Coosa-Talladega-Shelby County AlArchives Biographies.....John William Austin and Sutherland November 1839 - 1913 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Linda Austin pandameme@msn.com February 19, 2004, 12:05 am Author: Linda Hood Austin John William Austin bn. 1839 married Mary Elizabeth Sutherland bn. 1849 and they shrouded themselves in mystery that still exists today. It is very evident that they chose to cover their past for some unknown reason, and it has been most difficult to impossible to trace. They gave conflicting information to the census takers, distrusting everyone. They may have had good reason to hide, because one story says that John William Austin met and fell in love with Mary Elizabeth Sutherland who may have been his niece or cousin. He may have stolen her away from her family while escaping a possee from Texas, who was chasing him and his brothers for horse rustling. Some say they crossed the Mississippi River and the possee turned back for Texas, and John William and Mary Elizabeth Austin came into middle Alabama and settled in Shelby, Coosa and Talladega Counties. They raised a family of seven children and have many descendants who would love to know more about them. The rare pictures of them shows Mary Elizabeth looking very Native American and this could be another reason they were secretive about their origins. The family names connected to our family are; Owen or Owins, Thornton, Day, Sutherland and Bearden. If you have any connections with this family, please contact us. Thanks, Linda Hood Austin This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 1.9 Kb