Asa Brigham
Encyclopedia
Asa Brigham was a Texas
politician and businessman and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence
(1836), declaring independence from Mexico
. He served as Texas Treasurer and mayor of Austin
.
, on 31 August 1788 to Lewis Brigham and Mary Rice Brigham. Marriage banns for Brigham and Elizabeth Swift Babcock were published 9 Dec 1810 at Watertown, Massachusetts
. He resided at Lunenburg, Massachusetts
, from 1810 to 1816 and was employed as a tailor. He immigrated in 1816 to Alexandria, Louisiana
, after suffering a fire and loss of his business. By the time he arrived in Texas
from Louisiana
in April 1830, he was married and had two sons, Samuel and Benjamin, and a married daughter, Adeliza Lewis Brigham. In December of the same year he was elected as síndico procurador in the precinct of Victoria
and a year later elected comisario for the same precinct. Also in 1831, Brigham was appointed to the Brazoria
district Board of Health.
At the time, there was increasing discontent in Texas with the policies of the Mexican
government, particularly the ban on slavery
and the disarmament/expulsion of American immigrants. On June 20, 1832, Brigham joined a number of Texan politicians in signing a convention which indicated their willingness to engage in military actions to ensure the independence of Texas. On October 6 of the same year he was elected treasurer of the Brazoria district.
After 1832 he kept a ferry
at Brazoria, and, in partnership with his son-in-law, ran a mercantile business. He became a stockholder in the San Saba Colonization Company and was a receiver of stock for the Brazos and Galveston Railroad. He bought land at Hall's Bayou in Brazoria County
and in the counties of Galveston
and Bastrop
, where he grew sugar
, cotton
and corn
in addition to raising cattle
. At this time, Brigham owned a number of slaves, but later in his life he was to sign numerous petitions against slavery.
By 1833, his wife, son-in-law and one of his daughters had died. In 1835 he was elected Brazoria alcalde
and was one of the four representatives of Brazoria who attended the convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos in 1836, where he signed the Texas Declaration of Independence
.
Since Brigham had been influential in the founding of a Masonic Lodge
in Brazoria, he served as a charter member of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas
in Houston on December 20, 1837. He was appointed auditor of the Republic of Texas
by David G. Burnet
and named Texas's first treasurer by President Sam Houston
in December 1836. He was re-appointed as treasurer by Mirabeau B. Lamar
in January 1839, but left the treasury in April the next year. He was charged with using state funds for private purposes during his time as treasurer but later cleared. He was re-appointed treasurer again in December 1841, and in 1842 became mayor
of Austin
.
He married his second wife, Ann Johnson Mather, on July 8, 1839. Brigham died July 3, 1844 in Washington, Texas, and was buried there. Texas built a monument to him there in 1936, and his remains were later moved to Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historical Park
.
, an English immigrant to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
, as follows:
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
politician and businessman and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...
(1836), declaring independence from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He served as Texas Treasurer and mayor of Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
Biography
Asa Brigham was born in Marlborough, MassachusettsMarlborough, Massachusetts
Marlborough is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 38,499 at the 2010 census. Marlborough became a prosperous industrial town in the 19th century and made the transition to high technology industry in the late 20th century after the construction of the...
, on 31 August 1788 to Lewis Brigham and Mary Rice Brigham. Marriage banns for Brigham and Elizabeth Swift Babcock were published 9 Dec 1810 at Watertown, Massachusetts
Watertown, Massachusetts
The Town of Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,915 at the 2010 census.- History :Archeological evidence suggests that Watertown was inhabited for thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from England...
. He resided at Lunenburg, Massachusetts
Lunenburg, Massachusetts
Lunenburg is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,086 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Lunenburg, please see the article Lunenburg , Massachusetts....
, from 1810 to 1816 and was employed as a tailor. He immigrated in 1816 to Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
, after suffering a fire and loss of his business. By the time he arrived in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
from Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
in April 1830, he was married and had two sons, Samuel and Benjamin, and a married daughter, Adeliza Lewis Brigham. In December of the same year he was elected as síndico procurador in the precinct of Victoria
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
and a year later elected comisario for the same precinct. Also in 1831, Brigham was appointed to the Brazoria
Brazoria County, Texas
Brazoria County[p] is a county in the U.S. state of Texas, located on the Gulf Coast within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Regionally, parts of the county are within the extreme southern-most fringe of the regions locally known as Southeast Texas. Brazoria County is among a...
district Board of Health.
At the time, there was increasing discontent in Texas with the policies of the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
government, particularly the ban on slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
and the disarmament/expulsion of American immigrants. On June 20, 1832, Brigham joined a number of Texan politicians in signing a convention which indicated their willingness to engage in military actions to ensure the independence of Texas. On October 6 of the same year he was elected treasurer of the Brazoria district.
After 1832 he kept a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
at Brazoria, and, in partnership with his son-in-law, ran a mercantile business. He became a stockholder in the San Saba Colonization Company and was a receiver of stock for the Brazos and Galveston Railroad. He bought land at Hall's Bayou in Brazoria County
Brazoria County, Texas
Brazoria County[p] is a county in the U.S. state of Texas, located on the Gulf Coast within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Regionally, parts of the county are within the extreme southern-most fringe of the regions locally known as Southeast Texas. Brazoria County is among a...
and in the counties of Galveston
Galveston County, Texas
Galveston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population was 291,309. Its county seat is Galveston. League City is the largest city in Galveston County in terms of population; between...
and Bastrop
Bastrop County, Texas
Bastrop County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2006, the population was 71,700. Its county seat is Bastrop. Bastrop County is named for Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop , an early Dutch settler who assisted Stephen F...
, where he grew sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
and corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
in addition to raising cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
. At this time, Brigham owned a number of slaves, but later in his life he was to sign numerous petitions against slavery.
By 1833, his wife, son-in-law and one of his daughters had died. In 1835 he was elected Brazoria alcalde
Alcalde
Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...
and was one of the four representatives of Brazoria who attended the convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos in 1836, where he signed the Texas Declaration of Independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...
.
Since Brigham had been influential in the founding of a Masonic Lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
in Brazoria, he served as a charter member of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas
Grand Lodge of Texas
The Grand Lodge of Texas, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons is the largest of several governing bodies of Freemasonry in the State of Texas, being solely of the Ancients' tradition and descending from the Ancient Grand Lodge of England, founded in 1751. It was originally founded as "The Grand Lodge...
in Houston on December 20, 1837. He was appointed auditor of the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
by David G. Burnet
David G. Burnet
David Gouverneur Burnet was an early politician within the Republic of Texas, serving as interim President of Texas , second Vice President of the Republic of Texas , and Secretary of State for the new state of Texas after it was annexed to the United States of America.Burnet was born in Newark,...
and named Texas's first treasurer by President Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
in December 1836. He was re-appointed as treasurer by Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar was a Texas politician, diplomat and soldier who was a leading Texas political figure during the Texas Republic era. He was the second President of the Republic of Texas, after David G. Burnet and Sam Houston.-Early years:Lamar grew up at Fairfield, his father's...
in January 1839, but left the treasury in April the next year. He was charged with using state funds for private purposes during his time as treasurer but later cleared. He was re-appointed treasurer again in December 1841, and in 1842 became mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
He married his second wife, Ann Johnson Mather, on July 8, 1839. Brigham died July 3, 1844 in Washington, Texas, and was buried there. Texas built a monument to him there in 1936, and his remains were later moved to Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historical Park
Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas
Washington-on-the-Brazos is an unincorporated area along the Brazos River in Washington County, Texas, United States. It was founded when Texas was still a part of Mexico, and the settlement became the site of the Convention of 1836 and the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence...
.
Genealogy
Asa Brigham was a descendant of Edmund RiceEdmund Rice (1638)
Edmund Rice , was an early immigrant to Massachusetts Bay Colony who was born in Suffolk, England, and lived in Stanstead, Suffolk and Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire prior to sailing with his family to America. He arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in summer or fall of 1638, presumed to be first...
, an English immigrant to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
, as follows:
- Asa Brigham, son of
- Mary Rice (8 Apr 1767 – 15 Jun 1797), daughter of
- Benjamin Rice (4 Jan 1740 – 23 Apr 1811), son of
- Deacon Andrew Rice (18 Jan 1703 – 15 Jan 1775), son of
-
-
- Joshua Rice (19 Apr 1661 – 23 Jun 1734), son of
- Samuel Rice (12 Nov 1634 – 25 Feb 1684), son of
-
- Edmund RiceEdmund Rice (1638)Edmund Rice , was an early immigrant to Massachusetts Bay Colony who was born in Suffolk, England, and lived in Stanstead, Suffolk and Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire prior to sailing with his family to America. He arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in summer or fall of 1638, presumed to be first...
(1594 – 3 May 1663)
- Edmund Rice
-