“If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents, and all generations of your ancestors. All of them ae alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
Travels With Maggie
Antonio Joseph was born in 1789 in Lisbon, Portugal. He was my great-great-great-grandfather. Most likely he was an illegal alien, having jumped ship, on which he was a cook, in Connecticut in 1822, shortly thereafter marrying Annis Rogers. At some point, Annis left Antonio, and she and their son, Thomas Miller Joseph, moved to Texas.
I’m sure there’s a juicy story about the family breakup, but of course there are no records so all I can do is use my writer’s imagination. I do know, according to records traced down by my son, that Antonio stayed behind in Connecticut, where he worked as a cook for an insane asylum, and that he died in Hartford in 1868.
This historical marker in Galveston does not mark the grave of my great-great-grandfather, Thomas Miller Joseph. His grave, like many others, was relocated somewhere during hurricanes that hit Galveston Island. -- Photo by Karen Bean
Young Thomas, meanwhile, became a prominent lawyer in Galveston, served the city as its mayor for five consecutive terms, was a chief justice, a Democratic leader and both a Texas State representative and senator. In other words, my great-great grandfather, the son of a sea cook, was important enough to have made it into Texas history books and to be honored by a historical marker.
One of his, and Mary Trueheart’s eight children, was Lucian Minor Joseph, my great-grandfather. His only child, with Annie Rutledge, was Robert Rutledge Joseph, my grandfather, who with Iva Mae Andrews, had eight children, of which my father, Richard Wilkinson Joseph, was the seventh, according to census records.
From all that I know and can learn, the Josephs were a prominent family in Cleburne, Texas.
While Thomas Miller Joseph isn't as important in Texas history as Sam Houston, his name can still be found in Texas History Books as a prominent man in Galveston circles. This giant sculpture of Houston, if you're interested, can be found along Interstate 45 near Huntsville, Texas. -- Photo by Pat Bean
You would have thought I would have heard at least bits and pieces of this family history growing up. Not so. For some reason, I never was told, my father broke off all connections with his family, and would not talk about them at all.
Looking back now, I realize that we were the family’s poor relations . And poor we were. One of my dad;s older sisters took it upon herself to send a box of hand-me-downs to our family a couple of times a year. It came to my mother, not my father, however.
Since my unknown aunt had a daughter a couple of years older than me, the box was like Christmas, better even because what came in the box was always ever so much better than what I would get for Christmas.
An older brother of dad’s also kept in touch with the family through my mother. And I know that during a few hard times he helped out. But again I never met him.
Families are funny things. It’s love and hate, and jealousies and quarrels all mixed up together. It’s sad because when my mother died, all contact with my father’s family ceased. I never knew any of them. It’s a whole big part of my genes and history that were never a part of my life, and never will be. .
Perhaps that’s why I find this story of the son of a sea cook history so fascinating. Perhaps I even get a bit of my wanderlust from that Portuguese sailor who was born in Lisbon but ended up in America.
Pat Bean's blog 
What an interesting story, Pat, and even more interesting to me that you were able to find out so many details without any contact with your extended family. I enjoyed reading about it.
My son did all the work, but actually the geneaology got started back in the late 1960s when a big oil company wanted to explore for oil on Deer Island off Galveston. They researched who owned the land and it came out that it was originally owned as part of a land grant by Thomas Miller Josesph. My dad owned 1/267th of it, or something like that, and he got about $100 for his share of the year’s lease. Too bad they didn’t strike oil. Thanks for commenting.
I’ve seen that statue as I lived in Texas for a year after high school, just outside of Houston. Must be quite a job to keep that clean. Its huge!
Never thought about that. Of course it’s in an area that rains a lot. Oops. Make that used to rain a lot. The houston area is in a huge drought right now. Thanks for commenting Stephen.
Keep writing … Pat Bean https://patbean.wordpress.com
I know this is an older post, Mom, but I should add that Thomas Miller Joseph’s wife, Mary Minor Trueheart, is buried in Huntsville near Sam Houston’s grave along with some other family. The Oakwood Cemetary has several families connected with the Joseph’s.
Family histories are fascinating things. I’m lucky to have a rich (and ‘colorful’) family history, but I’ve always wanted to dig deeper and learn more. Maybe, one day, when the world slows down again for me, I’ll get to it. 🙂
Good luck, Evie. I’m 80 years old and life goes faster every day.
Hi – I think I have corresponded with you previously via Findagrave. My husband is a GG Grandson of Thomas Miller Joseph through his daughter Fanny Overton Joseph who married John Keenan Wiley. Of course the father of John Keenan Wiley (AP Wiley) was a prominent citizen of Huntsville and compatriot of Sam Houston’s. Lots of our Wiley line is buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville in the Wiley/Joseph Plot just steps away from the grave of Sam Houston.
I have been searching and searching … but just discovered online a photo of Thomas Miller Joseph at the Legislative Reference Library of Texas. I am still looking for a photo of Mary Minor (Trueheart) Joseph as well as the exact location of her grave at Oakwood where many of the gravestones are missing.
Mom, feel free to refer her to my email.
God bless Texas – God bless America! Lewis Bean
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:45:28 +0000 To: lewbypg30@hotmail.com
Hi There Pat,
Thank you so much for sharing this – I am a GGG Grandson, though I do not know the exact lineage. I just began reading the author’s notes in the opener from The life of Pi, and identified with his painting of the landsdcape of foreign peoples and faraway places .. This re-connected with a dormant wanderlust which, for now, remains dormant, smoldering just beneath the surface. My current attentions being focused on my 9 year old daughter Noel Minami Joseph and my 6 year old son Noa Kanon Joseph. I have a deep and profound love for the ocean, and I can now connect that with my ancestry. We presently live in Toko, Japan. I look forward to reading more about your travels, and wanted to express my gratitude to you for inspiring me to chronicle those of my own.
Warm Regards,
Alan “Joe” Joseph III
Enjoyed the trip down memory lane. Thomas was my great grandfather. Thomas had land in Wallisville, Tx. and was rumored to have buried treasure there during the civil war. Charles Trueheart Joseph, Sr., my grandfather, and Charles Trueheart, Joseph Jr. my father. My grandfather had a store on Old River Lake in Cove, Tx. He traveled by barge to Galveston for supplies. My brother, Charles Trueheart Joseph, III and I grew up in Chambers County, Tx.