Title Page The Munsons of Texas — an American Saga, Second Edition, by Thurmond A. Williamson







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© 1987, 2005 Thurmond A. Williamson; Internet format © 2005 Laura Munson Cooper All Rights Reserved PreviousInset 10
The Many William Munsons









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Sam Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto









© 1987, 2005 Thurmond A. Williamson; Internet format © 2005 Laura Munson Cooper All Rights Reserved

The Munsons of Texas — an American Saga

Inset 11

THE SEVERAL SAMUEL MUNSONS

The relationships of the several Samuel Munsons is one of the unsolved mysteries of the Munson family genealogy. A Samuel Munson Sr. is first found as a taxpayer in Virginia in the 1770s. Census records show a Samuel Munson Sr. and an Isaac Munson in Fayette County, Kentucky, in 1790, about the time that Jesse and Robert "removed from South Carolina to Kentucky, and then removed again to Mississippi." It appears that this Samuel Munson Sr. might have been their brother—-even possibly their father. The 1800 Kentucky census shows a Samuel Munson and an Isaac Munson in the same area. The 1810 census shows a William Munson and an Allen Munson with families, but no Samuel. These may well be the next generation—-children of Samuel Sr. or Isaac.

Two Samuel Munsons appear to have moved to Mississippi to join their relatives there by 1810. It seems plausible that these could have been Samuel Munson Sr. and a Samuel Elder Munson. In the Woodville, Mississippi, archives the will of Wright Munson, dated 1813, reads "to well-beloved son, Samuel Elder, now known as Samuel Munson, whom I claim as my begotten son and heir, 100 acres of land adjoining Archibald Rhea." This wording leaves the relationships open to speculation. In 1816 a Samuel Munson (together with Nausworthy Hunter and Joseph Hunter) was appointed by the court in Wilkinson County "to appraise the estate of Jesse Munson, late of said county, deceased," (which appraisal Henry William Munson presented to the court in December, 1816.) A Samuel Munson is listed as an inhabitant of Wilkinson County in the 1816 census of the Mississippi Territory. It seems that these references may have been to Samuel Munson Sr., likely a close relative to Jesse.

On May 13, 1817, in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, a Samuel Munson (probably Samuel Elder) sold 100 acres of land "on the banks of Bayou Sarah" to Andrew Rhea. This appears to be the same land that Wright Munson bought from Andrew Rhea in 1813 and passed on in his will (dated 1813) to Samuel Elder Munson in 1816.

In the probate of the will of a Samuel Munson (probably Samuel Sr.) in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, in 1817, the heir is named as Samuel Elder Munson. No relationship is given. Samuel Elder Munson and wife Martha are found in Rapides Parish in 1817, and after the administration of the estate of another Samuel Munson there in 1819 (surely Samuel Elder), records show a Martha Munson buying and selling land. The fact that Henry William and Ann Munson named their first child (born in Rapides Parish in 1818) Samuel Munson suggests a close family relationship.

Numerous guesses can be made as to the relationships of the various Samuel, William, and Wright Munsons to Robert and Jesse. Surely some of them are brothers, and one might be their father. The names Robert, Jesse, Samuel, and William appear to have been repeatedly used over several generations, but the answers will not be known until further successful research is completed.