JAMES MANOR'S CATTLE BRANDS

Travis County began keeping records of brands and marks used on livestock in 1840. James Manor was number four on the list. On November 9, 1841, James Manor registered a mark and brand for his cattle with the Travis County Clerk’s office. The brand was the number 3 and the mark was an under-bite in the right ear and a split in the left ear.

Travis County Clerk Records; Marks and Brands 1, page M

Almost 29 years later, on February 22, 1870 he sold all of his cattle (with a few exceptions) bearing this mark and brand to three members of the Boyce family. It appears that perhaps the Boyces may have had to search for the cattle in order to take possession of them. At that time all of Texas was an “open-range” state, meaning that cattle, horses, donkeys, mules, sheep, and goats were not required to be fenced in and were allowed to run free wherever they chose to go.

Travis County Deed Records; Deed Records T, page 205

This document for the sale of the cattle reads as follows;

The State of Texas
Travis County

Know all men by these presents that I, James Manor of said County and State for and in consideration of Eight hundred dollars in gold to be paid to me within one month from the date of this instrument, have this day bargained and sold and do hereby bargain and sell to A. F. Boyce, also of said County and State, A. G. Boyce and William Boyce also of said County and State, all of my entire stock of cattle running and ranging north of the San Marcos River in the County of Travis and adjoining counties, marked and branded as follows, to wit; Branded with a figure 3, and marked under-bite in the right and split in the left ear. All of said stock in said mark and brand are hereby bargained and sold to said A. F. Boyce, A. G. Boyce and Wm. Boyce save and except the following described cows and oxen, which I hereby reserve and retain from said sale; to wit; ten milk cows, five oxen and four other oxen which have been sold and disposed of as follows; one to Sellers, one to Daugherty, one to Cam. Hill and one to Henry Nealy. And it is hereby understood that said ten milk cows and nine oxen in said mark and brand are hereby exempt and reserved from said sale. In testimony of which I hereby set my had this 22nd day of February 1870.

James Manor 

According to this document, the cattle being sold were “running and ranging north of the San Marcos River in the County of Travis and adjoining counties”. Since the San Marcos River starts in the town of San Marcos and runs southeast almost to the town of Gonzales, this could mean that the cattle could have been located somewhere in Hayes, Travis and Bastrop Counties.

The document states that James Manor was keeping ten milk cows and five oxen for himself, along with four more oxen that he had already sold to other men.

It seems likely that he acquired more cattle for himself not too many years later because on June 12, 1874 James Manor registered a new cattle brand with the Travis County Clerk. It appears to be the connected letters JAM, the first three letters of his first name. 

Travis County Clerk Records; Marks and Brands Record 1

And, while there is currently no direct proof that James Manor continued to raise cattle after this time, there are documents that suggest that he did. Travis County Deed Records, book V, pages 581-582 show that on September 5, 1871,  he purchased, at auction, 360 acres of land from the Jessee Burditt, Sr. estate. 240 acres were in one tract and 120 acres in a separate tract located nearby. This land was part of the James P. Wallace one-third league of land, which was, at that time, said to be about six miles north of Austin.

On October 3, 1876, James Manor granted the International and Great Northern Railway Company a strip of land 150 feet wide through the 240 acre tract of land in the James P. Wallace one-third league.  Travis County Deed Records, book 36, page 82, states that the Railroad paid $350 for this strip of land. One of the stipulations in the deed was that the Railroad was required to build "good cattle guards" at the places where the railroad entered and left James Manor's property. This would need to be done only if the land was fenced and cattle were being raised on the fenced-in property. 

It would be quite a few more years before livestock owners in the Manor area were required to keep their animals inside their own fences. 

On August 14, 1905, Manor resident, William Luedecke, along with 57 others, filed a petition with the Travis County Commissioners Court asking for an election to be held to determine if livestock owners could be required to fence their land and keep their animals from roaming freely. 

August 14, 1905 Petition for Stock Law - The Portal to Texas History,
Commissioners Court Minutes I, page 314

An election was held in Travis County Precinct 2, which included Manor, on December 23rd of that year at which time a “stock law” was passed requiring livestock owners to fence their property and keep their animals inside their fences. The total vote was 100 for the stock law and 24 against. Manor area residents voted 38 for and 23 against. 

Results of election held December 23, 1905 - The Portal to Texas History
Travis County Election Records, Record of Election Returns 2, page 109

An interesting side note to the story concerns a Maryland-born man by the name of Marion Courtland Abrams. The 1880 U.S. Census count taken on June 23rd shows 26 year old M. C. Abrams living with James Manor and his wife, Elizabeth Ann. Abrams is described as a “boarder” in James Manor’s home.

James Manor died on May 17, 1881. M. C. Abrams registered marks and brands for cattle and horses with the Travis County Clerk on June 16, 1881.

Travis County Clerk Records, Marks and Brands Record 1, page 14
The Portal to Texas History

Abrams married Elizabeth Ann Manor, widow of James, on March 5, 1882. An inventory of James Manor's estate at the time of his death showed that he owned "30 cattle, 5 cows and calves, 3 mules, 2 horses, 1 ox, 13 hogs, 45 goats, and chickens and other poultry". His will stated that his widow, Elizabeth Ann, was to be given "five of the best cows and calves, the stock of hogs and goats and poultry, two horses..." The remainder of his cattle may have been divided among his daughters who were heirs to other parts of his estate, but the will doesn't specifically state that such was the case. 

The brand that Abrams had registered less than one year earlier was cancelled on April 1, 1882. A new brand was registered by Abrams that same day which appears to be the combined letters M and A. 

Travis County Clerk Records, Marks and Brands Record 2, page M
The Portal to Texas History

Whether M. C. Abrams brand was to be placed on cattle and horses that he a acquired after his marriage to Elizabeth, or on those that previously belonged to James Manor, or both, may never be known. Records of the American Southdown Breeders Association and the American Berkshire Association from the early 1900's show that Abrams did raise sheep and hogs. 

1895 advertisement place in The Horticultural Gleaner,
published in Austin, TX