Phipps, Rebecca

Surname Phipps
Given Name Rebecca
Sex Female
Born 1805 in Louisiana
Died ~1842 in Harris County, Texas

Marriages

Marriage 1

Unknown MORRIS

Children

Marriage 2

1829 in the Harris County area of Mexican-Texas to George Wallace WHITE (30-SEP-1800 - FEB-1850)

Children

  • William WHITE (OCT-1830 - 07-OCT-1862)
  • Robert P. WHITE; born: 1832 in Bell or Falls County, Texas
  • James Taylor WHITE, Sr. (04-AUG-1835 - 26-MAR-1923)
  • Henry Calhoun WHITE; born: OCT-1840 in Lynchburg, Harris County, Texas

Story

Rebecca PHIPPS was born about 1805 in Louisiana. She died in 1842 in Harris County, Texas. In 1803, the United States and France entered into the Louisiana Purchase. Soon after, a border war between Spain and the United States erupted over the Texas / Louisiana border. It is possible that parts of Louisiana were considered part of Texas at this time, and visa versa.

After the death of her first husband, Rebecca married George Comstock-White (born 30-SEP-1800 in Lafayette, Louisiana). They are both listed as ancestors by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. George served in a number of early Texas Republic grand juries, including one assembled to develop laws curbing the custom of duelling in 1838. Rebecca and George had a son, James Taylor Phipps-White (born 04-AUG-1835) in Harrisburg, Harris County, Texas. George died in February 1850.

George White owned the area of South Houston known as the Elena Fruit and Cotton Farms, a district just south of Houston's Cedar Bayou Road extending to and partially including the Port of Houston.

Notes

The Whites (Amy Comstock White, sons Reuben White and George White and daughter Mary White Whitlock) were members of The Old 300, the first colonists in that region [Harris County] of Texas in 1824. [It would be interesting to have more research on this.] Another son, Jesse, came later. At that time, George was not eligible for a land claim because he was not yet married, although he was 24 years of age. George White met the widow Rebecca Phipps Morris and they were married in 1828. Rebecca Morris had only a daughter, Amanda E. Morris, from her first marriage. We know of four sons that were added to this new family; they were Amanda's half-brothers:

1) William T. White, born 1830; 2) Robert P. White, born 1831; 3) James Taylor White, born 1835; 4) Henry Calhoun White, born 1840.

The White family land grants were on the San Jacinto River, both sides, just above Lynchburg, and this is where the family built their homes. The area was known as White Settlement.

George White died in February, 1850 leaving Rebecca Phipps Morris White a widow once more. When Rebecca died in 1853, having lived with her daughter Mary Whitlock in her widowhood, the original estate was then divided (in 1854) with 1/9 going to our Amanda E. Morris Shook, and 2/9 going to each of her half brothers. As is often the case when parents are gone, the White family members began moving away for their own reasons. We find that the Whites began their move up to Bell Co as soon as the probate was settled and their land was sold. An uncle to these White boys was already in Bell Co. [For more interesting reading on Amy Comstock White