Fort Bend County, Texas - Chapter 69, 1904

Edward Adolphus Peareson, present Sheriff of Fort Bend County, was born in Matagorda County, Texas, on the 2nd day of September, 1867. His father, P. E. Peareson, was a native of Alabama, but came to Texas when a child at a very early day and first settled with his parents in Victoria County; married Miss Minnie Rugely in Matagardo County, and came to Fort Bend County in 1867. The Peareson family have had representatives in every war in which the United States has been engaged - from the Revolution of 1776 to that with Spain in 1898. In the civil war P. E. Peareson was a lieutenant in Company D, 6th Texas, the company being commanded' by his father, Captain E. A. Peareson, of Grandbury's Brigade.

The grandfather died in Matagorda County in the fall of 1865, and the father of Major Peareson died in Port Bend County in July, 1895. Major Peareson spent the whole of his life in Fort Bend Gounty, except when away at college. Before the war broke out with Spain he was captain of a company of State troops which was disbanded before hostilities commenced, but at the opening of the war received an unsolicited commission as Major from Governor Culberson, and assigned to duty under Colonel Luther Hare, 1st Texas Cavalry, serving in that capacity until the close of the war. Was elected Sheriff of Fort Bend County in the fall of 1902, and now serving his first term. Married Miss Josie Stansbury of Fort Bend County April, 1889. They had two children, D. Rugely and Helen Hare Peareson. The first named is the only one now living.

Judge Masterson is a native Texan, born in Brazoria, Brazoria County, on the 13th of August, 1871. His father, Thomas Washington Masterson, was named for a distant relative of General George Washington, Thomas Washington being the great-uncle of Thomas W. Masterson, who was also born in Texas. The grandfather of Judge Masterson on his mothers side was Dr. John G. Chalmers (an historic name), who was secretary of the Texas navy during the days of the Republic. The mother of Judge Masterson was Annie T. Chalmers. She was raised by (teneral Thomas Green, being very young when her father. Dr. Chalmers, died. General Green was her brother-inlaAV, having married her sister Eliza. Another sister married Colonel Majors, who serv^ed in the Confederate army; prior to the breaking out of the civil war he was in the United States army, doing service on the Texas frontier, but went with the State when it seceded. One uncle of Judge Masterson, William Lee Chalmers, died last year (1903) in Washington, D. C. Senator John T. Morgan of Alabama was first cousin of the Judge's grandmother. The grandfather Masterson came from Tennessee to Texas, and settled at Velasco at an early day. The great-grandfather. Dr. Archibald Roane, was Governor of Tennessee in the early days of the independence of the United States.

Judge Masterson's father died in 1877 and he was left when very young on his own resources, worked hard, and took a course of studies in the University of Texas, and law department lectures. Received license to practice law before he was of age, but his disabilities were removed according to the usages of law practice. Of the six brothers of his father's family, five of them were lawyers and three were judges, as was also his grandfatiher. Judge Thomas G. Masterson. Five are now living and. in the active practice of law.

Judge Masterson married Miss Fannie Pierce Harris of Brazoria County in October, 1894. Her father was K. B. Harris. They came to Fort Bend County and to Richmond in 1897. Judge Masterson's first inductment into office was to fill an unexpired term of two months in the County Judge's office, made vacant by the resignation of Judge J. S. McEachin.

Edgar P. Andrus was born in Richmond, Fort Bend County, October the 30th, 1858. His father, Walter Andrus, was also born in Fort Bend County in 1830, on the east side of the Brazos River, about four miles from Richmond. The grandfather, William Andrus, came with the first installment of Austin's colonists, and his league and lal>or of land was located on both sides of the Brazos, the league on the east and the labor on the west, in the bend.

When the Mexican army came in 1836, the Andrus family were living on the Beuard, eighteen miles from the Brazos, and in their flight went to San Felipe, where Captain Mosly Baker and his men were guarding the river, and crossing there, went on with the fleeing families, and came back, with others of the colonists, to their homes, after the battle of San Jacinto.

William Andrus died in 1842, and Walter Andrus in 1897. They were farmers and stock raisers, except the father of E. P., who was a lawyer, abstracter and real estate agent. The mother of District Clerk Andrus was the eldest daughter of Martin McMahan, and the grandmother was Lucinda Travers, on the mother's side. She was born in Florida, but came to Texas from Georgia at a very early day. The mother of Mr. Andrus was also born in Fort Bend County, in the town of Richmond. Her father died on ^'Big Creek," eight miles from Richmond, southwest course.

E. P. Andrus married Mary V. Sweeny, daughter of Jordon Sweeney, of Brazoria, an old colonist settler, Mr. Sweeny being a veteran of San Jacinto. The family of Mr. Andrus consists of wife and one child, Beulah Mary. Is now in the second year of his first term of office.

Henry Lee Ransom, the present efficient deputy under Sheriff Peareson, was born in Brenham, Texas, on the 29th of December, 1870. His father was a soldier under General Lee, his grandfather having ten sons in the Confederate army. Henry came to Fort Bend County in October, 1889, and was living in the county when the war broke out with Spain, and has the distinction of being the only-.-Fort Bend County boy who served in the Philippines. He enlisted August 15th, 1899, in the company of Captain John A. Hulen, Company D, 33rd Infantry Regiment, U. S, Volunteers, commanded by Colonel Luther R. Hare. He saw much active service in the Philippines, and was one of the famous band under Colonel Hare that rescued Gilmore's men. On June the 30th, 1901, when his term of enlistment had expired, he received an honorable discharge, with the following military record from his Captain :

"Noncommissioned officer. Corporal. Battles, engagements, skirmishes and expeditions, San Jacinto, November 11, 1899. Taynadin Pass, December 4, 1899. San

Clement Newton Bassett, the present Tax Collector of Fort Bend County, was born in Richmond, Texas, on the 7th of January, 1842. His father, Clem N. Bassett, Sr., was a native of Virginia and came to Texas in 1836, first stopping on the San Jacinto River at Lynchburg, where he married Miss Julia Lee Beale, also a native of Virginia. This was soon after the battle of San Jacinto, and the young people at once came to Richmond, Fort Bend County, and made that place their permanent home. Mr. Bassett was in the legal profession, and entered into the practice of law at Richmond successfully, and at one time represented his district in the State Legislature. He died in Houston of cholera in 1848. His wife survived him until 1888, and died at Richmond.

con, the instigator and leader of the famous ''Bacon's Rebellion," the first decided stand against British authority in the American Colonies The grandmother on the mother's side was a Miss Lee, about first or second cousin to General Robert E. Lea

At the commencement of the great civil war, in 1861, Mr. Bassett 'joined the "Terry Rangers" and was sworn into the Confederate States service at Houston, September the 7th, and at once went to the front. At the time he was but nineteen years of age, but participated in every battle in which his command was engaged, and was twice wounded. After the war he returned to Richmond, and in 1869 married Miss Lida Moore. She survived only about one year, and in 1885 Mr. Bassett married Miss Libbie Mitchell, daughter of Captain John C. Mitchell, of Richmond. He was the first sheriff elected after the close of the "Jaybird and Woodpecker" feud. They have five children living. He is now in his first term of office, and was elected without opposition.

John T. Gibson, the present Tax Assessor of Fort Bend County, was born in the county December 16, 1878. His father, J. A. Gibson, was a native of Mississippi, and came to Texas when a boy, but returned home and came again, at an early day, and settled in Fort Bend County. He married Miss Caroline Foster of Fort Bend, daughter of the old pioneer, Randolph Foster. She died and Mr. Gibson married his second wife. Miss Tennie Anderson, still living, and who is the mother of the subject of our sketch. J. A. Gibson, the father, died in 1892.

Gibson, wbo held the office of assessor at the time of his death. When this term expired J. T. became a candidate for the office, and was elected in 1902, and is now filling his first elected term. He is a young man, unmarried, makes a gx>od officer, and gives satisfaction generally.

Judge Wiley PoAvell Jones was born in Fort Bend County, eight miles below Richmond, on October 17, 1843. His father, Henry Jones, came to Texas in 1822 among the first installment of Austin' s colonists, and first settled on New Year's Creek in vdiat is now MAshington County, near Independence. There a brother, William Jones, was born, the first child born in the colony.

They lived one year on New Year's Creek, and then came on down the Brazos River and settled below the present town of Richmond, where the Henry Jones league was located, the town of Booth now being situated on the upper league line. Here Wiley P. Jones was born at what was called by the family ''The Old Prairie" home. His occupation as he grew up was farming and stock raising, until the breaking out of the civil war, when he joined the Confederate army, enlisting in Captain Sullivan's company, "Waul's Legion." While the command was encamped near Independence, Judge Jones contracted a severe case of measles, and came near dying, being two months in bed with his sister' family at the old home, whither he was conveyed from camp. When he finally recovered the legion had gone to Virginia, and he enlisted In another command, and after it disbanded was not attached to any other command during the balance of the war.

In 1887 he moved to Richmond, and has continued to reside here since, seizing during that time nearly eight years as Justice of the Peace, and up to the present time has held sixty inquests on people who lost their lives in various manners - killed by trains, gunshot wounds, drowning, etc.

Judge Jones has been twice married, his first wife being Miss Sallie Bailey. She died in 1869, and his second wife was Mattie Bailey, sister of the first, and she died in 1880. Three children, all boys, living, none married. Of the two marriages eleven children were born, eight of whom are now dead.

Francis Marion Oatis Fenn was born and raised in Fort Bend County, nineteen miles below Richmond. His father was John Rutherford Fenn, who came to Texas in 1833 and located on the Brazos River. His mother, Rebecca Williams, came to Texas in 1846, and her parents also settled on the Brazos, in Fort Bend County. F. M. O. Fenn was educated at Roanoke College, Virginia, and the holder of the orator's medal from that institution against nine competitors on the 9th of June, 1879. He then took two years' course of law at the University of Virginia, graduating in law at that university and taking orator's medal from that institution also, on the 16th of May, 1881. In 1886 stumped Harris County for Alexander McGrowen for County Treasurer, who was elected by >a large majority and held the office as long as he lived. In the same year Judge Fenn stumped the City of Houston for the Hon. D. C. Smith for Mayor against the Hon. William R. Baker. Smith was elected by one vote. The subject of our sketch was one of the writers of the Jaybird Democratic Consti- tution" in 1889, and was secretary of the organization for five years. At the general election held in Fort Bend County in 1900 was elected County Attorney, and re-elected in 1902. His wife was Miss Lottie Benson of Charlotte, Virginia, and they have one son, Rutherford.

Tony B. Wessendorff, present County Treasurer, was born in Richmond, Fort Bend County, on the 19th day of November, 1872. His father, Anton Wessendorff, came to this County from Hamburg, Germany, when but eighteen years of age and made Fort Bend his permanent home. Here, in the course of time, he married Miss Johanna Janske; was industrious in his habits and made a worthy citizen. When the great civil war broke out between the North and South, he served the Confederacy under Gen. John B. Hood in the famous Fourth Texas Regiment, his captain being Thomas ^litchell, commanding Company F. On the bloody field of Chickamauga - where so many of the gallant Fourth went down to rise no more - Mr. Wessendorff was severely wounded and sent back home, and saw no more service. He raised a family of thirteen children - Tony Wessendorff being eighth in the list.

T. B. Wessendorff, the present incumbent, was elected to the office of County Treasurer in November, 1902, and is now serving his first term.

Mr. Florea is a young man of sterling qualities, affable, pleasant manners and has faithfully performed the duties of his office in looking after the schools of Fort Bend County. Recently he became the owner and publisher of the Texas [Richmond] Coaster^ and is fully alive to the best interests of his patrons, and to that of Fort Bend County. No doubt under his management the Coaster will be up-to-date in all of the leading topics of the day, and be a credit to Fort Bend County as well as to himself.

Mr. Newell is a young man and is now serving his first term of office. H]e has proved himself to be very efficient in the management of his work. His is one of the historic names of Fort Bend County, his people coming here in 1830, performed their part during the trying times of frontier days and Mexican invasion, held offices of trust and were classed among the staunch, upright citizens of Fort Bend County.