John Buckley came into Tenehaw District or Municipality in 1823 from Virginia where he was born about 1788. He traveled through Kentucky where his wife, Elizabeth, was born about 1800. On the way to Texas while in the Mississippi Territory in 1815, Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Tyre Buckley.  Once in Texas, John and Elizabeth had 6 more children. Through the years the name of the community where they lived changed to Shelbyville.

 
John increased his land holdings in 1838 when he received a Headright Grant that entitled him to one league and one labor of land. His son, Tyre, also received a 1/3 labor Headright Grant according to the index for the Land Certificate Petitions. In 1847 he was given Grant No. 85 for 22 labors of land in Shelby District. The grant was signed by Governor Henderson.

Tyre Buckley was about 18 when the War of the former Republic of Texas against Mexico started. He and John, now 47, both joined the service out of San Augustine. A letter from one of Tyre’s Commanding Officers, Capt. G. Hooper, certified that Tyre was in his Company of Mounted Gunmen, 2^nd Company, 5^th Regiment of the Texas Militia as a private soldier. Tyre was furloughed out of San Antonio at the Alamo then discharged honorably at San Augustine. He also served under Capt. John English according to a certified letter by John English after the war. Tyre received a Veterans Land Donation for his service.  After the war Tyre went back to farming and raising a family.

Tyre had married Susan (last name unproven) who was born in Texas about 1822. Moses was one of their sons. He was born c. 1853. His occupation was farming also. He married Eliza Everett in Many, Louisiana 8 July 1877. One of their children was our grandfather, William Pink (possibly Pinkham) Buckley. William was also known as Will.  Will was a farmer and lived in Shelbyville, Texas until he married. He then moved to the community near Sandy Creek in Louisiana named Anacoco. The area now is about 5-6 miles southeast of Toledo Bend Dam.

Two of Tyre’s brothers joined the Confederacy in 1864, John and James. They both served as privates. One of Tyre Buckley’s granddaughters was a school teacher and the school in Shelbyville was once named Buckley School. There was also a Buckley Creek in Shelby County near Shelbyville.

William Pink Buckley married Matilda Addison in Leesville, Louisiana on the 22 September 1907. She was the daughter of Samuel and Emaline Addison who lived in Anacoco, Louisiana. Matilda and William had 5 children including our mother, Alice Pauline Buckley. They worked as farmers on their small family farm in Louisiana and on other farms near them.

Matilda died 2 weeks after her last son was born in 1917 on the 12^th of May and was buried at Beach Grove Cemetery. William died 14 May 1934 in Shreveport, Louisiana and is buried in Noble, Louisiana at the Noble Cemetery.

About 50 of the Buckley family were buried in the Buckley Cemetery that is on privately owned land near Shelbyville. It is the land that was once owned by John. The cemetery has been neglected over the years and most of the gravestones are broken or missing, but lore has it that Susan Buckley, John and Elizabeth are all buried there. There is a stone with TB on it that is thought to be Tyre’s headstone. There is not a death date on the stone.

John and Tyre both lived long, interesting lives and fathered many children. Many of the family still live in Shelby County, Texas.

Alma L. Welch Cryer and Linda S. Welch O’Hart, Descendants