Dale County AlArchives Biographies.....Preston Nee Mathews, William E. ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Christine Thacker http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00033.html#0008100 July 3, 2004, 12:32 pm Author: W.E. Preston Autobiography by W. E. Preston My great grandfather John Mathews of S.C. was in the Revolutionary War. His son, my grandfather William Mathews, was born in Edgefield District, S.C., 1791 Married Sarah A Nutival in 1815. Moved to Crawford, Co., Ga, 1832, died 1847, aged 56 years; and buried at Providence Church in Crawford Co., Ga. His wife, Sarah Ann Nutival of French origin, born 1794; died 1878, aged 84 years. Providence Church. 2nd marriage to Calhoun. She said her father was an officer in the War of Independence. Her other son, Samuel Mathews, died in the Mexican War. She had two daughters. Nancy PATTERSON of La.La. and Martha HARRIS of Crawford Co., Ga. Their (William Mathews and Sarah Nutival) eldest son, my father James Madison Mathews, born Oct. 10, 1816 Edgefield District, S. C. moved to Crawford Co., Ga., 1832. James, married Mary Jane Preston Dec. 1843. Moved to Dale Co., Ala, 1851. Died June 24, 1884, aged 68 years. Buried at Bethel Church, Dale Co., Ala. My grandfather, David Preston, was born March 17th in 1777 in Ireland. He married Nancy Jane McCann Jan 4, 1799; moved to Kentucky with relations in 1801. Moved to Crawford Co., Ga.. [David] died Sept. 30,1849, aged 72. Said an ancestor was a baron. Buried on his plantation one mile east of the Agency. Graves marked with headstones. His wife. Nancy Jane McCann of Scotch descent, was born June 20, 1781, in Ireland, died Oct. 15,1863, in Crawford County, Ga. (Headstone). Her children were in Ga, Ala, and Miss. A daughter _Ala. Her children were James 1799, John Washington, Buck (Ga), Brady (Ala), William (Ala) in 1817, Thomas (Ga. 1819), and my mother, Mary Jane, born March 21, 1821 in Crawford Co, Ga. married James M. Mathews Dec. 1843; moved to Dale Co,Ala., in 1851, and died Oct. 8, 1899 [at age 79]. Had nine children. I, William Eldridge Mathews, born Nov. 9, 1844, had my name changed to W. E. Preston by the superior court at Columbus,. Ga., spring of 1892. Sarah Ann or Mrs. B. S. Brown, born Dec. 30, 1847, Ga.. Francis F. Mathews born Dec. 9, 1849, Mary Ellen, born March 8, 1851 in Ga.; Melvinia (Mrs J.L.)Reeves, born April 27, 1853 Ala.; Monroe Mathews, born April 15, 1855, in Ala.; Louvenia (Mrs W.G.) Woods, born Sept. 14, 1856 in Ozark; Laura (Mrs W.W.) Kirkland, born Jan. 28, 1862, in Ozark, and Lucy (Mrs Jas.)Young, born Jan. 2,1866, Dothan, Ala. I, W. E. Preston, their son, born Nov. 9, 1844, in Crawford Co., Ga. moved to Dale Co., Ala in 1851. married Nancy Ann Miller on May 6,1870, moved to Columbus, Ga., Nov., 1880. My wife. Nancy Ann Miller, born March 15, 1847, Stewart Co.,Ga, married me May 6, 1870, had eight children: Johnny born June 28, 1871 - died July 24, 1872; James Edward born Oct. 24, 1872; Whitfield born March 28, 1874 - died Sept. 26, 1898, Co. H, 3rd Ga. Vol. Inf; Mary Virginia born 2 p.m., June 9, 1876; Emma born 4 p. m.. May 19, 1878; Ernest came feet foremost at 8 a.m., March 6, 1880 in Dale County, Alabama; Lucy born 5 a.m., July 27,1882, in Ga; Robert born 5 a.m., Sept. 1,1884. My wife's father, Levi Miller, was born in Georgia about 1800, lived in Barbour Co., Ala. Died in Dec. 1866, aged 66 years. My mother, Mary Preston Mathews had a lock of gray hair on the back of her head since girlhood. Uncle Buck Preston bit one of grandmama's nipples off while nursing. I have bit the tines off forks while eating. The right side of Uncle Buck Preston's face was flesh colored. There is large flesh colored spots on my right side. I like the neck and back of a chicken, bones and all. I prefer the white soft bones in beef or mutton to the flesh as it is sweeter. My grandfather, William Mathews, owned land, a flour, grist, and saw mill, and negroes in Crawford Co., Ga. At his death, my father, James M. Mathews got some land and two negroes, a young man and woman, in the division of the estate, the eight day clock and some other effects which are at our homestead in Dale Co., Ala. Grandfather and mother Preston inherited money from Ireland, and about a hundred of their negroes drove and rode the mules and wagons off to Savannah when Sherman marched through Georgia in 1864. There was a sale of the land and division of the proceeds in 1867. My mother sold off and made a division of part of father's estate from time to time while she lived. She divided brother Monroe's estate and also a part of her share of Uncle Brady Preston's estate. After her death in 1899, there was a division of the balance of her money. Then the homestead, about 1,000 acres was sold to sister Marry Ellen Mathews in 1903. My father, James M. Mathews had an uncle __ , James Mathews, who lived one and a half miles west of Knoxville, Ga., whose mind was gone in the spring of 1865 as I came home from the army and never became permanently sound afterwards, Sons dead, negroes freed. My father James M. Mathews mind would become unbalanced at times about I860, but became permanently sound afterward. My sisters and I met at the old homestead Aug. 7 and 8, 1903, and they divided our grandmothers Sarah Mathews and Nancy Preston's and Mother Mathew's mattresses, feath beds, bee clothing, and wearing clothes. Curious, ingenious needle and loom work. Each seemingly got the mattress, featherbed, bedclothing, and wearing apparel that they most desired. And in consideration of my services for one night and two days as moderator, it was agreed that my three daughters, Mary V., Emma, and Lucy, should each have one of Mother's white counterpanes, and a curously home woven, heavy woolen coverlet. Each of us had got a mattress, feather bed, bolster, two pillows, and bedclothes when we left home. My sisters were overjoyed with their possessions and I had lots of fun, turkey, and other good eating. Nothing else was divided then. Additional Comments: The source for all the papers posted was from the papers that belong to Cyntha D. Preston these papers were given to here Gfather E.B. Preston, was given permission to post all the papers by Cyntha D. Preston. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/dale/bios/gbs696prestonn.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 6.7 Kb