Biography of Llano County Deputy Sheriff James O’Bannon

(Family history composed by Jerry Crabtree – based on research by Karylon Russell)

James Briant O’Bannon was born March 18, 1847 in Georgia. Neither the 1850 nor the 1860 Georgia Census yield any promising clues as to his parents. In addition, nothing is known of his youthful years, until his marriage in Harrison County, Texas.

James married Sarah Judith (Sallie) Davenport, daughter of Isaac Newton and Virginia (Reston) Davenport on November 14, 1867 in Harrison County. In the 1870 Census for Harrison County, James and Judith are listed with daughter Ella D. O’Bannon, age 6 months, in Waskom Station, Texas. Ella was born December 18, 1869, married Agrippa (Grip) Atkison, and passed away September 10, 1903 in Burnet County, Texas.

No occupation is given for James in 1870; however, Waskom Station was on the railroad line from Shreveport to Dallas, which may suggest that James was a railroad employee. By 1880, James and Sallie had three more children: Thomas (Tom) Jefferson O’Bannon, born about 1872; Virginia Elizabeth (Jennie) O’Bannon, born December 5, 1876; and Frances J. (Fannie) O’Bannon, born April 1879.

Tom O’Bannon married Sarah (Sallie) Alzenath Hill, daughter of John T. and Adeline (Wells) Hill on October 6, 1908. Their daughter Frances was born July 9, 1909. In 1931 Tom was living in Roswell, New Mexico. He died May 19, 1956 in Kern County, CA.

Jennie O’Bannon may have been born in Burnet County, Texas. She married Dr. John Benjamin Martin on June 11, 1902 at Davilla, Milam County, Texas, and was living in San Antonio in 1931. Jennie passed away January 10, 1966 in San Antonio, Texas.

Fannie O’Bannon never married, but was an adult when she died and was buried at the Old Bluffton Cemetery. Her grave was moved to the Post Mt. Cemetery in Burnet County in 1931.

James and Sallie had two more children, both born in Llano County: Mary Estella (Stella) O’Bannon, born February 6, 1881; and Nora Lee O’Bannon, born February 22, 1882. Stella married Reverend B. S. Tumlinson and was living in Burnet, Texas, in 1931. Nora Lee died June 22, 1883, and is buried in the Llano City Cemetery.

In 1880, James’ occupation was given as “Constable” in the census. By 1884, he had become a Deputy Sheriff, and the jailer for Llano County. His wife Sallie did the cooking and cleaning chores at the jail. James was shot and killed July 22, 1884, with his own gun, by a prisoner he was trying to help secure bail. James Briant O’Bannon is buried in the Llano City Cemetery next to his daughter Nora Lee. James’ widow Sallie married Caleb A. Davis, Sr. on September 15, 1886. She died March 22, 1938 in Burnet County, Texas.