no image
Privacy Level: Open (White)

David E Thomas (abt. 1795 - 1836)

David E Thomas
Born about in Tennessee, United Statesmap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
[spouse(s) unknown]
[children unknown]
Died at about age 40 in Texas, United Statesmap
Problems/Questions Profile manager: Mary Richardson private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 22 Jan 2019
This page has been accessed 321 times.

Biography

David Thomas was a Texan.

David Thomas' was born into a family having ancestors of government service or the military during the different wars. They ranged from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War. Some ancestors' professions were legislative, judges, and the civil life. [1]

Image:Paula s Sources-8.jpgDavid Thomas, a US Congressman represented New York, (1801-1808).[1]
Image:Paula s Sources-8.jpgIsaac Thomas was a US congressman Tennessee (1815-1817)[1]
Image:Paula s Sources-8.jpg James Houston Thomas (b North Carolina, raised in Tennessee), State Attorney General and then on the 30th, 31st Congress. [1]
Image:Paula s Sources-8.jpgPhileman Thomas, b 1763 Virginia, served in the Revolutionary war, Kentucky legislator, in the uprising against the Spanish, Mississippi-Louisiana 1810-1811, and War of 1812 as Major General of Louisiana Military. Phileman was Baton Rouge representative (22nd and 23rd Congresses,1831-35).[1]

David E Thomas was born Dec 10, 1795 as 3rd of six children to William and Elizabeth (Purviance) Thomas in Wilson County, Tennessee. [2] It should be noted: (The State of Texas ) records show DOB as 1801). Father, William was from near Statesville, North Carolina, who then moved to Tennessee. [3] Mother, Elizabeth Purviance was the daughter of John Purviance of Rowan County, North Carolina, an American Revolutionary War soldier.[4][3] He studied law and began his law practice in Tennessee. [3]

David Thomas learned his friend, Sam Houston had gone to the Texas colony. [5] David then went to Texas in 1835, settling in the Hewetson Powers colony (which belonged to the Refugio Municipality). [2] [6]David joined the United States Independent Volunteer Cavalry company, in Nacogdoches as a Lieutenant on December 10, 1835. Then Francis W Johnson (Military Affairs) recommended him to volunteer for the Matamoros Expedition for january, 1836. [1][2]

Gen Sam Houston came to Refugion in Feb,1836, where the friends met again. Both james Power and Sam Houston agreed David Thomas should attend the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos. They signed their names to the Declaration of Independence, March 2, 1836 Thomas's name is near Sam Houston’s name. Then David Thomas and Sam Houston of Refugio, were added to a group to draft the Constitution along with President David Burnet, Lorenzo de Zavala, Texas, Robert Hamilton of Red River and James Collinsworth of Brazoria. [3] [6]

After the Signing of the Texas Declaration the Republic of Texas government began with David Burnet as President, and Lorenzo de Zavala as Vice-President. David Thomas was appointed Attorney General. Since General Santa Anna and the Mexican Army were heading Eastward from San Antonio, the Republic of Texas cabinet with David E. Thomas fled from the Mexican Army from Harrisburg through New Washington, to Galveston in the Runaway Scrape. [7]

Following the, Thomas was accidentally shot in the leg in a gun accident on the steamship, Cayuga. This led to his death within days. [8][9]

Thomas was accidentally shot in the leg by a gun accident, while on board the Steamship, Cayuga, sailing from Galveston toward The San Jacinto battlefield and Buffalo Bayou, Thomas was accidentally shot in the leg, in a gun accident. The wound eventually led to his death by April 30, 1836.[6][10] [11]

Image:Paula s Sources-8.jpgVersion 1 John Linn reported Thomas died on the ship.
Image:Paula s Sources-8.jpgVersion 2 One claim said he stayed on the Cayuga, arrived at San Jacinto battlefield Apr 22.
Image:Paula s Sources-8.jpgVerson 3 Thomas was taken off the ship and died in de Zavala's home.
In 1932 the state of Texas erected a monument to the memory of David E Thomas near an area identified by the granddaughter of Adina de Zavala as the old Zavala Cemetery. David E Thomas's name was added to the monument in Washington-on-the-Brazos Historical Park in 1936, dedicated to the memory of the men who declared Texas free and helped frame a constitution.[12]
The hand-written records of David Thomas are in the Texas State Archives. They mention, the flight down the Brazos toward San Jacinto to escape the Mexican army.
Note there were Land grants, headlights certificates for 1,476 acre in Callehan county, and a bounty warrant for 320 Acres in Brown County, totaling 1,796 Acres, which may have been awarded to H.J. Thomas. 


Death: 30 Apr 1836

Burial: De Zavala Family Cemetery, La Porte, Harris County, Texas, USA [13] [14]

Find A Grave: Memorial #9551517

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Men who made Texas free, the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence— sketches of their lives and patriotic services to the Republic and state, with a facsimile of the Declaration of Independence by Dixon, Sam Houston, 1855-1941
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Rootsweb David Thomas
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Thomas_(Texas_politician)
  4. ↑ http://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/nc_patriot_military_lieutenants.html
  5. ↑ https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fth07
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Men who made Texas
  7. ↑ https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/mza01
  8. ↑ https://www.tsl.texas.gov/exhibits/navy/dav_thomas_apr4_1836_1.html
  9. ↑ https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utcah/01581/cah-01581.html
  10. ↑ https://www.tsl.texas.gov/exhibits/navy/dav_thomas_apr4_1836_1.html
  11. ↑ https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utcah/01581/cah-01581.html
  12. ↑ Harold Schoen, comp., Monuments Erected by the State of Texas to Commemorate the Centenary of Texas Independence (Austin: Commission of Control for Texas Centennial Celebrations, 1938). Texas House of Representatives, Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832-1845 (Austin: Book Exchange, 1941). 

L. W. Kemp
  13. ↑ https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utcah/01581/cah-01581.html
  14. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9551517/david-thomas




Is David your ancestor? Please don't go away!
 star icon Login to collaborate or comment, or
 star icon contact private message the profile manager, or
 star icon ask our community of genealogists a question.
Sponsored Search by Ancestry.com

DNA
No known carriers of David's ancestors' DNA have taken a DNA test.

Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.



Comments

Leave a message for others who see this profile.
There are no comments yet.
Login to post a comment.

Rejected matches › David Thomas (abt.1795-)

T  >  Thomas  >  David E Thomas

Categories: Texas, Politicians | Texas Colonies | 19th Century American Immigration | Runaway Scrape | Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence | Battle of San Jacinto