Edward Rockhill McGregor
Edward Rockhill
McGregor
Sept. 19, 1873 - Oct. 30, 1910
Photo Credit: Rosa G. Gonzales
Biography
First it should be noted that a name used by many of these family members (usually as a middle name) has two variant spellings found in documents and reports on the family—“Steward†and “Stewartâ€. Edward Rockhill McGregor is one of four descendents buried in Old Bayview Cemetery with his parents, John Steward (1838-1903) and Frances Jane McGregor (1844-1908). His paternal grandparents, John Steward McGregor, Sr. (1805-1889) and wife Mary Ann (1810-1891) were also initially buried in the cemetery. However, they were later removed to Rose Hill Cemetery subsequent to its establishment in 1914. Edward’s father, John Steward McGregor, Jr. who was born in February of 1838 left from London with his parents to sail for Texas in 1852 when he was 13 years old. The family initially settled on the Nueces River at a spot near a conspicuous clump of large trees known as the “Mottsâ€. Nuecestown developed there, and other English families settled in the vicinity—the Wrights, Noakes, Orchards, Reynolds, and Howards. Edward’s paternal grandmother was the former Mary Ann Thomas, daughter of Sir Walter Thomas of London. Edward’s mother was Fannie Oliver, sister of D. M. Oliver and E. R. Oliver who lived in the Oso community about 12 miles southwest of the city of Corpus Christi. The Oliver family had their own family burial ground on the property near their homes on the Oso. It seems likely that Edward’s brother David was named for his uncle D. M. Oliver, and Edward Rockhill was named for his uncle E. R. Oliver. While her obituary says that Fannie Oliver-McGregor was a native of Red River County, Texas, she usually reports in census records that she is from Mississippi or Missouri. T
he parents of Edward married 31 July 1868 (Nueces County Marriage Records, volume C page 373). Edward is the third child born to John and Fannie, probably while they still lived near his paternal grandparents and aunt (Flora S. McGregor—Mrs. Wm. B. Terrell) near Nuecestown (they are found there in 1870 census, page 170A). By 1880 Edward’s family as well as the Terrells were living near Fannie’s family on the Oso (1880 census, page 41D). It seems most likely that a number of the families moved their residences to this area after the notorious Raid of 1875 that terrorized residents of Nuecestown and that vicinity along the Nueces River. Edward’s brother David and sisters Mary and Nettie all died prior to their parents. While Edward outlived his mother and father, it was only by a few years. His dad died in 1903 and his mother in 1908 (the 1907-08 city directory says she was residing at 1510 Mesquite Street). Edward died two years later in 1910. He was survived by his brothers Thomas (died in 1929 and buried in Rose Hill) and John S. (died 12 August 1929 and also in Rose Hill). The last of the siblings to die was their sister Rosa McGregor who in 1929 was Mrs. Rosa Cheney residing at 215 King Street where her brother John S. was when he died.
Research and transcription: Michael A. Howell