Austen Family History
The following historical sketch has been complied and written by me, Willard Austen, M.D. son of John Thaddeus Austen (Mar 26, 1864 – Mar 10, 1928) and Hettie E Robinson (Dec 12, 1865 – April 30, 1948) in the year 1961.
The original manuscript as written by Susan Grubbs was used as a source from which to undertake this research into the origins of my branch of the Austen family here in Western Pennsylvania. The original Manuscript has many errors in it which I am not sure were due to inaccurate records or pure romanticism. Corrections and additions are made in the following account as I have proven them from copies of old records obtained in England.
In the introduction of her manuscript, Susan Austen Grubbs begins with a statement that Charles Austen, her father, was a man of wealth and distinction in England. He was born somewhere in Kent County and his ancestors were the Old Britons that came to England hundreds of years ago. From other family records, I learned that Charles Austen, the father of Susan Austen Grubbs, was the son of Ambrose Austen (born June 19, 1757 - died 1842), burial place unknown, aged 85 and his wife Susan Beard Austen born Dec 3, 1769 – died 1848), burial place unknown, aged 79 years.
It may be possible that Ambrose Austen had a brother Charles Austen who was a Captain of a Man-of-War during Napoleon’s War with England 1803=1805. Nothing further is known about this Charles Austen.
Inquiry made at the British Admiralty recently was of no consequence. They could find no record.
According to Susan Grubbs, Mrs. Charlotte Hale was the sister of her grandmother, Susan Beard Austen. Mrs. Charlotte Hale, I believe was the wife of Ralph Hale. She was the sister-in-law of Ambrose Austen and an aunt of Susan and Charles, whose marriage she witnessed in 1813. She lived and died somewhere in Wiltshire.
Susan Austen Grubbs romantically describes her mother as a little refined lady, who spent her last years confined to her bed but nevertheless delighted to see her visitors, old or young. A little bag of special cookies always hung on her bedpost, a treat for all the children who came to see her. She was a cultured woman for her times as evidenced by the fact on emigrating to America with her husband and three children, she brought along her harp among other things. She instructed her children not only in music but also to sing with the harp, and she was their school mistress as well, at the wilderness log-cabin home near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The children received no other schooling. She died Jan 15, 1868 and is buried in the cross roads Presbyterian cemetery near Bakerstown, Pennsylvania.
From other family records, I have learned that Ambrose Austen and his wife Susan Beard Austen had nine children, the first of whom was Charles Austen, born August 2, 2785 somewhere in Kent, England. I assume from this statement that Ambrose Austen and Susan Beard Austen were married in the fall of the year 1784, place unknown.
These nine children were born to Ambrose and Susan Beard Austen who I know are are listed below:
Name Date of Birth Date of Death
Charles Aug 2, 1785 1865
Nathaniel 1787 1823
Henry 1788
Susan Nov 9, 1792 Aug 9, 1865
Mary 1793
John 1794
Charlotte 1798 1860
Ambrose 1800
Joseph 1802 1893
I have been unable to discover where these children were born or where their descendents are now.
The earliest record I have of a residence for Ambrose and his family is a copy of a record from Middlesex county Record Office, Westminster S.W.I. In a letter from the Middlesex County Archivist, she states that she found the tax assessments for Enfield, in 1813. The house was valued at a rent of 100 pounds, which was quite a large sum. It is presumed that most if not all of the children were there also at that time, since Susan gave the Parish at Enfield as her home address when she married in 1813 to Richard Pearce. I do not have any information about any of the children except Charles and Susan.
The earliest information I have of Charles is a statement by Susan Austen Grubbs, that when Charles Austen became a young man he enlisted in the English Army. His father Ambrose bought him a lieutenancy in the Army and Navy (4 ½ years in the Army and 4 ½ years in the Navy). During the war with France (Napoleon, 1803 -1805) Charles was a Lieutenant on a Man-of -War that was sent out into the English Channel to reconnoiter. They met the combined Spanish and French fleet but had to retreat since they were outnumbered. After Admiral Nelson won the Battle of Trafalgar and the War with France and Spain ended, Charles Austen was appointed in the army. According to Susan Austen Grubbs, Charles was a lieutenant in charge of a squad of soldiers who frequently were the Royal Family Escort. This gave Charles access to the Royal Family festivities and admitted him to the Royal Palace in the time of George III. There he met Princess Adelaide and Princess Charlotte. Susan romantically states that Charles danced with all the princesses in the time of George III since he was admitted to all the festivities of the Royal Family.
About the time Charles Austen completed his military service, (1813) and returned to civilian life, his father, Ambrose Austen, purchased the right to live in the Castle on Cattle Gate Manor (Theobold Estate, north of Enfield) for 100 years. It was called Pepper Corn Right and was a large sheep range. They owned thousands of sheep.
In 1813 Charles Austen married Susan Pearce. Susan and her brother Charles went to a fair near London (bourne) where they met Sarah and her brother Richard. An intimate relationship grew out of this meeting which resulted in the marriage of Charles to Sarah Pearce and Richard Pearce to Susan Austen. Both couples were married on the same day, June 21, 1813, in the same church, the St Mary le-Bonne Church in London. I have a copy of the church records substantiating this marriage. From this record it is noted that Charles Austen gave his address as being St. Mary-le0Bonne Parish, London and Sarah Pearce gave her address as the Parish of Hempstead in the County of Hertford. The church record also shows that Richard Pearce gave the Parish of St. Mary-le0BonneParish, London as his address and Susan Austen gave the Parish of Enfield as hers. The marriage ceremony was performed by William Meade, Curate and witnessed by Mary Austen (I believe her to have been a younger sister) of Charles and Susan Austen) and by Charlotte and Ralph Hale.
Ralph and Charlotte Hale, I believe to have been man and wife since elsewhere in the family record it is suggested that Charlotte was the sister of Susan Beard Austen, wife of Ambrose Austen. (If this is true, then Ralph and Charlotte Hale are Charles and Susan Austen’s Aunt and Uncle)
St Mary-le-Bonne Church in London was known as the Queen’s Church and members of the Royal Family attended the wedding ceremonies, June 21, 1813 at the church. After the wedding, Charles Austen took his wife to the home of his father Ambrose Austen (address unknown but thought to be Bull’s Cross in the suburb of Enfield). Richard Pearce took Susan, his wife, to his home in London (address unknown). After about a week, Charles and Sarah packed all their possessions, about two eight horse wagon loads. The horses had bells on that played tunes such as "God save the King" etc. His sister Susan and her husband Richard also packed up their possessions, about two eight horse wagon loads and arranged to meet Charles Austen and his wife Sarah on a certain bridge that crosses a river near (Bourne) London. When they met to pass on the bridge, everyone stopped and a great time was had by everyone, bottles of wine were broken and faith was pledged time and again. After this celebration was over Charles Austen and his wife Sarah drove to his father’s (Ambrose Austen) home at Cattle Gate Manor where they stayed with his father. Susan and her husband Richard Pearce drove into London, where they took lodgings.
Charles Austen, it would appear from Susan Austen Grubbs account joined his father Ambrose Austen, who at this time (1813) was raising sheep on their range at Cattle Gate Manor (a part of Theobold’s Estate) north of Enfield. A copy of a record of a tax assessment 1813-1818, is in the Middlesex County Record office, London shows Charles Austen lived in Bull’s Cross in 1814 and left there in early 18181, taking his family to live in St. Alban. About this time England was in the early stages of an economic change from agriculture to industrialization. Charles Austen apparently became dissatisfied and sold his rights to live in the Castle on Cattle Gate Manor for 100 tears, sold all his huge flocks of sheep and went to live in St Albans, Hertford County in 1818. While living in Bull’s (Beidel’s) Cross, suburb of Enfield, Charles and Sarah had three children as follows:
Name Birth Death
Susan 1814 not known
Thomas 1815 1885 Charles Jan 23, 1818 Aug 7, 1895
I have not found any baptismal record for Susan or Thomas, but have found one for Charles. From the records it appears that shortly after the birth of their son Charles, on January 23, 1818, Charles and Susan moved to St Albans. I have obtained a copy of the baptismal record of their son Charles from the church records of the Cathedral and Abbey church of St. Albans. It show as the baptism of Charles, son of Charles(described as gentleman) and Sarah, his wife, resident of the Abbey Parish, the date of the baptism being September 25, 1818, when Charles was about eight months old Entry # 435. Ceremony performed by Henery Small.
From the Susan Austen Grubbs record, Charles Austen and his family left St. Alban after a time and went to live in Litchborough. (I have not been able to prove this statement).
In 1820, according to Susan Austen Grubbs, Charles Austen and Richard Pearce left their families in England and sailed to America in search of new homes for themselves and their families. They were four weeks at sea and finally landed in New York where they immediately took an overland stage to Philadelphia. From there to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (I have no proof of this earlier voyage)
Upon arrival in Pittsburgh they became acquainted with a Mr. Robert Davis, who had a brother inlaw by the name of William Cockran. Mr Cockran had charge of 400 acres of government land on Pine Creek, twelve miles north of Pittsburgh on the Butler Turnpike Road. Mr Cockran offered to sell Charles and Richard as many acres as they for fifty cents an acre. Charles and Richard bought fifty acres apiece from him. Charles Austen’s land was on the eastern side of Pine Creek and that of Richard Pearce on the western side of the creek. The Pearce property had a log cabin and mill site on it. Richard Pearce being a miller by trade immediately set about to repair the mill, the milldam and the millrace. Charles Austen’s land had good pasture land for cattle and sheep. He chopped down some trees and built a log house on his property.
In the fall of 1820 after all this preparation was completed, Charles and Richard returned to England. In January 1821 they sold all their possessions, disposed of their property in England, with their families started out for America. ( I have obtained a copy of the passenger list of the ship fron the "National Archives, Washington DC) I could not find d record of the crossing in 1820.
There seems to be some discrepancy here in Susan Austen Grubbs record since the Photostat of the passenger list does not show Richard Pearce and family. Only Charles Austen aged 34, Sarah Austen, aged 33, Susan, aged 7, Thomas aged 6, and Charles aged 3.
From an old 1821 newspaper in the files of the museum of the city of New York, I found that the good ship Criterion upon which they embarked at "The Downs Docks" in London sailed for New York, March 19, 1821. The Captain’s name was Avery. It was a fairly large vessel and carried a cargo of hemp, brandy, and dry-goods. She had four cabins and room for 30 steerage passengers. They sailed from London in the company of two other sailing ships, "The Mohawk" and "The Clay". They had a tempestuous voyage, ran out of provisions and were in a storm off the Bay of Biscay. However, all survived and they arrived safely in New York Harbor, May 10, 1821, after about fifty days at sea.
Apparently they did not tarry long in New York, for according to Susan Austen Grubbs, they took an overland stage to Philadelphia, PA. Richard Pearce purchased a team of horses and a light wagon and with his family started across the Allegheny Mountains to Pittsburgh. About two weeks later, Charles and his family were joined by Mr. Toogood and his family. Charles Austen and family purchased a team of horses and Mr. Toogood purchased a Conestoga wagon. Charles Austen and Mr. Toogood loaded their families and all their possessions on the wagon and started west on the "Old National Road" across the Allegheny Mountains to Pittsburgh where they arrived in June 1821,, after about a month on the way. They went to Pine Creek and found things as they had left them.
I investigated the purchases of the land by Charles Austen and Richard Pearce and obtained Photostat copies of the original deed which shows that Charles Austen and Richard Pearce purchased 101 acres of land from William Cochran and wife, July 7, 1821 for the sum of $350.00 or $3.50 an acre and not $.50 an acre as Susan Austen=n Grubbs states in her account of this transaction. I found another deed dated August 10, 1821 in which Richard Pearce and wife sold 50 acres of land to Charles Austen and his wife for $175.00. These deeds can be seen in the office of the Recorder of Deeds, Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA.
Charles Austen worked hard on his land but found it difficult to farm. Several times he was so discouraged he was on the point of returning to England.
The Austen Pearce families never had any "falling-out". They apparently lived happily there in western Pennsylvania in or near Bakerstown, 12 miles north of Pittsburgh in Pine Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
Most of the members of the Austen-Pearce family who came from England lived a long time and a number of them are buried in the Cross-Roads Presbyterian Church cemetery, nearby where they went to church on Sunday. A large part of the original land purchased by Charles and Austen and Richard Pearce in 1821 is now incorporated in what is called "Western Pennsylvania State Park" just north of Pittsburgh. It is a large recreational park for the people of Pittsburgh and its environs. A part of the old Pearce home is still standing and is a part of the Administration Office of the park. The creek that flowed through the property had been dammed up and converted into a beautiful lake about three miles long.
Other members of the Ambrose Austen family are believed to have come over from England shortly after Charles did in 1821. They and their descendents are in Ohio near Ashland, Jeromeville and Shreveport.
Written 11/24/61
By Willard Emerson Austen, M.D.
b. June 20, 1897 d. Dec 25, 1963
Son of :
John Thaddeus Austen
b. Mar 12, 1864 d. Mar. 10. 1928
and Hettie Elvira Robinson Austen
b. Dec 12, 1865 d. Apr 30, 1948
The following historical sketch has been complied and written by me, Willard Austen, M.D. son of John Thaddeus Austen (Mar 26, 1864 – Mar 10, 1928) and Hettie E Robinson (Dec 12, 1865 – April 30, 1948) in the year 1961.
The original manuscript as written by Susan Grubbs was used as a source from which to undertake this research into the origins of my branch of the Austen family here in Western Pennsylvania. The original Manuscript has many errors in it which I am not sure were due to inaccurate records or pure romanticism. Corrections and additions are made in the following account as I have proven them from copies of old records obtained in England.
In the introduction of her manuscript, Susan Austen Grubbs begins with a statement that Charles Austen, her father, was a man of wealth and distinction in England. He was born somewhere in Kent County and his ancestors were the Old Britons that came to England hundreds of years ago. From other family records, I learned that Charles Austen, the father of Susan Austen Grubbs, was the son of Ambrose Austen (born June 19, 1757 - died 1842), burial place unknown, aged 85 and his wife Susan Beard Austen born Dec 3, 1769 – died 1848), burial place unknown, aged 79 years.
It may be possible that Ambrose Austen had a brother Charles Austen who was a Captain of a Man-of-War during Napoleon’s War with England 1803=1805. Nothing further is known about this Charles Austen.
Inquiry made at the British Admiralty recently was of no consequence. They could find no record.
According to Susan Grubbs, Mrs. Charlotte Hale was the sister of her grandmother, Susan Beard Austen. Mrs. Charlotte Hale, I believe was the wife of Ralph Hale. She was the sister-in-law of Ambrose Austen and an aunt of Susan and Charles, whose marriage she witnessed in 1813. She lived and died somewhere in Wiltshire.
Susan Austen Grubbs romantically describes her mother as a little refined lady, who spent her last years confined to her bed but nevertheless delighted to see her visitors, old or young. A little bag of special cookies always hung on her bedpost, a treat for all the children who came to see her. She was a cultured woman for her times as evidenced by the fact on emigrating to America with her husband and three children, she brought along her harp among other things. She instructed her children not only in music but also to sing with the harp, and she was their school mistress as well, at the wilderness log-cabin home near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The children received no other schooling. She died Jan 15, 1868 and is buried in the cross roads Presbyterian cemetery near Bakerstown, Pennsylvania.
From other family records, I have learned that Ambrose Austen and his wife Susan Beard Austen had nine children, the first of whom was Charles Austen, born August 2, 2785 somewhere in Kent, England. I assume from this statement that Ambrose Austen and Susan Beard Austen were married in the fall of the year 1784, place unknown.
These nine children were born to Ambrose and Susan Beard Austen who I know are are listed below:
Name Date of Birth Date of Death
Charles Aug 2, 1785 1865
Nathaniel 1787 1823
Henry 1788
Susan Nov 9, 1792 Aug 9, 1865
Mary 1793
John 1794
Charlotte 1798 1860
Ambrose 1800
Joseph 1802 1893
I have been unable to discover where these children were born or where their descendents are now.
The earliest record I have of a residence for Ambrose and his family is a copy of a record from Middlesex county Record Office, Westminster S.W.I. In a letter from the Middlesex County Archivist, she states that she found the tax assessments for Enfield, in 1813. The house was valued at a rent of 100 pounds, which was quite a large sum. It is presumed that most if not all of the children were there also at that time, since Susan gave the Parish at Enfield as her home address when she married in 1813 to Richard Pearce. I do not have any information about any of the children except Charles and Susan.
The earliest information I have of Charles is a statement by Susan Austen Grubbs, that when Charles Austen became a young man he enlisted in the English Army. His father Ambrose bought him a lieutenancy in the Army and Navy (4 ½ years in the Army and 4 ½ years in the Navy). During the war with France (Napoleon, 1803 -1805) Charles was a Lieutenant on a Man-of -War that was sent out into the English Channel to reconnoiter. They met the combined Spanish and French fleet but had to retreat since they were outnumbered. After Admiral Nelson won the Battle of Trafalgar and the War with France and Spain ended, Charles Austen was appointed in the army. According to Susan Austen Grubbs, Charles was a lieutenant in charge of a squad of soldiers who frequently were the Royal Family Escort. This gave Charles access to the Royal Family festivities and admitted him to the Royal Palace in the time of George III. There he met Princess Adelaide and Princess Charlotte. Susan romantically states that Charles danced with all the princesses in the time of George III since he was admitted to all the festivities of the Royal Family.
About the time Charles Austen completed his military service, (1813) and returned to civilian life, his father, Ambrose Austen, purchased the right to live in the Castle on Cattle Gate Manor (Theobold Estate, north of Enfield) for 100 years. It was called Pepper Corn Right and was a large sheep range. They owned thousands of sheep.
In 1813 Charles Austen married Susan Pearce. Susan and her brother Charles went to a fair near London (bourne) where they met Sarah and her brother Richard. An intimate relationship grew out of this meeting which resulted in the marriage of Charles to Sarah Pearce and Richard Pearce to Susan Austen. Both couples were married on the same day, June 21, 1813, in the same church, the St Mary le-Bonne Church in London. I have a copy of the church records substantiating this marriage. From this record it is noted that Charles Austen gave his address as being St. Mary-le0Bonne Parish, London and Sarah Pearce gave her address as the Parish of Hempstead in the County of Hertford. The church record also shows that Richard Pearce gave the Parish of St. Mary-le0BonneParish, London as his address and Susan Austen gave the Parish of Enfield as hers. The marriage ceremony was performed by William Meade, Curate and witnessed by Mary Austen (I believe her to have been a younger sister) of Charles and Susan Austen) and by Charlotte and Ralph Hale.
Ralph and Charlotte Hale, I believe to have been man and wife since elsewhere in the family record it is suggested that Charlotte was the sister of Susan Beard Austen, wife of Ambrose Austen. (If this is true, then Ralph and Charlotte Hale are Charles and Susan Austen’s Aunt and Uncle)
St Mary-le-Bonne Church in London was known as the Queen’s Church and members of the Royal Family attended the wedding ceremonies, June 21, 1813 at the church. After the wedding, Charles Austen took his wife to the home of his father Ambrose Austen (address unknown but thought to be Bull’s Cross in the suburb of Enfield). Richard Pearce took Susan, his wife, to his home in London (address unknown). After about a week, Charles and Sarah packed all their possessions, about two eight horse wagon loads. The horses had bells on that played tunes such as "God save the King" etc. His sister Susan and her husband Richard also packed up their possessions, about two eight horse wagon loads and arranged to meet Charles Austen and his wife Sarah on a certain bridge that crosses a river near (Bourne) London. When they met to pass on the bridge, everyone stopped and a great time was had by everyone, bottles of wine were broken and faith was pledged time and again. After this celebration was over Charles Austen and his wife Sarah drove to his father’s (Ambrose Austen) home at Cattle Gate Manor where they stayed with his father. Susan and her husband Richard Pearce drove into London, where they took lodgings.
Charles Austen, it would appear from Susan Austen Grubbs account joined his father Ambrose Austen, who at this time (1813) was raising sheep on their range at Cattle Gate Manor (a part of Theobold’s Estate) north of Enfield. A copy of a record of a tax assessment 1813-1818, is in the Middlesex County Record office, London shows Charles Austen lived in Bull’s Cross in 1814 and left there in early 18181, taking his family to live in St. Alban. About this time England was in the early stages of an economic change from agriculture to industrialization. Charles Austen apparently became dissatisfied and sold his rights to live in the Castle on Cattle Gate Manor for 100 tears, sold all his huge flocks of sheep and went to live in St Albans, Hertford County in 1818. While living in Bull’s (Beidel’s) Cross, suburb of Enfield, Charles and Sarah had three children as follows:
Name Birth Death
Susan 1814 not known
Thomas 1815 1885 Charles Jan 23, 1818 Aug 7, 1895
I have not found any baptismal record for Susan or Thomas, but have found one for Charles. From the records it appears that shortly after the birth of their son Charles, on January 23, 1818, Charles and Susan moved to St Albans. I have obtained a copy of the baptismal record of their son Charles from the church records of the Cathedral and Abbey church of St. Albans. It show as the baptism of Charles, son of Charles(described as gentleman) and Sarah, his wife, resident of the Abbey Parish, the date of the baptism being September 25, 1818, when Charles was about eight months old Entry # 435. Ceremony performed by Henery Small.
From the Susan Austen Grubbs record, Charles Austen and his family left St. Alban after a time and went to live in Litchborough. (I have not been able to prove this statement).
In 1820, according to Susan Austen Grubbs, Charles Austen and Richard Pearce left their families in England and sailed to America in search of new homes for themselves and their families. They were four weeks at sea and finally landed in New York where they immediately took an overland stage to Philadelphia. From there to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (I have no proof of this earlier voyage)
Upon arrival in Pittsburgh they became acquainted with a Mr. Robert Davis, who had a brother inlaw by the name of William Cockran. Mr Cockran had charge of 400 acres of government land on Pine Creek, twelve miles north of Pittsburgh on the Butler Turnpike Road. Mr Cockran offered to sell Charles and Richard as many acres as they for fifty cents an acre. Charles and Richard bought fifty acres apiece from him. Charles Austen’s land was on the eastern side of Pine Creek and that of Richard Pearce on the western side of the creek. The Pearce property had a log cabin and mill site on it. Richard Pearce being a miller by trade immediately set about to repair the mill, the milldam and the millrace. Charles Austen’s land had good pasture land for cattle and sheep. He chopped down some trees and built a log house on his property.
In the fall of 1820 after all this preparation was completed, Charles and Richard returned to England. In January 1821 they sold all their possessions, disposed of their property in England, with their families started out for America. ( I have obtained a copy of the passenger list of the ship fron the "National Archives, Washington DC) I could not find d record of the crossing in 1820.
There seems to be some discrepancy here in Susan Austen Grubbs record since the Photostat of the passenger list does not show Richard Pearce and family. Only Charles Austen aged 34, Sarah Austen, aged 33, Susan, aged 7, Thomas aged 6, and Charles aged 3.
From an old 1821 newspaper in the files of the museum of the city of New York, I found that the good ship Criterion upon which they embarked at "The Downs Docks" in London sailed for New York, March 19, 1821. The Captain’s name was Avery. It was a fairly large vessel and carried a cargo of hemp, brandy, and dry-goods. She had four cabins and room for 30 steerage passengers. They sailed from London in the company of two other sailing ships, "The Mohawk" and "The Clay". They had a tempestuous voyage, ran out of provisions and were in a storm off the Bay of Biscay. However, all survived and they arrived safely in New York Harbor, May 10, 1821, after about fifty days at sea.
Apparently they did not tarry long in New York, for according to Susan Austen Grubbs, they took an overland stage to Philadelphia, PA. Richard Pearce purchased a team of horses and a light wagon and with his family started across the Allegheny Mountains to Pittsburgh. About two weeks later, Charles and his family were joined by Mr. Toogood and his family. Charles Austen and family purchased a team of horses and Mr. Toogood purchased a Conestoga wagon. Charles Austen and Mr. Toogood loaded their families and all their possessions on the wagon and started west on the "Old National Road" across the Allegheny Mountains to Pittsburgh where they arrived in June 1821,, after about a month on the way. They went to Pine Creek and found things as they had left them.
I investigated the purchases of the land by Charles Austen and Richard Pearce and obtained Photostat copies of the original deed which shows that Charles Austen and Richard Pearce purchased 101 acres of land from William Cochran and wife, July 7, 1821 for the sum of $350.00 or $3.50 an acre and not $.50 an acre as Susan Austen=n Grubbs states in her account of this transaction. I found another deed dated August 10, 1821 in which Richard Pearce and wife sold 50 acres of land to Charles Austen and his wife for $175.00. These deeds can be seen in the office of the Recorder of Deeds, Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA.
Charles Austen worked hard on his land but found it difficult to farm. Several times he was so discouraged he was on the point of returning to England.
The Austen Pearce families never had any "falling-out". They apparently lived happily there in western Pennsylvania in or near Bakerstown, 12 miles north of Pittsburgh in Pine Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
Most of the members of the Austen-Pearce family who came from England lived a long time and a number of them are buried in the Cross-Roads Presbyterian Church cemetery, nearby where they went to church on Sunday. A large part of the original land purchased by Charles and Austen and Richard Pearce in 1821 is now incorporated in what is called "Western Pennsylvania State Park" just north of Pittsburgh. It is a large recreational park for the people of Pittsburgh and its environs. A part of the old Pearce home is still standing and is a part of the Administration Office of the park. The creek that flowed through the property had been dammed up and converted into a beautiful lake about three miles long.
Other members of the Ambrose Austen family are believed to have come over from England shortly after Charles did in 1821. They and their descendents are in Ohio near Ashland, Jeromeville and Shreveport.
Written 11/24/61
By Willard Emerson Austen, M.D.
b. June 20, 1897 d. Dec 25, 1963
Son of :
John Thaddeus Austen
b. Mar 12, 1864 d. Mar. 10. 1928
and Hettie Elvira Robinson Austen
b. Dec 12, 1865 d. Apr 30, 1948