Gazlay Family History
 

FamilyAugustus Frank ‘Alfred’ Gazley

DIRECT DESCENDANT OF JOHN GAZLAY (from England c.1715)
Augustus Frank ‘Alfred’ Gazley5 (Thomas Gazley,4 Jonathan Gazlay,3 John Gazlay,2 John Gazlay1)

Parents

FatherDr. Thomas Jefferson Gazley (13 August 1798 - 31 October 1853)
MotherElizabeth Boyce (ca. 1799 - ca. July 1886)

Personal Information

Record Created: 25 June 2011; Last Edited: 20 January 2023 
Person ID2381
NameAugustus Frank ‘Alfred’ Gazley
GenderMale
Born 15 October 1842 in Bastrop County, Texas1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Married 8 May 1881 in McLennan County, Texas to Nannie E. Donovan9, 10
Died 3 December 1911 in Austin, Travis County, Texas1, 11
Buried in Texas State Cemetery, Austin, Travis County, Texas1, 11

Biography

Alfred served as a private on the Confederate side in the Civil War, a member of the 33rd Regiment, Texas Cavalry (Duff’s Partisan Rangers).12

Alfred was embroiled in several legal battles, with mixed results. In February, 1881, he had a “personal difficulty” with a man from Hill County, and the following September he determined to carry a pistol, thinking his life was in danger. He faced a trial in December of that year for carrying the weapon, but a jury was “satisfied with the explanation and acquitted him.”13

The weapons case pales in comparison to his conviction for the rape of nine year old Minnie Daura in 1884, resulting in a sentence of 99 years. The Daura and Gazley families were on friendly terms, the children of each household apparently visiting and playing with each other very often. [Note: no child or children of Alfred and Nannie have been identified in any records thus far.] Gazley claimed the case was a “put-up job on him” but his defense had no effect on the result. The case was covered in several newspaper articles not cited here. However, the following article from The Gazette, Fort Worth, Texas, provides an excellent summary of the ultimate outcome of the case:14

WACO -- The End of a Much-Tried Case-A Newspaper Man in a Peck of Trouble.

Special to the Gazette.

WACO, Tex., Dec. 7.--Another of the numerous cases involving the question of a legal grand jury has just been decided here. In 1884 A. F. Gazley was indicted for the rape of Minnie Dama [sic], a little Italian girl not quite ten years old. He was convicted, and sentenced to a long term in the penitentiary. The court of appeals reversed and remanded the case, and in December of last year another grand jury reindicted Gazley. The records of the court show that the grand jury that found the first indictment was composed of fourteen men, an illegal number; further, that between the commission of the crime and the second indictment more than twelve months had elapsed, which was also illegal. Counsel for defense urged these two points, and on the technicalities the case was thrown out of court and Gazley discharged, without any other defense.

Alfred’s legal battles did not end there. In order to pay the $500 fee for his legal defense in the rape case, Alfred and his wife deeded some of their property to their lawyers, but Alfred later claimed that the transaction was a mortgage, not a deed. The case was ultimately decided in the Supreme Court of Texas, 6 June 1891, affirming that the instrument was in fact a deed, and therefore title and ownership of the property in question belonged to the lawyers. It is interesting to note that the deed provided for Alfred’s mother “old lady Gazley,” to be permitted to live in the small house situated on the property as long as she lived. She died before the institution of the law suit.15

Person/Family

Spouse 1FamilyNannie E. Donovan
Born
Married 8 May 1881 in McLennan County, Texas to Augustus Frank ‘Alfred’ Gazley
Died before 1900
  

Sources

  1. Find a Grave (website). Texas State Cemetery, Austin, Travis County, Texas, Alfred Francis Gazley, born: 15 October 1842 in Bastrop County, Texas; died: 3 December 1911 (from record, which includes a copy of his obituary; and provides the names and links for his father and two brothers).
  2. U.S. Federal Census, 1850, Texas, Bastrop County, family of Thomas J. Gazely (50, NY, farmer); Eliza Gazely (50, Del.); Thomas J. Gazely (24, Ill., farm hand); William Gazely (19, Texas, farm hand); Edwin Gazely (14, Texas); Augustus F. Gazely (8, Texas).
  3. U.S. Federal Census, 1860, Texas, Bastrop County, Precinct N8, Page No. 72, family of Eliza Gasley (60, Delaware, farmer); Thomas Gasley (36, Ill., stock raiser); Frank Gasley (18, Texas); John Wilson (38, Pa., stock raiser).
  4. U.S. Federal Census, 1870, Texas, Bastrop County, Page No. 295, family of Thomas J. Gasley (45, Illinois, farmer); Elisab. Gasley (68, Delaware); Frank Gasley (27, Texas).
  5. U.S. Federal Census, 1880, Texas, Hill County, Precinct No. 4, Enumeration District 74, Page No. 28, family of Eliza Gazley (81, Delaware, widowed, farmer); son Thos. J. Gazley (53, Ill., farm work); son A. F. Gazley (36, Tex., farm work); gr. son Henry Gazley (7, Texas).
  6. U.S. Federal Census, 1880, Texas, Bastrop County, Smithville, Enumeration District 10, Page No. 24, Alford [sic] F. Gazley (37, Texas, farmer); he is listed as Visitor with the family of William Jones (30, Texas, farmer), and William’s wife and four children.
  7. U.S. Federal Census, 1900, Texas, McLennan County, Waco City, Enumeration District 74, Sheet No. 17B, family of Thomas Gazley (74, Illinois, Oct 1825, day laborer); brother Alford F. Gazley (58, Texas, May 1842, widow, carpenter); niece Ida L. Bragdon (20, New York, Mch 1880, married 6 years 1 child, 1 living). Neither Ida’s husband nor child are shown here.
  8. U.S. Federal Census, 1910, Texas, Travis County, Austin City, Confederate Home, Enumeration District 66, Sheet No. 4A, A. F. Gazley (67, Texas, widow).
  9. Texas Marriages, 1837-1973; marriage of A. F. Gazley and N. E. Donovan, 8 May 1881 in McLennan County, Texas.
  10. Morrison & Fourmy’s Waco City Directory 1894-95, Waco, Texas; entries for Gazley, Alfred F., carp., r. 121 S. 7th.; Gazley, Nannie E. (Mrs. A. F.), r. 121 S. 7th cor Franklin.; Gazley, Thomas J., r. 121 S. 7th.
  11. Texas Deaths, 1890-1976; Gazley, A. Frank; born 1842, Texas; died 3 Dec. 1911, Austin, Travis County, Texas; widowed; buried: State cemetery.
  12. U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865; Gazley, A. F.; Private, 33rd Regiment, Texas Cavalry (Duff’s Partisan Rangers).
  13. Waco Examiner, Waco, Texas, December 2, 1881. A. F. Gazley acquitted of carrying a weapon. Scanned copy available at Library of Congress, Chronicling America (website: chroniclingamerica.loc.gov)
  14. The Gazette: Fort Worth, Texas, December 8, 1886. Case against A. F. Gazley thrown out on technicalities. Scanned copy available at Library of Congress, Chronicling America (website: chroniclingamerica.loc.gov)
  15. The Southwestern Reporter, Volume 17. St. Paul: West Publishing Company, 1892. Digitized copy available at Google Books. Pages 17-19. Gazley et. ux. v. Herring et. al. (Supreme Court of Texas, June 16, 1891.) The case summary includes a reference to A. F. Gazley’s mother, who died before the institution of this law suit.