Matthew Henderson French

A Patriot of the American Revolution for Virginia with the rank of Private. DAR Ancestor # A042489

Matthew was appointed guardian of his younger brothers and sister, Ester, James and Joseph in 1753. The appointment was made at court held Aug. 9, 1753 and is recorded in Order Book 5 Winchester, Frederick County Va.

Matthew's mother Martha, remarried to a Capt. Cresap. Matthew and his step-father did not agree so he sold his part of the estate to his step-father and went back over the Blue Ridge to Cullpeper Co. VA.

Matthew married in 1758 in Culpeper Co. VA to Sarah "Sallie" PAYNE b-in Culpeper Co. VA. to John and Sally Payne. She died after 1814 Giles Co. VA and they are both buried in the Boyd Cemetery on Wolf Creek, six miles from Narrors.

Matthew was a small, spared made man, light hair, blue eyes. Sally was a very large woman, fair complxion, light hair, blue eyes. This description was give by a Grand-daughter Mrs. Sally Fletcher who was ninety two years of age in 1892, and was about seventeen years of age at the time of her Grandfather's death, and remembered them well.

After the birth of Matthew and Sarah's children in Culpeper Co. VA they left for the New River Valley in 1775 and settled on Wolf Creek in Giles Co., at Narrors. Narrows was named because of the narrows of the New River. He was the founder of the French generation of this region.

Along with his son John, he was a private in the Rev. War under Colonel William Preston's Battalion of Montgomery Co. VA. Their Major was Joseph Cloyd and Thomas Shannon was their Captain. Matthew swore his allegiance to Capt. Cloyds Co. 9/12/1777.

Served in Colonel William Preston's Battalion of Montgomery County Militia, of which Joseph Cloyd was Major, and Thomas Shannon the Captain of the company to which the Frenches were attached. They were with their company in the battle of Wetzell's Mills, March 6th, 1781, and again at Guilford Count House, on the 15th of the same month.

In 1778 Matthew filed with his family to the Napier-McComas Fort upon hearing that Indians had raided and killed members of the McKensey family who lived nearby.

When the Indians reached the French home, they found the premises deserted. Matthew had left home so hastily as to be unable to take many possessions with him. The Indians ripped up his feather beds, turned the livestock on his crop of corn, killed one of his horses and took off the hide, and which they carried off all the household tableware.

Colonel William Preston on February 10, 1781 ordered the militia of Montgomery Co. to assemble on the Lead Mines, and on the day appointed Three Hundred and Fifty men assembled, pursuant to the order of their commander.

Major Joseph Cloyd led the Middle New Rivermen. One company went from the Middle New River Valley which was commanded by Captain Thomas Shannon.

On the March 6, 1781 at Wetzell's Mill, NC. Matthew and the other New River men fought well but soon retreated to the Guilford Court House where the main body of Green's Army has assembled to fight Cornwallis.

Colonel Tarleton states in his journals, "That in the battle of Guilford Court House, he held the right of the British Army and that his troops were badly hurt by the Backwoodsmen of Virginia. That they stood behind a fence until the British Infantry with their bayonets climbed over the same fence. The Americans were defeated in this battle.

Matthew is in the 1782 Montgomery Co. Tax List., One Tithabel, 6 horses 22 cattle and land. In the year 1790 Matthew received 200 acres of land in Fincastle Co. VA on both sides of Wolf Creek. Book 1 Grants 22 1789 -1791. In 1806 Matthew shows on the Giles Co. Tax list.

In 1807 Matthew was deeding to James and David 100 acres on the south side of Wolf Creek where David lived. Witness John Peck, J. Peck and C. Snidow.

In January 1930, a Revolutionary War Memorial was erectd on Wolf Creek where Matthew and son John are buried. The marker was donated by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

1810 Giles Co. Census.

WILL OF

MATTHEW FRENCH

1737 - 1814

Giles Co. Va Book A pg 28-31

In the name of God Amen, I Matthew French of the County of Giles and the State of Virginia, being sick of body but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be to almighty God for his mercies and calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this as my last will and testament.

Principally and first, I recommend my soul into the hand of almighty God that give it and my body to the grave to be buried in decent Christian burial at the descrestion of my Executors. Nothing doubting that at power of God, and touching those worldly good wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this world I demise give and bequeath in the following manner and form.

I give and bequeath to my dearly beloved wife Sarah, my negro woman Fanny and her girl child Nancy to be for her use during their natural life and then to be appropriated as is here in mentioned. I also give to my wife all my stock of horses and cattle, hogs and sheep together with all my household and kitchen furniture during her natural life as also to have a suffficient support of grain of all my lands, that I here after devise during her natural life.

Second: I give and bequeath to my son John French 100 pounds out of my estate to be herein after mentioned.

Thirdly: I also give and bequeath to my daughter Martha Straley 33 pounds and 1/3/ to be paid her as is herein after directed.

Fourthly: I give and bequeath to my son James French the upper part of my plantation beginning at a division fence between the said James and myself and running with course of the same to the backline of the new survey on the hill to include all the lands in the upper end at the old and new survey.

Fifthly: I also give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Hatfield, 33 pounds and 1/3/ to be paid here as is herein after directed.

Sixthly: I also give and bequeath to my son Isaac French the bottom on which he lives on, provided that he pay to John French 50 pounds to be divided among them.

Sevently: I five and bequeath to my son David French the land where on I live including all the land line devised to my son James French and lands in the old and survey from the division fence running down to the lower end of both, provided that he do pay John French 50 pounds and also to pay my three daughters Martha Straley, Mary Ann McComas 60 pounds to be divided among them.

Eightly: I also give to my daughter Ann MComas 33 pounds and 1/3 out of my estate which several sums to my three daughters is to be paid by my two sons Isaac and David, also the sum mentioned to my son John French and 100 pounds to the said John French by Isaac and David French in equal amounts of both.

It also is my will that if the sums aforesaid to my son John French and my three daughters, Martha Straley, Mary Hatfield, and Ann McComas is not paid to them in six months after my decease, then and in that case the land devised to my two sons Isaac and David French be sold by my Executors here in after mentioned, and the sums aforesaid paid out of proceed.

I also give to sons John and James French the tract of land that is now pending, between Joseph Hair and me, if the same should be recovered it also is my will that after the decease of my wife that all my property that should be left and remain with my wife together with my negro woman and child be sold by my Executors and the money be equally divided among all my children, sons and daughters and I do here by appoint my four sons John French, James French, Isaac Fench and David French my Executors to this my Last Will and Testament.

And it is further my will, that my two sons James and David French in consequence of the land willed to them, they are to convey the land I formerly deeded to them that part where Isaac French lives which they are to in consequence of receiving the land devised to them afore said ratify my and confirming this and another as my last true will and testament given under my hand seal this 23rd day of June 1812.

In the Name of God, Amen.

At Giles County Courty House, March 1814, this last will and testament of Matthew French deceased was proven in Court by the oaths of John Chapman and John Thomas, two of the witnesses hereto subscribed and ordered to be recorded.

A Codicle was produced in Court Aug. 30, 1814, not proven. A Codicle was prodeced in Court Sept. 27, 1815 proven.

A History of The Middle New River Settlements and Contiguous Territory, by David E. Johnston

The ancestors of this family lived in Scotland, thence removed to Wales, and from thence, long prior to the American Revolution, came across the Atlantic and settled in the Northern Neck of Virginia--Westmoreland County, within the grant to Lord Fairfax. It was in Westmoreland, about 1735, that John French married a lady of Welsh extraction. Among the children born to them was a son, Matthew, in 1737. Settlers were pressing across the Blue Ridge and on to the south branch of the Potomac, and on and along the Big and Little Cacapon. As information came back from these people of the wonderland they had found, others became interested and made up their minds to go; among them John French and his family, in about 1750, made their way up the Rappahannock and over to the south branch of the Potomac, locating at a place since well known as French's Neck, a beautiful and valuable body of land on the south branch of the river mentioned. John lived but a short while after reaching his new home, and his widow shortly after his death married Captain Cresap. The district in which John French settled soon became the County of Hampshire. There were several sons in the family other than Mathew, among them William and James, and a daughter Esther, who married John Locke.

Matthew and his step-father soon had differences of such a nature as to lead to their estrangement and separation; Matthew, who had not yet attained his majority, sold out his interest in his fathers estate to his step-father, Captain Cresap, and went back over the mountains to Culpeper, where he married an Irish girl whose name was Sallie Payne. In 1775 Matthew, with his wife and seven children, four sons and three daughters, crossed the Alleghanies into the New River Valley, and settled at what is now known or called the Boyd place, on Wolf Creek, in Giles County, then Fincastle. The names of the sons of Matthew were John, Isaac, James, and David; the latter, the youngest child, was born in Culpeper in 1772; the daughters were Martha, Mary and Annie. John, the son of Matthew, married Obedience Clay in January, 1787; Isaac married Elizabeth Stowers for his first wife; his second was a Mrs. Fillinger; James married Susan Hughes, a half sister to the elder William Wilburn; his second wife was Margaret Day; David married Mary Dingess.

Martha, the daughter of Matthew, married Jacob Straley; Mary married Isaac Hatfield; Annie married General Elisha McComas.

The following are the names of the children of John French and his wife Obedience Clay French, viz: William, Ezekiel, Charles C., James, George P., John, St. Clair, Hugh and Austin, and the daughters, Annie, Sallie, Orrie, Obedience, Nancy and Rebecca.

Isaac French and his wife, Elizabeth Stowers French, had the following named children, viz: Sallie, Elizabeth, Docey, and Isaac.

The children of James French, by his first marriage, were three sons, Isaac, Rueben, and Andrew; and five daughters, Mary, who married Daniel Straley; Sallie, who married William Hare; Elizabeth, who married James Rowland; Isaac married Sallie Straley; Reuben married Miss Meadows, and Andrew L. married Miss Day; and by the second marriage James had two daughters, Esther Locke, who married Kinzie Rowland, and Martha, who married William Milan.

The names of the children of David French and his wife, Mary Dingess French, are as follows, viz: Guy D., who married Araminta D. Chapman; Napoleon B., who married Jane Armstrong; Dr. David M., who married Miss Smoot, of Alexandria, Virginia; Rufus A., William H., and James H., who died unmarried; the daughters, Cynthia, who married Judge David McComas; Harriet, who married Samuel Pack; Minerva, who married Colonel Thomas J. Boyd.

Matthew French died on Wolf Creek, in Giles County, in 1814. Mrs. Sallie Fletcher, a grand daughter of Mathew French, and 95 years old in 1892, gave to the author in writing a personal description of Mathew French and his wife, whom she well recollected, being a married woman and about seventeen years old at the date of the death of her grandfather. Mrs. Fletcher says: "Matthew French was a small, spare made man, light hair and blue eyes; his wife was a very large woman, quite fleshy, fair complexion, light hair and blue eyes."

Matthew French and his eldest son, John, were American soldiers in our War for Independence, and served in Colonel William Preston's Battalion of Montgomery County Militia, of which Joseph Cloyd was Major, and Thomas Shannon the Captain of the company to which the Frenches were attached. They were with their company in the battle of Wetzell's Mills, March 6th, 1781, and again at Guilford Count House, on the 15th of the same month.

The names of the children of Guy D. French and his wife, Araminta D. are as follows, viz: Henley C., who married Miss Harriet Easley (both now dead) ; Mary, who married William B. Mason (both now dead) ; Fannie, who married J. H. D. Smoot (the latter dead) ; Sarah, who first married Dr. W. W. McComas (killed in battle of South Mills) , and secondly married Captain F. G. Thrasher; Susan, who married Dr. R. T. Ellett (the latter dead).

Captain David A. French first married Miss Williams, for his second wife Jennie C. Easley; William A. married Sarah E. Johnston; Charles D. married Annie C. Johnston. Opposite this page is a photograph of Hon. William A. French, a great grandson of Matthew the Settler. William A. died in April, 1902

The descendants of Matthew French are scattered far and wide over the South and West. Among them were many brilliant men and women; the men have been magistrates, sheriffs, clerks, lawyers, judges, statesmen and soldiers. David McComas, one of the descendants of Matthew French, was an eminent jurist; William McComas, another, was a member of Congress from 1833 to 1837; Dr. W. W. McComas was a distinguished physician and gallant Confederate soldier; Colonel James Milton French, now of Arizona, served his country with devotion and honor both in military and civil life.

   Sallie Payne is of Irish ancestry.

After the birth of their children, Matthew and Sarah moved to New River Valley in 1775 and settled on Wolf Creek, GCVA at Narrors.
Matthew and his son John fought in the Revolutionary War. The served in Colonel William Preston's battalion on Montgomery County Militia, of which Joseph Cloud was Major, and Thomas Shannon was Captain of the company. Their company was in the battle of Wetzell's Mills on March 6, 1781, and again at Guilford Court House on March 15, 1781.
Matthew's granddaughter, Sallie Fletcher recorded in writing a personal description of Matthew and Sallie, "Matthew French was a small spare made man (with) light hair and blue eyes; his wife was a very large woman, quite fleshy (with) fair complexion, light hair and blue eyes."
They are both buried in Boyd Cemetery on Wolf Creek, Virginia, 6 miles from Narrors.
Page Sources:

   1. Your French-Straley-Davis Ancestry yfsda

   2. Lavonne Kennedy Bradfield at lkbradfield@satx.rr.com.

   3. Web page Matthew French by Marieda Derrick Edens.