PREVIEW THE MATTHEWS OF MOORE A History and Genealogy ~~~ James Matthews Of Moore County North Carolina by Fuller Jones With Family Stories by Rufus H. Matthews Copyright © 2005 by Fuller C. Jones All rights reserved. PREVIEW Notice to Genealogical Researchers: The U.S. Constitution and the Copyright Act provide that a copyright holder has the exclusive right to publicly display and/or reproduce a copyright work. This includes copying for use in your own papers or books and public display and/or reproduction on Internet web sites such as personal blogs (web logs), personal family history sites, and/or commercial genealogy sites. Using someone else's material or form of expression without permission is a serious offense subject to legal action. This includes not only failing to cite the source of any direct quotations you may use, but also failing to give credit for ideas and/or paraphrasing. All writings and images—including poems, biographies, descriptive information, stories, written opinions, pictures, tables, and any other such material—in this book are copyrighted. Any use in reproducible material of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of the author. Written limited quotations of material in this book may be used for genealogical purposes so long as proper citations and references are used. If you do not understand this or do not know how to do this correctly, find out before you do so. Any librarian can help, or you can do an Internet search for "citing sources." For written permissions, contact: Fuller C. Jones 770 Pine Place; Merritt Island, FL 32952. PREVIEW Preface T HIS WORK PROVIDES a summation of my personal research into the family of James Matthews and his wife Nancy Dickinson, done over a twelve year period. Some information about this Matthews family gathered over a forty-five year span by Rufus H. Matthews Jr., the "Story Teller" of our clan, is also provided. The book thus provides a forum for this writer (his nephew) to add to this history, and further document and corroborate the information where possible. Without Rufus, this book most certainly would not have been written, for it was because of Rufus that I developed an interest in genealogy. When the book and final research efforts were started early in the year 2000, the plan was for both of us to edit the final version, combining the most excellent and inimitable creative writing skills of Rufus, and the new research and analysis that I have accomplished on our Matthews family, including associated reports and data. Unfortunately Rufus experienced a decline in health, and his death in December 2003 caused these plans to change. I resolved to complete the book and publish in 2005. The initial proof was completed in 2005, but the final (and perhaps the hardback edition) will be in 2006. The following pages do not flow and stimulate the imagination as they would have with the magic touch of Rufus except, of course, for the original stories that were his. Rufus furnished his wonderful stories, his database of the names of this Matthews line and relatives, and a detailed history of some members of our immediate family. I contributed the historical and geographical sections, the results of my research, analyses of data, and served as writer and editor of the final document. Genealogical statements that are the results of my personal research throughout this work are written in the first person to avoid any mistaken assumptions of authorship, and I assume all responsibility for their accuracy. The intent was primarily to provide a family genealogy, and certain genealogical reporting standards were followed. The work also provides some historical background of the early locations of our ancestors, and details of the places and events in some of the lives of this particular Matthews family. I apologize for not including a name index; however, the Contents pages are quite detailed, and referring to them will assist in finding families and individuals. Where genealogical information is presented as fact, documentation may be presumed to exist and is so noted, usually with the proper citations. If the presented data does not have documentation or proof, it will likewise be so noted. Previously reported information from any source now known or believed to be incorrect or incomplete will also be noted, usually with citations or with supporting rationale. End Notes are provided as citations for sources only; all clarifications of material are done in the text. End Notes follow the Bibliography at the end of the book, and are continuous (not separated by chapters). Throughout all the work done in this research, documenting facts and correcting errors in previous genealogies were underlying requirements. Unfortunately, this discipline was lacking in the writing of two known previous documents about our family. The first of these was written by Mrs. W. H. Matthews in 1938, and the second by Ms. Jewel Westmoreland Madden, and then rewritten by her daughter at some later time (see Appendix III). Because of this lack of discipline, these documents contain serious errors, which caused many problems and delays in the initial research for this book. Also unfortunately, much of the data from these documents is now shown on many genealogy web sites, commercial compact discs, and other sources, therefore correction is impossible. PREVIEW That is not to say that these Matthews and Madden Reference Documents were not—or are not still— useful. Without them much of the research that was accomplished may have taken even longer, or in fact, may still have been at what genealogists call a "brick wall." They have many correct facts, and did provide many of the clues necessary to find and verify some information. The document by Mrs. Matthews also provided the transcript of the letters written by Dr. John Thomas Matthews in 1905, which would otherwise have certainly been lost. I am sure that the authors of these documents meant well; it is just that some of the information that they reported as fact was either unproven or even unverifiable by any means. During my research, I discovered that in the early 1900s, when the document by Mrs. W. H. Matthews was written, it was popular—even stylish—for family members to write "Family Histories" which showed genealogical connections to various "important" people, and often even to royalty. There is no doubt that some of this exists in the above documents, along with the commendable effort to accomplish the preservation of the family history. The hope of finding a family connection to a celebrity or historical figure has seized all of us as genealogists, I am sure! One of the primary reasons for writing and publishing this book was to present the corrected information, with sources based on verified and factual data, for members of our family and any interested researchers. In my early research, I mistakenly accepted some data in the above two Matthews documents (which are referred to in this book as the "Reference Documents"), as fact. As a result, I was unable to find any records of our family in the particular places or times shown in those instances. This was most frustrating, and I ceased to work on the project for a time. As a beginning genealogist about fourteen years ago, I was not aware of the primary rules for any genealogical research: Accept nothing as fact without proof; and verify all information, sources, and documentation before accepting or reporting them as factual. … The research methodology used while preparing to write this book followed the usual procedures in determining a family history, modified initially by a long learning process. This was while the author struggled with differentiating good genealogical research (with proper evidence) from unproven stories, Internet genealogy sources, and other undocumented information. The methods followed?once this learning curve was completed—included family interviews, studying family letters and records, visiting libraries and researching family and historical references, and writing to the National Archives as well as the appropriate state archives. Census records were studied along with other state and local records (all census references in this book refer to the official Federal Census for the particular year and location being discussed, and were actually reviewed by the author). Various Internet resources were also used to find clues (names, dates, and places) as to where to concentrate research time and efforts. Most importantly, county courthouses were visited and the laborious effort of combing through legal and land records to find evidence of those who were or might have been members of our family was accomplished. At first, there was no intention of putting findings into book form. However, after several years—and particularly after some success in the research—it became apparent that a book was not only possible, but that it should be attempted, if for no other reason than to make a structured recording of the findings. After the initial three months or so of hit or miss and haphazard writing, another lengthy learning period was found to be necessary to organize the findings and "learn to write" again! This work is the result. PREVIEW The Exodus A FTER THE REVOLUTION, the new lands of our country were like shining beacons, beckoning to any of strong will and spirit. From South Carolina, Georgia and beyond, to the great Mississippi River and the lands to the west, the message was clear and demanding: "COME"! This was a new nation, with unlimited potential. And for those who recognized this there was no other choice but to go. For those who wanted a new life for whatever reason, the way was clear. Even for those who may not have realized the true extent of the vast continent, the "Lure of the Land" was overpowering Even before the Revolution, some brave souls felt the pioneering spirit so strongly as they listened to the stories of the hunters and trappers about the new lands, that they decided to gather up their families and strike out to see for themselves. The Dickinson brothers, Michael (Mikel) and John, sons of the patriarch Robert Dickinson Sr., were among these, along with the Seales and others, who left Cumberland (before it was Moore) and went to South Carolina to the Pendleton District area. They were the vanguard, and along with the never-ending stream of settlers from the northern cities, were to spread themselves across our great land during the next fifty years or so, building as they went. Following the Revolution, the memories of violence and bloodshed in Moore and the surrounding area were still strong, and there were many dead family members and burned out farms and homesteads to serve as constant reminders. For these and other reasons, many chose to leave. The general path of those who did leave (not only North Carolina, but Virginia and points north as well) was to Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia. There are some records which indicate that there were no Revolutionary War bounty land grants within the current borders of the southern states of North Carolina and Virginia. The former issued its bounty lands in its western lands, which became Tennessee, although I have found some records where Virginia patriots were apparently granted lands in Georgia and South Carolina. Those families in Moore obviously found it much easier to move to South Carolina than through the rugged mountain country of western North Carolina and Tennessee. Thus from North Carolina, the movement "Westward" generally was as the frontier moved, coincident generally with the removal of the Native Americans. So first we found North Carolina families from Moore in South Carolina, then Georgia, then spreading to Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Texas and beyond. Some hardy pioneers were bound for Florida as well. Our Matthews and Dickinson ancestors followed the South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, to Texas migration movements, usually with the complete family involved in the move, including grown sons and daughters with their families. Generally, several other families of friends or relatives were also included in the relocation, especially in the movement to the new frontiers. We know that many of the Seale, Dickinson, Matthews, Jones, Honeycutt, and other neighboring families left Moore County after the Revolution during the late 1700s or very early 1800s for new lands in South Carolina. They were bound for "Old 96" or Pendleton District and many are found on the 1800 to 1820 census listings of that area. PREVIEW James and Nancy Matthews W HEN THIS RESEARCH WAS STARTED, there was very little documented and verified about "our" James Matthews. There were the two Reference Documents by Matthews and Madden referred to previously, and there was a transcription of letters by his grandson Dr. John Thomas Matthews, son of Rev. Willis D. Matthews, which was included in one of them. Some "facts" provided in the letters have been proven, some found to be erroneous, and others are still subject to proof. A detailed analysis of the letters and documents, with the results of research to verify what is written, is provided in Appendix II and III of this work. The letters were obviously transcribed from the originals, and the chance that errors were made in the transcribing process is very high; in fact a few are obvious. The fact that James died before the census of 1850 (the first year that children were named) made research much more difficult. Searches on the Internet provided a great deal of information. The census pages on Ancestry.com were very helpful in narrowing down potential locations and names without having to make research trips, and spend hours using microfilm readers in libraries. The county and state home pages and web sites were helpful in many ways, such as providing the names of books written about Moore and Cumberland Counties. This is how two of the extremely useful research tools used in this work were found. Mr. Rassie Wicker, a native of Moore, was a man who devoted much of his life to the history of Moore, and his book Miscellaneous Ancient Records of Moore County —— provided the first real indication that the search for James Matthews and his connection to the Matthews of Moore might be successful. Imagine the excitement, when the following was first found: "Dickerson:… One daughter became the wife of James Matthews, son of Col. Thomas Matthews." Mr. Wicker had obviously found some evidence of this, or he would not have written it! There are many references to Col. Thomas Matthews in the book, and a few to James, but unfortunately there is no definitive citation or reference in Wicker's book which establishes that our James was the son of Colonel Matthews. Another extremely useful reference book was Moore County, North Carolina 1747–1847, by Blackwell Robinson. This book provides more of a narrative history, and is quoted in the work you are reading in several chapters. Mr. Robinson did provide citations and references for most of his data. Blackwell Robinson knew Rassie Wicker personally, and drew heavily from his book. In fact, Mr. Wicker provided an "Errata and Addenda Booklet," published in 1984, for Robinson's book. Robinson, on page 196, had listed "James Matthews and wife Mary;" as residents of the Crain's Creek community who had "removed to South Carolina." Mr Wicker corrected this error in the Errata Booklet, saying: "Page 196, 'under Matthews, James'; … change 'Mary Dickerson' to 'Nancy Dickerson.'" Mr. Wicker was a very careful and meticulous historian, and I certainly believe that he at some time had seen or had in his possession documentation that showed that the James Matthews was the husband of Nancy Dickerson (Dickinson), and was also the son of Col. Thomas Matthews Jr. Both the Wicker and Robinson works were written for the Moore County Historical Association, of Southern Pines, North Carolina. This organization deserves a great deal of credit for attempting to preserve the valuable history of their home county. They certainly have my gratitude. Both books are invaluable genealogical references for anyone who has ancestors from Moore County, North Carolina. As will be shown later, after all the preliminary searches are done, the real work is done by the hard task of visiting courthouses and state archives or libraries which are repositories, or obtaining records from them by mail. This is a laborious task, but is how genealogical proof is established. PREVIEW A summary of the Matthews research done by the writer, in more or less chronological order and with rationale and conclusions, follows. A complete line-by-line review and search of the 1790 Census of Moore County, North Carolina was made. Our James was not found, however a James Matthews is shown on the 1790 Census of Moore with two males over 16 including heads of families, no males over 45, and one female shown as over 45. This James could have been an uncle of Thomas Jr. (or less likely, an estranged brother). "Our" James and Nancy were not married until about 1790, and Nancy was born about 1770, so this is not our James. An entry for Thomas Matthews (Jr.) is shown however, with seven males of 16 upwards and two males under 16. It is most probable that James and his brothers were in that household. Unproven information indicates that the sons were John, William, James, Jacob, and (perhaps) Reuben, Charles, Stephen and Thomas (III). Ten years later (census of 1800) this Thomas was using the "Senr." with his name, so he probably had a son named Thomas, since no other Thomas Matthews was found nearby. The 1800 Census of Moore provides the first glimpse of the family of our James Matthews: That this is the correct James is shown by an analysis of the ages of the children. Two males less than 10 (remember, children are not named): these were John Dickinson Matthews, born between 1790 and 1799; Thomas Dickinson Matthews, born Jan. 01, 1798; one male age 26 but less than 45: This was James Matthews (the named head of the household and census entry), thus born between 1756 and 1774. Then we find two females less than 10!—not just one, who was daughter Maryanne born January 01, 1800 and therefore already in the home—but another daughter born sometime between 1790 and 1799, another sister for the boys! There will be more about this daughter later. And finally, one female of age 26 but less than 45, our Nancy Dickinson Matthews, age known to be 28 to 30, born 1770–1772. Evidence of her age will be provided later. The presence of four children in the home in 1800 substantiates the marriage of James and Nancy being approximately 1790–1792 (estimated by an average of one child every two years. This also raises the first possibility that James was born later than 1756 as the Reference Documents state, probably about 1764 (over age 21 in 1784), and this will be explored later.