Fourth Class Certificates were issued to immigrants who arrived in Texas after January 1, 1840, and before January 1, 1842. Young men who were permanent residents and became 17 years of age before January 1, 1840, were also eligible for this certificate. Heads of families could receive certificates for 640 acres, and single men for 320 acres. The recipient was required to perform the duties of a citizen for three years.
A number of famous men connected with Texas history, or their heirs, received the First Class Headright Certificate. They included James Bowie and David Crockett, who died at the Alamo. Another interesting First Class Certificate went to Thomas Lagow, who immigrated to Texas in November, 1835. His property was located on White Rock Creek in Dallas County, and covered a large part of what is now the southeast part of the City of Dallas.
Among Third Class Certificates will be found all colonial grants. The Republic of Texas encouraged immigration by contracting with numerous people who agreed to settle a number of immigrants on public domain.
Each immigrant who was head of a family was to receive 640 acres of land, and a single person 320 acres. The colonizers were to receive their pay in land.
Four of the better-known colonies were Peters’, Mercer’s, Castro’s, and Fisher and Miller’s. The first two were located in the North Central part of the state. Dallas County, for example, was a part of Peters’ Colony, which was headed by W. S. Peters. Mercer’s Colony was located to the southeast of Peters’. These two colonies were settled by immigrants from the United States.
Castro’s Colony, which was established southwest of San Antonio, was settled by Germans and Alsatians. More Germans settled to the northwest of San Antonio in Fisher and Miller’s Colony.
The total number of acres in these four colonies was 4,494,806. All four contracts were signed during the first half of the 1840’s.
PRE-EMPTIONS (HOMESTEADS)
The purpose of Headrights was to encourage settlers to immigrate to Texas. Pre-emptions (or Homesteads) had the same basic objective.
Essentially, the Homestead Laws provided that a person who had settled upon a tract of land and who had improved it could claim the land. However, the settler could not claim more than a certain number of acres, and he could not claim the property if someone else had already claimed it.