I Remember: Being the Memoirs of Mrs. John Herndon (Maria Aurelia Williams) James together with Contemporary Historical Events ad Sketches of Her Own and Her Husband's Families

San Antonio, TX: The Naylor Company, 1938 Book. Very Good. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). VG green boards gilt lettering; corners bumped, lightly rubbed as are spine ends; some pencil marginalia on about 10pp total; Book is inscribed on ffep: "Presented to A. Langstaff Johnston, Jr by the author Cousin Maria James, Dec. '38" Included (laid in) are a photograph (presumably of "Langstaff"?) and two letters dated November 23, 1938 and February 9,1938 respectively, handwritten by Mary Greenhow James Sykes for and as dictated by her mother, Maria Aurelia Williams James to "Cousin Langstaff" the following biographical note is from the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library : "Members of the James family played a prominent role throughout the early decades of Anglo-American settlement of south-central Texas, beginning with the arrival of John James in San Antonio in 1837. Born in England February 13, 1819 while his parents were visiting from Nova Scotia, John James was drawn to Texas by reports of the struggle for independence from Mexico. His first employment involved the management of Ludovic Colquhoun's land holdings. His experience led to his appointment as Assistant, and then Chief Surveyor of Bexar County. James was involved in the surveying of much of the unsettled area around San Antonio, and platted the towns of Castroville, D'Hanis, Quihi, Boerne, and Bandera. He also began to acquire land of his own, building extensive holdings. In 1850, he formed a partnership with his brother-in-law James R. Sweet, operating a general merchandise business in San Antonio under the name James R. Sweet and Co. until 1862. He also was involved in a Bandera sawmill in conjunction with Charles de Montel, and was active in the cattle and sheep industries. John James married first Emaline Elizabeth Polley (1832-1848), daughter of long-time business associate Joseph H. Polley. With his second wife, Annie Milby James (1836-1901), he had eleven children: John Herndon; Thomas Milby (1854-1895); Mary Josephine; Vinton Lee (1858-1939); Annie Laura (1861-1909, married Alfred Giles); Sidney Johnson (1863-1916); Charlotte (1866-1958, married John Sehorn); Agnes (1867-1907, married first Edward Terry, second Livingston L. Shropshire); Scott H. (1868-1923); Fannie Ellen (1872-1877); and Diana (1875-1951, married John T. Dickenson). John James died November 26, 1877, leaving the management of his estate to his wife and eldest son. The oldest child of John and Annie James, John Herndon James, was born October 13, 1852. As a youth, he attended Earlham College, a Quaker institution in Richmond, Indiana, going on to Harvard College, where he graduated from the school of law in 1874. Returning to San Antonio, James began practice in partnership with Isaac P. Simpson in the firm Simpson and James. The firm's practice was extensive, particularly in land-related matters, and counted many of San Antonio's prominent businessmen among its clients. In 1893, John H. James was appointed to the newly-formed Fourth District Court of Civil appeals by Texas Governor James S. Hogg. He served as Chief Justice of the court until his death. Married in 1884 to Maria Aurelia Williams (1859-1940), James and his wife had four children: Annie Laura (who married Sigismund Engelking), John Alexander, Mary Greenhow, and Helen Adelle (who married Elmer Charles de Montel). John H. James died July 17, 1912 at the family's summer residence in Comfort, Texas." .