Peter Teel, born 14 January 1791 in Virginia, was the son of Adam and Mary Shaw Teel.  (Family listed in 1810 census in Franklin County, Virginia – later census shows them in Jackson County, Tennessee.)  Peter married Sarah Brooks (born 20 January 1804 in Virginia).  Their first seven children were born in Tennessee, the eldest being my great, great grandmother, Emily Jane Teel (born 9 August 1824), who married Matthew Jones in Tennessee.  Emily and Matthew’s two eldest children were born in Illinois before this family came to Texas.

A farmer by trade, Peter seemed to be an adventurous person speculating for land.  He was found in the State of Coahuila - Texas (proof of which is his Certificate of Entrance dated 26 May 1835 found in the University of Texas Transcripts of Nacogdoches Archives).  He returned to Tennessee because of known births of three of their children.  He is then in Harrison County, Texas on December 11, 1839 where he acquires 640 acres according to dated certificate at Greensboro, Texas on the 2 January 1840.

He apparently took his family to Illinois as his last three children were born there in the middle of the 1840’s.

The entire Teel family came to Texas and settled in the Peters Colony, presently Denton County, about 1847.  Two sons and two sons-in-law received grants at this time and settled in an area known as “Teel Settlement”.  My childhood home was located on the land of this settlement on the present day Teel Lane, west of Frisco, Collin County, Texas.  The Texas Agricultural Census of 1850 and 1850 show Peter being processor of several hundred acres.

All the Teel families, except Emily Jane’s family, sold out in 1868 or 1869 and went to California by wagon train.  Peter died in Orange County, California on 13 September 1875.  Sarah died 27 January 1891 in Orange County and is buried in Santa Ana Cemetery, Orange County, California.

Elizabeth Malone Daniel, Descendant