The application submitted for the historical marker traces the ownership of the land where the house sits to a beginning date of 1844 (should be 1841) when a land grant was said to have been issued to Ashbel (should be Asahel) Caldwell. More recent research indicates that ownership of the land can be verified to an earlier date of 1838. Even so, it appears that much of the information submitted in the original application is incorrect.
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| Text of the Historical Marker application, page 1 of 15 from The Portal to Texas History |
In a statement dated October 7, 1848, A. C. Caldwell swore that he never assigned his land grant, made on March 31, 1838 and issued by the Board of Land Commissioners of Sabine County, TX, to William H. Harris, or to anyone else. Therefore, survey 52 legally belonged to A. C. Caldwell. For more information on this see Travis County Deed Record 67, pages 1-5. A trial held in 1857 found in favor of Caldwell and against Harris.
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| Duplicate certificate awarded to William H. Harris by the Texas General Land Office, on December 17, 1841. From Texas GLO website |
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| Statement by A. C. Caldwell swearing he did not assign ownership of his land grant to William H. Harris. From Texas GLO website |
The historical marker application from 1982 says, “Mr. Caldwell sold this tract of land (one league and one labor) (4605 acres) to Charles Chavellier (should be Chevaillier) about four years later in March, 1849.” Travis County Deed record C, page 513 states this land is from “Survey 52” (the A. C. Caldwell league) and the deed is dated May 26, 1849.
The application says Charles Chavaellier (should be Chevaillier) sold 2750 acres from Survey 52 to Nathaniel Armory (should be Amory) on July 17, 1849. Travis County Deed Record book C, page 546 says the deed was signed June 28, 1849.
The application says, “Nathaniel Armory (should be Amory) sold the land to Judge Eggleston D. Townes of Tuscumbia, Franklin County, Alabama on January 20, 1854”. The deed record quoted for this sale is from book 40, page 164. It states that the 2750 acres sold was from the “A. C. Caldwell league.”
The application says, “Judge Townes died in 1871 (should be August 31, 1864)… Then his 2750 acre tract of land was divided to various heirs. The executor of Judge Eggleston’s (should be Townes) estate transferred the title of 152 acres to M. C. Townes (his widow) in September 1871.”
The source quoted for this transaction as shown in the application is Travis County Deed Record 5, page 514 (should be record V, page 514). The amount of land should be 152 7/10 acres. The deed is dated September 8, 1871.
The application says, “Nelson Rector received title to part of the estate in 1873”. Travis County Deed Records book 26, page 366 is quoted in support of this transaction, however, book 26, page 366 is a deed dated November 18, 1873 from R. H. Leigh, executor of the E. D. Townes estate, to J. T. Gregg (not Nelson Rector). The land referenced here is from the “A. C. Caldwell league.” This deed record says that it was written to correct mistakes in the original deed written October 5, 1870 and recorded in Travis County Deed Records, book U, page 21.
What the application fails to include is the record from Travis County Deed Records, book 26, page 367 showing that J. T. Gregg sold the same land, described as “556 acres, more or less” from the “A.C. Caldwell league” to Nelson Rector on November 12, 1873. Included in this sale were a 50 acre tract and a 44 acre tract of land previously purchased by J. T. Gregg.
The application says, “Nelson Rector...sold this part to James Manor in 1877” and references Travis County Deed Records, book 38, page 120 to support this statement. This document is very light, very dim and hard to read which may account for some of the errors in the application. This deed record is for the sale of three different tracts of land, sold by N. S. Rector to James Manor, August 23, 1877.
- 301 acres – part of the 562 7/10 acres from the “A. C. Caldwell league”
- 50 acres purchased from the heirs of Marcus Huling in 1875 or 1876. Travis County Deed Records, book 66, page 226 - part of the “A. C. Caldwell league”
- 44 acres minus 8 acres purchased from E. D. Townes estate by J.T. Gregg (part of the 562 acres)- book U, page 21 – part of the “A. C.Caldwell league”.
Headright land grants were given to men (heads of families and single) who had arrived in Texas on certain dates. James Manor received 1280 acres of land as his headright grant on May 3, 1838. It was surveyed (survey number 40) and deeded to him on November 12, 1838. Other tracts of land were later purchased by James Manor but they were not, and could not become a part of his headright land grant.
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| Certificate 3164 issued by The Republic of Texas to James Manor on May 3, 1838 for 1280 acres of land From Texas GLO website |
The application says, “In 1881 James Manor sold 38.75 acres to A. E. Lane.” Travis County Deed record 46, page 181 is referenced to support this sale made on November 29, 1879. While the deed record itself doesn’t state that this land was part of the James Manor headright grant, it does state that is was part of "the James Manor survey". This can be verified by maps showing the original town of Manor and the A. E. Lane purchase which was added to the town of Manor in 1912. It was part of the James Manor 1280 acre headright land grant, but not a part of the A. C. Caldwell league which was about 2-3 miles east of that location.
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| 1861 Travis County map from Texas GLO website RED - A. C. Caldwell's survey 52 BLUE - James Manor's 1280 acre headright grant, survey 40 YELLOW - location of town of Manor |
When the town of Manor was established, it originally consisted of 80 block divided into lots, half belonging to James Manor and half to the Houston and Texas Central Railroad.
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| Plat map of the town of Manor made by the Houston and Texas Central Railroad in 1872. Originally included in Travis County Deed Records, book V, page 796. Now in a collection of Manor items at the Austin History Center |
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| 1940 Travis County aerial photograph BLUE - James Manor's 1280 acre headright land grant RED - Original 80 blocks of the town of Manor |
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Travis County Clerk Records: Plat Records 1-2, page 223 showing 38.75 acres (20 blocks) added to the town of Manor by A. E. Lane. From the Portal to Texas History |
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| 1940 Travis County aerial photograph. BLUE - James Manor's 1280 acre headright land grant RED - Original 80 blocks of town of Manor GREEN - 38.75 acres (20 blocks) added by A. E. Lane |
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Plat map showing 38.75 acres (20 blocks) added to the original 80 blocks of town of Manor by A. E. Lane |
Martha Wainright Bloor purchased the entire block (lots 1-10, block 8, A. E. Lane addition) where the Bloor house was constructed, and still sits, from A. E. Lane in February, 1897. (Travis County Deed Record 147, page 273)
Page 14 of the application for a historical marker is a list of the “supposed owners” of the land prior to the Bloors. Every one listed before James Manor appears to be in error and actually has no connection to the Bloor house due to the fact that all of them refer to land from the A. C. Caldwell land grant.
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| Page 14 of the Travis County Historical Marker application YELLOW - these are all from the A. C. Caldwell league and have no connection to the Bloor house land GREEN - the only owners of the Bloor house land from 1838 to 1897 |
The land where the Bloor house was built was, always and only, owned, first by The Republic of Texas, then by James Manor, then by A. E. Lane and finally by Martha Bloor – no one else.
All of this is not intended to say that the Bloor house does not deserve a historical marker. It definitely does. At the time of its construction, it was described in the July 19, 1897 Austin American Statesman newspaper as "a fine two story brick residence which will surpass any yet built in Manor."
All of this is not intended to say that the Bloor house does not deserve a historical marker. It definitely does. At the time of its construction, it was described in the July 19, 1897 Austin American Statesman newspaper as "a fine two story brick residence which will surpass any yet built in Manor."
It’s just that the path that was followed showing ownership of the property prior to the purchase of the land by A. E. Lane and Martha Bloor is incorrect and should not have been included in the application for a historical marker.
This is great info thank you!
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