By: Tommye Wintle

History of the M. Byrne Survey in Falls/Bell County, Texas

How Our Family Became Born Texans

SURNAMES: Byrne, Willis, Jacobson, Dobbs, Fleetwood and others.

     MATTHEW BYRNE, was born in Ireland and immigrated to New York City with his family sometime between 1827 and 1829.   His father and mother, Henry and Ann Byrne, were born in Ireland and died in New York City sometime before 1860. Matthew had several siblings, including a brother John, and two sisters, Catherine and Mary, whom would inherit from him, the land in Texas land that would one day become the family farm.

     As a young man Matthew came to lower Manhattan in New York City from Ireland.  He dreamed of a new and prosperous life in a new country.   During the period between 1820 -1830, domination of Ireland by the English had left many Irishman hungry and oppressed.  During this Century the population of Ireland fell from almost 8 million people to under 4 million as a result of famine and emigration, due to suppression of the Catholic religion.  Ironically, within a year after Matthew decided to leave New York City for a better life in Texas, the Roman Catholics purchased a Fifth Avenue property between East 50th and 51st streets, that would become the site for St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1858.  Just as ironic in the same year he left, amateur rose grower, George Harison, found a hardy yellow variety growing in his back yard. It would be named  Harison's Yellow, and it would eventually make it's way to Texas, where it would gain the appellation Yellow Rose of Texas.

     Matthew was listed in the 1829 -1830 Manhattan New York City Directory as follows: 

Surname: Byrne

Given Name: Matthew

Occupation: butcher

Primary Address: Grand c. Orange

Page #: 128

Business/Second Address: Catharine market

     As a butcher he worked in a famous market place on the New York Harbor named Catharine Market, quiet an interesting study in itself during the 1820's.  In addition to local and distant farmers and fisherman ferrying their goods to the market to sell, Catherine Market was hopping with entertainment, and was the show place for watching black entertainers in what would become known as the "black face" era.   Historians agree that Catherine Market, where blacks performed "Jim Crow dances" for crowds paying in cash or fish, was one of ministry's earliest showplaces.

     Boatloads of Irishman were landing in the ports of New York and Boston. In 1820, New York became the nation's largest city with a population of 123,706, and by 1830 the population reached well over 200,000.   Life in New York City was especially harsh, with the city being extremely overcrowded.  Because of poor sanitation, many people were dying of diseases such as Asiatic Cholera.  By 1832 over 4,000 had died from Cholera in New York City.    Sixty three years later Matthew's sister, Catherine (Byrne) Willis would die from this disease, leaving the land that she had inherited  from her brother, to her six children.  In 1894, her son Asa Willis, would take his wife, children and brother Abel, to Falls Co., Texas, to farm the land situated in the Matthew Byrne survey.   

     Meanwhile, in 1827, Mexico was began giving leagues of land to those who would colonize in Texas.  John McMullen and James McGloin applied for a grant to settle an Irish colony which would stretch from Galveston Bay to the Sabine. Around 1828 the Government of Coahuila and Texas would give them the grant the sought. The immediately sold their mercantile business in Matamoros, and in 1829-1831, they made several trips to New York by boat to seek immigrants with Irish citizenship. The Mexican government strongly wanted the Irish to settle this land, as they believed they were honest, hard-working people.  Several Irishman in New York City were told of the fertility of the Texas land, the vast wide open spaces, and the clear, clean water that the Irish colonies would offer. 

     A single man of 21 years could be granted over 1,400 acres of land, while the head of a household could be granted well over 4,000 acres. While in New York, McMullen and McGloin signed on a group of Irish families with Irish citizenship to settle in the new Irish colonies, including several single men.  Matthew was one of these single men. To be sure, Matthew Byrne being young and adventurous saw this opportunity as a means to secure that promising life for himself and his family.  He was excited about possibility of owning large tracts of virgin land and longed to escape the overcrowded conditions of New York City.   Even at the expense of giving up his Irish citizenship in exchange for his new Mexican citizenship, he headed south on a chartered boat that would take him to the coast of Texas.

     Ironically, within a year after Matthew decided to leave New York City for a better life in Texas, the  Roman Catholics purchased a Fifth Avenue property between East 50th and 51st streets, that would become the site for St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1858.  Just as ironic in the same year he left, amateur rose grower, George Harison, found a hardy yellow variety growing in his back yard. It would be named Harison's Yellow, and it would eventually make it's way to Texas, where it would gain the appellation Yellow Rose of Texas.

     Upon his arrival to the Gulf of Mexico, in a port, which is near what is today Corpus Christi, Matthew and his fellow Irishman saw for the first time their new homeland.  After a rough start, these Irishman eventually settled in the beautifully situated town of San Patricio, located on a high and dry plain about a mile from the Nueces River.   By 1835 Matthew owned his own land in this beautiful location.  He was in his early to mid-twenties.

Plots of Land in San Patricio Irish Colony
Matthew's property is located at Hackberry and Market.

     In January of 1836 Matthew's life would take yet another dramatic and unexpected twist of fate.  He would join the Texas Regulars, under Captain Westover's Command.   He would be captured at the Battlefield of Coleto Creek, or "Fannin's Fight", marched to Goliad along with 342 other men, and shot to death by order of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna in what would become known as the Massacre of Goliad.  The blood of these 342 men on March 27, 1835, Palm Sunday, would make and everlasting mark on the History of Texas. 

Presidio La Bahia Memorial Monument in Goliad, Texas
This Monument in Goliad, Texas honors the men that fell during the Massacre of Gloiad. Their names are inscribed in Memory for their Bravery and Dedication to the cause, The Texas Republic.

     After Matthew Byrne's death, the following land patent was issued to his heirs. Asa Henry Willis and his wife Annie Jacobson took their children, which included my great grandmother Jerusha (Jessie) Ruth Willis, and began farming in Falls/Bell Counties, Texas 

     Matthew Byrne Dec'd Certificate: 495 Patentee: Hrs. of Matthew Byrne Patent Date: 18 May 1850 Acres 1280 Adjoining County: Falls District: Milam County: Bell File: 606 Patent #: 558 Patent Volume: 4 Class: Mil. Bty. Adjoining Acres: 1247  

Presidio La Bahia - Battle of Coleto Creek
Details of this Historical Event