CRISWELL, WILLIAM VANOY (1815~1858) William Vanoy (Vannoy) Criswell, Republic of Texas Veteran, was born on April 15, 1815, in Knox County, Kentucky to John Yancy Criswell, Sr. and Mary Eleanor Vannoy. At the age of 14 he moved to Texas and settled in or around Bastrop in February 1830.
During Texas' fight for independence, Criswell joined Jesse Billingsley's Mina Volunteers, which became Company C of the 1st Regiment of the Texas Volunteers, which fought at the Battle of San Jacinto. Because of his service to Texas, Criswell received one-third of a league of land by the Fayette County Board on January 5, 1838. On February 7, 1840, he received 640 acres of land for taking part in the Battle of San Jacinto. He later received another 3,250 acres of land for serving in the army from September 28 to December 13, 1835, and another 320 acres for his service from March 27 to June 27, 1836.
On February 3, 1842, Criswell married Mary "Polly" E. Michin (McMicken) in La Grange. Together, they had six children: Bettie, Sallie E., Mollie, John H., James Yancy, and Lillie.
Criswell, a member of the Lyons Masonic Lodge # 195, died on January 19, 1858, and was buried on the Kubena farm one mile south of Praha, Texas. During Texas' centennial celebration, Criswell's body was moved to the Texas State Cemetery.
Information taken from biography compiled by Louis W. Kemp and the San Jacinto Monument website, http://www.sanjacinto-museum.org/kemp/v198.htm, and the Genealogy Data website http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~ddorsey/database/dat48.htm. |
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