Abner Barnet Matthews
Son of James & Mary Doak Matthews
Submitted by Carl Matthews

ABNER BARNET MATTHEWS was born in Surrey-Guilford Cos. NC 1791-1793, son of James and Mary Doak Matthews, and Grandson of James Matthews who had first settled Surrey Co. NC in 1758.   His family moved to Mecklenburg Co NC in the 1790's and to Maury Co. Tenn. c.1810.   It was there that he probably married Aseneth Henderson whose family had settled Maury Co. Tenn. and had ties with the Matthews Families in Surrey and Mecklenburg Cos. NC.

Abner B Matthews served  as an officer under Andrew Jackson in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, fought March 27, 1814 on the Tallapoosa River in East Alabama which resulted in  a defeat  for the Creek Indians.

He was the youngest child and it was remembered that he and his family remained with his parents  in Maury Co Tenn. until they died in 1825 and 1833.

Abner moved his family at some point after 1833 to Tipton Co. Tenn. located Northeast of Memphis and, probably, remained there until after 1835 when his son Robert Franklin Matthews was born.   The family moved to Texas  at some point and joined his son James Harvey Matthews  who had migrated there in 1837.    Abner held title to Navarro Co. Texas land in the 1850s located just South of where his older sister, Martha Patricia had settled after the death of her husband and  first cousin, James D. Matthews.

Family history relates that Abner moved his family down the Mississippi River to New Orleans by riverboat and to Galveston  by schooner.  The family was met there by son James Harvey Matthews and the family moved to the Austin, Texas area by wagons pulled by oxen and horses.  The family settled in an area East of Austin known today as Manor, Texas.

James Harvey Matthews (b.1816) ,  had arrived in Texas in 1837; served under General Edward Burleson during the siege of Bexar in 1842, fought Indians on the Colorado River, served as a Texas Ranger, and was Sheriff of Travis Co. Texas for three terms.  His son, Daniel Baker Matthews,  married Lillie Burleson (see note).   She may have been a daughter or  grand daughter of Gen. Edward Burleson who was a temporary commander of Texas forces in 1835 when Sam Houston journeyed to Washington DC to attempt to secure assistance for the Texas cause.

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Notes:

• I am contacting you to make a correction as to Lillie Burleson. Lillie Burleson is my husband's great-grandmother. She is indeed a grand-daughter of General Edward Burleson, but she was never married to a Daniel Baker Matthews. Her only marriage was to George MacDonnell of Austin, TX.
  Sheila Simpson Aug 16 2002 - [email protected]

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THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS FOUND IN A MATTHEWS BIBLE OWNED ORIGINALLY BY
MARY J MATTHEWS (?) NOW OWNED BY MARY GILBREATH PATTERSON, GRANDDAUGHTER OF
MARY JA MATTHEWS.  This information was not part of the actual Bible, but was found on a "loose sheet" in that Bible. The information was reprinted in MAURY COUNTY COUSINS:  Bible & Famiily records. Maury Co Historical Society.
 Death dates from other sources.

JAMES "IRISH JIMMY" MATTHEWS
b. August 12, 1739  Ireland or America
d. March 14, 1825 Maury Co. Tennessee

m. 1766   Mary Doak
b. June 30, 1849  Ireland or America
d. March 7, 1833  Maury Co. Tennessee

1. James Matthews b. 1766
2. John Matthews, Esq. b. 1678
                   Said to have fought in War of 1812
m. Nov 10, 1794  Margaret McKibbin
3. Mary Matthews b. 1772
4. Robert Matthews b. 1774 d. 1839  Maury Co Tenn
Served War of 1812
m. Nov 3, 1800          Mary Ann Stewart
b. 1783  Guilford Co NC
d. 1864  Maury Co Tennessee
5. William Matthews b. 1776
6. Martha Matthews b. 1778
                m. James Hannah
7. Joseph Matthews b. 1779
                m. August 4, 1803  Sarah Walker
   b. April 14, 1785
                                   d. Aug 29, 1855
8. Margaret Matthews b. l781
9. Samuel Matthews b. 1782
10. Agnes Matthews b. 1789
11. Prudence Matthews b. 1789
12. Abner Barnett Matthews b. 1791 m. Aseneth Henderson

Irish Jimmy and Mary Doak Matthews lived until  1825 and 1833        
respectively and resided with Abner or Abner with them.  Abner
        would have been 41 in 1833.

Abner was at Spring Hill, Texas in the 1850's and acquired
        property.


1850 Texas Census Travis County (Austin area)
MATTHEWS
Abner 1793 NC
Aseneth 1793 NC
James 1821 TN
(Infant Dau. 1822 Matthews Cemetery, Maury Co TN
John 1824 TN
Easter 1826 TN
Stephen         1829 TN
Franklin 1836 TN

The above Census is compatible with the family recollection that Abner took care of his parents until their deaths in 1825 and 1833.   The family went to Texas at some point between 1836 and 1850.

1850 Texas Slave Schedule Abner Matthews, Travis Co.  Slaves  Page 501