jump on her. Dey fought, her an' dat painter, an she jes' gibbed' 'tirely out; an' she drap down. An' she close her eyes; he come smell ob her, den he dig er hole an' brung her inter hit. She so scairt she jes hole her bref' an close her eyes. Den de painter went off tru de brush er callin' he mate. An she says ter herself 'I gotter git outten here 'fore he git back'. An' she scramble an' crawl an' get home finally. But she so tore up an' so weak dat she ain't outter her bed fer er week.
Dar was er lot ob desperadoes in dis country in dem days. 'Bout de year 1865, Bruceville or as dey call hit den, Mastersville, was de only village in de southern part of dis county. By dat year, right after de war ob freedom, dar was a store, a blacksmith shop an' dat was de town. Dar was a grove ob libe oak trees kinder out on de edge of town an' dey had dere church under dem trees fer some time. An' durin' de war ob freedom, de bushwackers, deserters from de army an' other bad men jes' nacherly drifted inter de country. Marster Tom Cox and Marster Henry Williams had 'em some dogs dat dey trained to run niggers an' to help in deer hunts. De outlaws had er camp hid in de upper thickets on South Cow Bayou. An' Marster Cox's dog trailed er antelope inter de outlaws camp. Dey knew de dog an' thot Marse Cox atter dem. Dey writ er note an' lot ob dem sign hit an' den dey lef' in er store on Rat Row in Waco. Dey was er warnin' Marse Cox to lebe'em erlone er dey gwine shoot his hide full ob holes. De store keeper he sent de note ter Marse Cox an' he an' his frens' answer hit. De outlaws dey moved down to Owl Creek beyon' de Leon Ribber. Marse Henry had er lot ob cattle. Atter de freedom war, he took de cattle to Kansas fer ter sell 'em. He had a lot ob hosses too. He sent der hosses ter Galvez. Dat black Sam he had er lot ter do wid de hosses an' cattle. He'd cut de hosses' tails an' make rope outtern de har. But dat black boy was shore full ob debblement. Come night time, an' held cotch him up a horse to ride. He'd go rarin' all ober de country. W'en dat hoss 'ud git tired, he'd cotch him anodder an' ride till day light. One day Mammy was in de kitchen er cookin' an' ole Mis' Louisa she come to der door. Marse be in nodder door. Mis she ask whar Sam an' Moore? An Marse he say 'Dey in dar etin' dere brekfas'.' She say 'Dey jes' got in come daylight, in time ter git dere brekfas'. I bet dey bin' ridin' hosses agin.' Marse, he jes' laff an' laff. Sam an' Moore allus git in time to git ter de fiel'. Marse, he know where dey bin. He gal, Mis' Lucy, my young Mis', she 'ud write Sam an' Moore a pass. De patty-rollers, dey try an' try ter cotch dem black hellions widout dere pass, but no good. Mis' Louisa say our neighbors all call dem Marsters' free niggers.
On de day Marse Henry Masters tell de sarvants dey free, he jes' call 'em togedder an' he tell dem dey was free. Nebber gibed 'em noddin'. Dey didn't git what de Children of Izre'l got, dey was sont fo'th to make dere way barefoot an' almos' nakkid. Marse say 'Now you all as free as I am an' doze dat want ter stay wid me, come up an' tell me and de odders go way.'
I never saw him whip a servant an' nebber heard of him havin' one whipped. Oh, chilluns, you know how dey is, dey got ter hab dere hide loosened iffen dey gwine grow up right. But Mammy an' de odder sarvants whipped dem, white an' cullud. You see, de sarvants dey had to look atter de w'ite one er growin' up same as de cullud. An' effen dey didn' make 'em mind den dey grow up no-'count. Marse Henry was he own ober seer. Mammy stayed wid him awhile after freedom. Us all, w'ite an' black, wore home made close. C'ose de Masters family had store close too. Us wimmin had blue, brown, er white dresses. All de black chillun wore long shirts and you couldn't tell er gal from er boy till dey git 'bout fo'teen.
Majer George Erath was big friends wid de Masters boys. He surveyed de land fer dem 'roun ole Mastersville. Marster Joseph Naler an' he son come from back in Ge'gia an' dey settled whar de town of Moody now is. Marse Joe Naler had him a big rock house built up on a big hill. Dat house is dar right today. Mr. J. D. Reynolds was born in dis house an' he was sixty-eight years ole tother day. Den dar was de Connallys. Marster Tom Connelly, de Senator, he daddy libed 'bout whar de town ob Eddy is now. Marse Tom's nuss boy libes at Eddy now. He name Steve Connolly. Den der was Marster Bob McClain's fambly, dey libed over near what is Moody now. Marse Bob McLain, he de Dist'ct Clerk ober in de County C'ote House dis day. An' den dar was Gubbernor Neff's fambly. Dey libed 'bout eight miles west of where Moody is now. All on dem folkses come to Marse Henry's ter de big goin's on.
No m'am, dere wan't no mills nowhere roun Mastersville in de furst times. Fer some time atter us move dar, Marse Henry sont wheat an' meal ober de ribber (Brazos), ter de Towash mill ter be groun' on de Dyer water mill. Den dey got er mill at Waco. Dar was a ferry 'cross de ribber in dem days. Den de Earls an odder folkses git tired ob dat an' dey build a bridge. Dat's de 'spension bridge. Fer a long time, folkses jes shore dat ar bridge gwine kallapse. But one time a whole herd ob steers stampede an git jammed on hit at one time. Atter dat, dey 'cides it gwinter stan' er lot. Hit was a toll bridge at furst. I'ze crossed hit meny er time.
W'en I gits de misery in my back, I puts terpentime on a string an' tie it 'roun my leg an' purty soon hit's all right.
W'en you shiver, dar's a rabbit er runnin' ober your grave, shore's you born.
Dat blue-winged, long fly, he a snake doctor. Don't kill him Miss, case he cures de snake when he gits hurt. Effen you turn ober an old stump an' finds er ole stump tail moccasin er takin' a nap, an' you gits you a stick an' beats him up, den you go off, dat snake doctor, he comes er-long an' he fan dat snake an' blow on him an' purty soon, de snake he crawl in de water an he's all right. De onlest way ter keep a snake dead an' ter keep dat snake doctor from bringin' him alive agin' is ter cutt off dat snake's head.
Ole Jim, he a lazy, slick nigger. Effen he can't cotch a wild turkey er a 'possum he gwine git one ob Marse's pigs. One time dough, he mos' night get heself cooked 'stead ob de pig. He went huntin' an' didn't cotch noddin', so he gits a pig outten de pen. 'Bout midnight he started ter cook hit. He lit er light an' Marse Henry he happen' ter be awake an' see de light. He think maybe someone sick, so he slips down to Jim's cabin. Jim had de pig under he arm er fixin' ter kill hit, w'en he heard Marse Henry comin'. Jim stuck de pig in de hen house. Marse come er knockin' at de door an' ax is eny one sick. Jim say 'No.' Just den de chickens dey get 'roused an' de pig grunts. Marse he heard de soun' but he can't quite tell what it is. He say 'Jim, dars a fox atter your chickens.' Jim, he say 'No, Marse, dat's a sick rooster; he jes' er floppin' 'roun.' Den Marse say he gwine see. So Jim say 'Marse, dat rooster gwine git out effen you open dat door, an' den he slip away an' die 'cause I can't fin' him in de dark ter doctor him. But Marse he go on out to der hen house. Den Jim say 'All right, open de door, kotch dat fox effen you can, but you ain' gwine cotch me.' An' off he run.
A song dat us servants ust ter sing was Jesus Gonner Make Up My Dying Bed. It goes something lak dis: "When you hear dat I'm dyin' I don' want you to be afraid, All I want my friens ter do Is take de pillow from under my head. Well, well, well, so I kin die easy Well, well, well, so I kin die easy Well, well, well, so I can die easy Jesus Gonner Make Up My Dying Bed."
Atter de reg'lar preachin' us'd gather fer a ring shout an' sing: "Sit down, sister, sit down, walk right in an' sit down. When I gits ter heaben, gwine ter sit down, sit down an' res' er little w'ile; My Lawd tol' me fer ter sit down, sit down an' res' er little w'ile." De folks' ud git in er ring an' march roun' in time ter der singin' an' den w'en dey git wa'amed up, dey shout an' clap an' dance an' sing. Some on' em 'ud get weak an' drop down den de odders 'ud keep on wid de singin' till mos' come day. Some on de w'ite folkses 'ud whip dar sarbants effen dey cotch dem at er ring shout meetin'. But dey shore had er big time down in de thickets an' in de deep woods.
I don' 'member clear meny ob de songs but I allus had a hankerin' fer dis one: I wrastled wid Satan, I wrastled wid sin, Stepped ober hell an' come back agin'. Isiah mounted on de wheel ob time, Spoke to God A-mighty 'way down de line. Oh hear dat lumberin' thunder a-roll from door to door, A-callin' de people home to God, dey'll git home bye-me-bye. Dey crucified my Lawd, an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, Dey crucified my Lawd, an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, Not a word, not a word, not a word. De blood come twinklin' down an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, De blood come twinklin' down an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, Not a word, not a word, not a word.
De folks on de plantation liked to sing dis one, an' my Daddy shore could make it ring: Sometimes I feel like a motherless child, Sometimes I feel like a motherless child, Sometimes I feel like a motherless child a long ways from home. Sometimes I feel like an eagle in de air, Some-a dese mornin's bright an' fair I'ze gwine to lay down my heavy load, Goin' to spread my wings an' cleave de air. Anodder song dey used at de ring shout was dis one: Sister, you better min' how you walk on de cross, Yo foot might slip an' you soul git los'. De debbil am a liar an' a kunjurer too, Effen yo' don' look out, he'll kunjur you too.
Har some ob de songs my Gran'mammy ust ter teach us to sing w'en us was little er playin' on de yard; I'ze mos' forgot dem but I kin 'member some ob dem. C'ose us sings some ob de line ober an' ober wid jes a kinder change in de tune, you know, high an' den low, an' sech. "Oh, I want two wings ter veil my face, Oh, I want two wings to fly away, Oh, I want two wings to veil my face, Oh, I want two wings ter fly away. Oh, meet me Jesus, meet me Lawd, meet me in de middle of de air, An' if my two wings should fell me, Lawd, I'll hitch on anodder pair."
My Lawd calls me, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. Brother can't you jump fer joy, can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. Way down in de valley I kneel and pray. Sister can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. I pray all night, an' I pray all day, sister can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. Chillun can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. My Saviour's voice done bid me rise, chillun can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. I been in de storm so long, I been in de storm so long, chillun I been in de storm so long,
Oh, gimme er little time ter pray; Oh, let me tell you mother jus' how I come erlong, Oh, gimme er little time ter pray. With a hung down head an' an achin' heart, Oh, gimme er little time ter pray.
CHILDREN
• ELIZA MASTERS was born in North Carolina about 1802. She married Alexander Shaver and her sister Elizabeth married his brother Sanford Shaver. Both couples were living in Claiborne Parish LA in 1840. Alexander died about 1847 and Eliza married 2) John Cawthon. Eliza, again widowed, was living in Houston Co TX (PO Crockett) in 1860 and 1870.
• MARY 'POLLY' MASTERS was born 17 April 1803 in North Carolina. She married Lemuel Rice and her sister Willie married his brother Joseph 'Joe' Redmond Rice. A document (Houston County, 5 January 1838) certifies through witnesses that Lemuel emigrated to the Republic in 1828, that he was a married man at the time of the Declaration of Independence, and that he is entitled to one league and one labor of land as his headright. Widowed, Polly was living in Houston County in 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The 1860 census lists her occupation as farmer.
• HENRY MASTERS was born about 1806 in North Carolina. His stone at the Carolina Cemetery in Lott, Falls, Texas, which appears to have been placed some years after his death, records his dates as 1806-1869. Henry married 1) Nancy Ellen Erwin, who died giving birth to her namesake 27 January 1847, and 2) Louisa English (1827-1880). Henry petitioned the Mexican government for land and he received title to a league of land along the Trinity River on the San Antonio Road 28 June 1835. He also received a labor of land in Houston Co TX 5 January 1838 according to Texas General Land Office file # 000304. Henry appears on 1839 Ranger Muster Rolls as a 2nd lieutenant in the Houston County Rangers. He was a farmer in Houston County at the time of the 1850 census and he was a farmer in McLennan Co TX at the time of the 1860 census. Henry's daughter Eliza married Oliver Cromwell Aldrich 5 January 1857 'in the old Double Log house, where Henry Masters lived, on Masters Hill, about three miles east of the courthouse in Crockett, now known as Campbell Hill,' according to AA Aldrich's The History of Houston County, Texas (p 125).
• JACOB 'JAKE' MASTERS JR was born 28 October 1807 in North Carolina. He married Eliza Wagley (1812-1888) about 1829. Eliza's parents, Abraham Wagley and Sarah 'Polly' Henson, were early settlers in Red River County TX. Jacob's petition for a league of land, which began at the NW corner of his father's, was granted in a document signed 14 February 1835 at Nacogdoches. A Jacob Masters, likely our subject, requested compensation from the quartermaster in 1839 for a gun deposited with the public arms. This weapon was provided at the time of the Cherokee War of East Texas when the Cherokee were driven from their territory north of the San Antonio Road between the Trinity and Sabine rivers. Jacob and Eliza were in Houston County at the time of the 1850 census. They were in McLennan County when the 1860, 1870 and 1880 censuses were taken and Jacob's occupation was listed as farmer. He also kept a stage stand where the horses were changed and dinner was served to passengers on the stagecoach that ran from Belton to Waco. According to A Memorial and Biographical History of McLennan, Falls, Bell and Coryell Counties, Texas (1893), Jacob participated in the Battle of San Jacinto and moved to McLennan County in 1856. Jacob Masters Jr is also mentioned as having fought in the Battle of San Jacinto in an article that appeared in Uncle Cox's 'Peregrinations' column in the Waco Times-Herald 7 March 1920. Eliza died 6 April 1888 and Jake died a week later on the 13th. They are buried with other family members at the Bruceville-Moore Cemetery in Bruceville (formerly Mastersville) TX.
• WILLIE MASTERS was born 17 August 1809, apparently in Kentucky, and she died 6 September 1881 in Houston Co TX. She married Joseph 'Joe' Redmond Rice (1805-1866) 19 December 1822. They are buried at the Rice Cemetery in Houston County. An historic marker for the Rice Cemetery records that Joe and Willie erected a log cabin across the San Antonio Road from the cemetery in 1828 and that the oldest stone marks Joe's grave. An historic marker on the original site of the cabin suggests that Rice's brothers and his father-in-law Jacob Masters probably helped build the cabin. The men cut the logs in the woods and Willie drove the team that carried them to the clearing for the house-raising. The cabin home, originally of one room, became the Stage Coach Inn after Joe and Willie died and was eventually moved to Mission Tejas State Park ten miles northeast of the original site. A marker erected by the State of Texas in 1936 records that the Stage Coach Inn was built as a home by Joseph D. Rice Sr who came to Texas in 1828. 'In 1838 it was designated as a stopping place for the stage coach from Nacogdoches to Crockett.'
• SARAH 'SALLIE' MASTERS was born 15 November 1813 and she died 18 January 1853 according to Powell who has the date of Sallie's marriage to John Van Dyke Gossett (born 1814 in Tennessee) as 28 April 1836. John's niece, Mrs. Josie Gossett Newton, wrote of the Gossett family's 1833 journey from Tennessee to Texas: 'They traveled in a large party, as was necessary in those days because of danger from marauding Indians, wild beasts, etc. They were more than two months en route, were camped on "Grand Prairie" Ark. when the 'Stars' fell.' This would have been the spectacular Leonid meteor shower of 12-13 November 1833. John's land is described in the survey as being situated on Hurricane Bayou of the Trinity and as beginning on the south corner of Jacob Masters Sr's league of land. John served in the Texas Revolution and he was a Texas Ranger in the Republic of Texas (see The History of Houston County, Texas by AA Aldrich, p 152). Sarah died nine days after giving birth to a daughter, her namesake.
• ELIZABETH MASTERS, born about 1814 in Missouri, married Sanford Shaver, born about 1806 in Tennessee. The couple were in Claiborne Parish LA in 1840. The 1850 and 1860 censuses found Sanford and Elizabeth in Bossier Parish with their Louisiana born children. Sanford was a planter.
• FRANCES 'FANNIE' MASTERS, born about 1818 in Missouri, married Solomon 'Sol' Albright 31 May 1838. Sol was born about 1816 and arrived in Texas as a single man 6 May 1836 (see Texas GLO file # 000033). He served as a soldier in the Republic of Texas in 1839 and in the Texas State Troops during the Civil War. Fannie and Sol were in Houston Co TX in 1850, 1860 and 1870.
lili li née Loretta McKay Masters
4th great granddaughter of Jacob and Elizabeth
6 December 2023
Jacob Masters signed the petition to the Citizens of the Republic of Texas to form the county of Houston on 22 April 1837. On 4 Sept 1837 he also signed a petition to the Congress of The Republic of Texas to lower taxes. Vol I of "Founders and Patriots of the Republic of Texas" says Jacob served the Republic in Houston County and is one of the Founders of Crockett, TX.
Jacob Master buried his loved ones in a cemetery on his property. The cemetery is still being looked for.
*****
Jacob 'Jake' Masters Sr (ca1780-ca1859) and Elizabeth Shaw (ca1783-ca1858), married 1800, and their children
Sources for Jake and Elizabeth include Maxine Powell's Masters Family History (Mountain Home TX, 1994) and pp 171-2 of Armistead Albert Aldrich's The History of Houston County, Texas (1943). Aldrich, Jacob and Elizabeth's great grandson, records the date of their marriage as 28 January 1800. The Masters family arrived in present Texas in 1829. See 1830 Citizens of Texas by Gifford White, p 160.
Jacob petitioned the Mexican government for a league/sitio (4,425 acres) of land in then Coahuila y Tejas 30 October 1834. His land was on the Old San Antonio Road near Crockett in present Houston Co TX. The road was also known as the Camino Real, the King's Highway, and the San Antonio-Nacogdoches Road.
State Highway 21 mostly follows what was the Old San Antonio Road. Jake and Elizabeth were likely buried on their land but the graves have been lost, possibly bulldozed during the construction of SH 21.
According to Powell's family group sheet Jacob was born in North Carolina and Elizabeth was probably born in Mercer Co PA, the daughter of John Shaw (born 1750 in Mercer County) and Eliza Jones (born ca 1756, also in Mercer County).
John appears to have been a Revolutionary War patriot and to have received bounty land. A document signed by surveyor John Findley 15 April 1803 records that on the 14th John Shaw was settled with his family on land in Mercer County in a two-story house and that he had at least 40 acres cleared.
Powell writes 'Vol 1 of "Founders & Patriots of [the] Republic of Texas" states Jacob served with the Republic in Houston County and that he was one of the founders of Crockett, Texas.' Jacob Masters Sr and his son Jacob Masters Jr both signed the 1837 petition to form Houston County, the first county created in the Republic of Texas. Houston County was formed from the former Department of Nacogdoches, Coahuila y Tejas, United Mexican States.
Jacob Masters Sr is mentioned as follows in the diary of Adolphus Sterne who was born born in Cologne, Germany in 1801 and who immigrated to New Orleans in 1817. Arriving in Texas in 1826, he petitioned for land at Nacogdoches in 1835, befriended Sam Houston, strongly supported the Texas Revolution, and served in the Texas House of Representatives. Sterne died in 1852.
Tuesday 23 April 1839
Left at 7 and crossed the River the road for 4 miles lies through bottom knee deep in mud— Musquitoes & gnats abound — reached Tomkin's, 7 miles at 9 A M at 4 P M met Judge Hart at Box's— reached Master's at 7– having come 42 miles this day Masters is a timid old Dutchman, has built a Block house and makes all the members of establishment sleep there at night— I didn't the honor of the fortification, and was content to Sleep in the old house— Dr Lucket & Crane joined— the bugs however, humbugged our repose, and we had to take to the floor
Now the fields, prairies, woods & grass show evidence of a healthy country so different to what I passed through on the Trinity yesterday & former days—
(The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol 30, No 4, pp 318-9)
Wednesday 2 June 1941
Fine weather— left Col Bean's early in the morning traveled slow to Jacob Master's, an other old friend of 13 years standing, this day is the 13th anniversary of my marriage with my dear wife
(The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol 32, No 1, p 89)
Sterne's description of Jacob as a Dutchman indicates German ancestry.
The evocative Texas Slave Narrative of Lou Austin follows:
I was born in the country, four miles east of Crockett, Houston County, Texas. My marster was Henry Masters, the bes' man ebber wore shoe leather, I know. He fought in de Injun wars. My ole Miss' was Louisa Masters. She named me atter her. Marse had five chillun by his furst wife an' five by he las', all ob'em dead now. Dar was 'bout twenty five or thirty chillun, black an' w'ite in dat yard at one time and dey all dead now but me. My Mammy was Julia Ann and my Daddy was Ned Masters. Dar was ten chillun in my Mammy's family, Becky, Alfred, Frieland, Ned, Millie, Lewis, me and tree dat died as babies. Mis' Louisa allus had a hankerin' atter me from de cradle. My Gran'ma was Millie an' my Gran'dad was Lewis Roberts. My daddy's folks come from N'oth Ca'lina. Marse Masters had all Houston an' Crockett Counties gib him kase he fit in de Injin wars an' fit de Mexicans. De soljers got paid off in land. Marse Henry Masters' daddy was named Jake. W'en he died my daddy fell to his son, Marse Henry Masters. Marse Henry come to Texas an' fit de Injins an' Mexicans an' w'en things kinder settled down, he brung ole Mis an he slaves to Texas. My Mammy an' daddy come wid him.
I was born in January 1850. Marster Bill English, a w'te man now, was chillun on de yards wid us. He daddy was ole Mis' brudder. She was Miss Louisa English w'en she married Marse Henry Masters. Marster Bill English, he swar I'ze 87 years ole. Dat's what he put on de paper fer de ole age pension man. I married Jack Johnson de furst time, an' he died. Den I married Dan Dean. My third husband was Wan Austin. De first time I married us libed down on de ribber (Brazos) an' us traded at Waco an' Marlin. Us wukked as share croppers.
I only had one month's schoolin'. Marse Henry Masters moved from East Texas to Mastersville, McLennan county. He had 11,000 acres ob land. Atter he died, dey changed de name of de place to Bruceville. He was de furst settler to build at Mastersville, dat's why it got its name. De stage ran in front of he door. Hit ran from Belton to Waco right in front of he door. His brudder libed jes' cross de krik from him an' kep' de stage stand. Dat was Marse Jake Masters, he named fer his daddy, de real ole Marse back in de ole states. Dey changed de stage hosses an' de passengers et dinner at Marse Jake's house. Den dey'd pull out to Belton.
Dar was no settlers, cep' Marse Henry an' Marse Jake hardly. You could go from Waco to Belton an' I don' speck you could count five houses. Dar was nuddin' but horses an' cattle. In dem days, eny stock dat you put your brand on, dey was yourn. Marse Henry had cullud Sam an' he own son, Bob, to round up an' brand cattle de year roun'. Some ob de neighbors dat later moved in 'roun' Mastersville, was Marsters Mixson, Tom Cox, Abe English, Bill Holcomb, Billie Jackson, who libed whar Lorena is now. Neighbors in dem days libed from eight to twenty miles away. Marse Henry Masters come to Mastersville befo' freedom. He brung Jake, Ellis, Sam, Moore, dem four men and dere wives and chillun. Dar was Aunt Julia, an' Aunt Emmeline 'sides. Aunt Julia an' Aunt Emmeline spun an' wove cloth fer everyboddy on de plantation. Us gals used to hab so meny cuts of thread to spin at night. Dey ust to gib my cousin Clara an' me three cuts of thread apiece to spin in one night. I'ze so sleepy headed dat Clara, she allus beat me.
Marse Henry moved he spinnin' wheels an' looms from East Texas w'en he come. In fac' he move eberything. Dey come in ox waggins. De wi'te folkses come in kerridges an' buggies an' de men an' boys mos'ly on hoss back, so dey could bring Marse' fine hosses and cattle. Dar was no roads an de hans ud offen hab to camp an' build er pole bridge to git er cross on. Marse Henry had de lumber to build he big house at Mastersville hauled in ox waggins from de piney woods in East Texas. Hit was a two-story, white house wid nine er ten rooms. Ob course, at furst he had a double log cabin built to lib in till he git ebery thing fer de big house.
Marse Jake Masters was already here in McLennan County, an' I specs dat hit was on 'count ob his tales dat Marse Henry up an' lef ' East Texas. De Quarters fer de slaves was in behime de big house. Dey was one-room log cabins wid board roofs an' no windows, an' er stick an' dirt chimbly. Some ob 'em had split picket fences, effen de husban' git ambi'shus nuff to cut dem palins. My Mammy was de boss cook fer Marse Henry. Dey all, black an' w'ite, cooked on fire places. C'ose w'en eny ob de w'ite folkses brung stoves inter de houses, Marse Henry, he ain't gwine be behime de res' an' he git one too. Fust stove I ebber seed, Marse Henry brung it to der big house. Him an' de boys had er time er gittin' de pipe up an' den Mis' Louisa an' Mammy, dey feared to light hit for fear hit'ud blow up. But twarn't long till dey had dat piece ob fernichure mastered. I 'members atter Miss Sissy Jane, Marse Henry's daughter, married dey cooked on de fire place a long time 'fore dar was eny stoves.
De w'ite folkses had one great big garden an' de sarbants an' ebery boddy git all dey wants of vegetables an' water melons. De orchards dey nebber was any good lak dat back in East Texas. An' Marse Henry he brung trees, an' brung trees from back dar, but it ain't no good. Dey nebber did habe fruit lak back dar. In East Texas us had figs, cherries, apples, an' peaches ter throw away.
De whole prairie was full ob wild chickens an' de woods was full ob antelope, turkeys, an' bears. De las' bar I 'member was w'en us libed at what is now Moorville, den hit was Bruceville. My husban' an' de chillun an' me was gone to church. W'en us git back from Meetin' de folkses had been a bar huntin' an' us had bar meat fer mos' er week. Dar was painters too (Panthers), in dem bottoms. One ob de negro wimmin' dat libed neighbors to us said she was huntin' turkey eggs down in de bottom an' she heard a child 'er cryin'. She kep' followin' dat cry an' bye-me-bye she git close to er thicket. An' a painter jump on her. Dey fought, her an' dat painter, an she jes' gibbed' 'tirely out; an' she drap down. An' she close her eyes; he come smell ob her, den he dig er hole an' brung her inter hit. She so scairt she jes hole her bref' an close her eyes. Den de painter went off tru de brush er callin' he mate. An she says ter herself 'I gotter git outten here 'fore he git back'. An' she scramble an' crawl an' get home finally. But she so tore up an' so weak dat she ain't outter her bed fer er week.
Dar was er lot ob desperadoes in dis country in dem days. 'Bout de year 1865, Bruceville or as dey call hit den, Mastersville, was de only village in de southern part of dis county. By dat year, right after de war ob freedom, dar was a store, a blacksmith shop an' dat was de town. Dar was a grove ob libe oak trees kinder out on de edge of town an' dey had dere church under dem trees fer some time. An' durin' de war ob freedom, de bushwackers, deserters from de army an' other bad men jes' nacherly drifted inter de country. Marster Tom Cox and Marster Henry Williams had 'em some dogs dat dey trained to run niggers an' to help in deer hunts. De outlaws had er camp hid in de upper thickets on South Cow Bayou. An' Marster Cox's dog trailed er antelope inter de outlaws camp. Dey knew de dog an' thot Marse Cox atter dem. Dey writ er note an' lot ob dem sign hit an' den dey lef' in er store on Rat Row in Waco. Dey was er warnin' Marse Cox to lebe'em erlone er dey gwine shoot his hide full ob holes. De store keeper he sent de note ter Marse Cox an' he an' his frens' answer hit. De outlaws dey moved down to Owl Creek beyon' de Leon Ribber. Marse Henry had er lot ob cattle. Atter de freedom war, he took de cattle to Kansas fer ter sell 'em. He had a lot ob hosses too. He sent der hosses ter Galvez. Dat black Sam he had er lot ter do wid de hosses an' cattle. He'd cut de hosses' tails an' make rope outtern de har. But dat black boy was shore full ob debblement. Come night time, an' held cotch him up a horse to ride. He'd go rarin' all ober de country. W'en dat hoss 'ud git tired, he'd cotch him anodder an' ride till day light. One day Mammy was in de kitchen er cookin' an' ole Mis' Louisa she come to der door. Marse be in nodder door. Mis she ask whar Sam an' Moore? An Marse he say 'Dey in dar etin' dere brekfas'.' She say 'Dey jes' got in come daylight, in time ter git dere brekfas'. I bet dey bin' ridin' hosses agin.' Marse, he jes' laff an' laff. Sam an' Moore allus git in time to git ter de fiel'. Marse, he know where dey bin. He gal, Mis' Lucy, my young Mis', she 'ud write Sam an' Moore a pass. De patty-rollers, dey try an' try ter cotch dem black hellions widout dere pass, but no good. Mis' Louisa say our neighbors all call dem Marsters' free niggers.
On de day Marse Henry Masters tell de sarvants dey free, he jes' call 'em togedder an' he tell dem dey was free. Nebber gibed 'em noddin'. Dey didn't git what de Children of Izre'l got, dey was sont fo'th to make dere way barefoot an' almos' nakkid. Marse say 'Now you all as free as I am an' doze dat want ter stay wid me, come up an' tell me and de odders go way.'
I never saw him whip a servant an' nebber heard of him havin' one whipped. Oh, chilluns, you know how dey is, dey got ter hab dere hide loosened iffen dey gwine grow up right. But Mammy an' de odder sarvants whipped dem, white an' cullud. You see, de sarvants dey had to look atter de w'ite one er growin' up same as de cullud. An' effen dey didn' make 'em mind den dey grow up no-'count. Marse Henry was he own ober seer. Mammy stayed wid him awhile after freedom. Us all, w'ite an' black, wore home made close. C'ose de Masters family had store close too. Us wimmin had blue, brown, er white dresses. All de black chillun wore long shirts and you couldn't tell er gal from er boy till dey git 'bout fo'teen.
Majer George Erath was big friends wid de Masters boys. He surveyed de land fer dem 'roun ole Mastersville. Marster Joseph Naler an' he son come from back in Ge'gia an' dey settled whar de town of Moody now is. Marse Joe Naler had him a big rock house built up on a big hill. Dat house is dar right today. Mr. J. D. Reynolds was born in dis house an' he was sixty-eight years ole tother day. Den dar was de Connallys. Marster Tom Connelly, de Senator, he daddy libed 'bout whar de town ob Eddy is now. Marse Tom's nuss boy libes at Eddy now. He name Steve Connolly. Den der was Marster Bob McClain's fambly, dey libed over near what is Moody now. Marse Bob McLain, he de Dist'ct Clerk ober in de County C'ote House dis day. An' den dar was Gubbernor Neff's fambly. Dey libed 'bout eight miles west of where Moody is now. All on dem folkses come to Marse Henry's ter de big goin's on.
No m'am, dere wan't no mills nowhere roun Mastersville in de furst times. Fer some time atter us move dar, Marse Henry sont wheat an' meal ober de ribber (Brazos), ter de Towash mill ter be groun' on de Dyer water mill. Den dey got er mill at Waco. Dar was a ferry 'cross de ribber in dem days. Den de Earls an odder folkses git tired ob dat an' dey build a bridge. Dat's de 'spension bridge. Fer a long time, folkses jes shore dat ar bridge gwine kallapse. But one time a whole herd ob steers stampede an git jammed on hit at one time. Atter dat, dey 'cides it gwinter stan' er lot. Hit was a toll bridge at furst. I'ze crossed hit meny er time.
W'en I gits de misery in my back, I puts terpentime on a string an' tie it 'roun my leg an' purty soon hit's all right.
W'en you shiver, dar's a rabbit er runnin' ober your grave, shore's you born.
Dat blue-winged, long fly, he a snake doctor. Don't kill him Miss, case he cures de snake when he gits hurt. Effen you turn ober an old stump an' finds er ole stump tail moccasin er takin' a nap, an' you gits you a stick an' beats him up, den you go off, dat snake doctor, he comes er-long an' he fan dat snake an' blow on him an' purty soon, de snake he crawl in de water an he's all right. De onlest way ter keep a snake dead an' ter keep dat snake doctor from bringin' him alive agin' is ter cutt off dat snake's head.
Ole Jim, he a lazy, slick nigger. Effen he can't cotch a wild turkey er a 'possum he gwine git one ob Marse's pigs. One time dough, he mos' night get heself cooked 'stead ob de pig. He went huntin' an' didn't cotch noddin', so he gits a pig outten de pen. 'Bout midnight he started ter cook hit. He lit er light an' Marse Henry he happen' ter be awake an' see de light. He think maybe someone sick, so he slips down to Jim's cabin. Jim had de pig under he arm er fixin' ter kill hit, w'en he heard Marse Henry comin'. Jim stuck de pig in de hen house. Marse come er knockin' at de door an' ax is eny one sick. Jim say 'No.' Just den de chickens dey get 'roused an' de pig grunts. Marse he heard de soun' but he can't quite tell what it is. He say 'Jim, dars a fox atter your chickens.' Jim, he say 'No, Marse, dat's a sick rooster; he jes' er floppin' 'roun.' Den Marse say he gwine see. So Jim say 'Marse, dat rooster gwine git out effen you open dat door, an' den he slip away an' die 'cause I can't fin' him in de dark ter doctor him. But Marse he go on out to der hen house. Den Jim say 'All right, open de door, kotch dat fox effen you can, but you ain' gwine cotch me.' An' off he run.
A song dat us servants ust ter sing was Jesus Gonner Make Up My Dying Bed. It goes something lak dis: "When you hear dat I'm dyin' I don' want you to be afraid, All I want my friens ter do Is take de pillow from under my head. Well, well, well, so I kin die easy Well, well, well, so I kin die easy Well, well, well, so I can die easy Jesus Gonner Make Up My Dying Bed."
Atter de reg'lar preachin' us'd gather fer a ring shout an' sing: "Sit down, sister, sit down, walk right in an' sit down. When I gits ter heaben, gwine ter sit down, sit down an' res' er little w'ile; My Lawd tol' me fer ter sit down, sit down an' res' er little w'ile." De folks' ud git in er ring an' march roun' in time ter der singin' an' den w'en dey git wa'amed up, dey shout an' clap an' dance an' sing. Some on' em 'ud get weak an' drop down den de odders 'ud keep on wid de singin' till mos' come day. Some on de w'ite folkses 'ud whip dar sarbants effen dey cotch dem at er ring shout meetin'. But dey shore had er big time down in de thickets an' in de deep woods.
I don' 'member clear meny ob de songs but I allus had a hankerin' fer dis one: I wrastled wid Satan, I wrastled wid sin, Stepped ober hell an' come back agin'. Isiah mounted on de wheel ob time, Spoke to God A-mighty 'way down de line. Oh hear dat lumberin' thunder a-roll from door to door, A-callin' de people home to God, dey'll git home bye-me-bye. Dey crucified my Lawd, an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, Dey crucified my Lawd, an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, Not a word, not a word, not a word. De blood come twinklin' down an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, De blood come twinklin' down an' He nebber say a mumblin' word, Not a word, not a word, not a word.
De folks on de plantation liked to sing dis one, an' my Daddy shore could make it ring: Sometimes I feel like a motherless child, Sometimes I feel like a motherless child, Sometimes I feel like a motherless child a long ways from home. Sometimes I feel like an eagle in de air, Some-a dese mornin's bright an' fair I'ze gwine to lay down my heavy load, Goin' to spread my wings an' cleave de air. Anodder song dey used at de ring shout was dis one: Sister, you better min' how you walk on de cross, Yo foot might slip an' you soul git los'. De debbil am a liar an' a kunjurer too, Effen yo' don' look out, he'll kunjur you too.
Har some ob de songs my Gran'mammy ust ter teach us to sing w'en us was little er playin' on de yard; I'ze mos' forgot dem but I kin 'member some ob dem. C'ose us sings some ob de line ober an' ober wid jes a kinder change in de tune, you know, high an' den low, an' sech. "Oh, I want two wings ter veil my face, Oh, I want two wings to fly away, Oh, I want two wings to veil my face, Oh, I want two wings ter fly away. Oh, meet me Jesus, meet me Lawd, meet me in de middle of de air, An' if my two wings should fell me, Lawd, I'll hitch on anodder pair."
My Lawd calls me, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. Brother can't you jump fer joy, can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. Way down in de valley I kneel and pray. Sister can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. I pray all night, an' I pray all day, sister can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. Chillun can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. My Saviour's voice done bid me rise, chillun can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy, see can't you jump fer joy. I been in de storm so long, I been in de storm so long, chillun I been in de storm so long,
Oh, gimme er little time ter pray; Oh, let me tell you mother jus' how I come erlong, Oh, gimme er little time ter pray. With a hung down head an' an achin' heart, Oh, gimme er little time ter pray.
CHILDREN
• ELIZA MASTERS was born in North Carolina about 1802. She married Alexander Shaver and her sister Elizabeth married his brother Sanford Shaver. Both couples were living in Claiborne Parish LA in 1840. Alexander died about 1847 and Eliza married 2) John Cawthon. Eliza, again widowed, was living in Houston Co TX (PO Crockett) in 1860 and 1870.
• MARY 'POLLY' MASTERS was born 17 April 1803 in North Carolina. She married Lemuel Rice and her sister Willie married his brother Joseph 'Joe' Redmond Rice. A document (Houston County, 5 January 1838) certifies through witnesses that Lemuel emigrated to the Republic in 1828, that he was a married man at the time of the Declaration of Independence, and that he is entitled to one league and one labor of land as his headright. Widowed, Polly was living in Houston County in 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The 1860 census lists her occupation as farmer.
• HENRY MASTERS was born about 1806 in North Carolina. His stone at the Carolina Cemetery in Lott, Falls, Texas, which appears to have been placed some years after his death, records his dates as 1806-1869. Henry married 1) Nancy Ellen Erwin, who died giving birth to her namesake 27 January 1847, and 2) Louisa English (1827-1880). Henry petitioned the Mexican government for land and he received title to a league of land along the Trinity River on the San Antonio Road 28 June 1835. He also received a labor of land in Houston Co TX 5 January 1838 according to Texas General Land Office file # 000304. Henry appears on 1839 Ranger Muster Rolls as a 2nd lieutenant in the Houston County Rangers. He was a farmer in Houston County at the time of the 1850 census and he was a farmer in McLennan Co TX at the time of the 1860 census. Henry's daughter Eliza married Oliver Cromwell Aldrich 5 January 1857 'in the old Double Log house, where Henry Masters lived, on Masters Hill, about three miles east of the courthouse in Crockett, now known as Campbell Hill,' according to AA Aldrich's The History of Houston County, Texas (p 125).
• JACOB 'JAKE' MASTERS JR was born 28 October 1807 in North Carolina. He married Eliza Wagley (1812-1888) about 1829. Eliza's parents, Abraham Wagley and Sarah 'Polly' Henson, were early settlers in Red River County TX. Jacob's petition for a league of land, which began at the NW corner of his father's, was granted in a document signed 14 February 1835 at Nacogdoches. A Jacob Masters, likely our subject, requested compensation from the quartermaster in 1839 for a gun deposited with the public arms. This weapon was provided at the time of the Cherokee War of East Texas when the Cherokee were driven from their territory north of the San Antonio Road between the Trinity and Sabine rivers. Jacob and Eliza were in Houston County at the time of the 1850 census. They were in McLennan County when the 1860, 1870 and 1880 censuses were taken and Jacob's occupation was listed as farmer. He also kept a stage stand where the horses were changed and dinner was served to passengers on the stagecoach that ran from Belton to Waco. According to A Memorial and Biographical History of McLennan, Falls, Bell and Coryell Counties, Texas (1893), Jacob participated in the Battle of San Jacinto and moved to McLennan County in 1856. Jacob Masters Jr is also mentioned as having fought in the Battle of San Jacinto in an article that appeared in Uncle Cox's 'Peregrinations' column in the Waco Times-Herald 7 March 1920. Eliza died 6 April 1888 and Jake died a week later on the 13th. They are buried with other family members at the Bruceville-Moore Cemetery in Bruceville (formerly Mastersville) TX.
• WILLIE MASTERS was born 17 August 1809, apparently in Kentucky, and she died 6 September 1881 in Houston Co TX. She married Joseph 'Joe' Redmond Rice (1805-1866) 19 December 1822. They are buried at the Rice Cemetery in Houston County. An historic marker for the Rice Cemetery records that Joe and Willie erected a log cabin across the San Antonio Road from the cemetery in 1828 and that the oldest stone marks Joe's grave. An historic marker on the original site of the cabin suggests that Rice's brothers and his father-in-law Jacob Masters probably helped build the cabin. The men cut the logs in the woods and Willie drove the team that carried them to the clearing for the house-raising. The cabin home, originally of one room, became the Stage Coach Inn after Joe and Willie died and was eventually moved to Mission Tejas State Park ten miles northeast of the original site. A marker erected by the State of Texas in 1936 records that the Stage Coach Inn was built as a home by Joseph D. Rice Sr who came to Texas in 1828. 'In 1838 it was designated as a stopping place for the stage coach from Nacogdoches to Crockett.'
• SARAH 'SALLIE' MASTERS was born 15 November 1813 and she died 18 January 1853 according to Powell who has the date of Sallie's marriage to John Van Dyke Gossett (born 1814 in Tennessee) as 28 April 1836. John's niece, Mrs. Josie Gossett Newton, wrote of the Gossett family's 1833 journey from Tennessee to Texas: 'They traveled in a large party, as was necessary in those days because of danger from marauding Indians, wild beasts, etc. They were more than two months en route, were camped on "Grand Prairie" Ark. when the 'Stars' fell.' This would have been the spectacular Leonid meteor shower of 12-13 November 1833. John's land is described in the survey as being situated on Hurricane Bayou of the Trinity and as beginning on the south corner of Jacob Masters Sr's league of land. John served in the Texas Revolution and he was a Texas Ranger in the Republic of Texas (see The History of Houston County, Texas by AA Aldrich, p 152). Sarah died nine days after giving birth to a daughter, her namesake.
• ELIZABETH MASTERS, born about 1814 in Missouri, married Sanford Shaver, born about 1806 in Tennessee. The couple were in Claiborne Parish LA in 1840. The 1850 and 1860 censuses found Sanford and Elizabeth in Bossier Parish with their Louisiana born children. Sanford was a planter.
• FRANCES 'FANNIE' MASTERS, born about 1818 in Missouri, married Solomon 'Sol' Albright 31 May 1838. Sol was born about 1816 and arrived in Texas as a single man 6 May 1836 (see Texas GLO file # 000033). He served as a soldier in the Republic of Texas in 1839 and in the Texas State Troops during the Civil War. Fannie and Sol were in Houston Co TX in 1850, 1860 and 1870.
lili li née Loretta McKay Masters
4th great granddaughter of Jacob and Elizabeth
6 December 2023
Family Members
Advertisement
Advertisement
