AN EARLY TEXAS EMPRESARIO SIGNATURE, MOSES AUSTIN, PROBABLY MISSOURI, MARCH 10, 1809, hand inscribed ink on paper court document, signed, "Moses Austin" with flourish, dated and also signed by James Austin, Justice of the Peace, "Moses Austin a witness claims his attendance for two days and came fourty miles," during the court hearing of John B. Jones vs. Moses Bates. 3" x 8" Note: Moses Austin (1761-1821) "...On January 17th, 1821, Arredondo approved a grant permitting Austin to settle three hundred families within an area of 200,000 acres. The terms of the grant were very vague, and title was not clear. Despite familiarity with the problems of defective titles, Austin apparently regarded himself as the proprietor of 200,000 acres and as such entitled to make his own terms with settlers. In March, 1821 he received notice that his grant had been approved and he hasted to organize his colony. Unfortunately he died on June 10th of that year and the completion of the project was left to his son, Stephen F. Austin." Provenance: Property from a Corporate Collection, Houston, Texas. Property from a Corporate Collection, Houston, Texas