MCCLURE, Judge Alexander Ewing^[1]

1814 - 1870  (55 years)

• Name	MCCLURE, Alexander Ewing
  Prefix	Judge
  Birth	9 Oct 1814	Greeneville, Greene, Tennessee, United States   [2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Death	9 May 1870	Palestine, Anderson, Texas, United States   [2]
  Burial	Palestine, Anderson, Texas, United States   [2]
  	Address: Palestine City Cemetery
  Person ID	I5628	Pickel_Bartlett
  Last Modified	14 May 2022

  
  

  Family	GLENN, Ann E.,   b. 9 Jul 1822, Prince Edward County, Virginia, United States d. 13 Jul 1861, Palestine, Anderson, Texas, United States (Age 39 years)
  Marriage	13 Oct 1837	Marshall County, Tennessee, United States   [2, 4]
  Residence	26 Sep 1850	Anderson County, Texas, United States   [5]
  	District Court Clerk
  	They had four unrelated people living in their home: 1. Samuel Craven, County Clerk 2. John W. Guelds (?) Methodisht Episcopal Minister 3. Winna Guelds - His wife 4. Michael F. Coles - Methodist Episcopal Minister
  Residence	22 Jun 1860	Palestine, Anderson, Texas, United States   [3]
  	District Clerk
  	Listed as A. E. and A. E. McClure
  Children	1. MCCLURE, Robert Alexander,   b. 28 Nov 1840, Ft. Houston, Houston, Texas Republic, United States d. 11 Dec 1915, Rusk, Cherokee, Texas, United States (Age 75 years)   2. MCCLURE, William Amos,   b. 10 Mar 1843, Texas d. Abt 10 Mar 1843, Texas (Age 0 years)   3. MCCLURE, Mary Ellen,   b. Abt 1846, Anderson County, Texas, United States d. Yes, date unknown   4. MCCLURE, Georgia Virginia,   b. 14 Oct 1849, Palestine, Anderson, Texas, United States d. 27 Oct 1904, Bend, San Saba, Texas, United States (Age 55 years)   5. MCCLURE, William G.,   b. Abt 1852, Palestine, Anderson, Texas, United States d. Yes, date unknown   6. MCCLURE, Alexander Purdom,   b. 29 Jan 1854, Palestine, Anderson, Texas, United States d. Yes, date unknown   7. MCCLURE, Thomas Marshall,   b. 23 Nov 1856, Palestine, Anderson, Texas, United States d. 1 Apr 1912, Texas (Age 55 years)   8. MCCLURE, George Ewing,   b. Abt 1859, Palestine, Anderson, Texas, United States d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F1634	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	16 May 2022

  
  

• Photos

  Judge Alexander Ewing McClure An early resident of what is now Palestine, Texas.

  
  

• Notes

  Alexander Ewing McClure was born 4 Sep 1814 in Greenville, Tennessee. As a child, Alexander and his family moved to Giles County, Tennessee. As a young man he studied law and began practice in Lewisburg, Marshall Co. TN. He is on record as the clerk of the Marshall County court in 1839. A. E. McClure (in later life he was to use his initials exclusively) came to Texas with his father-in-law, Nathan Glenn in 1840. He owned property in Ft. Houston (now Palestine). He purchased five acres of land immediately to the north of the city limits of the new city of Palestine and built a house at what is now 921 N. Perry St, Palestine. The house (considerably refurbished) still stands at that address.  By an act of the Fifth Texas Congress, Burnet county (a "judicial county") was formed from the northern part of Houston County. Fort Houston was the seat of justice and Alexander E. McClure was the first Chief Justice. The county of Burnet functioned for a brief time, but became defunct when judicial counties were declared unconstitutional in 1844. The McClure-McReynolds-Fowler House. The story of the demise of Burnet County appears in something of a light vein in a small volume entitled, "History of Palestine", by S. P. Allen and an unnamed collaborator: "All the usual activities were carried on in Burnet County: court being held, taxes being assessed, marriage licenses issued, etc. The county seat, Fort Houston, began to improve and might even have flourished into a city, leaving the present city of Palestine a 'cottonpatch or a goober field' except for the ruling of the Supreme Court declaring judicial counties unconstitutional and all transactions of such null and void.  When this happened, the people of the town and the area were greatly disturbed and highly critical of the action of the court. Many vexing and even embarrassing questions were raised. People who were married under the jurisdiction of Burnet County were uncertain of their status. Many remonstrances were sent to Judge Ochiltree of the district court in session at Nacogdoches, whose order had gone out in support of the action of the Supreme Court. "Alexander E. McClure, Chief Justice of Burnet County, was sent with the people's protest, fully signed, against Judge Ochiltree's decision. The judge, upon hearing of Mr. McClure's mission, sent him word not to present the petition, as it would be considered an act of resistance to the law, and would probably lead to Burnet County's Chief Justice being committed to jail. Thus ended both the people's wrath and Burnet County. All acts and transactions under its jurisdictions were still legal and binding under the authority of Houston County and the Nacogdoches disrict." E. McClure's daughter, "Mollie", is believed to be the first white child born in Anderson County after it was formed from Houston County March 1846. In the 1848 census, the McClure household shows four whites and two Negro slaves. A. E. McClure was first District Clerk as indicated by the meeting of the July 1846 term of Court of Anderson County, and continued to hold this office for several terms. He and his brother-in-law, I. W. Ewing, were the second owners of The Trinity Advocate from 1852 until his death in 1870. From the Huntsville Item for Jan 15, 1855: "Messrs Ewing & McClure are now the proprietors of the Palestine Advocate, having we presume, purchased the interests of Mr. Rogers and the late Judge Martin." A. E. McClure was listed as treasurer of Palestine Encampment #3 of Knight's Templars Order on the 24th ult. (that would be 24th Nov 1853) Provided by Robert McClure

  
  

• Sources

  [S114] Miscellaneous, Tribute published in Palestine (TX) Daily Herald, Dec. 17, 1904. [S109] Find-a-Grave website, Memorial# 52195018. [S316] 1860 Federal Census, Palestine, Anderson, Texas, Page 28, Dwelling 192. [S102] Cer, Ernst, McGeachy, Betts, Hadley Genealogy. [S76] 1850 Federal Census, Anderson County, Texas, Family Residence 148.