Philip Alston Pegues

b. 25 October 1835, d. 25 January 1915
  • Philip Alston Pegues was born on 25 October 1835 in Tennessee.
  • Oliver Hazard Perry Pegues and Nancy Adeline Purcell appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1850 in Marshall County, Mississippi. Other members of the household included Philip Alston Pegues, Alexander M. Pegues, Thomas Henry Pegues, John G. Pegues, Eugenia Pegues, Ann Eliza Pegues, Massilon Pittman Pegues, Oliver Hazard Pegues, Mary Jane Pegues and William W. Pegues. Also in the household was overseer Elbert P. Hoshall. Children were enumerated out of age order; son James is not included in the household, and apparently son John G. and daughter Eugenia were consolidated into male "Gordentia W."
  • He married Mary Eliza Brown, daughter of John Garland Brown and Frances Rodes, on 17 February 1859 in Rusk County, Texas, at Thorn Hill.
  • Philip Alston Pegues and Mary Eliza Brown appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1860 in New Danville PO, Rusk County, Texas. Other members of the household included Lela Francis Pegues.
  • He was a merchant, according to the 1860 census.
  • Philip Alston Pegues and Mary Eliza Brown appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1870 in Henderson PO, Rusk County, Texas. Other members of the household included Lela Francis Pegues, Emma Eliza Pegues, Philip Thomas Pegues, Gus F. Pegues, Mollie Brown Pegues and Benjamin F. Pegues.
  • He was a farmer, according to the 1870 census.
  • Philip Alston Pegues and Mary Eliza Brown appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1880 in Gregg County, Texas. Other members of the household included Lela Francis Pegues, Emma Eliza Pegues, Philip Thomas Pegues, Gus F. Pegues, Mollie Brown Pegues and John Garland Pegues. Also in the household were Mary's sisters M. G. Brown (age 30) and Ava Brown (3).
          Note: The northeastern part of Rusk County became Gregg County in 1873.
  • He was a farmer and nurseryman, according to the 1880 census.
  • Philip Alston Pegues and Mary Eliza Brown appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1900 in Longview, Gregg County, Texas. Other members of the household included Philip Thomas Pegues, Fannie Marshall, Mollie Brown Pegues, Della Keys Pegues and John Garland Pegues.
  • He was a drygoods merchant, accordng to the 1900 census.
  • The following appeared on 23 February 1909 in The Dallas Morning News: (Longview, Tex., Feb. 22) Philip Alston Pegues and his wife with their six children, P. T. Pegues, owner of the Imperial Hotel, Dallas, Mrs. H. C. Thompson of Ada, Ok; J. G. Pegues, manager of the Longview Ice, Light and Bottling Works at this place; Mrs. P. W. Sandefur of this city and his two daughters, Miss Mollie and Della Pegues, who live with their parents here, celebrated their fiftieth anniversary at their home on Second street. About forty of the closest kinsfolk were present and a great many costly presents were given the couple, among which were several sets of spoons, engraved "1859-1909"; several gold coins and a gold-headed, ebony walking cane, and other valuable presents. The Ladies' Aid Society presented a gold fern dish. The ceremony was begun in the spacious parlors at 9 a. m., when the couple marched in to the wedding march, "Faithful and True." Refreshments were served, all prepared like fifty years ago, such as homemade crackers, wafers, chicken salad, boiled custard, pound cake and other old-fashioned homemade dishes of half a century ago. On the wall hung the picture of Mr. Pegues' great-grandfather, Mr. Pegues from France, of Huguenot extraction; his son Malachi Pegues, and his father, P. T. Pegues. On a table were rich wearing apparel and wedding slippers 75 to 100 years old worn by the Pegueses. The string band played old tunes of fifty hears ago, such as "Dixie," "Old Black Joe," "Annie Laurie," "Coming Through the Rye" and Sally gooden." The couple has been here and within nine miles of this place all their lives. Mr. Pegues works in his daughter's dry goods store every day and his wife attends to household duties as well as she did fifty years ago. Mr. Pegues went to the war in 1861 with the very first call for volunteers and served throughout with distinction. No amount of persuasion could get a photograph of the couple or a picture of any of the family, the couple having a particular aversion to having their picture appear in the newspaper.
  • Philip Alston Pegues and Mary Eliza Brown appeared in the US federal census of 15 April 1910 in Longview, Gregg County, Texas, and three male boarders.. Other members of the household included Mollie Brown Pegues and Della Keys Pegues.
  • He was a drygoods merchant, according to the 1910 census.
  • Philip Alston Pegues died on 25 January 1915 at age 79.
  • His wife Mary Eliza Brown became a widow at his death.
  • He was interred at Grace Hill Cemetery, Longview, Gregg County, Texas.
  • The following appeared on 3 June 1924 in The Dallas Morning News: (Longview, Texas, June 2) Mrs. P. A. Pegues, 82 years old, died at the home of her daughter, ten miles west of here on the Dixie Highway. She was one of the pioneers of this section, having settled at Danville, nine miles south of Longview, seventy-five years ago. She was born at Buckingham, Va., Nov. 24, 1842, and married P. A. Pegues in 1859. Mr. Pegues was a merchant here for a number of years before he died in 1915. The couple celebrated their diamond anniversary in 1909.
         Mrs. Pegues is survived by six children, Mrs. P. W. Sandifur, Longview; Mrs. H. C. Thompson, Ada, Ok; P. T. Pegues, Dallas; Mrs. J. A. Bass and J. G. Pegues, Longview, and Mrs. C. E. Basham of Wichita Falls. The funeral was held Monday with burial in Grace Hill Cemetery here, the Rev. R. M. Hall, her pastor, officiating.
  • Last Edited: 19 Mar 2015

Family: Mary Eliza Brown b. 26 November 1842, d. 1 June 1924