Alexander Mathes

A Patriot of the American Revolution for VIRGINIA with the rank of CAPTAIN. DAR Ancestor #: A075265

Alexander Mathes I, married Ann Leith (b. March 8, 1749) on March 21, 1769, in Virginia. Children: Jennie b. Jan 1,1770, in Virginia Miriam b. Oct 28, 1771, in Virginia #61244655 Allen b. Oct 19, 1773, in Virginia Alexander b. Oct 5, 1775, in Virginia #61244441 George Leith b. Sept 24, 1779, in Virginia Grace b. Jan 19, 1782, in Virginia Jeremiah b. Jan 29, 1784, in Tennessee John b. April 4, 1786, In Tennessee Ebenezer Leith b. May 11, 1789, In Tennessee, d. Jan 5,1868 #61244448 Elizabeth Ann b. July 21, 1792, In Tennessee, d. young Rachel b. March 6, 1795 in Tennessee

Family links:

Spouse:

 Anna Leith Mathes (1749 - 1824)*

Children:

 Miriam Mathes Telford (1771 - 1839)*

 Alexander Mathes (1775 - 1865)*

 Ebenezer Leith Mathes (1789 - 1868)*

*Calculated relationship

Inscription: Served in the Revolution as Captain of Militia in Shenandoah Co. Virginia, 1777, Tennessee Pioneer 1782

Burial: Salem Cemetery Washington County Tennessee, USA http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=61244443

Alexander Mathes and Samuel Doak, Jr., together joined the ever moving advance guard of pioneers, starting out about 1780 from their Virginia homes and pushing on through the wilderness. They walked through Virginia and Maryland, using the same packhorse, the "flea-bitten grey" referred to by Roosevelt in "The Winning of the West;" wherein he says that Samuel Doak "drove before him an old flea-bitten grey horse loaded with a sackful of books; crossed the Alleghenies and came down along blazed trails to the Holston settlements;" Alexander Mathes was a surveyor and civil engineer and brought with him his surveyors' instruments. Upon reaching the settlements they located land on the Hominy branch of the Little Limestone, in what was then the State of North Carolina, now Washington County, Tennessee, where both were destined to build for the good of the undeveloped settlement and to wield an influence in molding the destinies of a new community during its formative period. There Mathes bought 950 acres of land.There, Salem, a Presbyterian church, was founded by Doak in 1780; also Martin Academy, known as Washington College, near Jonesboro, the oldest town in the state, both of which are still in existence. Alexander Mathes has a part in these important enterprises. He gave the fifty acres of land upon which the school was built, and on it now stand all of the present college buildings and Salem Church. The college owns 190 acres of the Mathes land, 50 by gift and 140 by purchase. When the school became a college, Alexander Mathes was a member of the original charter board, and for years afterward a member of the board of Constitutional Trustees.

      Alexander Mathes was one of the original elders in Salem church at the time of its organization and served as a ruling elder until his death in 1806. A new Salem church cuilding was erected in 1897, as a memorial to Samuel Doak,and in this building was placed a memorial window to the first three Mathes' who served as elders, giving the date of service of each in succession, from father to son, the service extending one hundred and two years, and the same of each being Alexander Mathes.

      Alexander Mathes was on the most honored names in the community. He was a farmer and surveyor, and lived the remainder of his life on this nine hundred acre farm.

GEDCOM Source

@R1351122284@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=120320009&pi...