Wednesday, January 05, 2011

The Travis Family Connection

My great-grandmother, Mattie Travis, is in the photograph below with her husband, Asa C. Hemperley. She is of the same Travis family that gave to Texas its Alamo hero, William Barret Travis, and to the US a number of other warriors. They and other Travis family members (including yours truly - not a warrior) are mentioned in a well-written gyneology, The Travis (Travers) Family and its Allies: Darracott, Lewis, Livingston, Nicholson, McLaughlin, Pharr, Smith and Terrell. Including Royal Lines of Descent. (Savannah 1954).

The author was Major Gen. Robert J. Travis. (Be sure to go to the link, which is a webpage from the Emory University Libraries and contains a biography of General Travis, who was also a distinguished Savannah attorney.)

I remember a telephone conversation that my mother had with General Travis as he was writing the book. Sometime later, my parents purchased from him several copies of the book, and I have one of them.

Here is the entry for my mother and her line as of the mid-fifties (page 54):

Juliette Juanita Hemperley, b 17 Nov. 1920 m Mch 1944 [it was 1943, and the book I have has a penciled correction] Walter J. Stokes and had: 1. Paul Mason Stokes, b 17 July 1946; 2. Walter J. Stokes, Jr. b 8 Sept. 1948 d 21 Mch 1951; 3. Julia Juanita Stokes, b 10 [it was 11 - another error with a penciled correction] Dec. 1952.

Here is part of the entry on page 33 for the line of "Mark Travis, b 2 Feb 1783, d 4 Sept. 1836 m Jemima Stallworth and d. in Ala.:"

Mark Travis, s of Barrett and hw had: 1. Col. William Barrett Travis, the famous commander of the Alamo, b 1 Aug. 1809 about 4 miles from Red Bank Church, Edgefield Co., and fell in command of the Alamo, 6 Mch 1836, who left a record of undying fame, whose name is preserved and honored not only through Texas but gives a thrill to every American who reads the story of his life . . .

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Thank you for your post. I'm looking for a copy of that book, as I descend from Cannon Travis, cousin of William Barrett Travis.