448.     Austin Piety was born about 1724 in Eng.. He died 1809 in Hythe, Kent County, England and was buried in Wycombe Yd Cem, Kent County, England. Austin married Sarah Polk on 1762 in Fort Pitt PA.

17780000 Austin Piety after returning to England

BIOGRAPHY: According to James Polke in "A Historical and Biographical Shetch of a Pioneer Life 1884": "Austin Piety with his command was ordered to Kaskaskia, on the Mississippi River in 1770 by the British authorities. He descended down the Ohio River with his wife and troops under his command, as far as the falls of the Ohio River (Louisville) and there made a short stay in order to lay in a supply of buffalo and other meat; thence down the river to its mouth (now Cairo IL) and from thence up to their destinition, the "American Bottom" on the east side of the Mississippi River opposite St. Louis (Ft. Kaskaskia is down river, south of St. Louis), and during their stay, Thomas Piety Sr. was born in 1770. The party returned to Ft. Pitt and during the Revolutionary War Austin Piety returned to England and from thence never returned, leaving his wife, Sarah Polk Piety, and four children in America.

BIOGRAPHY: According to Charles R. Piety in "An Early History of The Piety Family and Kinsmen 1654‑1956": After giving careful thought to the information available, I see no grounds for condemning Austin Piety for returning to England. First, at the time of his marriage, every English speaking person in America was subject of Great Britain and its King. If, as the facts indicate, Austin Piety was an officer in the British Army, he was honor bound by oath and upbringing to be loyal to it. He was not born in the colonies as his wife had been. If he married Sarah Polke at Fort Pitt in 1762, it was the same year as the close of the French and Indian War. He undoubtedly took part in many engagements against the Indians and the French, possibly knew George Washington personally and probably campaigned with him. It is likely that he participated in the battle of Braddock's Defeat. There is no reason to believe that he was not an honorable and brave British officer loyal to his government and king.

449.     Sarah Polk was born 1736 in Prince George, Frederick Co. MD. She died 1835 in Nelson Co. KY.