12 for ’26: Week One Update on the January Family - Peter H Hutson

I got a bit of a start with my January family, the Hutsons. Using FamilySearch’s full-text search feature, I have located a few deed records pertaining to my maternal great-grandfather, Peter H. Hutson. He is mentioned in deeds as P. H. Hutson and when selling his land, his wife is listed as S. H. Hutson. Her name was Sarah H. Hutson. In one deed record, she was listed as Sallie. That is nice to know. I can use that when I tell their story.

My methodology in processing these deeds is to write the source citation first, and then extract the main information, getting the grantors and grantees, the consideration, the land description, any vendors liens, the date of the transaction, who signed and who witnessed, and the date of filing. It is interesting that very few of the deeds were filed within days of the transaction except the one mortgage with a mortgage company.

Here is an example of how I record the information in a Word document. This information can then be copied and pasted into RootsMagic, the AirTable I am working on, and blog posts.

Comanche Co, Texas, deeds, v. 34, p. 72, J.E. Palmer to P. H. Hutson, 1892, imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9Q97-YS6X-KWG : viewed 3 Jan 2026); citing IGN 004492047, image 73 of 641.

Comanche Co, Texas

            I J.E. Palmer of Comanche for $100 in hand paid by P.H. Hutson of Comanche Co, sold 80 acres of land situated in Comanche being a part of the Lucy Pearsall Survey of 320 acres.

“beginning at the NE corner of said Pearsall survey for NE corner this survey, thence N71W 435 varas to NE corner of JC West Survey, thence S19W 450 varas to SE corner said west survey, thence N71W 42.5 varas to NE corner of a survey made for NE Palmer, thence S19W 55+ varas to SE corner of said Palmer survey, thence S71E 477.5 varas to the east line of said Pearsall survey, thence N19E north said line to the place of beginning.”

Signed at Fleming 20 July 1892. J.E. Palmer before G.A. Tunnell, Justice of the Peace.

Filed 27 June 1895.  N.E. Palmer, clerk.

 

Analysis of Purchases
This above purchase was his first piece of land in Comanche County in 1892, purchasing 80 acres from J. E. Palmer, who might be John E. Palmer, the husband of Mary Caroline Selman, who was Sarah’s sister. The question at this point is, was this when Peter and Sarah first moved into Comanche County? At this point, it is the first record of them in the county. They were married in Hood County. Neither Peter nor Sarah have been found in the 1870 census with their family or the 1880 census together. Hopefully, full-text search will pinpoint their migration better.

In 1897, they sold 55 acres of land located in the Charles Sargent Survey to T. J. Hayes.[1] At this time, I do not know how they got that land. It could be that Sarah received it through an inheritance or full-text search missed it through an odd spelling of Peter’s name. I have found “Hudson” and “Huston” also listed. Full-text search does not find variant spellings. I must search each of those separately and I need to do that next. It is important to locate the purchase of any land they sell, and the sale of any land they purchase.

In 1905, they purchased 45 acres of land located in the Joseph P. Berger Survey from J. E. McDonald and his wife, S. A. McDonald. To pay for this land, they took out a mortgage.[2] J. E. McDonald may be James E. McDonald who married Sarah A. Johnston. Sarah’s brother Reuben M. Johnston’s son, Thomas N. Johnston would marry Peter’s daughter, Nell Hutson in 1907. See how interconnected these people can be?

In 1905, they purchased a 2+ acre lot in the town of Gustine in the Christopher H. Clark survey from R. L. Selman and his wife, Julia P. They paid $350 plus promissory notes for $400. This deed was not filed until 1919.[3] R. L. Selman was Sarah’s brother, Robert Lewis Selman.

In 1910, they sold a piece of the Christopher Clark Survey land to M. B. Odell amounting to one half acre.[4]

In 1915, they sold the 45-acre tract in the Joseph P Berger Survey to N. E. Palmer Jr for $1800, $1208.80 in cash in hand and the assumption of the loan for $291.20.[5] N. E. Palmer is likely Noah E Palmer, who was the son of John E. Palmer and Sarah’s nephew. The junior part is contradictory unless there was another older N. E. Palmer in the county. Later in 1915, the Land Mortgage Bank of Texas released the lien securing the mortgage to the land in the Joseph P Berger Survey.[6]

So, by 1915, Peter and Sarah still owned the land in the Lucy Pearsall Survey and a portion of the lot in the Christopher H Clark Survey. At least, I have not found a grantor deed selling off these properties yet.

Next Steps?
These pieces of land can be platted, but there are not much physical land references to help me place them on a map except for the original land surveys. All Texas land is recorded this way and most of the plat maps list the original land owners. I can at least place the land in a general area.

I need to continue using full-text search to locate any land purchased or sold by Peter and Sarah, searching on alternative spellings: Hudson and Huston. I could also search using the survey names.

I also check the range of the deed records, and it appears they stop about 1921. I should check the Comanche County Recorder’s website to see if later deeds are online. I was there at the courthouse last year and thought I had done all the deed work. I could have done that work while I was there. They let me roam the basement all I wanted.

---

[1] Comanche Co, Texas, deeds, v. 43, p. 106, P.H. & S.H. Hutson to T. J. Hayes, 1897, imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9Q97-YS66-RW8 : 2 Jan 2026); IGN 004494039, image 104 of 638.

[2] Comanche Co, Texas, deeds, v. M, p. 35, deed trust, P.H. & S.H. Hutson to W.T. Humble, 1905, imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9Q97-Y39F-7 : accessed 2 Jan 2026); IGN 004523930, image 69-70 of 636.

[3] Comanche Co, Texas, deeds, v. 111, p. 283, RL & Julia P Selman to PH Hutson, 1905, imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9Q97-YSJV-37T : 3 Jan 2026); IGN 004506447 image 284 of 639.

[4] Comanche Co, Texas, deeds, v. 111, p. 302, PH & SH Hutson to MB Odell, 1910, imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9Q97-YSJV-38Q : accessed 3 Jan 2026); IGN 004506447, item 303 of 639.

[5] Comanche Co, Texas, deeds, v. 101, p. 320, PH & SH Hutson to NE Palmer, Jr, 1915, imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9Q97-YSJJ-DZL : 3 Jan 2026); IGN 004506562, image 321 of 641.

[6] Comanche Co, Texas, deeds, v. 103, p. 425, release, Land Mortgage Bank of Texas to PH Hutson & Sallie Hutson, 1915, imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9Q97-YSJJ-NCS : accessed 3 Jan 2026); IGN 004506554, image 426 of 641.

Copyright © 2011-2026 by Lisa S. Gorrell, Mam-ma's Southern Family, All rights reserved.