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Matthew D. Wright1
Matthew D. Wright was born in Jedburgh, Scotland about one hundred miles from the
border of England June 5, 1787. At the age of 14 he would sell himself into bondage for
seven years. During the seven years, he served on board a ship, in the hopes of reaching
America. Once he reached America, he settled in New Hanover, North Carolina. In 1814 he
joined the second group of people led by Stockley Donaldson and John Robinson across the
old Daniel Boone trail into the new State of Tennessee. Matthew would use the land granted
to him by these two men to form a large farm. Matthew was very active politically. He
served on the first civic legislature formed by John Clemens, John Oteir, James Reagan,
Matthew Wright.
Matthew also established a friendship with John M. Clemens. John and his wife, Jane
Lamptson, moved to Obed's town in 1823. John and Jane brought three Negro slaves, as a
gift from her father. John purchased 75,000 acres of land around Obed's Town. While
residents of Obed's Town, John along with Matthew, James, and John would see the Obed's
Town name change to Jamestown. These four men had hope that Jamestown would become a large
city. John and Jane Clemens would also have four of their children born in Jamestown. They
being Orion, Benjamin, Pamela and Margaret. John would later, around 1835, move to Monroe
County, Missouri as he lost most of his fortune in the 1832 crash. Their son, Mark Twain,
would be born in Missouri in 1835. Orion would later trade 10,000 acres of the Fentress
County land for a house and lot in Corry, Pennsylvania.
Matthew as a resident of the Indian Creek area of Fentress County, along with his wife,
would have four children. They were: (1) Jacob born in 1822,
Margaret born in 1827, William born in 1829 and Matthew born in 1830. His brother, Malachi
Wright, would join him in Fentress County. His son, Jacob, became a well known farmer and
landowner in Fentress County, his son, Matthew, would become a merchant, his son, William,
would become a Large farmer, and his daughter, Margaret, would married John Allred.
In the 1850 census, the Matthew Wright household included: Margaret born in 1827, William
born in 1829, Jacob born in 1822, Matthew born in 1830. Also Jacob's wife, America Hinds
two children James born in 1849 and Nina born in 1850.
by Mary Shorter
My Notes 1 - There may be some confusion over this Matthew D. Wright
and Matthew W. Wright, both are attributed
as the the father of Jacob who married America Hinds. |