WILLIAM BELL IRBY

The following bio was taken from page 254 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Shirley Koym

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Cemeteries of Texas

The Irby family originated in England. When they came to this country, they settled in Halifax County, Virginia. This is where William Bell Irby was born in 1810. From Virginia, the family moved to Alabama in 1825. While living in Alabama, William Bell was married to Ann Thornton in 1840.

Ann Thornton was born in Alabama on April 21, 1827. Ann and W. B. moved to Texas in 1849. They were the parents of nine children. W. B. died in 1891; Ann died in 1899 while living near the small town of Cushing, a few miles southwest of Mt. Enterprise, Texas.

These Irby pioneers were farming people. They purchased land, settled in Rusk County and made a home, and by request, were buried on their homestead, though their graves sites, at this writing, seem to be unknown.

The first four children (all boys) of W. B. and Ann were born in Alabama before the parents moved to Texas. These were: John, James H., Jasper, and Newton. Henry T., Sarah (Sis), Samuel Houston, Ida Bell, and Mary Francis were born in Texas. Henry T. was born in 1850 and died single in November 1933, at the age of eighty-three. Sis (no dates for birth or death) was married to Ben Bradburry. Mary Francis, born March 5, 1855, was married to William Marcus Swinney, who was born December 23, 1850. Mary Francis died July 18, 1944; W. M. died September 25, 1911. Mary Francis was still living on the old home place in what was then known as the Sweet Gum Community southwest of Henderson, where W. M. died (See William Marcus Swinney story). There is no information for John, who died in 1899; James H. was married to Fannie Sue Pitman (no dates on birth, death or marriage). Samuel Houston was born July 14, 1857 and died April 20, 1937. Sam was married to Kizzie Arkansas Roberts, who was born January 1, 1861 and died February 22, 1945. Sam and Kizzie are buried in the Laneville Cemetery. Ida Bell was married to W. D. Holleman. She died in 1881. Jasper married Nancy Jane Roberts in 1882. Newton, who married a girl named Mary, died in 1889.

Uncle Henry lived with his sister, Mary Francis, following the death of W. M. (Wig) Swinney. He later made his home with one of his relatives, Homer Irby, probably in the Sulphur Springs Community. Homer was born in 1891 and died in 1932.

For more information on the Irby clan (and they are legion), the grave markers in the Gold and Laneville cemeteries can be helpful. "I cannot tell how the truth may be; I tell the tale as was told to me".

Submitted by Mary Ann Swinney Sires