Ruth Virginia BRAZZIL

Other Events:

• Education: 1912; University of Texas
• Census: 1920, Galveston, Galveston, Texas, USA; ED 52, pg 9B
• Occupation: 1920, Galveston, Galveston, Texas, USA; Assistant General Manager at American National Insurance Co
• Occupation: 1925; Special Associate Justice, Texas Supreme Court
• Census: 1930, , Bandera, Texas, USA; ED 1, pg 5A
• Census: 1940, , Bandera, Texas, USA; ED 10-1, pg 9B
• Residence: 1966, Kerrville, Kerr, Texas, USA
• Occupation: 1976, , Kerr, Texas, USA; lawyer and postmistress

Notes:

1925 Texas' All-Women Supreme Court; three women, Nellie Gray Robertson, Hortense Sparks Ward and Ruth Virginia Brazzil comprise a special Texas Supreme Court for five months; first all-woman high court in the U.S.

Ruth Virginia Brazzil (1889-1976)
Ruth Virginia Brazzil Special Associate Justice, Texas Supreme Court, 1925
Ruth Virginia Brazzil was born September 12, 1889 in Tyler, Texas, and attended Wharton public schools. After working her way through The University of Texas as a special student in law, she passed the bar exam in 1912. She did not concentrate solely on a law career, however, and her various occupations included realtor, manager of an abstract company in Wharton, and assistant general manager of American National Life Insurance Company in Galveston.
In 1924 Johnson v. Darr, a case involving the fraternal organization Woodmen of the World (WOW), was appealed to the Texas Supreme Court. The case involved a lien on two parcels of land in El Paso County belonging to WOW. At the time, WOW was a powerful group in Texas to which nearly all of the state's elected officials and lawyers belonged. Members of the organization received insurance benefits with premiums based on claims paid. As a result, judges and attorneys who belonged to WOW were required to recuse themselves from cases involving it. In March 1924, chief justice C.M. Cureton and associate justices Thomas B. Greenwood and William Pierson recused themselves from hearing the case on the basis of their membership in WOW.
Gov. Pat Neff spent the next ten months in an unsuccessful search for male judges or attorneys not associated with WOW to sit on a special court to hear the case. Finally, on January 1, 1925, one week before the case was to be heard, Gov. Neff solved the problem by appointing three women to the special court. He appointed Hortense Sparks Ward special chief justice, and Hattie Leah Henenberg and Ruth Virginia Brazzil were appointed special associate justices. This special court served for five months, met twice, and heard only the case of Johnson v. Darr. The male justices continued hearing other cases during this time.
Brazzil was married in 1927 to a rice farmer from Wharton County before divorcing him two weeks later. She is sometimes referred to by her ex-husband's last name, Roome. Following her brief marriage, Brazzil moved to Bandera, where she served as postmistress. She also lived in Center Point and Kerrville, where she sold real estate. Unlike her colleagues on the court, Hortense Sparks Ward and Hattie Leah Henenberg, Brazzil was said to have been an opponent of women's suffrage and political participation.
Ruth Brazzil spent the final decade of her life confined to a wheelchair, and died May 22, 1976 in Kerrville. She is buried in Kerrville's Garden of Memories Perpetual Care Cemetery.
Notable opinions
Johnson v. Darr, 114 Texas reports 516 (1925), concurring opinion (majority opinion written by Hortense Sparks Ward).
Justices of Texas http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/justices/spct/brazzil.html

ROOME, RUTH V. BRAZZIL (1889-1976). Ruth Brazzil Roome, a member of the All-Woman Supreme Court, the eldest child of William N. and Winnie Shelman Brazzil, was born in Tyler, Texas, on September 12, 1889. She obtained at least part of her early education in Wharton, Texas, and attended the University of Texas as a special student in law. In 1912 she was admitted to the Texas bar. While in Austin she worked for a legislator. She had a particular interest in real estate, and sometime in her twenties reportedly managed a Wharton abstract company. She became assistant treasurer and assistant general manager of the American National Life Insurance Company in Galveston. In appointing a qualified third justice for the All-Woman Supreme Court just before it convened in January 1925, Governor Pat Neff located and recommended Ruth Brazzil for the court. She had the required seven years of legal experience, unlike the women originally nominated for her position, and familiarity with property law. During the 1920s she left Galveston to join farmer Roy Roome of Wharton County, Texas, whom she married in December 1927. Although she obtained a divorce within two weeks of their wedding, she continued using her married name. She moved to the Hill Country sometime in the late 1920s or early 1930s and apparently gave up practicing law. She continued dealing in real estate while living in Bandera and Center Point. For a time she served as postmistress in Bandera and collaborated on several writing projects with friends. Later, she was engaged in genealogical research and travel. Ruth Brazzil Roome retired to Kerrville from 1966 and lived there until her death, on May 22, 1976. Her remains were buried there at the Garden of Memories Perpetual Care Cemetery.
Handbook of Texas http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/RR/froey.html

(Research):Frontier Times Magazine
Vol 17 # 7 April 1940
Woman, 102, Recalls Long Journey
San Antonio Express
Sad account describes the experiences of Mrs. Clarintha Draper, long-time resident of Pontotoc, Mason county, whose flight from Arkansas during the civil war holds a similarity to that of "Gone With the Wind's" Scarlett O'Hara from Atlanta. Her story recounts when she and her husband, George Washington Draper, left their home in Texas and went to Arkansas. Soon the Civil War broke out, and Draper was caught stranded penniless in Arkansas with his family. Meanwhile the Union forces had burned Mrs. Draper's home and all of her possessions. This is the story of that event and of her life.
Mentions: Walden, Ark * Dawson Draper, of McCulloch county * William Eilers of Austin * W. Lee O'Daniel * Mrs. Hortense Ward, Miss Ruth Virginia Brazzil (now Mrs. Ruth Roome, postmaster at Bandera), and Miss Hattie L. Henenberg * Ruthersville, in Fayette county *

Education:
Law

Census:
Ward 9
Cecil Wasmuth Head F 28 Texas
Ruth Brazzil Lodger F 28 Texas
Peter Laros Lodger M 22 Greece
George Poulos Lodger M 29 Greece

Census:
Precinct 1
Ruth V Roome Head F 34 Texas
Emma L Lee Aunt F 77 Alabama
Bess Campbell Lodger F 22 Texas
Mary L Campbell Lodger F 18 Texas

Census:
Precinct 1
Ruth Boone Head F 44 Texas
Mary Wachter Roomer F 65 Texas
Ruth is a post mistress and made $1400 in 1939. This is indexed under Boone.

Other Events:

• Name: Nick Brazzil
• Pension: , Wharton, Texas, USA
• Census: 26 Jun 1900, , Bell, Texas, USA; ED 27, pg 12B
• Census: 1910, , Wharton, Texas, USA; ED 159, pg 12A
• Occupation: 1933; stockman
• Obituary: 15 Mar 1933, Victoria, Victoria, Texas, USA; newspaper

Notes:

Frontier Times Magazine
Vol 1 No. 7 - APRIL 1924
Gored by a Wounded Buffalo.
W. N. Brazzil, Louise, Texas who was born in Texas, and raised, principally in Bell county, and later at Jefferson, Texas, tells of experiences buffalo hunting, one of which ended with the gruesome scene of his companion "Frenchy" impaled by the horns of a great buffalo

Census:
Precinct 5
BRAZZIL, William N head M May 1859 50 M 13 TX MS AL
Winnie E wife F Oct 1856 43 M 13 5 3 AL GA GA
Ruth C dau F Sep 1889 10 S TX TX AL
Willie G dau F Apr 1890 9 S
John M son M Dec 1893 6 S

Census:
Precinct 1
William N Brazzil Head M 62 Texas
Winnie E Brazzil Wife F 52 Alabama
Ruth Brazzil Dau F 18 Texas
Willie G Brazzil Dau F 17 Texas
John M Brazzil Son M 16 Texas
John W Adams Roomer M 25 Kentucky
Charles Limberger Roomer M 23 Texas
Frank Davis Roomer M 38 Illinois
King Bunting Roomer M 41 Texas
John G Williams Roomer M 40 Alabama
Willis Goucher Roomer M 48 Pennsylvania

Obituary:

W. N. Brazzil, 85, Confederate Veteran, Dies in Victoria
Many friends paid their last respects today to William Nicholas Brazzil, 86, Confederate veteran and well known retired Smith County ranchman, who died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. P.F. Satterwhite, in this city at 6:30 o'clock this morning. The funeral services were conducted at 4 p.m. at the Satterwhite residence at 404 East Juan Linn Street, and interment was in the Memorial Park Cemetery, the first burial to take place in that beautiful new local cemetery, Rev. A.J. Carson, pastor of the First Baptist Church officiated. The floral tributes were most beautiful and of great number.
Mr. Brazzil was the son of J.W. Brazzil, a native of Georgia, and Mrs. Emily Delafield Brazzil, a native of Alabama, both deceased. His parents came to Texas during the days fo the republic and he was born near Marshall May 9, 1846. At the age of 15 he enlisted in the Confederate Army and after the war settled near Tyler, where he engaged in stockraising with success. He retired from active pursuits 30 years ago and moved to Wharton and then to Louise, residing at each place about ten years. He then made his home at Port Lavaca for five years and five years ago came to Victoria to reside with his daughter, the wife of a popular Southern Pacific brakeman.
Surviving are his wife, formerly Miss Winnie Shellman of Standing Rock, Ala., of Victoria; two daughters, Mrs Satterwhite of this city and Mrs. Ruth Roome of San Antonio; one son, John D. Brazzil of Bloomington, and three grandchildren.

William married Winnie E SCHELLMAN on 24 May 1887 in Paris, Lamar, Texas, USA. Winnie was born on 29 Oct 1850 in Cusseta, Chambers, Alabama, USA; died on 18 Apr 1933 in Victoria, Victoria, Texas, USA; was buried on 19 Apr 1933 in Victoria, Victoria, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Pension: , Victoria, Texas, USA
• Obituary: 19 Apr 1933, Victoria, Victoria, Texas, USA; Victoria Advocate

Notes:

Pension:
Brazzil, William Nicholas 43714
Claimant: Brazzil, William Nicholas
Pension Number: 43714
County: Wharton
Brazzil, Winnie E. 51164
Claimant: Brazzil, Winnie E.
Pension Number: 51164
County: Victoria
Husband: William Nichols
Pension Number: 43714

Obituary:
Wednesday
Funeral Services for Mrs. Brazzil Held Here Today
Funeral services were held at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. P. F. Satterwhite at 404 East Juan Linn Street in this city at 1:30 o'clock this afternoon for Mrs. Winnie E. Brazzil, 82, who died at the Satterwhite home at 7:15 o'clock Tuesday evening as a result of a bone fracture and shock she suffered in a fall on March 31. The services were conducted by Rev. A. J. Carson, pastor of the First Baptist Church and she was buried in the Memorial Park Cemetery by the side of her husband, William Nichols Brazzil, Confederate veteran who preceded her in death on March 14. The pallbearers were F. L. Fossati, Dudley Deavers, E. A. Krause, Ed Kickendahl, J. C. Rives and C. F. Taylor. There were many beautiful floral tributes, including a wreath from the William P. Rogers Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Mrs. Brazzil, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Hilary B. Sherman, was born in Cassita, Ala. October 29, 1850. Her father had a distinguished record as a Confederate soldier. He recruited the first company of volunteers in his home County of Chambers in Alabama and as a captain of the company served under Lee in Virginia. At the close of the War Between the States, the family located in Louisiana, and there Mrs. Brazzil was married to Ransome M. Kelly of Minden. Several years after his death she became the wife of Mr. Brazzil, and for many years they had been residents of Wharton County, moving to Victoria about five years ago.
Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. P. F. Satterwhite of this city and Mrs. Ruth Roome of San Antonio; one son, John D. Brazzil of Bloomington; one sister, Mrs. Emma L. Lee of San Antonio, and three grandchildren, Perry F. Satterwhite Jr., Winnie Satterwhite and Ruth Virginia Brazzil.

Other Events:

• Census: Jul 1850, , Harrison, Texas, USA; pg 113 (101B) HH #818
• Census: 1860, , Marion, Texas, USA; pg 8
• Military: Between 1862 and 1865, , , Texas, USA; 14 TX Inf, CSA
• Military: Between 1863 and 1865, , , Texas, USA; Co. F, 9th Texas Cavalry, CSA
• Census: 21 Sep 1870, , Marion, Texas, USA; pg 20-21 (360A), d/f #160/174
• Residence: Bef 1872, Marshall, Harrison, Texas, USA
• Residence: 1872, The Grove, Coryell, Texas, USA
• Census: 1880, , Bell, Texas, USA; ED 6, pg 45 (422A)
• Census: 1900, , Coryell, Texas, USA; ED 46, pg 16B
• Residence: 22 Aug 1905, The Grove, Coryell, Texas, USA
• Pension: 12 Dec 1907, , Coryell, Texas, USA; D143
• Obituary: 23 Jul 1909, Gatesville, Coryell, Texas, USA; Gatesville Messenger and Star Forum

Notes:

Left Harrison Co, TX, on 12/2/1872, arrived at new home in Coryell Co. on 12/24/1872.

John probably liked to write. He faithfully kept a diary during his trip from Marshall, TX to The Grove, TX in December 1872. He wrote a poem after the death of his second wife:
"I have lost my mate
My sorrows grate
I am once more left a lone
no tongue can tell the grief
i feel while on earth i rom
My race is run
My dayes dun
My sun is all most gone down
My hope is bright beyound
will shine brighter on the resurction morn
The grove September 25 1905
J W B"

Census:

Brazzil, J. 25 M Ala.
E. 18 F Ala.
S. 2 F Ala.
W. N. 2/12 M Tex.
John is a farmer.

Census:
Hickory Hill, Marion County is now Avinger, Cass County.
19 56 60 Brazul, J W 34 m w Md Farmer $1,000 $150
20 - - Brazul, Emily 32 f w Ga
21 - - Brazul, Sarah J 12 f w Ala
22 - - Brazul, William M 10 m w Tx
23 - - Brazul, L F 8 m w Tx
24 - - Brazul, Mary 5 f w Tx
25 - - Brazul, Angelina 3 f w Tx
26 - - Brazul, Ann 1 f w Tx

Census:
Beat 2
John Brazzil M 46 Georgia
Emily Brazzil F 38 Georgia
Sarah J Brazzil F 22 Alabama
Lorenzo F Brazzil M 17 Texas
Mary Brazzil F 16 Texas
Angeline Brazzil F 14 Texas
Marenda A Brazzil F 12 Texas
John K Brazzil M 10 Texas
Charles Brazzil M 8 Texas
Margarett Brazzil F 6 Texas
Robert Lee Brazzil M 4 Texas
Hardee Brazzil M 3/12 Texas
George Brazzil M 20 Alabama

Census:
Precinct 6
John W Brazzil Self M 54 Georgia
Melinda Brazzil Wife F 55 Alabama
Angeline Brazzil Dau F 23 Texas
Annie Brazzil Dau F 21 Texas
John K Brazzil Son M 19 Texas
Charles W Brazzil Son M 17 Texas
Margaret Brazzil Dau F 14 Texas
Hardee Brazzil Son M 9 Texas
Doctor H Brazzil Son M 7 Texas
Donum Boggs Hired M 16 Arkansas

Census:
Precinct 5
BRAZZIL, John head Nov 1825 74 m 32 yrs. GA NC SC landlord
Malinda wife Apr 1820 80 m 32 yrs. AL SC VA
Oscar S. gson Jun 1889 11 TX TX TX
Lillie gdau Aug 1892 7 TX TX TX
John is a landlord.

Pension:
John filed for a pension for his service in the Civil war on 12/12/1907. He states that he is 82 years old and has lived in Coryell County for 35 years. He is feeble from old age and has only a horse and buggy worth about $70. He states that he served in Co. F, 9th Texas Cavalry. His pension is disproved for unknown reasons. The pension is signed J.W. Brazzil and is witnessed by W.H. Morgan and T.C. Morrison. There are also affidavits from E.L. Lawrence and L.F. Brazzil (his son).

Obituary:

News was received of the death of Uncle Johnny Brazzill at his home, near The Grove. Burial taking place on Monday afternoon, at Flint Creek Cemetery. He raised a large family, and was one of our early settlers.

John married Emily DELAFIELD on 16 Jan 1848 in , Barbour, Alabama, USA. Emily (daughter of Nicholas DELAFIELD and Sarah GORMAN) was born on 10 Aug 1832 in , Barbour, Alabama, USA; died on 8 May 1877 in , Coryell, Texas, USA; was buried on 9 May 1877 in The Grove, Coryell, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: 1821, , Pike, Georgia, USA
• Residence: 1842, , Barbour, Alabama, USA
• Residence: 1856, , Harrison, Texas, USA
• Census: 18 Jun 1860, , Harrison, Texas, USA; pg 19 (500A), d/f #122/129

Notes:

There is a William Brazell in Coffee, Alabama, in 1855. I don't have any details for it.

First panel Y-DNA results are in for newest participant John D. Brazzil (2nd great grandson) of Canyon, Texas. He scored an exact match to the English Bracewell haplotype carried by other descendants of Rev. ROBERT BRACEWELL (1611-1668)--
13-24-14-10-11-14-12-12-12-13-13-29.

(Research):1830 BRAZAEL WILLIAM Campbell County GA 206
1830 BRASWELL WILLIAM Clarke County GA 304
1830 BRASWELL WILLIAM Crawford County GA 411

Census:
Ash Springs PO
Wm Brazzil 64 M Farmer 10 SC
M 50 F SC [Mary]
M 16 F SC [Marzela]
J 25 F SC [Mary?]
W 15 M SC [Wiley]
They're enumerated next to R W Bell.

William married Mary BELT about 1819. Mary was born on 11 Jul 1802 in , , North Carolina, USA; died on 6 Mar 1865 in Hallsville, Harrison, Texas, USA; was buried on 7 Mar 1865 in Hallsville, Harrison, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Her name may be BELL or BELT.

Other Events:

• Residence: 1821, , Hall, Georgia, USA
• Census: 1830, , Hall, Georgia, USA
• Residence: Between 1833 and 1845, , Barbour, Alabama, USA
• Residence: Between 1847 and 1848, , Harrison, Texas, USA
• Census: 10 Sep 1850, , Harrison, Texas, USA; pg 93A, hh #699
• Census: 1855, , Harrison, Texas, USA; School, District 9

Notes:

Census:
fam #704
Delafield N. 52 M GA
S. 45 F GA [Sarah]
J. M. 22 M AL [John]
N. 15 F AL [Nancy]
C. 13 M AL [Charles]
L. 13 F AL [Letitia]
N. 10 F AL [Narcissa]
A. 8 F AL [Averilla]
M. 6 F AL [Mary]
E. 4 F AL [Elizabeth]

Census:

# Parent Child Age
18 M Delafield N 15
. . Mary 13
. . A 10
. . E 8
These ages don't match for Narcis, Mary, Averilla and Elizabeth.

Buried:
He was probably buried on his farm.

Nicholas married Sarah GORMAN on 22 Apr 1821 in , Hall, Georgia, USA. Sarah (daughter of John Spragins GORMAN and Nancy GIBSON) was born on 11 Oct 1805 in , Gwinnett, Georgia, USA; died on 20 Aug 1878 in , Harrison, Texas, USA; was buried on 21 Aug 1878 in , Harrison, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Sally Gorman
• Census: 18 Jun 1860, , Harrison, Texas, USA; pg 19-20 (500A-B), d/f #124/131

Notes:

Census:
Ashspring PO
S Delafield 60 F 600 680 Ala
N Delafield 17 F Ala [Narcissa?]
C 23 M F L Ala [Charles]
M 15 F Ala [Mary]
A 13 F Ala ?
B 10 F Ala ?