James English served in the American Revolution as a Private. Current DAR records show his file to be closed because more research is needed to prove his military service. James and Elizabeth were the parents of 10 sons and one daughter. In the early 1800s, the family left Virginia for the West. Two children were born during a lengthy stay in Tennessee. James died in Tennessee, and the older child
ren settled in Texas between 1818 and 1830 in what is now Shelby County, Texas. The widowed Elizabeth arrived sometime before 1830 and applied for a land grant soon after. She eventually had the land issued to her minor son. Elizabeth English is listed in the first census of Texas, which was taken by the Spanish government, as a widow with 7 sons and one daughter, along with their families. Elizabeth is also recognized by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas as a colonist, and her sons and grandsons were active in the Texas Revolution. She died in Shelby County, Texas, on May 14, 1849. Her descendants still live in Texas, many of them in Wood County. Four of her descendants were charter members of this chapter. Several of our current members are descendants of Elizabeth Denton.
