Early History of the Wightman / Pennington Families in Texas

In 1824, Benjamin Wightman, a fourth generation American born in Connecticut in 1755 who fought as one of Tryon’s County Rangers of New York in the American Continental Army (J. Edward Pennington’s 3rd great grandfather), sent his son, Elias, to explore Texas and determine the opportunities for settlement. Elias established a substantial relationship with Stephen F. Austin. He compiled the first map of Texas in 1828 and wrote the first history of Texas. He surveyed the County of Matagorda for Austin out of Austin’s original Mexican land grant and numerous other land grants made by Austin. In 1827, Elias received a sitio (4,428 acres) of land from the Mexican government to establish the town of Matagorda on the mouth of the Colorado River on the Texas Gulf Coast. He also received another sitio of land for his services to Austin and became one of “Austin’s Old Three Hundred”. Elias formed a partnership with Austin to govern the town of Matagorda. In early 1828, Austin sent Elias back to the United States to procure immigrants to fill his contract with Mexico. Elias collected 60 immigrants, including his Mother and Father, brought them by flat boat down the Alleghaney, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans where they chartered the schooner, “Little Zoe”, to take them to the mouth of the Colorado River landing on January 27, 1829. By 1834, Matagorda was the 3rd largest town in Texas. Two of Edward Pennington’s great granduncles served in Captain Horton’s Mounted Rangers in Fannin’s Army of the Republic of Texas and were killed in the massacre by the Mexican Army at the battle of LaBahia in Goliad on March 27, 1836. The Scraps of Early Texas History written by Mary S. Helm (Elais’ wife who remarried after his death) which includes a description of Texas written from Wightman’s notes is considered a Texas History Classic.

Riggs Pennington born in Virginia in 1787 (J. Edward Pennington’s 3rd great grandfather) served in the Mounted Volunteer Rangers in the Blackhawk War in Illinois. He brought his family to Texas in the early 1800’s settling near the town of Independence in Washington County, Texas. Riggs bought his first tract of land in Washington County on August 16, 1838, when he purchased 1,280 acres of land situated on the Brazos River from Mrytle Temple for $2,000. His next purchase in September 1838 was 1,225 acres of land for $3,829 situated on the north bank of New Years Creek from John W. and Polly Cole which was the land granted to them as one of “Austin’s Old Three Hundred”. He continued to buy and sell numerous tracts of land in Washington and the surrounding counties. Elijah Pennington, Edward Pennington’s 2nd great grandfather, served in Southwestern Army of Texas. Edward Pennington’s great grandaunt, Mrs. R. E. Pennington wrote the History of Brenham and Washington County, Texas, in 1915.