JAMES LAFAYETTE COURTNEY

 

 

     James Lafayette Courtney, b October 31, 1846 on Lick Creek in Hamilton County, Tennessee, d April 14, 1943 in Falls County, Texas and buried in Blevins Cemetery, was a son of Stephen and Dianna (Andrus) Courtney. Stephen Courtney was a Methodist minister. In 1852, the family moved to Johnson County, Missouri, and it was there that James Lafayette enlisted in 1864 in the 12th Missouri Cavalry and became a bugler in the Union Army. He later received a small pension for this service. The family moved to Miami, Kansas that same year of 1864, and then to Morris County, Kansas in 1867 - changing the family name from Courtney to Haun, a Tennessee relative's name. The family had been harassed for their anti-slavery beliefs.

     James Lafayette Courtney retained his real name, however, and began a journey by horseback to Texas in 1870. The gentleman kept a diary all of his life, and one can only admire his character. He worked hard for himself, his family and neighbors. He never had an idle day - whether hunting deer to put meat on the table, mending fences, plowing, bailing hay, or hunting horses and cows that had strayed.

     Always called "Lafayette," he was a business man of the first degree, recording every cent earned or spent daily, and totaling each column at the end of the month. Whenever he went to a store, pencils and paper were often on his buying list. Nothing was wasted. When he killed an animal, the hides were tanned for suits, household furniture, and farming equipment, while the meat fed the family.

     Nobody knows how or why Lafayette decided to settle permanently at Blevins when he rode onto the Captain Thomas Hudson Barron farm on July 31, 1871 - made his camp, and started doing farm work, odd jobs, and hunting.

     Three months later, on October 30, 1871, James Lafayette Courtney was married to Mary Ellen Barron, b October 19, 1854 on Barron Branch at the old Barron residence in Waco before her parents relocated in Blevins, Falls County, Texas; d October 21, 1910 and buried in the Blevins Cemetery - a daughter of Captain Thomas H. and his second wife, Mary Jane (Shelton) Barron.

     Judging from the contents of his diary, Lafayette was the one who assumed the responsibilities of the over 70-year-old Captain and his young second family. He repaired the chimney, cleaned the spring, and often got his young in-laws out of trouble. However, a jealous neighbor, John Clark who had been camping on the "wrong" side of the creek, turned Lafayette in for carrying a pistol - which was against the law in post Civil War Texas. Lafayette was charged with threatening Mr. Clark with the pistol for trespassing, and his diary indicated he was afraid of Clark starting a prairie fire. For several months, Lafayette Courtney avoided the Sheriff so as not to receive the "Summons" for a hearing. He was, however, finally tried and jailed for nine months. Returning after his sentence, he worked harder, acquired an estate of his own near the Barron property - including purchase of some of his father-in-law's property. He served on the school board, and supported the Little Deer Creek Baptist Church, of which he was a member and their delegate to the Waco Baptist Association in 1884. Ironically, James Lafayette Courtney became a Deputy Sheriff of Falls County on July 10, 1889. In 1909, he went west to homestead some land -living away from his family for a year. Letters he wrote to his wife, Mary Ellen, were found in a trunk owned by his son, Byron's, daughter, Mae Thompson. His beloved wife died soon after he returned to their in Falls County, and the loss "broke his spirit."

     James Lafayette and Mary Ellen (Barron) Courtney reared eight children:

     Mary Dianah Courtney, b August 16, 1872, d November 10, 1902 - married Lorenzo Dow Patterson, and moved to Haskell County, Texas.

     Louisa Ellen Courtney, b August 30, 1874- married Bradley P. Busby, and had two sons: Infant Son Busby, band d November 23, 1890; and James E. Busby, b October 26, 1891, d December 12, 1891. The Busby family moved to Haskell County, Texas. No further information.

     Lillie Jane Courtney, b December 2,1876 - married J. M. Yarborough and had two children who were buried at Blevins: infant daughter Yarborough, b Au- 5Ust 2,1901, d September 5,1901; and Grover Yarborough, b April 9, 1893, d September 14,1898. The Yarborough family moved to Arlington, Texas. No further information.

     James William Courtney, b January 11, 1897- married Emma Lee Mayfield.

     Ida Florence Courtney, b April 5, 1882, d 1954 - married William Dorsett, b 1887, d 1925, and had one daughter, Grace Irene Dorsett, b 1907, d 1982 who married Harrell King, b September 24, 1924, d August ~, 1978, and buried in Blevins Cemetery.

     Byron Campbell Courtney, b April 26, 1884, d 1968 - married Robbie Dacus.

     Nettie Andruss Courtney, b July 14,1886 - married Hiram Shelton. No further information.

     Emma Magdeline Courtney, b January 15, 1893- married Lee Claypool and had four or five children be- :ore Lee's death. Emma and her children then moved in with her father. No further information.

     Lafayette Courtney was a Mason in the Troy, Bell County, Texas Lodge. Living to be 97 years old, he saw :he history of this country through the Civil War, the Spanish American War, World War I, and World War II 1ad begun two years before his death. He recorded in 1is diary about the first two "Flying machines that flew over his at 10:25 A.M. on July 2, 1917, and another at 2:45 P.M. These were probably planes flying

to Camp Travis in San Antonio for World War I. He encouraged his children to get an education, and James William (called "James Willie") did attend Bedicheck School at Eddy; but the others did not. Many of his grandchildren did obtain college degrees.

     A granddaughter wrote that she had seen her grandfather climb a 25-foot ladder (at the age of 90) to save a swarm of bees. When he could take care of them no longer, he sold all 100 bee hives to a man in Waxahachie, Texas.

     When James Lafayette Courtney died, a special breed of Texas pioneer ceased to exist. He was the last of his kind.

NOTE: Family members say  "Grace Irene Dorsett, b 1907, d 1982 who married Harrell King, b September 24, 1924, d August ~, 1978, and buried in Blevins Cemetery."

should be "Grace Irene Dorsett, b 1907, d 1982 who married Tom King, b September 24, 1924, d August ~, 1978, and buried in Blevins Cemetery."

 Harrell King was there oldest son.

Copyright Permission granted to Theresa Carhart for printing the biographies of these Falls County Families to this Web page.
"Families of Falls County", Compiled and Edited by the Falls County Historical Commission, page 98 column 1 page 99 column 1 and 2 and page 100 column 1. 
Member of Falls County Historical Commission.