To Brenda, et al >From Helen Austin [email protected] RE: New information on Hugh J. Austin b 1827 AL and the William Austin b 1793 TN and family. Nothing like looking in file folders, for a change! :-)) I found three documents of interest to you: 1. Newspaper Item: Moulton Advertiser, 6 Sep 1855, as printed in FOOTPRINTS IN TIME, Vol 1, extracted by Myra Border; dateline from Lawrence Co, AL William D. AUSTIN of Ft. Bend Co, TX died after a short illness of typhoid fever. he died at his father's house in the company of his mother, brother and sisters, leaving his little orphan son , now in Texas to the care of his brother. Item 2- 1st book in Lawrence Co, AL REVERSE INDEX TO DEEDS- grantee, William Austin - Grantor, Thomas Phelps - Orphans Court Book C: p 342 (Note this is the only William Austin of this county at that early time, that I know of. ) Item 3 - Probate Minute Book I-18; dated Dec 9, 1874; AUSTIN W. T. Simmons is named executor of the estate of George W. AUSTIN. Also for estate of SARAH A. AUSTIN, also for MARY BLALOCK, JOHN L. AUSTIN, PARROTT AUSTIN, THOS. J. AUSTIN. entered into bond for each of said estate in the sum of $800 with Henry Thone and E. C. Ashford as his securites. (note from Helen, I think this W. T. Simmons was a lawyer) notice that these names also appear in the Power of Attorney dated 1876 which I sent you yesterday. I wonder why all these folk died about the same time. Perhaps it was one of the Yellow Fever epidemics. According to the census of 1850 and 1860 which we examined yesterday, the AUSTIN, Wm. and BLALOCK families lived near the TN River in the lower cotton growing estates. more later as I find it.