The Old 300 refers to settlers in Moses Austin and Stephen F. Austin’s colony in Texas. Moses Austin petitioned the Spanish government to be allowed to settle in Texas in late 1820 and received his grant in early 1821. Shortly thereafter, Moses Austin died in Missouri and his son Stephen F. Austin elected to replace his father in the arrangement. This was later confirmed by the Spanish governor who formally recognized Stephen F. Austin as the person to succeed Moses and complete the grant.
For the next few years, Stephen F. Austin made arrangements with families to settle in Texas for which they received titles to their respective properties. Part of the arrangement included provisions that the allocated properties had to be occupied by the settlers within two years of the grant. Out of nearly three hundred grants, almost all individuals and families were able to comply with this provision. Only about 7 were forfeited.
Austin’s colony included land along the Colorado, San Bernard and Brazos rivers in the general vicinity of current day Washington, Grimes and Fayette counties and extended to the Gulf of Mexico. Most colonists were from southeastern states, some were slave holders, and some were already land owners. The original arrangement was with the Spanish government, as noted above. In August 1821, Spain had accepted the independence of Mexico. So, Austin negotiated with the Mexican government to make similar contractual provisions with it, so all of the contracts were effectively between the settlers and Mexico.
Austin kept a record of his settler families and it is preserved in the archives of the Texas General Land Office. One of the families was that of Joshua Parker. Joshua and his wife Nancy Whiteside had a son named James Wilson Parker. James Wilson Parker and his wife Frances J. Blakey had a daughter named Sarah Lavina Parker who was Joe Reeves’ maternal grandmother. Joe, of course, married Ellie Nash, which completes the Nash connection.
–Mike Magers
E R Nash Sr. and Family 