Volume 6 #53 Issue 1

IN THIS ISSUE: January 2018

From the Administrator …..……………….…1 FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR Prior newsletters and other family Questions/News….……………….…....……….1 genealogy information is found on the Varner Family website. George Varner of Missouri Direct Line…1 http://brucevarner.com/VarnerGenealogy.htm

Riggs/Varner Connection………….…………1 QUESTIONS / NEWS Martin Varner of ….…………………….1 Q: Dee Bremer wrote she came across a Martin Varner of Texas. Do we know of this person?

A: See this month’s main article.

George Varner of Missouri Direct Line DNA No updates

Riggs/Varner Connection No updates

Martin Varner of Texas If you have worked through much Varner genealogy, especially concerning Edward, John, and Cynthia ending up in

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Texas, then you have likely come across our surname project claims ancestry to the Texan, Martin Varner. The question Martin Varner of Texas. Foy further is whether his line is related to ours? It stated that he believes no male does not appear to be the case, but the descendants from Martin Varner. story is good, and no one is able to say for sure at the moment……. Sadly, there is no chance that Y-DNA can be used to determine lineage because The first interesting fact on the subject is there are no living male descendants of that Martin Varner is quite famous in Martin Varner. Texas. There is even a Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site in West For those not familiar with Texas and Columbia, Texas that has a wonderful Texans, they take their history seriously. history. The historical plantation can be Don’t mess with Texas, and all that! So found online: while there are several “Texas” phrases http://www.thc.texas.gov/historic- and references in this article about sites/varner-hogg-plantation-state-historic- Martin and Texas, I have not attempted site to provide a definition of those phrases. I have however underlined these Before I recount the story, or you read phrases for convenience. Not to fear many details about Martin Varner, note however, just Google such references that I have spoken with the curator of and you will find plenty on the internet. that state historic site. Here name is Makes for interesting reading. Angelia Pfeiffer. Angelia was very nice to spend some time with me on the The plantation synopsis is paraphrased phone. One of the things she said was here: that while Martin Varner’s life in Texas is backed up by much historical detail, In 1824 Virginia native Martin Varner (b. many of the claims about Martin 1785- d. 1844) became one of the “Old Varner’s ancestry appear to be Three Hundred”), being granted land unproven. Evidence is conflicting. from Stephen F. Austin & establishing There were several Martin Varner’s, and the original colony in present-day she is not aware of any corroborated Brazoria County. He received 4,428 link between their Martin Varner of acres & raised livestock & establish a Texas, and ancestors, even if such links rum distillery. Martin Varner sold the appear in several places. property in 1834 to a Columbus Patton whose family owned the property until I also spoke with Foy Varner, the 1869. longtime lead administrator of the FamilyTree DNA Varner Surname Between 1869 and 1901, the site Project. Foy stated no one currently in changed ownership several times. The

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plantation sustained major damage in bounty land in Wood County for his the 1900 hurricane. Many original three months of service in the army. buildings were destroyed. To escape Antonio López de Santa When the Governor of Texas (1891- Anna's advancing army, Varner and his 1895), “James Stephen Hogg” was a very family fled in April 1836 during the young man, he visited the property . When his family was while it was owned by the Varner family safely across the Trinity River, Varner and always liked it. When he purchased turned back to join the Texas Army. On the land in 1901, he was convinced large April 21, 1836, he was stationed at the amounts of oil lay beneath the surface. camp opposite Harrisburg during the Ex-Gov. Hogg died in 1906 & his will “”. Mexican Gen. recommended his children not sell Santa Anna was held prisoner on the mineral rights for at least 15 years. plantation for a short while after the Within that time period the Hogg heirs Battle of San Jacinto. For his service struck oil, making them all very wealthy. there, Varner was awarded 640 acres of In 1958 Ima, the governor’s only donation land in Wood County. surviving child, donated the plantation to the state of Texas. Gov. Hogg always After his discharge from the army, called the property the Varner-Hogg Varner joined his family in Lamar County plantation, and the name stuck. where he purchased a 1,700-acre ranch near “Fort Lyday”. He became the first A synopsis of Martin Varner, found on permanent settler in Wood County in the Texas State Historical Website: 1841, when he moved there to avoid https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/art hostile Indians. He used the cash from icles/fva20 the sale of the Varner Plantation to is paraphrased next: purchase land certificates from San Jacinto veterans and patented over While history surrounding Martin Varner 6,000 acres in Wood County. from the time he arrived in Texas is well document, his life before arriving in In a dispute with a neighbor, Simon Texas is not. Nor has his ancestry been Gonzales, Martin was shot in the back. validated to historical satisfaction. When his only son, eighteen-year-old Stephen F Varner attempted to rescue Martin Varner participated in the “Battle his father, he was also shot and killed. of Velasco” on June 26, 1832. Later he Their loyal slave, Joe, subdued the killer, volunteered in the Texas army and who later died from knife wounds served in the Columbia Company from inflicted by Varner. Martin Varner died April 19, 1836, until his discharge on July three days later, on February 14, 1844. 19, 1836. He was awarded 320 acres of He was survived by his wife and six

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daughters. A marker has been placed by I obtained a copy of this book just the Texas Historical Commission at the before Christmas. Initial reading site of the home and cemetery of Wood indicates that Martin is likely NOT County's first family…… related to our Varner family.

As you can see from this synopsis, no Martin Varner family history and male descendants of Martin Varner lived available records seem to validate that to produce off-spring. he had moved to Texas from Ohio and Descendants of Martin Varner have over his family had move to Ohio from the years attempted to prove ancestry German Township, Fayette Co. beyond Martin. Resulting information Pennsylvania. Speculation is that the has been conflicting from those family may have earlier lived in attempts. Maryland where our Varner ancestors may have lived. The curator even told me that there is some indication that Martin Varner had The father of Martin Varner of Texas, is lived in Missouri before moving to apparently also named Martin Varner, Texas. She was unable however, to who died in Ohio. And that Martin provide any detail as to where this Varner is the son of another Martin suggestion originated? Varner who died in Pennsylvania. There is evidence for these three Martin Angelia Pfeiffer also stated that Varner’s. occasionally some descendants of Martin Varner visit the plantation. She As with any family many details are not provide me with old addresses for two fully corroborated. So maybe our lines of those descendants. One lives in El do cross in the early 1700’s in Maryland, Paso & the other in Victoria, TX. I hope but who knows. to follow up with them after the holidays. It is odd that there are no Y-DNA Varner’s in the surname database that One other descendant has written a are known to be related to these Martin book. Don Raney published: Martin Varner’s………. Sounds like our line. Varner: Texas Pioneer, 1785-1844, His Life Story & His Descendants. https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer- Happy New Year! listing/0945949707 Bruce Varner

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