George Gazley
George Gazley4 (Jonathan Gazlay,3 John Gazlay,2 John Gazlay1)
Parents
| Father | Jonathan Gazlay (17 August 1760 - 7 September 1835) |
| Mother | Karenda Carter ( - ) |
Personal Information
| Record Created: 26 August 2011; Last Edited: 3 February 2022 |
| Person ID | 3037 |
| Name | George Gazley |
| Gender | Male |
| Born | 1 |
| Married | to Mary McGee2 |
| Died | 20 December 1843 in Houston, Harris County, Texas3 |
Biography
George is believed to be a son of Jonathan Gazley, based on circumstantial evidence. He is identified as an early settler of Texas along with his brother Thomas, who is a known child of Jonathan (the same source also names a brother William but this brother was not known to have settled in Texas).1
George was a prominent merchant in Houston, Texas, trading with J. M. Robinson as Gazley & Robinson. Their company’s advertisements frequently appeared in Houston newspapers between 1839 and 1843.4
He was among the founding members of the Houston Chamber of Commerce, the second oldest Chamber in the country behind that of Boston. He is listed as George Gazely among those who attended the first meeting on 4 April 1840. Membership at the time was mainly restricted to licensed wholesale merchants of Houston and Harris County.5
George was an Alderman in Houston, and was appointed with other Alderman to form the Board of Health.6
He apparently owed $2.65 in property taxes for the year 1842 on his Houston properties, Block 47 lots 6, 7, & 12, valued at $530.7
Person/Family
| Spouse 1 |  Mary McGee |
| Born | ca. 1822 in New York |
| Married | to George Gazley |
| Married | 2 July 1845 in Harris County, Texas to Robert Caldwell |
| Died | 25 February 1891 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas |
| Children | of George Gazley and Mary McGee: |
| +1. | George Washington Gazley |
| Born | 10 December 1843 in Houston, Harris County, Texas |
| Married | 29 April 1891 in Galveston County, Texas to Mary ‘Maie’ Arnold |
| Died | 20 January 1922 in Galveston, Galveston County, Texas |
| 2. | John F. Gazley |
| Born | ca. 1844 in Houston, Harris County, Texas |
| Died | 19 September 1911 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas |
Sources
- The Men Who Made Texas Free, by Sam Houston Dixon, Texas Historical Publishing Company, 1924. The book indicates that “Dr. Gazley was accompanied to Texas by two brothers, William and George Gazley. Both of these brothers became prominent in the affairs of Texas as a Mexican state and Texas as a Republic.” George has indeed been found in several Texas records, but no evidence has been found that William was ever in Texas, let alone being a prominent figure.
- Texas Deaths, 1890-1976; Gazley, G. W., born 10 December 1843, Houston, Texas; died 20 January 1922, Galveston, Texas; father: William Gazley, born in New York [this is apparently an error; his father is believed to be George Gazley]; mother: Mary McGee, born in New York. Occupation: retired manager, RR office.
- Obituary, New York Evening Post, New York, New York, George G. Gazley, 20 January 1844, died 20 December 1843 in Houston, Texas. Formerly of New York.
- Power of Attorney, granted by George Gazley and J. M. Robinson, merchants trading in Houston under the name and firm of Gazley & Robinson. Scanned copy of handwritten document dated 14 September 1839 and executed in Houston, Texas.
- Houston, A History and Guide, sponsored by the Harris County Historical Society, Inc. The Anson Jones Press, Houston, Texas, 1942. Page 271. Available at The Portal to Texas (website).
- The Musquito, Houston, Texas, 14 February 1841, listing George Gazley as an Alderman in Houston and who was appointed with other Alderman to form the Board of Health.
- Telegraph and Texas Register, Houston, Texas, 24 May 1843, list of Houston city properties upon which taxes have not been paid for the year 1842: Gazley, George, Block 47, lots 6, 7 & 12, $530, $2.65.