James Elijah Brown Austin (October 3, 1803 – August 14, 1829) was an American settler and brother of empresario Stephen F. Austin, "The Father of Texas." Counted also as one of

the Old Three Hundred The "Old Three Hundred" were 297 grantees who purchased 307 parcels of land from Stephen Fuller Austin in Mexican Texas. Each grantee was head of a household, or, in some cases, a partnership of married men. Austin was an American approved in 18 ...

, he is listed in Spanish and Mexican records as "Santiago E.B. Austin". James and Stephen F. Austin are both brothers of

Emily Margaret Brown Austin Emily Austin Bryan Perry (June 22, 1795 – 1851) was the sister of Stephen F. Austin and an early settler of Texas. She was an heir to Austin's estate when he died in 1836. She achieved significant political, economic and social status as a wom ...

. Born in Missouri, James attended high school in Washington, Connecticut before joining Stephen in Texas in December, 1821. Three years later, having established residence, he was granted title to three leagues west of the

Brazos River The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 11th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater Dr ...

, including Eagle Nest and

Manor lakes Manor Lakes is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Melbourne City Centre, Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham Local government areas of Victoria, local government ...

; a labor in west Brazoria County; and another labor in

Waller County Waller County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 56,794. Its county seat is Hempstead. The county was named for Edwin Waller, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and first mayor of A ...

. He went back to Missouri in May 1824 to bring his mother

Maria Brown Austin Mary Brown Austin (1768–1824) had dramatic influence on early Texas history. Perhaps her most important contribution to history is writing a letter to her son, Stephen, two days before the death of her husband, Moses Austin, imploring Stephen F. ...

and sister Emily down to Texas but returned the next year without them. James entered into a partnership with John Austin to participate in the

coasting trade The modern terms short-sea shipping (sometimes unhyphenated), marine highway, and motorways of the sea, and the more historical terms coastal trade, coastal shipping, coasting trade, and coastwise trade, all encompass the movement of cargo and pas ...

and retail, opening a store together in Brazoria, Texas. He lobbied in Saltillo, the capital of

Coahuila and Texas Coahuila y Tejas, officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila y Tejas (), was one of the constituent states of the newly established United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution. It had two capitals: first Saltillo (1822–1825) fo ...

, for the continuance of slavery and succeeded in protecting the ownership of settlers already established. He returned from the capital with 300 Spanish horses. With his brother, he opposed the Fredonian Rebellion of 1827. James married Eliza Martha Westall March 20, 1828. He named his son Stephen F. Austin Jr. James died in New Orleans of yellow fever.

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Austin, James E. B. People of Spanish Texas People of Mexican Texas People from Brazoria, Texas People from Missouri 1803 births 1829 deaths Old Three Hundred Deaths from yellow fever