Elder William Brittain and Rosanna Wright Brittain
Patroon, Shelby County, Texas
Marker Inscription
North Carolina native William Brittain (1774-1850) became a preacher in his home state at the age of 25. In 1802 he married Rosanna (Wright) (1784-1856), the daughter of revolutionary war veteran John Wright, III. Inspired by missionary possibilities in the frontier regions to the west, William and Rosanna Brittain left North Carolina in 1824. After living in Alabama and Arkansas, they migrated to the Republic of Texas in 1837 and constructed a log cabin at this site. One room of the structure served as a classroom and church sanctuary for the pioneer settlers of the Sabine River steamboat port of Hamilton, later known as East Hamilton. A pioneer leader of the Baptist faith in East Texas, Elder Brittain was instrumental in the formation of several Shelby County congregations, including the Hamilton church in 1846. Originally aligned with the predestinarian movement of Daniel Parker, he later joined missionary Baptists of the Sabine Association and served as moderator of the organization in 1847. East Hamilton declined with the end of steamboat traffic. All that remains is this cemetery, the site of the Brittains' early home and chapel.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
North Carolina preacher William Brittain and his wife Rosanna, drawn by the promise of frontier missions, migrated to the Republic of Texas in 1837 and raised a log cabin here. One room served as classroom and chapel for the settlers of the Sabine River steamboat port of East Hamilton. A pioneer Baptist leader, Brittain helped found several Shelby County congregations and served as moderator of the Sabine Association in 1847. When steamboat traffic ended the town faded, leaving only this cemetery on the site of the Brittains' home and chapel.
Why it matters
The Brittains embody the frontier itinerant faith that carried church and school together into East Texas, seeding communities that outlived the river ports where they began.
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Related people
- · William Brittain
- · Rosanna Wright Brittain
- · Daniel Parker
Themes & tags
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