Though he gained wealth and such degree of comfort as the frontier afforded, Huston remained the active pioneer until the moment of his death. Having survived many dangers on sea and land, his death came in sudden and tragic manner. At the age of 65 he was clearing land for new fields. As he directed workers on the job, he stepped under a tree which was blazing at the top. A heavy branch fell from the tree, its point fore.most, and pierced his skull, causing instant death.

Some idea of the rapid growth of the Houston population in the Colonies during the 18th century can be gained from this family. John Huston brought with him to America six children. His oldest son, having remained in Ireland at the time of the migration, died in his youth. The other six sons and daughters reared 37 children. When Rev. Samuel Rutherford Houston compiled his genealogy in 1882, he listed 1670 descend.ants of John and Margaret Huston who came from Ireland a century and a half before. This was just one of the number of Houston families who came from Northern Ireland during Colonial days. It was the most prolific family which is known to have been documented, but it is quite possible there were others whose offspring was as great.

The spelling of the name of this family is somewhat confusing. The progenitor, Gentleman John, spelled his name Huston. It is so spelled in his will and in his signature to the will. It is difficult to determine in which generation the Houston form was adopted. The will of his son, Robert, reads Houston in the body of the will and Huston in the signature. Both wills are on file today in the records in Augusta County, Staunton, Virginia. As indicated before lineage in the Houston family cannot be traced by the spelling of the name as it was sometimes changed from one generation to the next. Furthermore, little can be gained from first names as the same given names are repeated over and over from family to family and from generation to generation. From Scotland, to Ireland, to America, scarcely a family but named a son John. Other popular names were Samuel, James, Robert and William, and for the daughters, Margaret, Elizabeth, Isabella and Mary. In later generations, middle names were added.

The will of John Huston, progenitor of this branch of the family, reveals his deep religious faith, and something of the nature of the man. It is quoted here as written by hand, with.out corrections of spelling or punctuation: