Matthew Gray Radford

was born on the 25th of October, 1787 (poss. 1786, family bible transcript says 1781 but there is good reason to favor 1786/1787) in the Patetown area of Wayne County. He had two sisters, Rebecca, who was born in 1790 and died @ 1851, and Clarey, who was born around 1802. Matthew also had one brother, William Radford, who lived from 1797 until 1869. Around 1811, Matthew married Elizabeth (Betsey) Lancaster who was disowned from the Quaker Church that year. Born on the 27th of February, 1796*, Betsey was the daughter of Levi and Elizabeth Lancaster of Wayne County. Matthew and Betsey moved from the Patetown area around 1830 (Deed Nov. 15 1830 they sell land on Whitney Branch and the Slough adjoining Bryant Lancaster and Polly Radford) and remained in the Nahunta area until after the 1839 death of his mother, Mary Radford. In August 1840 in Wayne County, William Pender, age 13, was bound to Matthew, William Pender later married Matthew’s niece, Ann. Later Matthew and Betsey settled in the 1840's in the Johnston County Township of Boon Hill. Their home was located on State Road 2320 between Rains Crossroads and Sal Barden’s Crossroads (formerly Radford's Crossroads). Matthew Radford left 190 plus acres to the children of his son Levi, dated 20 Feb 1857 evidently to take effect after Matthew’s death within a few weeks of a twin like deed from Levi’s mother-in-law Elizabeth Edwards leaving all her land as well. Matthew donated land to trustees to "erect a house of worship for use of Methodist Episcopal Church, South, dated 30 Sep 1863. Matthew and Betsey died in the 1860s. There is an unexplained marriage bond in 1865 for Matthew Radford and Elizabeth Edwards almost looking as if Betsey Lancaster Radford died first and Levi’s father and Mother-in-law married for their old age years, but Elizabeth still appears in 1870 with the surname Edwards so this is not yet explained.