James Ham

James Ham, b 8 May 1811 and Smith Ham, b. abt. 1795, settled in Crawford Co. about the time it was formed.

James Ham married Susannah Eleanor Mathews in Crawford Co. on 16 July 1827. Her parents were Philip Mathews and Nancy Nelson. Her grandparents were Moses Mathews Sr. and Sarah Findley.

  DAR Patriot Lookup: Reference Code RFTYZXK:
Matthews Sr., Moses
Birth: VA 1725
Service: SC
Rank: Civil Service
Death: GA 1806
Patriot Pensioned: No   Widow Pensioned: No
Children Pensioned: No   Heirs Pensioned: No
Spouse: (1) Sarah Findley
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Moses Mathews was a gunsmith and maker of fine guns.
From: "A Genealogical History of the Mathews Family from a Remote Period to the Present Time" as compiled by Dr. James C. Mathews (now deceased), Greenville, Georgia. "Moses Mathews was born in Virginia in 1725. In 1753/54 he married Sarah Finley. Their first child James was born in Virginia in 1755. He moved his wife and firstborn to Winfield County, South Carolina and settled on the Broad River near Winsboro. In 1760/61 he bought a tract of land where he later built a gun shop where he could repair and manufacture guns. During the Revolutionary War his shop became a Government shop for the Colonial Government. He made and repaired guns for General Sumpter's command. Just before the end of the war his home was raided by the Tories. His stock of horses was stolen and his home, gun shop, his shop books, accounts, and family records were burned. He may not have been fully paid for his services and for materials furnished during the war. There is an account against the Government for $18,000.00 which was never fully paid. The only payment he ever received was a land grant of several hundred acres in then Wilkes County, (now Lincoln County) Georgia. In 1784 he was granted 270 acres on Lloyd's Creek. He built a home here with his family where he conducted a large farming interest until his death in 1806. He was one of the wealthiest men in Georgia in his day. He and his wife, along with other family members, are buried in a churchyard near his home.
From "Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers in Georgia" compiled by Mrs. Howard H. McCall, published by the Georgia Society Daughters of the American Revolution, 1968: "Moses Mathews, b. Halifax Co., Va., 1725; d. Wilkes Co., Ga.1806. Was a Rev. Sol.; served as a gunsmith in Gen. Sumpter's S.C. Regiment; received grant of land in Ga. for his service. Mar. in Va.,Sarah Findley."
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Wilkes County was created in 1777 as one of the original 11 counties of Georgia.
The original Wilkes (in some old records Wilks) County included all of the area now in Lincoln, Elbert, and Wilkes Counties; most of Oglethorpe,, Madison, Taliaferro and Warren Counties; half of Hart County, and parts of Clarke, Glascock, Greene Hancock , and McDuffie Counties, and of course present day Wilkes County.
The County seat of Wilkes County is Washington.
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Note: Moses, on reaching early manhood became an apprentice to a gunsmith and mastered the trade to the extent of being one of the best of the day. Soon after the birth of their first child in 1750, Moses and Sarah, called Sally, moved to South Carolina along with the Findley family. They settled what is now Winsboro, South Carolina. He built a gun and blacksmith shop which he ran as a private business until his shop was made a military shop for General Sumter's army during the Revolutionary War. He manufactured and repaired guns for General Sumter and others of the Colonial Army until his home and shop was destroyed by the English Tories in the latter part of 1782 or 1783. He then moved to Wilkes County, Georgia. This part of Wilkes later became Lincoln County. Moses's will is on file in Lincoln County. The Will of Moses is as follows: "In the name of God Amen: I Moses Mathews of the State of Georgia and county of Lincoln being weak of body but of sound mind and perfect memory and knowing the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death do constitute this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following.
ITEM. I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Sally Mathews my house and land on the North side of Loyds Creek, two Negroe fellows named Bob and Pompey and two Negroe women named Denna and Jane for her comfort during her natural life to be disposed of at the discretion of my executors and two honest hearts of her choice and after her decease the above named Negro Bob to devolve to my son James Mathews and the above named Negroe Pompey to my daughter Polly Ware,wife of Nicholas Ware. I give to my son Jesse one Negroe woman named Jane after my wife's death.
ITEM. I give and bequeath to Sally Smith the wife of Henry Smith, one Negroe boy named Jack. I give my son William one girl Hannah.
ITEM. I give and bequeath to my son Phillip Mathews one Negroe fellow named Will.
ITEM. I give and bequeath to my son Moses Mathews five hundred dollars to be paid after his mother's decease or sooner if circumstances will admit the money to be raised by the hire of two Negroes named Jack and Will and all the money made over and above supporting my wife Sally Mathews yearly to go towards the payment of the above mentioned five hundred dollars till paid with all the livestock that can be spared by discretion of the here in after mentioned executors.
ITEM. I will and bequeath to my son Moses one feather bed of furniture.
ITEM. I will and bequeath that all my lands should be equally divided among my three sons Moses, William and Jesse Mathews agreeable to quantity and quality.
ITEM. I will that my wife should live peaceable on the plantation whereby she now lives during her life. ITEM. I will and bequeath that after the death of my wife Sally Mathews that all the stock that may be on this plantation may be sold with all the household furniture and all my tools and the money to be equally divided between James and Phillip Mathews, Sally Smith and Polly Ware. I will that Bob and Pompey should be hired after the death of my wife and the money go towards the payment of the within five hundred dollars. I do hereby constitute and appoint my sons James Mathews and Nicholas Ware Executors to this my last Will and Testament. In Witness where of I have set my hand and this 13th day of March and in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Six. Signed Sealed and Delivered Moses Mathews Assigns and Acknowledges in the Presence of Benjamin Samuel Issac Essy William Griffin The Original Will as has been proven in Open Court William Harper C.C.O.
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NEWSPAPER ARTICLE, ENTERPRISE LEDGER, ENTERPRISE, AL 1976
"DAUGHTERS OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR VETS CITED"
Two daughters of Revolutoionary War veterans, buried in Coffee County, were honored by having DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) markers dedicated at their graves.
The first marker was dedicated to Mrs. Elizabeth Horn Cole, who is buried in Cole Cemetery..........
Mrs. Susannah Mathews Ham was the second Revolutionary War daughter honored. She is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Elba, at the side of her husband, James Ham.
Among those attending the dedication of this marker were a number of her great-granddaughters.
The program followed the same order as the first dedication. The personal tribute was given by Mrs. Mary Brunson for her great grandmother. The dedication was again given by Mrs. Annie Lorrie Stutts, DAR state historian.
Mrs. Ham was both a daughter and a granddaughter of Revolutionary War soldiers. Her father, Philip Mathews, was a militiaman in General Marion's Brigade. Her grandfather, Moses Mathews, was a gunsmith in Gen. Sumter's Brigade. Her great grandfather was Gov. Samuel Mathews of Virginia........she has been described as a lady of charm, dignity and character, representing Southern Ladyship at its best.

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Susannah's GGGGrandfather was Samuel Mathews, Jr., Governor of the Virginia Colony:

Came to Virginia before 1618.
Member, House of Burgesses, 1623.
Councellor, 1648.
Governor, 1657-1659.

Coat of Arms: in file.

Samuel MATHEWS, Jr, Governor of Virginia, was born in Virginia about 1630 to Samuel MATHEWS and Frances GREVILLE. He attained the military rank of Lieutenant Colonel by 1652 and was appointed to the Council in 1655, a position he held until 1657.

He was married and had one child:

1. John, died before 1 May 1706, VA; married Elizabeth TAVERNOR, 24 Mar 1684
It is believed that his wife was of the Cole-Digges family.

He attained the military rank of Lieutenant Colonel by 1652 and was appointed to the Council in 1655, a position he held until 1657. He was elected to succeed Edward Digges as Governor of Virginia in December 1656, but did not assume office until early 1657.

Mathews' tenure as governor was marked by periodic clashes between the young chief executive and the Virginia House of Burgesses. When in 1658 Mathews and his Council attempted to dissolve the Assembly, the Burgesses, claiming that the governor did not possess that authority, decided to ignore the dissolution order. Mathews and the Council were unable to resist this show of strength, and they eventually yielded when the Assembly called for a new election. Despite his attempt to test the Assembly's power. Mathews was re-elected, probably because he indicated his willingness to co-operate with the effort of the Lower house to seek "confirmation of their present priviledges." Shortly before Mathews' death in January 1660, however, Richard Cromwell resigned as Lord Protector of England, a development which cast into confusion the political status of the Assembly in particular and the colony of Virginia in general.

"Virginia Biography"
Governor of Virginia from March 13, 1658, to his death in January 1660. Born in England about 1600 and came to Virginia in 1618.

Historians and genealogists who have attempted to identify Governor Samuel Mathews of Virginia, who died in office in January, 1659/60, have assumed that his induction on March 13, 1657/8 was the beginning of his services as Governor, and, because of the youth of Lieutenant Colonel (afterwards Colonel) Samuel Mathews, Junior, it has been assumed, wrongly, that the Governor was Captain Samuel Mathews, Senior. The young Samuel Mathews, Jr., could not have been over 25 or 26 years of age when be became Governor. This would seem incredible did we not know something of the circumstances surrounding the man. Samuel Mathews Junior was a Lieutenant Colonel and a Burgiss from Warwick County in 1652. In 1655 he was elevated to the Council, and as we have seen, to the chair of Governor in 1657.
I have 10 pages of research to substantiate this.

Residence was at "Denbigh," on Deep Creek, Warwick County, where he had a fine house and employed many servants. Mathews seat was not always called Denbigh because on 13 Nov., 1626, the Court ordered William Ramshaw to go "down to Mathewes-Manor and work at the trade of a blacksmythe."

"proved back in the forties by Minnie Cook that the Governor was Samuel Mathews II. It was reproved by John Frederick Dorman in the 70's or 80's by following the Mathews deeds. There is a deed in King George's Co,. VA that lays out the entire history of the land."

First Governor of Virginia to be elected by the House of Burgess, during Cromwell's Protectorate.

Title: William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Pages:
92-93
Abbrev: Mathews Family
Publication: 1898
Quality: 3
Title: William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Pages:
92-93
Abbrev: Mathews Family
Publication: 1898
Quality: 0
Title: Adventures of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, Edition:
third edition
Abbrev: Purse & Person
Publication: Order of First Families of Virginia, 1607-1624/5, Richmond, Virginia, 1987, Original Date, 1956
Repository:
Name: Unknown
Note:
Genealogy Library subscription

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I did not know that Philip Mathews was a Rev. War soldier until I found his grave on your website:

Providence Church Cemetery, Roberta: # 005- Mathews, Philip N/D N/D "S.C. Regt. Rev. War".

I then found the newspaper article above.

This has nothing to do with what I am searching for, but my 5th. GGrandfather, William B. Simmons and his son William Burrell Simmons, Jr. also lived in Crawford Co. at the time:

LDS IGI GENEALOGICAL INDEX v5.0:
WILLIAM SIMMONS b. 1745 VA d. 1828, JASPER, GA.
Marriage ANNE KING abt 1784 GA

DAR Patriot Lookup: Reference Code RFTYXYK:
Simmons, William
Birth: VA   1745
Service: GA
Rank: Sol
Death: GA 3- -1828
Patriot Pensioned: No    Widow Pensioned: No
Children Pensioned: No    Heirs Pensioned: No
Spouse:   2-Mary King
            1-Anne King

Also my 3rd. GGrandfather, Judge Gappa Talmadge Yelverton who married Martha Brown Simmons, daughter of William B. Simmons, Sr., in Macon on 12 April, 1840.

William B. Simmons, Jr., Judge Gappa T. Yelverton and James Ham migrated to Coffee County, Alabama in the 1850's and founded the town of Elba.

Here is what I am trying to find out:

1. If James Ham's father was William J. Ham (another Rev. War Soldier) who died in Crawford Co. in 1834. I cannot find him in your cemetery list; his grave marker might be destroyed but the Ham's were good about fine gravestones.

2. Who was James Ham's mother? William J. Ham was married to Martha Smelley, who apparently died abt. 1810 before they migrated to Crawford Co. Smith Ham was their son, born abt. 1795. James Ham was born in 1811. Family lore has it that James and Smith Ham were half-brothers. If so, is there any record of William J. Ham's second wife in Crawford Co.?

3. James Ham and Smith Ham both married Mathews girls in 1827 in Crawford County.. It seems likely and logical that they were related. What, if any was the relationship and who were Elizabeth Mathews' parents?

I apologize for being so much trouble, but I feel that the answers to my questions are in Crawford County. I wish that I had been interested in my family history when I lived in Macon in 1970; I didn't even know that 4 different branches of my ancestors apparently met and intermarried in or around Crawford County. I plan to visit Crawford Co. this summer if possible; I feel a strong attachment to your area.

Any help, assistance, advice or direction that you might be able to furnish will be greatly appreciated and I will be proud to furnish any of my research and resources if they will help. Thanks Again, Rick Boswell