OVERVIEW[]
Abner Houston is supposed to have been an early Jamestown settler who relocated to "Pennsylvania". The basis for this story seems to be in a family history written by Franklin Warren Houston (1818-?). The work is thought by some to be more story than history. A number of entries for Abner can be found in the IGI. See Notes for more background.
Vita[]
| Entry | Source/Basis/Commentary | |
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| POB: | ||
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| Spouse: | ||
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| Mother: |
Ancestry[]
x is the son/daughter of Unknown (?-?) and Unknown (?-?).
Descendancy[]
Abner has been tied in by some to the Houston's/Huston's who settled in Old Chester Co, PA (Now northern Delaware, Chester Co, PA, and Lancaster Co, PA.). The following shows the stated relationships. The connection to Abner is considered unproven.
Family history[]
Notes[]
| From: | Margery Freas |
| Subject: | [KYBOURBO] Houston |
| Date: | Sun, 18 Dec 2005 09:33:25 -0500
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| Text | Kelly, have you found anything to back up the story about the Houstons in early pioneer history? I appreciate you forwarding this story about Abnor and Alfred Houston/Huston and very much appreciate your keeping the name in mind, but I have grave doubts about this one. Too much name dropping and wondrous deed.
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| It was one of the first Huston things I came upon twenty years ago in my earliest research of the name. but hours and hours of research have turned up not one item that even hints of corroboration. My problem is not finding even a mention of any Houston/Huston in 17th century records - nothing of this Alfred Houston (1572- ), or Abner Huston (1577- ). The story relates that Alfred, a graduate of Aberdeen Academy (rare in that day), and a professor of philosophy and mathematics there, came to America in 1612 and became a partner in business with John Rolph (who married Pocohontas). Note: This was before the Mayflower (1620) and before the New Netherland Colony (1624). I can find not one mention of any kind regarding this remarkable man who the story says was a student of John Knox and who came to this country because he was being persecuted in Scotland and then in Dublin for his beliefs. but was employed upon arrival to preach the John Knox doctrine to the London Company at Jamestown.
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| The story says the two men, both in early Jamestown, had been Housesons in Scotland, Dublin (Alfred) and Wales Abnor), but chose new spellings, Houston for the former and Huston for the latter before they came to America.
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| Their descendants, in the narrative, continued to do their feats, including being associated with Daniel Boone and William Penn (as a surveyor) among others.
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| The story is plausibly written by one Franklin Warren Houston (1818- ) in 1895. In my opinion, it has been around so long because it is such a glorious and believable account with dates and names of famous people as well as spouses and their parents. Wouldn't these wonderful exploits by educated men in pretty uneducated early America have received some mention in the records? The story says "I have been given the lineage of the Houston Family, I copied from the family record of my grandfather . . . I took an outline in 1840 (leaving out all historical and detailed matter [which] was in the handwriting of my great-grandfather down to and including his own family and which ran back to the record of John Rolph Houston, grandson of Alfred who crossed the Atlantic in 1612."
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| Uh-huh! Has anyone else tried to prove these happenings? I am not convinced - but it is tempting. |