Martin Parmer

Martin Parmer (born Martin Palmer June 4, 1778 – March 2, 1850) was a 19th-century American frontiersman, statesman, politician and soldier.

The Virginia-born Palmer, (who would later change his surname to Parmer) first came to Texas, in the 1820s as part of Haden Harrison Edwards's colony. Conditions between the settlers Edwards relocated in Texas, and older settlers in the area steadily deteriorated, and in December 1826 Parmer led the Fredonian Rebellion, declaring the area around Nacogdoches the independent Republic of Fredonia. The republic stood for just over a month; Parmer fled to Louisiana when the Mexican army arrived in Nacogdoches at the end of January.

Parmer returned to Texas during the Texas Revolution and was an early figure in the history of the Republic of Texas. On March 2, 1836, Sam Houston moved for the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence and Martin Parmer seconded the motion. The Declaration of Independence was unanimously approved by the Convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos and Parmer signed the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico. Parmer was chairman of the committee that drafted the Constitution of the Republic of Texas. Martin Parmer died in Jasper County, Texas, but his body was re-interred in the Texas State Cemetery in 1936 at the time of the Texas Centennial. He was buried some thirty feet away from the grave of Stephen F. Austin.

Parmer County, Texas, is named in his honor.

References

The following are reference sources (alphabetical by author):

• Stephen F. Austin, Empresario of Texas; Cantrell, Gregg; Yale University Press: ISBN 0-300-07683-5.
• Three Roads to the Alamo; Davis, William C.; HarperCollins; ISBN 0-06-017334-3.
• The Men Who Made Texas Free, Dixon, Sam Houston, Texas Historical Publishing Company.
• The Papers of the Texas Revolution 1835–1836, Vol. 9, Jenkins, John H., Presidial Press.
• The Lives of Ellis P. Bean, Lay, Bennett, University of Texas Press.
• The Personal Correspondence of Sam Houston, Vol I; Roberts, Madge Thornall, University of North Texas Press: ISBN 1-57441-000-8.

External links

• Texas State Cemetery.
• Martin Parmer - Agent for Texas.
• Martin Parmer from the Handbook of Texas Online