Martha Patricia Matthews |
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MARTHA PATRICIA MATTHEWS Dau. Robert Harvey & Mary Ann Stewart Matthews b. Feb 9, 1804 Mecklenburg Co., North Carolina d. Aug 3, 1888, Spring Hill, Texas "84 Yrs 6 Mos 14 Dys" Moved with her parents from Mecklenburg Co. NC to Maury Co. Tenn c. 1810 Marriage Records of Maury Co. TENN state that Martha Matthews married James D. Matthews July 7, 1823. Our Martha was born in 1804 and so was James D. Matthews, son of Joseph Matthews, brother of Robert Matthews, the father of Martha. Based on this information Martha and James D. were First Cousins. James D. Matthews died in 1844, probably near Franklin, Texas. Martha Patricia remarried at some point after the 1850 Census when she was listed as Head of Household (see below). Her second husband was John H. Matthews, probably the brother of James D. who was born in 1810, six years younger than Martha Patricia. John H., apparently, died before 1880. Several documents concerning Martha exist today. One is the 1850 Census of Navarro Co. Texas which lists Martha Matthews Age 45 (Checks) NC s. Newton b. 1832 18 TN d. Martha Patricia b. 1835 15 TN s. William B . b. 1838 12 TN s. Joseph b. 1840 10 TX s. J. P. b. 1843 7 TX David Flint Boarder 25 Ferryman Tennessee (David Flint was (1848) the first Ferryman at Porters Bluff located 17 miles NE of Corsicana on the Trinity River. Porter's Bluff is in the area where James D. had a land grant. Newton Matthews was listed as one of the citizens responsible for maintaining the road to Corsicana from Porter's Bluff) J P Morgan Boarder 41 Physician Connecticut NOTE: James D Matthews was in Texas in 1836-1837 and Patsy was, probably, with him. Notice that son William B was born in 1838. Her sister, Minerva Catherine, had a daughter, Mary Ann, who was born in Tennessee in 1838. The two sisters...probably..returned to Tennessee in 1838 for two reasons: One, to have their babies.,.and, Two...to visit with their ailing Father, Robert Matthews, who died in 1839. Both returned to Texas and bore additional children there. Patsy bore Joseph in 1840 and Minerva Catherine bore Louise in 1842. The second document, dated June 14, 1900, was prepared by an attorney from Columbia, Tenn., W. B. Greenlaw, who assisted in probating the will of Dr. William LaFayette Matthews. Dr. "Fate" was the younger brother of Martha..born in 1820. He never married and died without a will. It was, therefore, necessary that all relatives with an interest in the estate be located. The Probating document stated that "Martha Patsy Matthews" had first married James D. Matthews, Married 2nd John H. Matthews, and had "died intestate in Texas in 1889," reasonably close to correct date. The document lists the following children: l. Sarah A. 2. R. M. The document states that none of these 3. J. F. individuals had children, then contradicts 4. J. S. itself by listing the following: 5 J. H. 6. W. R. W J Matthews 41 Alay, Texas 7. J. T. J R Matthews 39 Whitney, Texas 8. T. P. Married "Sarah Francis," widow of N. W. Matthews. Sarah F. had died Feb 14, 1897. Sarah and T. P. left the following children.. J. T. Matthews 32 Prairiville, TX T. W. Matthews 30 Prairiville, TX R. H. Matthews 23 Whitney, TX Laura E. Matthews 27 Prairiville, TX m. R. J. Wright (Whitney, Texas is the County Seat of Hill County and 35-45 miles northwest of Spring Hill. It is near the Bosque River and present day Lake Whitney. The towns of Prarieville and Alay are no longer shown on Texas maps and may have been inundated by the lake) 9. Martha P. "Wife of D W (Ward) Sanders, Cove Ark. Laura (Martha - name Laura is in error) died intestate about 35 yrs. ago." This would place the death date for Martha as 1865, considerably earlier than her mother. William H Sanders, son of Martha and D W Sanders, would have been ten at the time and was said to have been sent to Spring Hill to live with his Grandmother, Patsy. Patsy may, however, have still been living in the Porters Bluff area after having married John H Matthews. She was said to have to have gone to live with her brother, Robert Harve, in Spring Hill at some point near 1880. Martha and D W Sanders were living at Tyler, Texas in 1861 and Martha may have died while living there. D W Sanders, apparently, moved with his family to his birthplace, Huntsville, Arkansas and married Drucella Boatwright. D W and Drucella has at least on son, Johnny Boatwright Sanders. "D W died intestate about 9 yrs. ago ( about 1891) leaving the following children (Navarro Co Marriage records: (Martha P Matthews Married David Sanders Dec 21, 1854 Children: W H Sanders 46 1854 Cove, Polk Co. AK D W Sanders 36 1864 Cove, Polk Co. AR T O Sanders 44 1856 Huntsville, AR N E Sanders 42 1858 Huntsville, AR Widow of Mr. Boren Sarah Sanders 38 1868 Huntsville, AR m. Mr. Phillips (Cove, Polk Co. AR is located near the Oklahoma line almost due west of Hot Springs. Huntsville, AR is located 30-35 miles east of Fayetteville. The two are approximately 200 miles apart.) Sidney Blount, in her Sampson Stewart book, listed Patsy's children as Robert, John, Newton, "Press", and Martha. The same source stated that it was remembered an "Aunt Patsy who came to live with Uncle Harve, and smoked a little clay pipe." The book, also, stated that "Aunt Patsy" came to live with Robert Harve Matthews c.1880 "after the death of her husband." Early land deeds reveal the following..... l. Robert Harve Matthews conveyed 320 acres to Martha P Matthews on October 7, 1852 Robertson Co. 2. Martha Matthews received deed to 640 acres May 30, 1851, Robertson 3rd Certificate - Filed in Ellis Co. 3. John H. Matthews received deed to 320 acres Feb 14, 1853, Robertson 3rd Certificate -Filed in Ellis Co. 4. The estate of James D. Matthews conveyed a deed to his heirs dated December 16, 1854. 640 acres Robertson 2nd Certificate NOTE: Two parcels of land on early Navarro Co. Land Surveys. One: #2 and #4 above.. show "Heirs of James D Matthews 2-678" located just north of the headwaters of Grape Creek and adjacent to the James Smith Survey 1-1099. It is interesting that "A Matthews has a survey 3-305 located almost due East adjacent to the Wm T Malone Survey on Cedar Creek. Abner Matthews, youngest brother of Robert Harve and Martha Patricia. Abner settled near Austing, Texas and is buried there. Two: #1 above.. is the R H Matthews Survey 3-127. This property may have been located in what today is Ellis Co. and not far from the Trinity River. It was, probably, not far from "Old Taos" or Porters Bluff. MORE: Robert Harve Matthews had received 640 acres in his grant, but conveyed only 320 acres to Patsy in 1852. John H Matthews received a deed for 320 acres in the same area in 1853. Was this the other half of Robert Harve's 640 acres? The 1850 "County Road Crew" lists Newton Matthews as one of those responsible for the upkeep of the road from "Porter's Bluff to Wades"...(Noble Wade). Three Sanders names were included on that road work list. Martha Patricia (Aunt Patsey) is buried August 1888 at the Spring Hill, Texas Cemetery. James D Matthews died in 1844. No record is available at this time concerning the death of John H. Matthews. (May be listed in Ellis Co records.) Probate of the Will of James D. Matthews was filed at Franklin, Texas in 1844. THE FOLLOWING..MIGHT..HAVE HAPPENED.... "Aunt Patsy" and her family came to Texas in 1835-1836. possibly at the time or soon after The Slauters and Robert Harve Matthews arrived. They settled in Fort Franklin, Robertson Co. When Robert Harve and Minerva Catherine made the move to the Indian Springs c. 1847 Aunt Patsy, then a widow, and her family moved with them. She was still widowed when the 1850 Census was made. "Aunt Patsy's" family was counted in the 1850 Census living in Navarro Co, but there was no James D. Matthews. Aunt Patsy is shown as "Head of Household. Her son, Newton..age l8...lives with her and is listed in the Census as a "Farmer." Four other children live on the farm with ages from eight to fifteen. (This farm was, no doubt, the land conveyed to Patsy by Robert Harve in 1852.) John H. Matthews is in the area at least by 1852 when he was deeded 320 acres of land in Robertson 3rd...the same area where Patsy has her 640 acres. Patsy is not yet fifty years of age, probably in good health (she lived to be eighty-four), probably a nice looking woman for her years. She and John H.Matthews marry. (Note: LDS Records show a "John Matthews" born in Tennessee 1803 to Mr. & Mrs. James Matthews. No county is shown. Could this John H. Matthews have been the son of James Matthews, brother of Patsy's father, Robert? Did James Matthews b. 1766 make the move to Maury Co. Tenn. and have a son whose name was "John H.?" (CHECK THE 1860 CENSUS FOR ELLIS CO FOR JOHN H MATTHEWS.....!) Her "Farmer" son, Newton, married a young lady whose name was "Sarah Francis." Newton died at some point before 1868 and his youngest brother, T. P. Matthews, married Newton's widow. They had four children. John H. Matthews died prior to 1880 and Patsy is widowed a second time at age seventy-six. Her children have moved...some to western Hill County. (WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 640 ACRES?) Her brother, Robert Harve, now sixty-six, lives alone in Spring Hill in a large house and he insists that Patsy come live with him. She does. Patsy lived eight more years. Robert Harve married Bettie Priddy in 1884 and Patsy, probably, continued to live with Harve and Bettie. Patsy died in 1888 and was buried at the Spring Hill Cemetery. Neither of her husbands are listed in the Cemetery records...none of her children. Her husbands and some of her children could well have been buried there, but had no lasting markers that could have been identified when the registration of graves was first completed in 1942. (CHECK ELLIS CO CEMETERY RECORDS) Uncle Virgil Matthews, who helped to dig many graves at Spring Hill Cemetery, once stated that it was not uncommon to begin digging a new grave and dig into a coffin where no marker had existed. Many of the early markers were simple wooden slabs that quickly rotted away. Her children....listed from all sources Attorney l850 Census Blount's Book Sarah A "Press" R. M. Robert J. F. John J. S. J. H. (Prob J N) Newton b.1832 Newton W. R. William B, b.1838 J. T. Joseph b.1840 T. P T. P. b.1843 Martha Martha b.1835 Martha Possibilities... Sarah A. b. 1824 Named after James's Mother Robert Harvey b. 1825 Named after Patsy's Father John F b. 1826 Named after Brothers James "A" b. 1828 Named after James Jane b. 1830 Named after Patsy's Sister Newton b. 1832 Named for Patsy's Brother Martha P b. l835 Named for Martha Wm B b. 1838 Named for brothers Joseph b. 1840 Named for James' Father T.P. b. 1847 (They ran out of Family Names!) Someone with time and with access to Texas Census and other records could, probably, locate some of these long lost relatives. Why and when did they locate at Whitney. Where...exactly...were the deeded properties located? NOTE: The Sampson Stewart book indicated that The Slaughters and Robert Harve were the only ones who came to Texas c. 1835. Other records...mainly the Texas Ranger files...reveal that James D came early....Andrew, his brother, b. 1815...perhaps, another brother, John b. 1810. (This may the John Matthews who married Patsy) And Abner Matthews, younger brother of Robert and Robert Harve's uncle was there before 1850. Abner's survey 3-305 number was earlier than that of Brit Dawson..3-662 and Dr. Hill's "Blackland Property" 3-3725. Also...Texas Ranger records state that on July 20, 1841 and for fifteen days....Robert Harve Matthews, James D Matthews, and Joseph Matthews served with Capt. Eli Chandler in the Robertson Mounted Militia. James D. had a younger brother, Joseph, b. 1826 who would have been fifteen in 1841. Carl W. Matthews POB 454 Roswell GA 30077 Descendents Thomas Graham Sanders III 1514 Valley View Wichita KS 67212 |
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February, 2020
Edward L. Williams