Bonus: Matthew Phillips (grandfather of couple 15)

Matthew Gregory Phillips

BIRTH:  1763, North Carolina
DEATH: 1842, Bedford Co., Tennessee

Matthew Gregory Phillips

(excerpted from The Jennings/Phillips Collection)

Matthew Gregory Phillips, born around 1770 in Surry County, N.C was the second of eleven children to William Phillips and Mary Creed. His siblings include Abraham, Nancy, William, Jr., James, John
Sherman, Edmund, Elizabeth, Lewis, Sarah, and Joseph. Father William Phillips was born 1740 in Orange County, Virginia, and was a Private in Company 4, N.C. Regiment in the Revolutionary War.

Matthew Phillips was doing business in Bedford County in June of 1807, as shown in a note from Wily Smith. An indenture dated November 21, 1808, indicated that 100 acres of land for $400 was sold to Matthew Phillips, on the waters of the Duck River, neighboring Shadrack Brown. Later deeds show he purchased land from Ridley B. Wynn on Hurricane Creek and from Wiley B. Stone on the Duck River. Matthew was paying taxes on a distillery by Oct. 7, 1816 and sold cider, brandy, whiskey. One still had the capacity of 96 gallons, and the other of 60 gallons. His records show he was still selling spirits in Dec. of 1840. By 1825 Matthew was receiving receipts for suits in
Bedford County Circuit Court and by 1832, Matthew was a Justice of the Peace handing down judgements. In this capacity he served formany years.

Matthew was serving on a committee for Elbethel United Baptist Church of Christ in the fall of 1827, and was serving as clerk in the early 1830's. He also had a cotton gin, with records beginning in his "Collection Book for Cotten" about 1824 through 1837, showing hundreds of names of his Bedford County neighbors. This record book shows that he also did black smithing. His receipts show him paying school tuition in 1820­31, and subscribing to the Western Intelligencer in 1829. In 1835, he was receiving the newspaper, The Western Freeman addressed to M. Phillips, Esq. Matthew Phillips’ estate papers show a will dated 1832, which left his plantation to his "beloved wife Silvey"(Claxton) which would then go to his son Garrett Phillips, both who later served as executors to his estate in May of 1842. Matthew had a later will dated April 4, 1842, leaving 85 acres to his son Jesse and his heirs. Matthews other known children, Mary (Williams), Sally (William Green), Elizabeth ( Parsons), Trecy ( Billington, then Minton), William (Sinai Woods), and Jane (Grayson Stewart). It is thought that the children were all from Matthew’s first wife, Malinda Garrett, daughter of Blount Garrett.

Mary Williams died in 1852, so that her inheritance went to her children, including John and Mary. Parker and John Claxton received money in 1853, from Matthew’s estate as his grandchildren, as signed  by G.H.Stewart. By 1859, Matthews wife Silvey had died, as stated in a document signed by Jessee in an exchange of land with Garrett. Matthew had store accounts as early as 1815 with Thomas Davis, and through the years with many merchants including, David Tilford & Co., George C. Boggs & Co., James Deery, Thomas Davis, and Dixon and Davis, Deery and Strickler, J.A. Marrs & Co., Eakin & Co., Benjamin Strickler, Ro.P. Harrison, etc. He bought such things as 1⁄2 doz. Plates for $1.12, small tin cup $.06, one Bonnet $4.00, and a pen knife for $.50. In the 1820's he purchased such things as a spelling book for $.25, one phial of Catmaus drops, one pair shoes for William $2.50, saddle bags $4 and one load wood $.50, and 254 lbs. Cotten $22.50. In the 1830's he bought such things as 7 yards of calico for $2, one pair plated stirrups, rozin ( I like to think he played a fiddle.), shot, silk gloves, campfir, one pair fine shoes, one bed cord, a viol of apodildcoc. Matthew Phillips was involved in family, community, and religious life, and was a stalwart pioneer in the history of early Bedford County.