In 1833, James Stan(d)ley (around age 23) was murdered by Drury Hareford (or Hereford) while the two men were working on a road in Hopkins County. I am a descendant of James Stanley and am looking for any information connected to James' murder and/or his parents or siblings (the family originated in North Carolina). In recent email communication with a descendant of Hereford, the following message was received:
"We always knew 'Drury' as Samuel Drew Pierce (Pearse).
The story goes that Samuel Drew and His brother, William Hale Hereford, were working on the road when a man passed by and made an ugly remark about Samuel and William's relative(s). One word led to another and there was a fight. Samuel hit the man (James Stanley) over the head with a mallet of sorts. He was imprisoned but his brother, William, made an impression of the key and let him out during the night. They ended up in San Augustine County, Texas probably around 1834, and Drury changed his name. Their father, Charles Hereford and family, soon joined them. Samuel Drew Pierce never did take the name Hereford back."