His baptism is recorded at St John Hackney 17 Oct 1821, Alfred, son of Sarah and George HASWELL, stationer of Duncan Place Hackney (via email Barbara Randall)

Arrived in New York America on the ship Toronto age 14, printer Aug 8th 1835 (Immigration record)
Possibly the A.A.Haswell of A.A.Haswell & sons New Orleans 1840, only 1 book appears so could be a favour by his brothers according to Todd.

From Todd Farmerie “ In March of 1842, he enlisted under Captain Baker (or others) in the Army of the Republic of Texas, to serve in the Woll expedition against "the Mexicans". Discharged at the end of the campaign, he did not long servive his service. In an account of this family it is said that "Alfred a promising young man a writer for the Saturday Evening Post, his sister and others of that family sailed for Mexico the vessel was lost on the reefs of Florida and all perished nothing being found but the Bible of the sister." This story does bear some resemblance to that told by his brothers George D., Charles F., and sister Frances Ann (Haswell) Kirby when they submitted a Texas claim on behalf of his service. They indicate that Alfred died at sea, bound for Cuba (actually, it was on the ship Cuba), wrecking off Key West, in Sep. 1842. Their chronology appears flawed, as the Woll Expedition took place roughly 30 Aug to 23 Sep. of that year, and involved the relief of San Antonio, hardly leaving time for him to return to the coast and embark. They clearly state that at the time, Alfred was unmarried.132

from Galveston: History of the Island and the City By Charles W. Hayes,
1974, from a manuscript written in 1879 but never published, pp. 447-8
“Numbers came with the idea that Galveston was already a large and prosperous city. A family by the name of Haswell, comprising several men and women, arrived in Galveston in the summer of 1841. They were from Delaware, where they had been successfully engaged in . . . . products for the markets of Philadelphia. Being desirous of enlarging their field of operations, and being well-to-do, they chartered a vessel, loaded with agricultural implements and household goods and set sail for Texas. There
were nine of them altogether, and they settled at "New Washington," on the bay. Here they began operations, but in a short time were all prostrated with chills and fever. In the fall of 1842, having become thoroughly disgusted with Texas, six of them took passage for Philadelphia on the
ill-fated brig " Cuba," which, after leaving Galveston harbor, was never seen or heard of afterward, but a trunk, with the name of Haswell painted on the end of it, was washed ashore and picked up at Key West. This was the only intelligence ever received of vessel, crew or passengers. One of the Haswells, with a wife and child, remained, and shortly afterward removed to Austin County, and located on Jones Creek, where he resided until 1865, when he was murdered in cold blood at Milliken. They were all
young and full of enterprise, and were the brothers and sisters of Mr. George D. Haswell, , a prominent citizen of Hearne, who came to Texas some years after his unfortunate relatives."132

Bryan Shrader tells me that Texas belonged to Mexico until 1836 but then rebelled because Mexico declared against slavery, however US would not accept them either because they were pro slavery. International law said they were still Mexican, and Santa Ana attacked at the Alamo. They eventually joined the US after war between Mexico and the US in 1846

Wrote a poem titled “America” for Saturday Evening Post (copy on computer & in file)

Letter in Margaret Sims book says Alfred was a writer forthe Saturday evening Post, that he, his sister and others of the family sailed for Mexico but were shipwrecked on the reefs of Florida, all perished nothing being found but the Bible of the sister.133