Re: Samuel Matthews d. 1769/1770 VA
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In reply to:
Re: Samuel Matthews d. 1769/1770 VA
Janis Knox 11/07/01
Here over ten years after this series of postings began, the points I’m addressing may have already been cleared up. Twice Jan Knox, in discussing her ancestors named Nathaniel Matthews, alluded to the possibility of some connection with the Matthews families of Lunenburg County, VA that included some Nathaniels. I am a descendant of that Matthews line and have been researching it for about 7 years. Nathaniel Matthews Sr. was born 2 Apr 1809 in Campbell County, VA, son of Luke Matthews (Sr.) and Judith Dance. Within a few years after Luke’s death in 1819, his widow and all 10 children including Nathaniel had moved to north Alabama (Limestone and Madison counties). Not long after he turned 21 in 1830, Nathaniel returned to Virginia, lived in Henrico County for several years, married in Feb 1849 Sarah Jones Hatchett, from a large and prominent family of Lunenburg County, and by 1860 they had also settled in Lunenburg. They had 9 children, and Nathaniel Sr. died 1877. Their first child was Nathaniel Jr, born 21 Dec 1849, attended VMI 1867-’69, married Kate Neblett in 1878, had four children, at one time was a state Representative for Lunenburg County, and died in 1911. One of Nathaniel Jr’s children was Nathaniel Haynie Matthews, and three of his grandchildren had “Nathaniel” as part of their name. Among Nathaniel’s descendants there have been 4 men named Nathaniel Haynie Matthews, including my cousin Nat now living in Kenbridge, Lunenburg County.
Looking “up the line,” Luke Matthews (Sr) was a son of John Matthews, who was born probably in the 1740’s in Dinwiddie, and lived all his adult life on Red Oak Creek in northern Brunswick County, dying there in 1808. John was a son of Samuel Mathews who died in 1754 in Dinwiddie County.
I have not found any connection of this family line and those lines mentioned by the others posting in this series. If one exists, it would almost certainly be in generations before Samuel.
Please bear with me, for after all that I can’t resist sharing a comment on the naming patterns in this family.
NOMINALLY SPEAKING
or, Why Genealogists Get Crazy
I started off some years ago wanting to learn more about my great-great-grandfather Luke Matthews, cotton planter in Madison County (Huntsville), Alabama. I learned about his father, also named Luke Matthews, but can’t tell whether the father is named for his mother Lucretia or for his maternal uncle, also named Luke Matthews. Of course, the uncle had a son named Luke Matthews. My gg-grandfather Luke had a brother named Samuel Matthews, named for his father's brother named Samuel Matthews. My gg-grandfather Luke wanted to honor his brother Samuel so he named a son Samuel. Brother Samuel, not to be outdone, had a son he named Luke Matthews. That son had a son he named Luke Matthews.
Brother Samuel’s son Luke Matthews married a nice young lady named Lucy. His uncle Luke Matthews (my gg-grandfather) also had married a nice young lady named Lucy. Gg-grandfather Luke and his wife Lucy had a daughter, and you’ll never guess what they named her. Yes,… Lucy!
My gg-grandfather Luke had a twin brother named John Matthews, named after his father’s brother John Matthews, or perhaps after his grandfather John Matthews. Brother John was fed up with this business of naming folks after folks, and he didn't get married at all. He just accumulated several thousand acres of choice farmland in Texas and got rich. John was close to his youngest brother Nathaniel back in Virginia. When John got sick, Nathaniel came to Texas and brought him back to Virginia so he could look after him. John died at Nathaniel's home and is buried with Nathaniel's family nearby. Nathaniel wanted to honor his family, so he named one son after himself, named another John Matthews, and another Luke Matthews. My gg-grandfather Luke wanted to honor these brothers but must have been concerned that he would run out of sons. So he named a son John Nathaniel Matthews (my great-grandfather). John Nathaniel returned from POW camp in the Civil War with tuberculosis, which caused his death 9 years later -- but not before he got married and sired 5 children. He died two months before his 5th child was born. His widow, wanting to honor her late husband, named the new daughter Johnnie Nathalie Matthews. Johnnie Nathalie, known in the family as “Nona,” became a much loved surrogate mother for nieces and nephews whose mother, named Lucy, had died when they were quite young. Among the descendants of those nieces and nephews are at least two more Nathalies, who are very dear to us. Nona also had a brother named Lucien (my grandfather).
Gg-grandfather Luke’s oldest son was named Benjamin Luke. I wonder if he had any idea what he was starting, for Benjamin Luke had a son named Luke and a son named Benjamin, who had a son named Ben and a son named Luke, who had a son named Benjamin, who had a son named Luke, a daughter named Lucy and a son named Benjamin, who … yes, he really did … had a son named Benjamin.
Now we have learned that gg-grandfather Luke’s brother Samuel not only had an uncle named Samuel Matthews and a nephew named Samuel Matthews, but he also had a great-grandfather named Samuel Mathews and a first cousin once removed named Samuel Matthews.
We'll have to save the rest of the Johns and all the Williams for another chapter.
Harry Porter (who has a father named
Harry, a son named Harry and a son named
Lucien)