Blann-Watts Genealogy

Welcome to The Matthews Family Page, which furnishes historical detail beyond the site index, exploring four generations of Matthews in the line of Nicholas Matthews of Talbot Co., Maryland and three generations of Kirbys in the line of William Kirby of Talbot Co., Maryland.
 

4. Anna Adelia Matthews (Blann) --Born June 29, 1892 in Trappe, MD, died in April, 1972; and buried in Easton, MD. She married Rev. Melvin Blann on June 29, 1916. Anna went to grade school and graduated from High School in Trappe, and later took further summer courses in Charlottesville VA, near Monticello. According to her daughter, Linda Insley, Anna graduated at age 16 and was the only one of her sisters who did so. (The 1950 Talbot Co. census also shows Anna as having 4 years of college.) Anna returned to Talbot Co. and worked as an elementary school teacher for a few years before marrying at age 24. (The 1910 census show her living with her parents at age 18 and lists her as a schoolteacher.) Linda reports that her mother taught at the Royal Oaks and Bruceville schools in towns near Trappe. She also relates that Melvin Blann proposed to Anna as they went over a bridge, but she made him wait for an answer until they had crossed the bridge. Alma Hall,  the granddaughter of Anna's sister, Maggie Thume, wrote to me in 2003 and mentioned that her father, Albert Thume, had been a student of Anna (who Alma knew as great-aunt "Nan") in a one room school in Talbot Co., MD. Anna's mother, Annie Menck Mathews, went blind when Anna was still a youth. Though her parents were not regular church goers, Anna attended the Trappe Pilgrim Holiness (now Emmanuel Wesleyan) Church on Route 50 (where the Blanns attended church) every Sunday. She married Rev. Melvin R. Blann on her birthday in 1916. They had four children (Melvin Jr.,Troy, Maggie and Linda), of whom Troy was the second. Anna played piano, was an avid reader, painted in her youth, and was a part-time seamstress in retirement. Good with language skills, she used to help prepare and type her husband's sermons, especially on occasions when he would give a radio address. For three decades, the family lived in various towns in upstate New York where Melvin Sr. pastored churches. In 1952, Melvin retired and the couple bought a retirement cottage in Trappe (around the corner from where the White Marsh School would be built in 1957-8). After Melvin's death in 1953 (from a heart attack), Anna remained in Trappe until her death in 1972, staying with her daughter, Magdeline Mills and family, in Church Creek, MD during her last year, when her memory began to fail. Anna's siblings were: Norman, Olin,  Helen & Seth (These two died young), Magdaline Matilda (Maggie) Thume,  (Maria) Maude Holmes, (Carmen) Beryl Griffith, and Chilton Troy (who became a policeman in Philadelphia).

5. Solomon Nicolas Matthews --The father of Anna Mathews, Solomon was born in 1849 in Talbot Co. MD and died in 1934 (per his tombstone: Find-a-grave). He lived in Trappe, MD and was buried in Spring Hill Cemetery in Easton, MD. Solomon was a carpenter by trade. He married Annie Mënck before 1880, and together they had nine children (listed above). Solomon had two brothers: Josiah and Thomas Henry. The 1880 Talbot Co. MD census lists Solomon (age 31) and his wife Anna (age 20) along with their newborn first child, Norman (Born 5/12/1880), and a Nancy Faulkner (age 81). The 1900 census lists Solomon's father's birthplace as Hamburg and his mother's birthplace as New York, while all the other censuses which list where his parents were born indicate that they were born in MD. Undoubtedy, the 1900 census taker wrote down the birthplaces of the parents of Solomon's wife, Annie Mënck, which were Hamburg, Germany and New York. On the 1900 census, his occupation is listed as farmer and carpenter, and his birth date is given as 1849. He is listed as 1 year old on the 1850 census (taken on June 1) but was born in April 1849 according to the 1900 census (1849 is also the date given on his gravestone).

     The 1910 census shows him at age 61 as a salesman at a General Store, as able to read and write, and living with his family (including daughter Anna, age 18) on Barber Rd. in a house they own. The 1930 Talbot Co. census shows Solomon N. Matthews (age 80) and his wife Anna (age 70) living with their daughter, Maude, and her husband Norman Holmes on Church St. in Trappe. In my youth, Maude's house, where she and her parents lived in their later years, was located on what is now 29444 E. Maple Ave. Current maps no longer no longer locate any Church St. in or near Trappe, however an older map shows Church was a small section of street right off of Maple where only new houses currently stand. Just up the street on the opposite side of Maple (29449 E. Maple) was my great Aunt Beryl's house, which I visited several times and which my Aunt Linda told me was built by her grandfather, Solomon Matthews. A distinguished-looking gentleman, Solomon apparently had quite a taste for alcohol; however, during the prohibition era, he gave up drinking and cared for his blind wife until her death in the late 1930. Solomon's parents were: Thomas Matthews and Hannah Matilda Troy.

    (Note: There is another Solomon Matthews in Baltimore, MD who was born in 1852, widowed by 1920, and is listed as black on the 1920 census, who shouldn't be confused with Solomon Nicolas Matthews of Trappe MD.)

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6. Thomas Matthews --The father of Solomon Matthews, Thomas was born in 1815 in Talbot Co., MD. and died in 1884. On Nov.29, 1837 Thomas married Hannah Matilda Troy (Maryland, Compiled Marriages, 1655-1850), with whom he had three sons. The 1850 Talbot Co. census shows Thomas as a farmer living with Matilda, Samuel (farmer-Thomas' brother, age 20), Josiah (b.1841), Thomas H. (b.1845) and 1 year-old Solomon in the district of Trappe, Maryland.  The 1870 census shows Thomas as 55, Matilda as 52, Solomon as 21 and Lucinda Baker (a boarder?) as age 17. Thomas' occupation is given as a farmer and he answers yes to the "cannot write" question. In the 1880 census--the last in which the couple appears--Thomas is 65 and Matilda 64 and they both state that their parents were born in Maryland. Thomas' parents were Nicholas Matthews and Patsy Kirby.
     Thomas Mathews had one brother named Samuel J. Matthews (b.1830), a Civil War veteran who enlisted as a private in the Union Army on Feb.29, 1864. Samuel is listed as boarding with Thomas in the 1850 census. Samuel is listed as a bachelor and a pauper born ca. 1830 in Maryland in the 1870 census. In the 1880 Easton, Talbot Co. census Samuel's age is given as 50, occupation farmer and status married, shown in a household with Annie Matthews, age 30 and 10 year old Mary Kirby. 1880 is the last census in which Samuel appears. Thomas Matthews died in 1884 and left an April 7 1884 will,  (Talbot. Wills 1884–1890 on FamilySearch) which implies that his wife is deceased and names his heirs: Solomon N. Matthews, adm., grandson Henry, son of Thomas H. Matthews, deceased, and Josiah Matthews.

    (Note: There is a Thomas Edward Matthews in nearby Dorchester Co., MD who was also born in 1815 but should not be confused with Thomas Matthews of Talbot Co. Thomas Edward Matthews married Charlotte Wingate in 1839. His parents may have been William Matthews and Elizabeth Hollock.)

7. Nicholas Matthews --(1784-ca.1829) According to the old records of my grandmother, Anna Matthews Blann, Thomas' father was named Nicholas Matthews (born ca.1793-d.after 1845?) and his wife was named Martha. Talbot Co. Maryland marriage records bear this out showing Nicholas Matthews and Patsy Kirby marrying on Dec 7, 1813, Patsy and Patty being nicknames for Martha.
  The 1820 census shows Nicholas Matthews living in Talbot Co. MD. This 1820 household has 1 male age 26-45 (Nicholas,), 1 male under 10 (Thomas b. ca 1815), 1 female under age 10, 1 female 10-15, and 1 female  age 16-25 (Patsy-born ca. 1795). This suggests that Thomas may have had two sisters whose names are unknown. (His brother Samuel wasn't born until 1830). Per guardianship records, Nicholas was born in Sept 1784. Patsy was born ca. 1795. Maryland, Compiled Marriages, 1655-1850 lists a Talbot Co. MD. marriage between Nicholas Matthews and Patsy Kirby on Dec.7, 1813 and another Talbot Co. marriage on May 28, 1845 between Nicholas Matthews and Rachel Caulk. However Rachel is probably not Nicholas' second wife, based on the fact that he does not appear on the 1830 or subsequent censuses and Patty is listed in the 1830 Talbot Co. census, which infers that she is a widow by 1830. Patsy's father, Jesse Kirby (1764-1823), left an 1823 will which identifies one of his daughters as "Patty Matthews" and the probate is signed by "Nicholas Matthews and Patty, his wife." (Talbot, Maryland, United States records, on Familysearch) The evidence clearly establishes that Patsy or Patty Kirby was the wife of Nicholas Matthews and that the couple were very likely parents of Thomas Matthews (who was born in 1815). Nicholas is named as a son of Thomas Matthews in his will (ca. 1796) per Talbot. Probate Records 1788–1813, 1817–1821 on FamilySearch.  Nicholas also named his first son Thomas after his father. Nicholas' mother is unknown.
    While Jesse Kirby's will establishes him as Patty's father, the mother of Patty must be deduced from Jesse's known marriage dates. Two marriages are documented for Jesse Kirby in Talbot Co. MD, the first to Nancy Bewley on May 5, 1795  and the second two years later to Elizabeth McGinnis (Maryland, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1655-1850) on Jan.7, 1797. This implies the death of Nancy Bewley before 1797 and suggests that Nancy is likely the mother of Patty, who was born ca. 1795 (unless she was the daughter of an unknown previous marriage by Jesse Kirby). Jesse's will also mentions another daughter named Nancy Greenhawk, who might be a second child of Nancy Bewley (if Nancy was named after her mother). Yet another daughter is mentioned in the will named Grace, who is deceased and has a minor child named Jane Kirby, who is under the guardianship of Elizabeth Kirby. The 1800 Talbot Co. census shows Jesse Kirby, married with 2 females under 10 (Patty and Nancy)  and 1 10-15 (Grace?), and the 1810 census shows Jesse Kirby as a male over 45 (born before 1765), and 3 females age 16-25 (b.1775-1794), one of which would be Patty. If Grace is age 10-15 in 1800 (born 1785-1790) she would appear to be the daughter of an earlier undocumented first wife of Jesse Kirby whom he married ca.1788. If Patsy  was around age 18 in 1813 when she married Nicholas Matthews in Talbot Co. MD, she would have been born ca.1795.
      More details about the Kirby family are included at the bottom of the page.

8. Thomas Matthews- the father of Nicholas Matthews, Thomas was born ca. 1753 probably in Talbot Co. MD and probably married ca. 1772. He first appears in the 1776 census and the 1778 Fidelity Oath in Talbot County. In 1776, he and his wife are between 16-50 years in age, and have 2 sons and 1 daughter under 16. Thomas next appears in the 1790 Talbot Co. census with several sons and daughters and likely his wife, who dies within a few years (her name is not known). On Dec. 6, 1796 Thomas remarries Rachel Robinson, and he dies the following year in 1797. Records show that Rachel remarries by 1802 to Joseph Rathill, and the couple is appointed as administrators of Thomas' probate. The 1806 probate describes the contents of Thomas' will and names all of his children: William (ca. 1773), Elizabeth Warner (ca. 1774), Thomas Jr. (ca. 1775), Susanna Stewart (ca. 1777), John (ca. 1778), Rebecca (ca. 1780), and Nicholas Matthews (Oct. 1784). (Talbot. Probate Records 1788–1813, 1817–1821 on FamilySearch).
    Another document from 1803 contains the following addendum: "Thomas Matthews was appointed guardian of Nicholas Matthews, orphan and son of Thomas Matthews, deceased, aged 19 years Sept. last past. Securities: Thomas Kirby & William Scott." (Orphan's Court Proceedings T3188-C1897-3 Talbot Court Records 1802–1806 on FamilySearch). This places Nicholas' birth date on Sept. of 1784, and suggests that Nicholas' older brother, Thomas Matthews Jr. acted as his guardian, until he reached the age of maturity. Thomas Kirby, who is also mentioned, is probably the uncle of Jesse Kirby, whose name is Thomas. The 1800 census lists Thomas Matthews (Jr.) with several children including a male about 15 who is likely Nicholas. By 1810 there is no Thomas Matthews in the Talbot co. census, possibly inferring Thomas Jr.'s demise. Nicholas and Patty married in 1813. Nothing further is known of Thomas Sr's parents therefore he represents the end of the Matthews line.
      Note: There is a Matthews family of Quakers in Baltimore who may be close relatives of the Talbot Co. Matthews family and have many of the same family names, but should not be confused with them. They are: Thomas Matthews Sr. (1725-1774) and his wife Rachel Price (1730-1813). Rachel is shown as a widow on the 1790 to 1800 censuses in Baltimore Co. MD. Their children are: Mordecai, Thomas Jr. (1771-1852), Ruth, Eli, Sarah Owens, John, Jesse, Daniel and Elizabeth Scott. Daniel married Susanna Bartlett (formerly Thatcher) and after his death in 1795, Susanna married Daniel's brother, Thomas Matthews Jr. There is also a separate individual not of Nicholas' line, who dies in 1887 in Talbot Co. named Thomas Henry Matthews, son of Henry and Lucinda Matthews, whose wife was named Rebecca Martin, and they had a son named Nicholas Martin Matthews (1858-1930) who lived in Baltimore.
 

KIRBY:

7. Martha "Patty" Kirby --wife of Nicholas Matthews and mother of Thomas Matthews is called Martha, Patsy, and Patty in the records. Patty's father, Jesse Kirby (1764-1823), left an 1823 will which identifies a daughter as "Patty Matthews." The probate is signed by "Nicholas Matthews and Patty, his wife." (Talbot, Maryland, United States records, on Familysearch). Patty was born ca. 1795 in Talbot Co. MD  and married Nicholas Matthews on Dec.7, 1813.  (Maryland, Compiled Marriages, 1655-1850) She appears to have died sometime between the 1830 and 1840 censuses in Talbot Co. Patty's mother is likely Nancy Bewley who was married to Jesse on May 5, 1795-- around the same year when Patty is estimated to have been born. Nancy may have given birth to two daughters (Patty and Nancy "Ann" Greenhawk) and died after the second child, for a year and a half after the marriage Jesse remarried Elizabeth McGinnis on Jan.7, 1797 (Maryland, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1655-1850). John Bewley (1755-1790) and Christina Lloyd (1755-1708) were likely the parents of Nancy Bewley, since John is the only male Bewley listed in the 1790 Talbot co. census.

8. Jesse Kirby --the father of Patty Kirby Matthews, was born ca. 1764 in Talbot Co. MD and died in Talbot Co. in 1823. He appears to have married three times, first to an unknown wife (ca.1768-before 1795) who Jesse married ca. 1787 and who gave birth to a daughter named Grace (ca. 1788) who in turn gave birth to a daughter named Jane around 1808. In Jesse's April 18, 1823 will he mentions his granddaughter, Jane, daughter of his deceased daughter, Grace. (Jane is documented as marrying Archelus B. Price in 1826 and from this date we can determine about when Grace and Jane were born.) Also listed in Jesse's Talbot Co. will was a minor son, James, and his two married daughters, Nancy Greenhawk and "Patty Matthews." (Patty is given a slave named Sarah who is to be emancipated after 15 years, according to the will.) Although Nancy Greenhawk appears to be named after her mother, we cannot be absolutely certain who was the mother of Patty, but it is estimated that the two girls were born around 1795-96which suggests that their mother was Jesse's second wife, Nancy Bewley, who married Jesse on May 5, 1795 and died before Jesse's third marriage to Elizabeth McGinnis on Jan.7, 1797. (Maryland, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1655-1850). Jesse Kirby's last act was writing his will on April 18, 1823. His probate notes that just as Jesse was finishing writing his will he was seized with a violent cough, followed by a discharge of blood, and he died a few minutes thereafter. The parents of Jesse Kirby were William Kirby Sr. and his wife, Mary Ridgaway.

8. William Kirby Sr. --the father of Jesse Kirby, was born ca. 1730 in the Colony of Maryland and died in Talbot Co. MD in December 1795. Around 1754, he married Mary Ridgaway, daughter of William Henry Ridgaway (ca. 1700-1781) and his wife, Sarah Gorsuch (1702-after 1755). The father of William Henry Ridgaway, William Ridgaway (Sr.), was born ca. 1648 and died in 1708.  Immigration records suggest that William may have been born in England and immigrated to Maryland in October 1672 (Bonded Passengers to America (Volumes I and II) 1615-1775 & 1617-1775).  Seventeenth Century Colonial Ancestors, Vol. II states that land owner William Ridgaway died in 1708 and he had two wives, Alice and Sarah (ca. 1661-after 1703). He had three known children, likely by Sarah: William Henry , Sarah and  James Ridaway. William died on Feb.28, 1708 in Talbot Co. MD. His parents are unknown.
  William Kirby Sr., father of Jesse Kirby, appears in a 1778 Fidelity Oath in Talbot Co. as well as the 1790 census, dying in 1795. His probate of 1799 as well as the 1821 distribution of his estate (Talbot. Probate Records 1788–1813, 1817–1821 on FamilySearch), names his nine children: Cloudsbury Kirby, Benjamin Kirby, Julianna Benny, Henson Kirby, William Kirby Jr., Aquilla Kirby, Jesse Kirby, Thomas Kirby,  and Cecilia Bending. The parents of William Kirby Sr.  are not known.
Matthews in Talbot Co., and only one Thomas Matthews (over 45) in nearby Queen Anne Co. MD.