Edwin Oswald LeGrand
b. 28 June 1801, d. 10 October 1861
- Father: John LeGrand b. circa 1770, d. 21 January 1816
- Mother: Margaret Chambers b. circa 1780, d. circa 1845
- Edwin Oswald LeGrand was born on 28 June 1801 in North Carolina.
- A bond for the marriage of Edwin Oswald LeGrand and Martha O. McGehee was secured on 9 February 1825 in Person County, North Carolina, first cousins; their mothers were sisters.
- In a letter dated 20 July 1839 to William Chambers LeGrand in Tuskegee, Macon County, Alabama, Edwin Oswald LeGrand wrote from San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas: "Brother William, I have perhaps been careless about writing you. In your last you urged me to send you some funds which I flatter myself to be able to do this fall. . . . If I can make sales of land for par funds to the amount that will justify my visiting the U.S. I will come on myself for a few months though we have lettle else here than Texas notes which are so depreciated at present as to avail but little in the U.S. I have a quantity of good land. Mr. Smith says you desire very much to move to Texas. I would be more than happy in seeing you and your family here but would advise you to wait further advice before you bring your family, for we anticipate difficulties in this country for some time to come. We have had two very severe fights with the Cherokees this week in both of which the Texans were successful. In the latter of which fights among the slain was their principal Chief. I would suggest that you visit the country before you move. Your affectionate brother, E. O. LeGrand."
Quoted from Helen Johnstone Rose's book Our Family History: Johnstone, LeGrand, MacGillivray, Maclaren (1981), kindly shared by her nephew John B. Johnstone. - William Coleson Norwood and Elizabeth Wade LeGrand appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1850 in San Augustine County, Texas, and also Connecticut-born farmer John See.. Other members of the household included Edwin Oswald LeGrand, Hampton L. Norwood, Thomas Butler Norwood, James LeGrand Norwood, Eliza Jane Norwood, Adeline America Norwood, Sarah Osborne Norwood, Edwin Oswald Norwood and James Branch LeGrand.
- He was a trader, according to the 1850 census.
- In a letter to her uncle John Brown LeGrand on 31 January 1859, Mary Jane LeGrand Wood wrote: ". . . When we first moved to this state I wrote to uncle Edwin, received one letter from him in which he promised me he would make me a visit. I looked for him until we heard of his death 6 years ago. I wrote to Uncle E. twice after the reception of his letter but heard no more from him. It seems to me I wrote to you also, am not certain tho. Tell Uncle E. he has treated me badly not to visit or write either. He must now make amends and come to see me. . . . Am glad my informant was mistaken about Uncle E. I suppose he had heard there was a LeGrand dead and took it for granted it was him as he had not known him. Did Uncle James have a family? Who did Aunt Sallie's daughters marry? I do wish some of you would visit me. I am so anxious to see and know some of my own kin. Give much love to them all, and tell them to write. I would gladly receive a letter from any of them. Uncle Henry Wade is the only one of my fathers family I remember ever to have seen, he was at my house in Ala. after I was married. Did he have a family? He told me he married a widow lady, who had a daughter as large as myself. I never knew whether he was in earnest or not. Do you ever hear from him? Has my other Uncle Wade a family? Please write about them. I have long wanted to know my kin. . . ."
It is an educated guess that the Wade "uncles" Mary Jane mentions actually were step-brothers of her father, sons of Andrew Wade by an earlier marriage. - William Coleson Norwood and Elizabeth Wade LeGrand appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1860 in San Augustine County, Texas, (it is an educated guess that James Thurmond is Sarah's future husband.) Living next door is John Norwood, age 31, possibly a nephew.. Other members of the household included Edwin Oswald LeGrand, James LeGrand Norwood, Sarah Osborne Norwood, Edwin Oswald Norwood and James W. Thurman.
- Edwin Oswald LeGrand died on 10 October 1861 at age 60 in San Augustine County, Texas.
- He was interred at Macune Baptist Church Cemetery, Macune, San Augustine County, Texas.
- The following is from a letter of James L. Beverly of Wadesboro, North Carolina, written on April 12, 1891, copied in longhand by Aunt Margaret in 1902. "Jane Green Paul married William C. LeGrand on March 10, 1829. They lived near Wadesboro, North Carolina. His brother Edwin O. LeGrand married and moved to Texas. The girls all married. James and John LeGrand were last heard from just before the late war. They were quite thrifty old bachelors, owning valuable mill property and a large whiskey distillery in Burk[e] County, North Carolina. When John LeGrand died he left his children well, but William C. was fond of high life and after he married, went through all his property. They lived with Duncan McRee, his wife's cousin, and his wife in the same house. William failed in business and sold his land to the McRees. He taught school for a while. There is no stain on the character of any of the LeGrands. They are very fine people."
Quoted from Helen Johnstone Rose's book Our Family History: Johnstone, LeGrand, MacGillivray, Maclaren (1981), kindly shared by her nephew John B. Johnstone. - In a letter to her cousin Lizzie Leigh Wood James written about 1933, Margaret LeGrand Johnstone Philbrick wrote: "A letter from A. Lyttle of Wadesboro Oct 13, 1858, says that Wm C. LeGrand's father lived in the fork of the Rocky River and the Pedee, and that a Lyttle once owned part of the same land. John LeGrand the father of Wm C. had Edwin O., William C., James, and John, sons – Mrs. Hall & perhaps other daughters. Buck LeGrand (Homer), James L. & Hampton LeGrand were brothers of John. Mrs. Hall lived in Fayetteville N.C."
- For additional biographical information, see The Texas Handbook Online.
- Research Note: Regarding E. O. LeGrand's wife and possible children, further research is required.
Edwin O. LeGrand received a Certificate of Character dated December 3rd, 1834 from The States of Coahuila and Texas, Municipality of San Augustine stating that he is a native of North Carolina and is a man of a family consisting of three persons. (Texas General Land Office, File No. SC000074:48)
A census taken in the latter part of 1835 for San Augustine County lists E.O. Legrand as single. No mention is made of any children even though the census appears to list all household members. (Nacogdoches Archives, Vol 85, pp. 181-193)
He subsequently received a land grant from Mexico on May 25, 1835. The land grant states that he was a widower with two children. (Texas General Land Office, File No. SC000055:47.)
- Last Edited: 8 Aug 2014