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Part of an old map of the San Jacinto area from the Texas Revolution

Veteran Bio

Texian Location:  Harrisburg

The Kemp Sketch

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YARBROUGH, JOSEPH RANDOLPH - Born January 31, 1817, in Tennessee. He came to Texas in 1832, as is shown in the headright certificate for one-third of a league of land by the Shelby County Board of Land Commissioners, June 8, 1838.

Mr. Yarbrough was issued Donation Certificate No. 936 for 640 acres of land, November 22, 1838 for having been detailed to guard the baggage at the camp opposite Harrisburg, April 21, 1836. He was a member of Captain Hayden Arnold’s Company.

Mr. Yarbrough was married to Clementine Crawford, February 9, 1840. Mrs. Yarbrough was born June 27, 1823 and died in January, 1907. Mr. Yarbrough died March 26, 1867. Mr. and Mrs. Yarbrough are buried in the cemetery in Grapeland, Houston County. Mrs. Yarbrough’s grave is marked, Mr. Yarbrough’s is not.

Children of Mr. and Mrs. Yarbrough were Georgiana E., who was born near Grapeland, Texas, January 31, 1842. She was married to James Whitley. Mrs. Whitley died at Grapeland August 9, 1939. Melissa, who married Thomas Herod, in 1938 was residing three miles west of Grapeland, aged 94; Mary, who married W. R. Morris, in 1938 was residing four miles east of Grapeland, aged 92; S. M. Yarbrough was residing in Fort Worth in 1938, aged 82; S. H. Yarbrough was residing in Trinity, Texas; Miss Kittie Yarbrough resides in Grapeland; Lucindy, deceased, was married to Lee Whitescarver; Isabella, deceased, was married to R. L. Owens; J. S. Yarbrough, deceased, was married to Mollie Hollingsworth; and John R. Yarbrough, deceased, was married to Mollie Smith.

Some of the grandchildren of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Randolph Yarbrough are J. R. Owens, Grapeland; Dr. J. C. Whitley, Corpus Christi, and Mrs. C. A. Storey, Grapeland, Texas.

Children of Mr. and Mrs. Whitley are Mrs. S. M. Hodges, Tuscola; Mrs. L. H. De Bolt, Tyler; Mrs. W. D. Du Mont, New York City; W. M. Whitley, Ft. Worth; and Dr. J. C. Whitley, Corpus Christi.

YARBROUGH, JOSEPH RANDOLPH -- (Houston Chronicle)

Houston County Woman Observes 96th Birthday

Special to The Chronicle.

Crockett, Feb. 4. -- Looking back over a long and active life and anticipating many more years of activity, Mrs. C. E. Whitley of Grapeland, life-long resident of Houston County, probably the oldest person in the county, this week celebrated her ninety-sixth birthday.

Mrs. Whitley is exceptionally active and proves it by drawing several buckets of water daily from a 50-foot well at her residence, as well as performing other household chores.

She points out that her entire family has been especially long-lived. She has a sister, Mrs. Melissa Herod, residing three miles west of Grapeland, who is 94.

Another sister Mrs. Mary Morris, four miles east of Grapeland, is 92. One brother is 82 and the other 75. A third sister, Miss Kittie Yarborough, also of Grapeland, is 79.

Her father, Joseph Randolph Yarborough, one of the first citizens to settle in the northern part of the county, participated in the Battle of San Jacinto.



Written by Louis W. Kemp, between 1930 and 1952. Please note that typographical and factual errors have not been corrected from the original sketches. The biographies have been scanned from the original typescripts, a process that sometimes allows for mistakes in the new text. Researchers should verify the accuracy of the texts' contents through other sources before quoting in publications. Additional information on the veteran may be available in the Herzstein Library.


Battle Statistics

  • Died in Battle: No
  • Rank: Private
  • Company: [Capt. Hayden S. Arnold] detailed to guard baggage

Personal Statistics

  • Alternate Names: Yarbrough
  • Date of Birth: 1817 Jan 31
  • Birthplace: Tennessee? Louisiana?
  • Came to Texas: 1832
  • Date of Death: 1867 Mar 26
  • Burial Place: Grapeland, Houston County, Texas
  • Donation Certificate: 936
  • Wife: Phebe Clementine Crawford
  • Children: Georgiana E. Yarbrough Whitley, Melissa Yarbrough Herod, Mary Texana Yarbrough Morris, S. M. Yarbrough, S. H. Yarbrough, Kittie Yarbrough, Lucindy Yarbrough Whitescarver, Isabella Yarbrough Owens, J. S. Yarbrough, John R. Yarbrough
  • Family at San Jacinto: Father Swanson Yarborough and future brother-in-law John Andrew Box fought at San Jacinto.