Land Grant
ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF SPANISH LAND GRANT
PHILIP J. ALLEN
Hon. Commissioner:-
I, Philip J. Allen, a colonist intorduced by R. M. Williamson, Agent of Empresario,
Benjamin R. Milam, for the contract which he concluded with the Supreme Government
of this State on the 12th day of January, 1826, with the greatest respect make known to you:
That my station is that of a married man and that, with my family, I have entered the country
for the purpose of locating myself permanently therein; and that, with the approval of the
Agent of said Empressario, I have selected one league of land in the colony of same
Empressario. Wherefore, I present myself to you in order that, as Commisssioner with
authority to that effect, you may be pleased to admit me and put me in possession of said
league of land; it being understood that I offer to settle and cultivate it in accordance with
the provisions of the law. I supplicate you to be pleased to accede to this petition, for which
you will receive my gratitude. Town of Mina, May 20, 1835. / s / Philip J. Allen
Mr. Commissioner:-
In obedience to your foregoing decree, I must say that the said Philip J. Allen is a colonist
introduced by me, as Agent of Empressario Benjamin R. Milam; he is a man of family and
entitled to the favor which he solicits.
Town of Mina, May 20, 1835. /s/ R. M. Williamson, Agent (Rubic)
In view of that set forth by the Agent of Empressario Benjamin R. Milam in the preceding
report, I admit the petitioner, Philip J. Allen, in conformity with the law and I order that the
land indicated be surveyed by Surveyor Bartlett Sims so as to issue the corresponding title
to the interested party.
Town of Mina, May 20, 1835. /s/ Talbot Chambers (Rubic)
SECOND SEAL: TWELVE REALS
Established by the State of Coahuila and Texas for the Biennial Term of 1828 and 29, 30,
31, Williams (rubic); 32, 33, 34, 35. Flores (rubic)
I, Talbot Chambers, Commissioner for the Supreme Government of the State of Coahuila
and Texas for the distribution of lands in the colony of Empressario Benjamin R. Milam:
Whereas, Mr. Philip J. Allen has been received as a colonist in the Colonization Enterprise
contracted for with the Supreme Government of this State by said Empresario, as shown on
folio No. 33 of the record book; and the said Philip J. Allen having proven that he is a
married man and having shown the requisites prescribed by the State Colonization Law of
March 24, 1825: In conformity with said law and with the instructions of September 4, 1827,
which govern me: In the Name of the State, I concede to, confer upon and put the said Philip
J. Allen in real and personal possession of one league of land: which land has been surveyed
by Surveyor Bartlett Sims, previously appointed for the purpose, under the following situation
and boundaries: (description) Of said land labors belong to the class of arable land and twenty
to that of pasture land. Which serves as a classification for the price that he must pay to the
State for it in accordance with Article 22 of said law, under the penalities therein established ;
he being reminded that, within one year, he must erect permanent landmarks at every angle
of the land that he must settle and cultivate it in accordance with the provisions of the law.
Therefore, exercising the power conceded to me by said law and consequent instructiions, I
issue the present instrument and order that testimonio be taken of it and be delivered to the
interested party so that he may possess and enjoy the benefit of the land, he, his children,
heirs and successors of whoever may have cause or right to same. Given in the Town of Mina
on the 23rd day of May, 1835, and signed by me with witnesses of assistance according to law.
/s/ Talbot Chambers (rubic)
Of Assistance Of Assistance,
J. W. Bunton Wyly Martin
GENERAL LAND OFFICE
Austin, Texas Feb. 20, 1934
I certify that the foregoing three pages and seven lines contain a correct translated copy of the
original title to Philip J. Allen existing in the Spanish Archives of this office.
/s/ P. H. Buckley
Spanish Translator
Sworn to before J. H. Walker, Commissioner
History
PHILIP JEFFERSON ALLEN, COLONIST
AND DEFENDER OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS
One of the early pioneers in the State of Coahuila and "MINA" Land Grant was PHILIP
JEFFERSON ALLEN. Allen was born in 1805, in the 96th. District of South Carolina.
His father had a line of freight wagons that shipped goods from the Carolinas to Tennessee
and Georgia. His parents, Valentine and Frances Collins Allen and infant PHILIP left
South Carolina due to the high taxation of the Colonies and migrated to Bedford Co. Tennessee
by 1807. The family grew with the births of 4 more children from 1807-1811. Frances Collins
Allen died in 1812, from childbirth with their only daughter, Agnes.
The Allens bought several tracts of land in Jackson and Madison Co. Alabama and are
shown in the 1830 Census. PHILIP ALLEN farmed in both counties and met and married
JANE WALKER, of the Hazel Green community in Madison County, Alabama. Jane was
one of the 15 children of James and Salley Taylor Walker. P. J. AND JANE ALLEN married
December 1831 in Huntsville, Madison Co. Alabama. The Allens, with Jane's teenage
brother MARTIN WALKER and other Alabamans started their long journey to Texas
shortly after their marriage. P. J. ALLEN had been approved by the Empresarios of Benjamin
R. Milam's new colony "El Mina" in 1828. Under the terms of the Land Grant, the Colonist
must be interviewed, sponsored and approved before being approved. After the approval a
league of land was surveyed and assigned to the Colonist. The Land Grant was signed by
PHILIP J. ALLEN, May 20, 1835.
P. J. ALLEN soon became involved in the fight for Texas independence with the other
men in "Mina". He shipped supplies to Benjamin Milam and other "Mina Volunteers"
at the Alamo and served as a Field Substitute at the Alamo. The Allen family was started
in Bastrop County with the births of James Valentine Allen, 1837 and Martha Louise in
1839. Several attempts were made by the family to settle on their land, but the Indian
Wars were too severe. The move was finally successful around 1845 as Hays County was
being formed. P. J. ALLEN claimed most of his league of land in the Northern part of
Hays County which is now area of Buda and Kyle.
The family continued to grow with the births of John Thomas Allen, who died as a Confederate
soldier at the age of 21, William Martin, born in 1847, and the oldest living Chisholm Trail
Driver and Confederate Soldier who died in 1938. PHILIP HANSBOROUGH BELL ALLEN,
born in 1850 and the first white infant born in Northern Hays Co. Great Grandfather. Oldest
living Chisholm Traildriver and Pioneer at his death in 1937. Other children were Sarah
E. born in 1844 and Andrew Jackson, born in 1852.
Two of the Allen children Martha Louise Allen and sister Sara," Salley"Allen married
John Young Stephenson and William Levi Stephenson of the James Stephenson family
who lived in Bastrop County in the 1850's. JANE WALKER ALLEN's brother WILLIAM
W. WALKER married Sarah Jane Stephenson, sister to the Stephenson brothers in 1854
in Bastrop. WILLIAM W. WALKER served in the Bastrop Militia and was wounded by
Indians in the early settlement of the county. His brother, MARTIN WALKER, who came
to Texas in 1835 with the Allen family from Alabama, served as a Scout for Sam Houston
with a group of several scouts for the Alamo and also was wounded in the Battle of
San Jacinto in 1836. He received 640 acres of land for his service and injury in Mina Land
Grant. A Texas state marker was placed at his grave in Walker-Watson Cemetery by the
State in 1962 which reads " MARTIN WALKER, BORN IN ALA.CAME TO TEXAS IN
1835, WOUNDED IN BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO, MINA
VOLUNTEER"
PHILIP J. ALLEN, died in 1860, of Pneumonia at the age of 55, at his home in Buda,
Hays County, Texas. JANE WALKER ALLEN, died at her Buda, Texas home in 1878.
Both P.J. and JANE WALKER ALLEN are buried in the Allen-Good Cemetery in
Buda, Hays Co. Tx. A Daughters of the Republic Defender Marker was placed at P.J.
Allen's grave in December, 1999 by his two GreatGreat Grand Daughters.
Submitted by: Gayle Grantham, Great-Great Grand Daughter
Houston, Tx. 2-08-2002 gayle1937@aol.com