James W. Johnston (1856-1878)
Nancy's father was James Woodall Johnston, the oldest son of William E. Johnston and Elizabeth Miles Allen. Elizabeth's grandfather, Martin Allen, was a member of Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred, the first "legal" American settlers in Spanish owned Texas. He was born not far from what is now Wallis in 1856. He was raised in Austin & Coryell Counties and in Austin County was a close neighbor to the Harry family. He was barely nineteen when he married Sarah Sophia Harry on 25th of February 1860, the day before her fifteenth birthday. She was the daughter of Marcus Lafayette Hope Harry and Elizabeth Pryor Roberts.
Their first child, Mary Elizabeth Johnston was born 9 months and two days later on 27 November 1875. Nancy was born two years later on 14 November 1877. Jimmy died of pneumonia when Nancy was six months old on 26 May 1878. He was not yet 22 years old.
Little Jimmy and Sarah must have set up housekeeping with one of their parents as Jimmy never owned land nor was there any estate when he died. There is no legal record of Jimmy Johnston other than census when he was a child & his marriage license to Sarah. We are lucky that his tombstone is one of four still remaining in the Allen-Johnston Cemetery on Allen Creek in Austin County, not to far from Wallis. The stone is fairly tall and inscribed as follows:
J W Johnston
Born Nov, 23, 1856-Died May 26, 1878
HUSBAND DEAR TAKE THY REST
THIS SUMMER FLOWERS WILL BLOOM
WHILE YOU THE PURIST AND THE BEST
DOETH WITHER IN THY TOMB
After the death of Little Jimmy, Sarah married Dr. Charles M. Devereaux, son of Julian Devereaux, Texas statesman. They had 2 children. He died from a fall from a horse. Then she married William Belt. For more about Sarah, see chapter on Harry Family.
Children of James W. Johnston & Sarah Harry
i. Mary Elizabeth mar. Warren Gilbert Coody
ii. Nancy Cornelia Johnston mar. Leon Ernest Tubb(s)
Compiled and written by Betty Huddleston Vaughn
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