Andrews/Price Family – Welcome, all y'all.

Family Names: Andrews, Flewellen (Fluellen), Clarks, Tilgham, Helm, Dickinson, Howard

From Cousin Dr. Gary H. Darden

Mystery is solved: that’s Eugenia Andrews Flewellen (1840-1923), who was the youngest child of John Day Andrews (1795-1882) and Eugenia Price (1805-1876). They had two daughters, and Eugenia had two daughters by her first husband, William Winston Tilghman (1798-1829). These two daughters were Barbara Overton (1823-1857) and Elizabeth (1825-1876).
With the death of William Tilgham in 1829, Eugenia in 1830 remarried the overseer on her large plantation in Hanover County, Virginia. Her marriage to John Day Andrews caused a scandal and her father Thomas Price, Jr. never reconciled to this marriage of unequals. She and John had their first of two daughters, Samuella, in 1835. Subsequently, John made two trips to Texas in 1836 and 1837 to set up a business venture and explore moving to the new Republic of Texas.
In late 1838, John and Eugenia sold the 600 acres of their Virginia plantation and, along with her two daughters from her first marriage (now adopted by John), sailed from Baltimore to settle in Houston, the newly established frontier capital of the Republic of Texas. They took a ship with building supplies for a proper house. It is in this new house at 410 Austin Street that Eugenia gave birth to her fourth daughter (second with John) in 1840. This is the Eugenia Andrews Flewellen in the portrait in question.
John Day Andrews proved himself well, indeed reinvented himself, in the Texas Republic, becoming Houston’s fifth mayor, 1841-1842. He was asked by Sam Houston to become secretary of the treasury for the Republic of Texas, an honor he declined. He was close friends with Sam Houston, who rented a home from John. He amassed significant real estate holdings in Houston and in farmland outside the city. Part of this land is where those mineral rights in Waller County come from.
See John Day Andrews bio link:
http://spotsylvaniamemory.blogspot.com/2019/01/john-day-andrews.html?m=1
All of us here are descended from Eugenia and William Tilgham’s second daughter, Elizabeth Tilghman (1825-1876), whose second marriage (after widowed to a Daniel Culp, married 1844-1852) was to a Scottish immigrant from Kelso, John Dickinson (1820-1871).
Their daughter was Nancy “Nannie” Tilghman Dickinson (1862-1888), who married George Aldridge Clark (1855-1925). Nannie had 3 children, all in Houston:
1) Elizabeth “Bessie” Clark Helm (1884-1966), from whom I’m descended.
2) Aldridge Clark (1886, died soon after childbirth)
3) Nancy Howard (1888-1977), from whom you all are descended. Their mother died of complications from her birth.
This is where Eugenia Andrews Fluellen comes into the picture. Upon the death of her neice, Nannie Clark, the 48-year-old Eugenia took charge of her great nieces, the “Clark sisters” as they were known. Eugenia’s son and daughter-in-law adopted newborn Nancy Howard, hence her name becoming Flewellen, while Eugenia raised then 4-year-old Elizabeth Helm at the family home at 410 Austin Street. The two sisters had lunch every Sunday with their father George Clark at Eugenia’s home. He lived at a residential hotel and socialized at the City Club, according to my grandmother. He started one of the first fire insurance firms in Houston. He also drank a fair amount according to my grandmother, and this fueled my great grandmother’s ardent support for Prohibition. Luckily, none of her descendants shared that view!
Eugenia also took charge of their education, with Elizabeth “Bessie” sent off to Agnes Scott in Atlanta, while Nancy went off to Hollins in Roanoke, Virginia. They were two-year finishing schools for girls at the time. Today they are four year colleges.
The Clark sisters were married in a double wedding, if I recall correctly, in Summer 1908 in the family house at 410 Austin Street.
At this point Bessie Clark Helm moved to Dallas, while Nancy Clark Howard remained in Houston. Each sister’s first born was named Eugenia in honor of the woman who took charge of their lives upon the death of their mother. So that portrait in question likrlikely meant a lot to Nancy Clark Howard.
Eugenia Andrews Fluellen was born at the family house at 410 Austin Street in 1840 and died in that house in 1923. Upon her death much of the contents of that house went to the Clark sisters, but your Eugenia Howard Hunt (1910-1990/91?) and my Eugenia Helm Ince (1909-2007) inherited her wedding “coin” silverware ordered from F.W. Cooper in New York (sterling silver adopted in US by 1860s) by her father John Day Andrews when she married the widowed doctor, Robert Turner Flewellen, in 1860.
I have that coin flatware and coin holloware from my grandmother Eugenia Helm Ince, while your Eugenia Howard Hunt received the coin tea set, which Eugenia who teaches at Westpoint now has. I had mine tested and cleaned here in NYC where I live, and the silversmith said it’s exceptional quality Antebellum coin silver. The flatware is known as the “Olive” pattern and the holloware is known as the “Medallion” pattern. I presume the teaset is “Medallion” pattern like the other holloware pieces.
The attached photos are as follows:
John Dickinson (1820-1876), seated with hand rested against face. Scottish born.
Elizabeth Tilghman Dickinson (1825-1876), seated in black dress. Virginia born. Older half sister of Eugenia Andrews Flewellen in portrait in question.
Nancy “Nannie” Tilghman Dickinson Clark (1862-1888), headshot in white blouse, daughter of Elizabeth & John Dickinson, neice of Eugenia.
George Aldridge Clark (1855-1925), in suit with hand on his hip, husband to Nannie above.
Nannie Dickinson Clark with her firstborn Elizabeth “Bessie” Clark (my great grandmother).
House at 410 Austin Street, first built in Greek Revival style in 1839 by John Day Andrews and restyled Italianate in 1870s. Eugenia and her family moved back into the house in the 1870s to care for her aging and nearly blind father, John Day Andrews. She inherited this house and its contents when her father died in 1882. The torn photo shows its latter Italianate design.
I have several pieces of furniture that was in this house. Both Bessie Helm and Nancy Howard got their bedroom furniture from this house, and when I was at Eugenia Howard Hunt’s funeral in Austin (Jan 1990 or 1991?), my grandmother Eugenia Helm Ince pointed out the pieces from the 410 Austin Street home of the Eugenia they called “Grandmother” (albeit she was their mother’s great aunt). Eugenia Hunt had a painted four-poster bed from this house. It had been painted because of a house fire, my gradmother said. There were also chairs and tables, etc. There was an empire hexagon top mahogany parlor table from same furniture set as an empire mahogany game table I have. The Clark sisters divided this all up when Eugenia Andrews Flewellen died in 1923. They also divided up some farm land.
The house was inherited by Nancy Clark Howard and it sat empty after Eugenia died. The house on a full square city block was sold and demolished in Oct 1937, I believe, and made front page news in Houston because of its historic nature. It was, I think, the last freestanding house left in what was the original center of town from the Republic of Texas days. Malcolm’s mother Robin was on the front page along with the house photo.
If you read this far, congratulations, and you can see why I am a university history professor!
I hope everyone is safe and well, and that our paths cross soon enough.

Best regards, Gary Darden

Gary H. Darden, Ph.D.Associate Professor of History ChsirChair, DepartDepartment of Social Sciences & History FairleFairleigh Dickinson University

A Memorial Day Tribute to Thomas “Jack” Helm

Jack Helm Army Air Corp Portrait

Jack Helm

Thanks to cousin Gary for contributing the photos and text below. I heard about Jack from my mother Eugenia Howard Hunt and my uncle Alfred Philo Howard. Both spoke happily to have known him and deeply saddened by his loss. Philo spoke of Jack a number of times as a close friend, as Gary points out. My other spoke of Jack solemnly in the way one does after a recent loss. ~ Sperry

Hello Extended Family,

Given that it’s Veterans Day, I thought I’d share some photos I found of Thomas “Jack” Helm, the younger brother of Eugenia “Nina” Helm Ince. He was killed in a bombing raid targeting a munitions plant over Wiener Neustadt, Austria in Nov 1943. I believe that Jack Helm & Philo Howard were the same age and quite close growing up –– much as Eugenia Helm Ince & Eugenia Howard Hunt were the same age and quite close growing up.

It’s very sad to think that the two “Clark sisters” (Elizabeth Helm & Nancy Howard) would each lose a pilot son in Europe, not to mention that Philo spent most of the war in a POW Camp near Peenemünde on the Baltic Sea, if I recall from what he told me at Gene Hunt’s funeral in 1990.

Attached below –– Jack’s Army Air Corps photo (he was based in North Africa); his Purple Heart & Air Medal; the War Dept Telegram declaring him MIA in Nov 1943; photo of his B-17 “Flying Fortress” plane –– all of which were among his belongings sent back to his mother, Elizabeth Clark Helm.

Best wishes,

Gary

Hughston-Ince Wedding in Dallas

Click below for the announcement of the wedding of Tom Findley Hughston and cousin Betsy Ince in Dallas.

Dallas Morning News, 1959-06-28 section 6, page 1 Wedding

Here is a picture of the bride with her cousin Judge Wilmer Brady Hunt of Houston, who gave her in marriage on June 26, 1959.

Mrs. Betsy Ince Hughston and Judge Wilmer Hunt

History of John Day Andrews and Houston History

The following link opens a biography of our ancestor John Day Andrews who, along with his family, were among the founders of Houston. Many thanks to our cousin Dr. Gary Helm Darden and The Texas State Historical Society.

John Day Andrews (1795-1882)

My mother, Eugenia Flewellen Howard Hunt, spoke of nearly everything mentioned in the article, especially the relationship between the Andrews and Sam Houston. She said that when she was a child her mother would often take her to Glenwood Cemetery after Sunday services at Christ Church (circa 1920) to clean the headstones of many of the people mentioned in the article.

Sperry Hunt
April 4, 2017

Gene Helm and Eugenia Howard circa 1912

Thanks to Gary Helm Darden for these photographs. He wrote:

Continue reading “Gene Helm and Eugenia Howard circa 1912”

Here is story of John D & Eugenia Andrews from a book I have on Houston’s history from cousin Gary

Here is story of John D & Eugenia Andrews from a book I have on Houston’s history. Attached is the front of the book and two paragraphs devoted to their origins and home.

Best, Gary

History of the Clarks, Andrews, Tilghman, Flewellen families from cousin Gary Helm Darden, Ph.D.

Hello Everyone,

I most appreciate this conversation and help with family information. To clarify to all in this conversation my relation to you is that I’m the youngest son of Nancy Clark Ince Darden (1937-2010), the sister of Elizabeth “Betty” Ince Hughston (1934-2015), and they were the daughter of Eugenia Helm Ince (1909-2007), whom we called “Nina.” She was the oldest daughter of Elizabeth “Bessie” Clark Helm (1884-1966). So the names Elizabeth, Eugenia, and Nancy have been carried down for many generations. Sadly, Nancy died of lung cancer in 2010 and Betty died of pancreatic cancer in 2015. I live in New York City and am a university history professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) in New Jersey. It’s a large private university similar to SMU or TCU. My father and brother are all still in Dallas.

I’ll add below what I know, and I apologize if you’ve already heard it or already knew.

Per Sperry’s question –– and as I understand it from my grandmother –– Elizabeth “Bessie” Clark Helm and her sister Nancy Ella Clark (1888-1977) were largely raised by Eugenia “Jennie” Andrews Flewellen (1840-1923), their great aunt, at the house on 410 Austin Street. The girls’ mother Nancy “Nannie” Tilghman Dickinson (1862-1888) died due to complications from giving birth to Nancy Clark in 1888. The newborn Nancy was adopted by one of the sons of Eugenia Flewellen, but Bessie was not adopted and officially remained a Clark. So I assume that’s why Bessie was not in the Flewellen will.

However, I do know that “Aunt Nancy” Howard as she was known to my grandmother, transferred the deed to at least 3 or 4 farms to her sister “Bessie” Helm because, as I was told, Aunt Nancy thought it was only fair given their childhood and upbringing. That land went to my grandmother and was sold off (minus the mineral rights) from the late 1960s and through the 1970s.

Continue reading “History of the Clarks, Andrews, Tilghman, Flewellen families from cousin Gary Helm Darden, Ph.D.”

Gene Helm Ince, Nancy Clark Ince Darden and Elizabeth “Bessie” Clark Helm

Thanks for the photos from our cousin Gary Helm Darden Ph.D.

Gene Helm Ince - Engagement Photo 1933 — Gene Helm Ince – Engagement Photo 1933

Nancy Clark Ince Darden at UT in the late 1950s

Elizabeth "Bessie" Clark Helm as an infant ca. 1884-85 — Elizabeth “Bessie” Clark Helm as an infant ca. 1884-85

Uncle Ryland’s death – the historical prospective

Jennie (Eugenia Kiesling) wrote this on 11/22/16 in response to the to the post about Uncle Ryland. ( https://allyall.org?p=410 ) She teaches military history at the West Point:

For those who are interested (and don’t already know as many of you do), I offer some military history to put my great uncle Ryland’s death into context. In particular, I think that the report that he flew a “liaison” mission deserves some explanation for those unfamiliar with the nature of artillery “liaison” operations. This story may be distressing to those who do not know it, but getting the details about war right is important to me.

Ryland enlisted in the artillery, and artillery was the most important component of US Army Ground Forces in World War II. In that war the US Army acquired guns with remarkable range, accuracy, and rate of fire, but its greatest advantage over the Germans was the development of fire control systems for coordinating the fire of dozens of guns on a single target. The problem with which field artillery officers wrestled before the war was that there is no point in having sophisticated fire control systems and guns capable of hitting a target ten miles away unless one can see the target, observe where the shells are landing, and adjust fire accordingly. The problem of artillery observation is exacerbated by the fact that armies conceal targets worth hitting; moreover, howitzers, the guns with the longest ranges, fire at a high trajectory for the purpose of landing shells behind high ground.

During the 1930s, some visionary artillery officers acquired small aircraft and private pilots’ licenses in order to test the idea of artillery spotting from the air. As a result of their private experiments, during the war the Field Artillery Branch commissioned a military version of the Piper Cub aircraft, designed the L4 Observation Aircraft, for artillery spotting. The advantage of the L4, familiar to those of us who have skydived from the Piper Cub, is that they can fly very slowly, allowing for a good view of the ground. It was Ryland’s job to fly the plane low and slow and close to German lines so that his observer could see where our artillery shells were landing. It is a sad truth that without brave men flying unprotected aircraft, all of the destructive power of the US Field Artillery would have been impotent.

On 4 July 1944, when Ryland was preforming that crucial artillery spotting role, his plane was hit by a shell from an American 155mm howitzer. The after action review concluded that the density of US shells was so great that American pilots would be safer flying over German lines, and for the rest of the war our pilots flew their observation missions closer to their targets and further from their own guns. Like so many wartime death’s Ryland’s was a fluke in the sense that no one was aiming at him. Unlike many soldiers, he was doing a specific task he knew to be essential to our military operations. His death created a change in doctrine that probably saved other lives. But it is very sad story.

The information about Ryland comes from Edward Raines, Eyes of the Artillery: The Origins of Modern US Army Aviation in World War II, a book that wondered into my office many years ago. I asked Raines whether he knew anything more about the episode, but he did not.

Incidentally, while writing this I am snacking on a dish of yoghurt and frozen cherries, a dessert idea I owe to another uncle, Malcolm McCorquodale, which I often eat with fond thoughts.

Love, Jennie

Poem for Lieut. Alfred Ryland Howard

Eugenia Hunt, sister of Alfred Ryland Howard, , wrote a poem that she said he carried into the Battle of St. Lo that took his life.

Jeana wrote this at the bottom of the poem:

This was in my brother Ryland’s pocket, when he was shot down by the Germans at the battle of St Lo. He was a liaison pilot – and aide to General John Matthew Devine. He had 12 men under him, and refused to send them up on reconnaissance without him, even though his superior advised against it. This was on July 4, 1944.

Newspaper article about Captain Ryland Howard

Communion

I can embrace the storms

Which blow,

And floods that hurl themselves

Across the dry earth.

I walk near God and

Feel his being stir my heart,

And know that when I’m dead

I shall not lie there,

But instead

Shall rise to suffer or be one

With the pulsing soul

Who strides eternity!

I know that when I sink

My hands within the earth

I can feel the pulse of God,

Who stirs the loam and

Quickens seed within the sod.

I know that when the rain

Falls fast and hard,

The silver drops are spilled

From out the hand of God.

I know that when a man

Lies broken

And life fast flows

The waiting mire —

That should he think

“My God, fill me with they strength!”

So earthly foe could

Take away his blood.

I know, I know, I know.

These things are in my being.

Always have been,

Always will be.

And you, and you, and you

Can talk a thousand years

Concerning the scientific

Impossibilities

That is not so!

But I have felt God,

And talked to Him.

And that is how I know.

communion-poem-by-eugenia-howard-hunt