Samuel Rhoades Fisher
(1794-1839)

Died aged 44

Samuel Rhoads Fisher, Secretary of the Texas Navy during the republic era, was born in Pennsylvania on December 31, 1794. Before 1819 he married Ann Pleasants; they had four children. Fisher came to Texas in 1830 and settled at Matagorda. He represented Matagorda Municipality in the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos and there signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. Fisher's nomination by President Sam Houston as Secretary of the Texas Navy was confirmed by the Senate on October 28, 1836. Houston later accused Fisher of abuse of office, insubordination, use of his position for smuggling, and the unjust capture of the English brig Eliza Russell. A lengthy and bitter trial before the Senate ensued. On November 28, 1837, by a vote of six to five, the Senate voted to remove Fisher as Secretary of the Navy on “the grounds of harmony and expediency,” though they did not find that Houston presented enough evidence for a finding of dishonorable conduct . Fisher died on March 14, 1839, and was buried at Matagorda. Fisher County, established in 1876, was named for him.

Handbook of Texas Online, L. W. Kemp, "FISHER, SAMUEL RHOADS," accessed July 22, 2020, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ffi23

Commemorated on 3 plaques

Texas Historical Marker #01901

Fisher-Sargent-Gottschalk House. Samuel Rhoads Fisher (1794-1839), early Texas colonist, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, and secretary of the Republic of Texas navy, had this house built for his family in 1832. His widow, Ann, continued to reside here until 1860. Later owners of the house included planter Elsey Harrison; Samuel W. Fisher, son of the original owner; John T. Sargent, who built a schoolroom onto the house for his children; and rancher Gus L. Gottschalk, whose family retained ownership until 1977. A noted local landmark, the house features two-story open porches and a side gabled roof. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1991 #1901

?, Matagorda, TX, United States where they lived

Texas Historical Marker #03250

Matagorda Cemetery. One of earliest cemeteries in Texas. Founded soon after town was settled, about 1829, as part of Stephen F. Austin's colony. Marked graves numbered 650 in 1969, but interments exceed 1,000. Inscriptions on stones chronicle frontier hardships. Those buried include victims of 1862 yellow fever epidemic; soldiers of Texas Revolution War of 1812, and the Civil War; also Karankawa Indian victims. Several patriots of early Texas are buried here as well. Among them is Samuel Rhoads Fisher, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. (1970) #3250

?, Matagorda, TX, United States where they was buried (1839)

Texas Historical Marker #08399

Washington County. To the memory of those courageous souls, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention held here March 1-17, 1836 who declared Texas free, organized a Republic, and framed its constitution Jessie B. Badgett; Dr. George Washington Barnett; Thomas Barnett; Stephen William Blount; John White Bower; Asa Brigham; Andrew Briscoe; John Wheeler Bunton; John S.D. Byrom; Mathew Caldwell; Samuel Price Carson; George Campbell Childress; William Clark, Jr.; Robert M. Coleman; James Collingsworth; Edward Conrad; William Carroll Crawford; Richard Ellis; Dr. Stephen Hendrickson Everitt; John Fisher; Samuel Rhoades Fisher; James Gaines; Dr. Thomas Jefferson Gazley; Benjamin Briggs Goodrich; Jesse Grimes; Robert Hamilton; Bailey Hardeman; Augustine Blackburn Hardin; Samuel Houston; William Demetris Lacey; Albert Hamilton Latimer; Edward Oswald Legrand; Samuel Augustus Maverick; Collin McKinney; Michel Branamour Menard; William Menefee; John W. Moore; Dr. Junius William Mottley; Jose Antonio Navarro; Martin Parmer; Sydney Oswald Pennington; Robert Potter; James Power; John S. Roberts; Sterling Clack Robertson; Francisco Ruiz; Thomas Jefferson Rusk; William Bennett Scates; George Washington Smyth; Elijah Stapp; Dr. Charles Bellinger Stewart; James Gibson Swisher; Charles Standfield Taylor; David Thomas; John Turner; Edwin Waller; Claiborne West; James B. Woods; Dr. Lorenzo De Zavala May these names be engraved on the hearts of all Texans #8399

?, Washington-on-the-Brazos, TX, United States where they was