et McCoy was born about 1810. Her age varies in census reports,so this is an estimation. In the 1830 census of Missouri, her age is shown as between 15 and 20. Margaret was married in St. Charles County, Missouri, on Oct. 30, 1828, to Ambrose Tinney. [See Marriage records of St. Charles County, Missouri, Vol. 1 p 25, Ambrose Tena and Peggy McCoy.]|
The Certificates of Reception in the Spanish Archives of the General Land Office of Texas give the date each settler arrived in DeWitt's Colony. Those records show that Ambrose Tinney arrived on 20 March 1830, that he was married and the family included four persons. His petition for land says he had two male children.
Ambrose and Margaret's oldest known child was John, who was reportedly born 14 March 1830. Thus he was probably born on the trip to Texas. If Ambrose had two male children when they arrived in Texas, then there was a son older than John. John was born less than seventeen months after Ambrose married Margaret. The first son was probably "early".
Tinney Family in Texas
Margaret and Ambrose Tinney were among the early settlers from Missouri who took up land in DeWitt's Colony. Ambrose Tinney received a headright on Tinney Creek.|
A sketch of the history of the McMahan community in the Caldwell County history book states that "The settlement of McMahan dates back as early as 1831. At that time Ambrose Tinney (the father of Grift Tinney) left Germany and came to Texas...[buying] a league of land...The highway 713 is the northern boundary of the league, and it extends three miles south....The original deed was written in Spanish."
Tinney's family may have come to this country from Germany, but Ambrose and Margaret came to Texas from Missouri with her parents, her brother Joseph and her sister Sarah with her own husband and five children.
The Archives show that March 20, 1830, was also the date of the arrival of Joseph McCoy (single); of Daniel McCoy, married; and of Frederick Kiesler, "married, five children, two of them males".
Ambrose Tinney died in Gonzales County in November 1844. Since that was before the creation of Caldwell County, he was probably in what is now Caldwell County, but the jurisdiction then was Gonzales, so that is where his estate records are located.
In November 1845 Margaret, as administrator of his estate in Gonzales County, sold Isaac Campbell 530 acres off the "northeast corner of the league granted Ambrose Tinney on Plum Creek." Jeremiah Campbell sold Henry Long his interest, as an heir, in Isaac Campbell's estate. After Campbell's death, Henry Long was granted nearly 170 acres of the Tinney land, which he sold to John Tinney on 26 Feb. 1859.
| Ambrose Tinney and Margaret "Peggy" McCoy are said to have had five children. Four are known by name.
Margaret Marries Again
Margaret Tinney married Alexander Morris in Gonzales County, Texas on 16 March 1848. Alexander Morris was born 5 Aug 1824 and died 6 June 1888. He was less than six years older than John Tinney, Margaret's oldest son. |
On page 595 of Deed Book A for Caldwell County is a "Schedule of property of Margaret Morris separate from A. Morris:
1] 530 acres in Gonzales County on Plumb Creek, portion of the headright of Daniel McCoy, father of said Margaret Morris
2] 1229 acres on Tinney's Creek in Caldwell County, portion of headright of A. Tinney, former husband of said Margaret Morris
3] 320 acres on Grave's Creek in Robertson County, bounty granted by the Republic of Texas to former husband of Margaret Morris, A. Tinney
4] 125 head of cattle branded on hip with letter A which range about Tinney's Creek; 7 sheep, 2 horses, 25 hogs
5] All house and kitchen furniture, farming utensils and implements of homestead of Margaret Morris in Tinney's Creek
25 February 1851
The implication of this separation of property is that the marriage was on shaky ground. Margaret wanted to be sure she did not lose the considerable property she had held before her marriage to Alexander Morris should there be a divorce.
Her precautions were well taken.
On Thursday, October 30, 1851, a jury in the district c