Mary Ann Littig
Mary Ann
Born in
Pembrokeshire
South Wales England
Mar. 6, 1835
Died in
Corpus Christi, Tex
Jan 8, 1910
Photo Credit: Rosa G. Gonzales
Biography
Mary Ann Beynon was born in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, England on 6 March 1835. She is the daughter of Thomas Beynon who traveled to Texas in response to agents of H. L. Kinney who was interested in land development after Texas became part of the United States. Her siblings were Miss Rosalie Beynon, Sarah (Mrs. Wade), Eugene Beynon, Thomas Beynon (sheriff of Nueces County for many years and married to Priscilla Hobbs), and Maggie (Mrs. George Hobbs). Her future husband had come to the Corpus Christi area initially as early as the winter of 1839-40 and was engaged as a clerk or agent for Aubrey and Kinney, the proprietors of what was then known as Kinney’s Rancho. Because of depredations on the frontier, he removed to Jackson County where he had a son and daughter by his first wife. The daughter was Mary Jane Littig who was born 25 February 1845 on the Navidad River in Jackson County and who is also buried in Old Bayview Cemetery. With the death of his first wife J. W. Littig was seeking a new companion to help raise his young children while he pursued his ranching business. He found the answer to his prayers in Mary Ann Beynon. They married on 5 August 1856 in Nuecestown before Rev. J. P. McKenzie of the Church of England (Nueces County Records, Volume B misc. page 119). The family is found in the 1860 census of Nueces County (p. 308A) where J. W. is listed as a 45 year old native of Maryland who is a stock raiser with an estimated value of $25,000. The children are now young teens—George who is 18 years old and Mary who is 15 years old. They continued to live near members of the Beynon and Hobbs families where many of the friends intermarried. Priscilla Hobbs married Thomas Beynon, and Miriam Hobbs would marry George Littig (son of J. W. Littig). George Hobbs (father of Priscilla and Miriam by a first wife who died in the yellow fever epidemic of 1854) married a second time to Margaret Beynon 31 December 1867 after his service in the Civil War. After the death of her husband in 1870, Mary Ann Beynon Littig continued to be a mother to his children from the first marriage as well as her own two children—a son Wells B. Littig and a daughter Rachel who became Mrs. Wright. In the 1900 census of Nueces County, Mary Ann is listed as living with her stepdaughter (born Feb. of 1845), son (born Nov. 1865), and married daughter (born Sept. of 1868). She and her stepdaughter are both listed as dressmakers while son Wells is working as a printer. She owns her home free of any mortgage (1900 federal census of Nueces County, ED 133 page 156). The city directory of Corpus Christi (1907-8) lists Mary Ann, Mary Jane, and Wells as living at 701 Tancahua. Wells is now the foreman of the Caller publishing company. Mary Ann died 8 January 1910 and was laid to rest near her husband and members of her Beynon family in Old Bayview Cemetery. Her stepdaughter and son would also be interred in the cemetery at the time of their passing. Her daughter Rachel Littig Wright died 19 August 1952 and was also interred in Old Bayview. Mary Ann represents the early pioneers of this area who came to Corpus Christi from Britain in response to Kinney’s efforts to sell and development land. Most would make the trip across the Atlantic via New Orleans before coming to a frontier that was still full of challenges when they entered in the early 1850s and began by incorporating the town of Corpus Christi in1852 and electing their first mayor.
Research and transcription: Michael A. Howell