Thomas Cuthbert Erwin

Born on July 15, 1848, in St Stephens township, Chambers County Alabama, to Augustus O. Erwin and Martha Hudson. Martha died when he was three, and Gus died when he was 10. Raised by Emily, who was both his aunt and step mother. He always referred to her as aunt.

TC married Amanda Isabella Spear (Iddie), on May 25, 1869 in New Danville, Rusk County Texas. Isabella was the sixth child born to Thomas Gibson Spear and Emily Amanda Thurmond. She was born May 2, 1852.

After TC and Iddie married, they lived in Tyler Texas, where TC had a small farm worth $350. During the next ten years, TC and Iddie had four children. 
Thomas Augustus Erwin born November 6, 1871, Mittie Adell Erwin born 1873, Emmie Erwin born in 1876 and Clifford Erwin born in 1878. By 1880 TC had moved his family to Cooper Texas in Delta County where he had a farm. It’s not known how long they lived there, but eventually he moved his family back to East Texas, to Hamil’s Chapel, in Wood county (Later renamed Grice).

On February 8, 1898 his oldest son Gus was killed in a coon hunting accident. He was 18 years old. While out hunting one night with his friends, somebody cut the tree down to get the coon, but the tree landed on Gus. Isabella didn't want to live there anymore after Gus died, so T.C. moved them to Matinburg Tx, just outside Pittsburg in Camp county. While living there, T.C. farmed cotton, and in order to get his crops to market in Jefferson Texas, 50 miles (about 3 days) away, he organized wagon trains so they could defend themselves against bandits along the way. TC had several knife scars and buck shot wounds in his back, due to skirmishes with highwaymen. Later on they moved to Enon Texas in Upshur county where they lived for over 30 years. This story recalled by Tom Simpson Erwin and John Harris Erwin Jr.


Amanda Isabella Spear (Iddie)
Born: 2 May 1852 in Kemper, Mississippi
Died: 31 January 1929, Upshur County, Texas