I recently posted this request on Nailsworth.com's forum and received the response that follows:

Post: I live in the southeastern United States. When visiting other areas of the country, I enjoy touring cemetaries just to get a sense of the history of each place.  While visiting a small town in Texas (population 400), a cemetary tour revealed the grave of a gentleman names Edward Playne Washburne, of Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England. There were no other Washburnes in the cemetary and his headstone was somewhat solitary in its placement. I have been curious about this fellow ever since and wonder if ayone could help me learn the history of the family and discover what in the world he was doing in a dry, south Texas town in the 19th century. Any information will be greatly appreciated!

Response: There is reference to Edward Palyne Washbourne on FamilySearch.org. Edward was born 1860 in Nailsworth, Gls..resided in Avening, Gls in 1861..parents unknown..Edward could have emigrated to the USA like many other from Gloucetershire. There is also reference to a family with the same middle name (Playne) and surname living in Minchinhampton, Gls which is a couple of miles fron Nailsworth.

My next question is, does anyone have information on the Playne family from Minchinhampton?  I am thinking that maybe Edward was given this as a middle name perhaps because it was his mother's maiden name. Also, during the time of Edward's residence in Texas there were range wars between 'native' Texans, who raised cattle, and sheep farmers. Being from the Cotswold area, I am wondering if Edward may have emigrated to the US to raise sheep and possibly have been caught up in the violence that resulted over grazing methods. This may seem od to many, but my curiosity about this man is getting the best of me!

Edward Playne Washbourn was born in Nailsworth, July 1859.  Son of Richard Washbourn, a printer and book seller, born in Somerford Keynes, Wiltshire, 1819 and his mother Emma Sophia Smith, born 1826 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire.

They were married in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire in 1846. His brothers and sisters were Lucy, George,Maurice (  all born in Minchinhampton) and Annie born in Nailsworth.

His mother died in 1874 and his father in 1883. I think his parents named him after a Playne that held some significance for them, and there was a Playne family of Avening and Minchinhampton. A Playne family owned a woolen mill at Minchinhampton. Another Playne was lord of the manor. So, I think if you go back to when Richard and Emma were living at Minchinhampton and find their connection to the Payne family, you'll probably have your answer to Edward's middle name.

He must have emmigrated some time between 1871 and 1881, and seems to have managed to keep himself off the Federal Census's.

Paul,

Thank you so much for this information! I wonder now if his family ever learned of his fate. I intend to contact the local libray of that town and see what I can dig up on this end. The population is only 400 now, so I imagine it was even smaller then, but Mr. Washburne must have either meant a great deal to someone in the town or his family was made aware of his demise and paid for his tombstone, as it is quite beautiful-more so than many other graves in the cemetary. I doubt that such a young man would have anticipated death at that age and prepaid his burial expenses and I imagine the price for that headstone was more than average for the time. I wish I had taken a picture of it when I was there. I will ask the librarian is she can get someone to do so and email it to me so that I can post it.  The story continues....

His brother George was George Playne Washbourn and his other older brother Maurice also seems to have disappeared from England between 1871 and 1881. If they'd gone to Texas together, my guess is Maurice ended up in San Antonio.

George ended up married and living in Tetbury and his son is named George Salmon W. 

Wow, our Paul does the business again, this time for Erika!

Well done Paul...

The problem I've found with Texas death records is they weren't recorded at State level until 1903. If deaths were recorded before 1903, they were recorded in the county clerk's office in the county in which the death occurred.

So, for example, if Maurice died later in Texas in another county, then I think it would be tricky finding him, with no indication that he was even there in the first place, apart from his brother being there.