James Bradley "Brad" Courts

1884 - 1948  (64 years)

• Name	James Bradley "Brad" Courts
  Birth	20 Oct 1884  [1]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	1916	Humble, Harris Co, Texas
  	per wife's D.C.
  Death	24 Oct 1948	Saratoga, Hardin Co, Texas
  	d.c. informant, Mrs. Maggie Lillian Courts, of Saratoga. lived in Saratoga 6 yrs.
  Other-Begin	30 Sep 1952	Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  	court case: Smith graves
  		McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead 1952 Article Beaumont Enterprise; "Early Burials Found on Neches"; "One of Area Private Cemeteries Uncovered on DuPont Tract"
  Other-Begin	10 Aug 1961	Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  	court case: Smith graves
  	Court Cause No. 16107 W.P.H. McFaddin, Jr., et al vs Unknown Heirs of Caroline Sparks, et al Court Cause No. 18399 W.P.H. McFaddin, Jr., et al vs Robert S. Frugia, et al Court Cause No. 20324 W.P.H. McFaddin, Jr. et al vs. Coy V. Courts, et al (Sr.) On this 10th day of August 1961, came on to be heard the application of the plaintiffs in the above entitled and numbered cause for an order of the court showing that the plaintiffs have complied with the judgments previously entered in said cause and further showing that the plaintiffs or their successors in interest are entitled to the free and unrestricted use of the land hereinafter described, as set forth in plaintiff's petition in the above entitled and numbered causes... (pgs 10-13 of attached pdf)
  Burial	Saratoga Cem, Saratoga, Hardin Co, Texas
  		McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead Grave 4 COURTS, Madison Elias Madison "Matt" - s/o James & Julia m Sallie Gibson SMITH, Irving (or Ivy) son of Lillian Courts Smith SMITH, Lillian Courts d/o James & Julia - m Mr. Smith, prob Irving COURTS, James F. s/o James & Julia, died 1910 - m Matilda Gibson COURTS, Julia A. (our Julia) COURTS, James M. (our James) COURTS, Sarah A. - might be d/o Thomas and Ann, m Lewis King COURTS, Beulah - unknown COURTS, Brad - likely James Bradley s/o Elias "Matt - m Sallie Gibson, m Maggie Bumstead; however his d.c. says buried in Saratoga. No other Brad's known of. Perhaps erroneously included in this group.
  		McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead McFaddin Cemetery was located on property south of Beaumont, in Port Neches, Central Gardens at a location within the grounds of where DuPont is now. The cemetery was discovered in the Fifties, and due to the impending construction of the plant. (See attached newspaper coverage). There were about 30 people buried there whose remains were subsequently placed in four separate concrete boxes and relocated to Forest Lawn Cemetery where they were laid once again to rest in the Garden of Peace section. The headstones for the four graves are all identical, reading simply "TF Smith Homstead Tract Cemetery." The detailed list of occupants only exist on an index card in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park records (see copy attached). All of these people were either residents or descendants of the Sparks Settlement, also called Aurora, (what later became Port Arthur. The families were predominantly the Sparks, Courts and Gentz families and other family names who married into these families. Sparks Settlement was abandoned in late 1800s due to storms and disease; even the houses were moved. Most of them started another community in the Port Neches, Central Gardens area where they started a new cemetery - i.e. what was called the McFaddin Cemetery. Sparks Cemetery was also abandoned. The occupants of that cemetery, those who died while the community was active, were never moved; only recognized by a historical marker placed in a boulevard on DeQueen at Lakeshore (see photo). There is some false information on the Internet that the remains in Sparks Cemetery were removed to Forest Lawn. But what I have been able to discover is that is not the case. It is the later cemetery, McFaddin Cemetery, that was removed. There is also some belief that the cemetery was used even into the 1920s for burial needs; but that also seems to be mistaken information. The were fine and strong and brave pioneers who I am so proud to call my ancestors. They helped build our community here, and somehow, I hope to bring to mind the signifcance of those four plain little headstones marked simply "TF Smith Homestead Tract Cemetery."
  		McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Garden of Peace Section
  		McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Garden of Peace Section
  Notes	From: Debbie Spurgeon Date: 07/29/03 13:38:04 To: Sherry Sharp (E-mail) Subject: New info on Brad Courts Sherry, I went back on the net last night and checked the Jeff County birth archives back to 1930 (when they start). I found a bunch of Court’s listed and wrote all of them down. The earlier lists gave the date of birth and the parents names. Low and behold, I found Mr. James Bradley Courts married to a Maggie Lillian Bumstead (death 3/10/99 Maybe we could get the survivors from her obit) - (what a coincidence that the one you had singled out from the other info was his second wife!). They were married sometime before 1930, because they’re together on that census and she’s 24 and he’s 46. So Edna was definitely already deceased (but I haven’t found him and Edna together yet on the census (so slow and time consuming on the net). I only found one child of theirs; he is: Alvin Buck Courts born 1/14/42 in Jefferson County to Maggie Lillian Bumstead and James Bradley Courts. 1920 Census Jeff Co -- living w/ sister Julia and Pete Fregia and children as listed in family profile. Frugia Pete 43 LA LA TX laborer Julia 35 TX TX United States Robert 21 TX LA TX married Russel 15 TX LA TX Perry 12 TX LA TX J.P. 11 TX LA TX ??? 19 dau in law b Missouri married father b United States, mother b MO Courts Brad 34 bro in law single pipefitter oil co. says b Missouri, father TX, mother b United States Courts William 60 uncle single, b TX, father TX, mother TN occupation "Pound?" master, for the city. 1930 census Jeff Co (from Debbie) On China Road, Prct. 5, Beaumont Bred J. Coarts Head Age 46, Born in TX - Father - TX, Mother - TX, Farmer - Drives Truck Maggie Coarts Wife Age 24 (born 1905 - Is this same as Edna Boardman?) W.P. Coarts Son Age 8 Blanche Coarts Daughter Age 6 (born in Arkansas - others are all born in Texas) Gulia Coarts Daughter Age 2 years 11 months (I think this is another Julia)
  Person ID	I16160	Roots
  Last Modified	10 Feb 2011

  
  

  Father	Elias Madison "Matt" Courts,   b. 11 Dec 1859, Sparks Settlement, Aurora, Jefferson Co, Texas d. 28 Nov 1919, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age 59 years)
  Mother	Sally Gibson,   b. 1864, Sabine Pass, Jefferson Co, Texas d. Aft 1885 (Age > 22 years)
  Marriage	26 Jul 1882	Jefferson Co, Texas   [2]
  Family ID	F244	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Edna Bordeman,   b. 24 Mar 1887, Louisiana d. 06 Aug 1916, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age 29 years)
  Marriage	Abt 1910
  Family ID	F6004	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	3 Dec 2012

  
  

  Family 2	Maggie Lillian Bumstead,   b. 1906, Fletcher, Texas d. 10 Mar 1999, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age 93 years)
  Marriage	Abt 1920	Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  Children	+ 1. Julia Evelyn Courts   2. W.P. "Pete" Courts + 3. Gladys Blanche Courts   4. June Courts + 5. Lillian Courts   6. Vivian S. Courts   7. Alvin Buck Courts,   b. 12 Jan 1942, Jefferson Co, Texas d. Bef 1999 (Age < 56 years)
  Family ID	F6005	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	10 Feb 2011

  
  

• Event Map

  Marriage - Abt 1920 - Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas Other-Begin - court case: Smith graves - 30 Sep 1952 - Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas Other-Begin - court case: Smith graves - 10 Aug 1961 - Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Documents

  Family Brands (1 of 2) Family Brands Burrell, Burris, Court, Courts, Gentz (document obtained by Debbie Spurgeron, Jul 28, 2003) (d)

  
  

• Sources

  [S159] 1920 Jefferson Co Censis. [S581] Yellowed Pages, Vol 2, County Rec. p 904.