James Manor was born November 17, 1804 in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. Not long after, his family moved to Murfreesborough, Rutherford County, Tennessee. That was where 19 year old James married 17 year old Phebe Singleton Foster (born May 29, 1807) on June 26, 1824.
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| Rutherford County, TN, Marriage Record Books, Volume 1, 1804-1837, page 106 |
According to family lore and tradition, in 1832 James left his family in Tennessee and came to Texas with Sam Houston. By this time his marriage to Phebe had produced 3 children:
Aaron Josiah Manor, born April 30, 1825; died July 26, 1829Harriet Susan Manor, born August 26, 1827; died July 7, 1829Malinda Jane Manor, born October 26, 1830; died December 21, 1903
A fourth child, Ann Elizabeth Manor was born on February 1, 1833, three months after James supposedly left Tennessee to come to Texas. She was said to have been born in Missouri where Phebe apparently had gone to stay with relatives while James is said to have been away in Texas.
Family lore goes on to say that James Manor remained away from his family for three years but in 1835 he went back to Tennessee to join Phebe and the children who had already returned there. In 1836 James Manor came back to Texas with his wife and two small daughters along with other members of his family including his brother, Joseph John Manor and his wife, Caroline, and his sister Rhoda (Manor) Wilson. [1]
Historical documents seem to contradict the story told by family lore and tradition. Mississippi deed records seem to show James and Phebe Manor living in Yazoo County, MS from 1831 to 1836. [2]
Records on file at the Texas General Land Office indicate that James Manor stated he emigrated to Texas in April, 1837, as a single man, and that Joseph J. Manor, also as a single man, stated that he came to Texas in May, 1838. U. S. Census records for Rutherford County, TN dated November 4, 1850 show that Rhoda, along with her husband, John C. Wilson, and six children were still living there. Travis County Deed Records, book G, pages 4-5 show John C. Wilson purchasing 450 acres of land south of Austin on January 12, 1853, of which he later sold 250 acres to Rhoda Wilson on May 9, 1853, as recorded in Travis County Deed Records, book F, page 235.
In 1838 James Manor received 2 land grants and had survey’s made totaling 1920 acres of land on which he built a log cabin near Gilliland Creek in the area that would eventually become the town of Manor. [3] In 1841-42 he built a more modern two story house, leaving the log cabin to be used as the kitchen. [4]
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| James Manor's house built in 1841-1842 (photo at Austin History Center) |
His house was used as the first post office in the area as well as the stop for the stage line between Houston and Austin. At that time this area was still considered to be a part of the Webberville community (first referred to as Webber’s Prairie).
Five children were born to James and Phebe Manor after they arrived in Texas.
William Franklin Manor, born Sept. 12, 1836; died February, 1840Elvira Tennessee Manor, born October 31, 1841 , died September 12, 1918Lavina Henrietta Manor, born Dec. 6, 1843, died August 14, 1892Mary Emeline Manor, born Aug. 9, 1846, died June 1, 1864Catherine Georgia “Kitty” Manor, born Nov. 30, 1848, died January 3, 1882 [5]
Phebe Singleton Foster Manor, first wife of James Manor, died March 12, 1859 of Consumption at their home. [6] She is buried in Rector Cemetery at Manor, TX. There are 2 stone markers on her grave.
"Phebe S.Wife ofJAMES MANORBornMay 29. 1807DiedMar. 12. 1859""Blessed are the deadwho die in the Lord."
SACRED TOTHE MEMORY OF MRS. PHEBE S. MANOR, BORN IN VIRGINIA MAY THE29, 1807 AND DIED MARCH 12, 1859.BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEARTFOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD. MATH. 5.8"
James married Missouri C. Parker Burditt (born in 1824 in South Carolina) on September 20, 1866.
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| Travis County Clerk Records: Marriage Record 2, page 267 |
The Southern Intelligencer Newspaper from Austin carried the following announcement on September 27, 1866:
They had no children together but she had at least 7 children by her marriage in 1839 to Newell Walton Burditt who died December 6, 1856.
Information is currently unavailable relating to the date of death of Missouri (Burditt) Manor, but Travis County deed records show that she sold some of her land in June of 1872. In July, 1872 W. H. Reynolds filed suit against M. C. Manor and James Manor for collection of a debt owed to him by her on a note dated January 22, 1866. (Travis County Deed Record W, page 629) Records also show that W. H. Reynolds was appointed by the court as the Administrator of her estate in June of 1874.
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| Weekly Democratic Statesman newspaper, January 21, 1875 |
James married 35 year old Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Davis on April 22, 1875 when he was 70 years old.
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| Travis County Clerk Records: Marriage Record 4, page 335 |
She was born July 22, 1840 in Manchester, England as Elizabeth Ann Stelfox and had previously been married, first to James F. Allen, and then to John B. Davis before marrying James Manor. After James Manors death, she married Marion C. Abrams and lived to be 101 years old, having been widowed 4 times. She died on November 3, 1941 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery Annex in Austin.
2 children were born to James and Elizabeth.
Lucile G. Manor - born May 6, 1876, died January 17, 1972Elizabeth Beatrice Manor - born October 20, 1879, died August 25, 1959 [7]
Elizabeth Ann (Stelfox) (Allen) (Davis) Manor had several children by her previous husbands before she married James Manor. The 1880 U. S. Census for Travis County shows 4 of them living in the household with James and Elizabeth.
James Manor died on May 17, 1881 and was buried in the City of Manor cemetery, for which he had donated the land. His grave is about fifty feet inside the gate a little to the right surrounded by a chain fence.
The inscription on the headstone reads; "OUR FATHER
JAMES
MANOR
Born
Nov. 17. 1804
Died
May 17. 1881
Aged
76 yrs. 6 mos."
"A friend to his country
and a believer in Christ"
James Manor had twenty-one grandchildren, but he had no sons that lived to maturity so there would be no descendants of his with the Manor surname.
Sources
[1] James Manor and His Descendants by Thelma Rogers Cook, September 16, 1953 – Texas State Library and Archives Commission and Austin Public Library and Genealogy.com, 1963 –https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/a/l/l/George-D-Allen/GENE7-0001.html
[2] Yazoo County, Mississippi deed records, 1831-1836 - FamilySearch website
[3] Texas General Land Office website -https://cdn.glo.texas.gov/ncu/SCANDOCS/archives_webfiles/arcmaps/webfiles/landgrants/PDFs/1/4/8/148468.pdf
[4] Webberville and the Manor Cemetery by Banks McLaurin, Jr. 1995, page 172
[5] James Manor and his Descendents by Thelma Rogers Cook, September 16, 1953
[6] FindaGrave.com record for Phebe Singleton Foster Manor
[7] James Manor and his Descendents by Thelma Rogers Cook, September 16, 1953
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