Summerfield Griffith Roberts

Notes:

Obituary and biolgraphy from FindAGrave:

Funeral services for Dallas oilman Summerfield G. Roberts, 78, of 6700 Hunters Glen Road, will be held at 11:30 a.m. Monday in Sparkman / Hillcrest Funeral Chapel, 7405 W. Northwest Highway. Entombment will be in Hillcrest Mausoleum. Roberts died here Friday night. Survivors: Wife; two sisters, Mrs. Anne Ruth Rash and Mrs. Matthew Cartright Jr. of Terrell, and a brother, Matthew C. Roberts Jr. of Terrell. Dallas Morning News, January 4, 1970

Summerfield G. Roberts, businessman and philanthropist, was born in Dallas, Texas, and graduated from Wesley College at Terrell in 1910. He received his B.A. from the University of Texas in 1914 and his M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1916. On August 15, 1916, he received a patent for an improved water heater that regulated temperature and steam pressure. During World War I Roberts served in the United States Navy and rose from ensign to lieutenant commander. He married Annie Lee Warren on May 15, 1920. In the early 1920s he moved to Dallas and went on to become a successful oil executive and business leader. As a fifth-generation Texan interested in Texas history and culture, Roberts encouraged writing and research on the Republic of Texas by endowing the Summerfield G. Roberts prize for the best Texas history book through the Sons of the Republic of Texas. The first prize was given to Eugene C. Barker for the Life of Stephen F. Austin in 1951. In addition, Roberts donated his James W. Fannin collection to the Dallas Historical Society and provided funds for a rare book library on Texas history. He donated several Frank Reaugh paintings to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum and commissioned paintings of the heroes of Texas which currently hang in the Texas State Library. Following his death in Dallas, the Summerfield G. Roberts Foundation was established. [bio info from tshaonline.org]

Family/Spouse: Annie Lee Warren. Annie (daughter of Robert Lee Warren and Annie Thompson "Annie T" Cartwright) was born on 24 Jun 1895 in Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas; died on 22 Apr 1990 in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas; was buried in Sparkman Hilcrest Memorial Park, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

When his father died at the age of 51, Matthew, only 17 withdrew from the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee, and returned home to help his mother. (Henson and Parmelee, p. 299).

Obituary and certificate of death copied from FindAGrave:

Terrell, Texas, May 27. -- M.C. Roberts, 61, a leading citizen of Terrell since the early '80s, was found dead in his room at the family residence Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Roberts is survived by his wife and five children: Summerfield G. Roberts of Dallas, Mrs. Glen Rash, Mrs. Matthew Cartwright Jr., Miss Iona Roberts and M.C. Roberts Jr. of Terrell; a brother, Ben S. Roberts of Terrell; three sisters, Mrs. Tom Corley of Dallas, Mrs. Eli Gaffney of San Antonio and Mrs. Annie Hinton of El Paso. Dallas Morning News, May 28, 1931

Texas certificate of death
Name: Mathew C Roberts Sr
Death Date: 27 May 1931
Death Place: Terrell, Kaufman, Texas
Gender: Male
Race: White
Death Age: 61 years 4 months 8 days
Birth Date: 19 Jan 1870
Birthplace: Texas
Marital Status: Married
Father's Name: Benjamin T Roberts
Father's Birthplace: Tex
Mother's Name: Anna W Cartwright
Mother's Birthplace: Texas
Burial Place: Terrell Texas
Burial Date: 28 May 1931
Cause of Death: Accidental Pistol Wound
Informant: Ben S. Roberts, Terrell, Texas



(Research):

Census Listings:

1900 Census
Texas, Kaufman County, City of Terrell, Ward 3
Enumerated 22 Jun 1900
SD 6 ED 75 Sheet 36A
680-681
Roberts, Matthew Head W M Jany 1871 29 M1 9 Tx Tx Tx Lawyer
Roberts, Emmie Wf W F Jan 1872 28 M 9 3/3 Tx Md Tx
Roberts, Somerfield Son W M Oct 1891 8 S Tx Tx Tx
Roberts, Emily Dtr W F May 1894 6 S Tx Tx Tx
Roberts, Annie Dtr W F Dec 1896 3 S Tx Tx Tx
Johnson, James Servant B M May 1865 35 S Tx Tx Tx Cook

1910 Census
Texas, Kaufman County, City of Terrell, Ward 3
Enumerated 18 Apr 1910
SD 8 ED 30 Sheet 4A
Griffith Ave
601-71-71
Roberts, Matthew C Head W M 40 1 m19 Tx US Tx Insurance
Roberts, Emmie Wf W F 35 M 19 5/5 Tx Md Tx
Roberts, Summerfield Son W M 18 S Tx Tx Tx
Roberts, Emily Dtr W F 15 S Tx Tx Tx
Roberts, Annie Ruth Dtr W F 13 S Tx Tx Tx
Roberts, Mathew Son M W 9 S Tx Tx Tx
Roberts, Fane (sic) Dtr W F 5 S Tx Tx Tx
Griffith, Emily Mother-in-law F W 75 Wd Tx US US

1920 Census
Texas, Kaufman, JP 3, Terrell City
Enumerated 21 Jan 1920
SD 3 ED 40 Sheet 20B
357-449
Roberts, Matheie C Head M W 49 M Tx Tx Tx Farmer
Roberts, Emmie Wf F W 49 M Tx Md Tx
Roberts, Summerfield Son M W 28 S Tx Tx Tx
Rash, Annie R Dtr F W 23 M Tx Tx Tx
Rash, Glenn Son-in-law W M 30 Tx Tx Tx Cottn Exporter
Rash, Mollie Ruth GrdDtr F W 1 S Tx Tx Tx
McGruder Albert Servant M Mu 30 M Tx Tx Tx Servant house
Jones, Alfrieda Servante F Mu 64 S Tx Tx Tx Servant house

1930 Census
Texas, Kaufman County, JP 3, Terrell City, Ward 3
Enumerated April 16, 1930
ED 129-10 SD 11 Sheet 17A Stamped 187
Griffith Avenue
614-414-458
Cartwright, Mathew Head O 20000 M W 36 m 23 Tx Tx Tx Farmer
Cartwright, Emily Wf F W 34 m 18 Tx Tx Tx
Cartwright, Mathew Jr Son M W 11 S Tx Tx Tx
606-415-459
Roberts, Mathew C head M W 60 M 20 Tx Tx Tx Farmer
Roberts, Emmie G Wf F W 58 M 18 Tx Tx Tx
Mims, Ione Dtr F W 24 m 22 Tx Tx Tx
McGruder Albert Servant M Neg 60 S Tx Tx Tx Servant Private family
Johnson, George Servant M Neg 70 S Tx Tx Tx Servant Private family
608-416-460
Roberts, Mathew C Jr Head M W 28 M 21 Tx Tx Tx Agent Insurance
Roberts, Catherine Wf F W 28 M 21 Tx Mo Tx
Roberts, Mathew C III Son M W 4 7/12 S Tx Tx Tx

Matthew married Emily Griffith about 1890 in Texas. Emily was born on 29 Jan 1872 in Rockwall County, Texas; died on 8 Jul 1951 in Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas; was buried in Oakland Memorial Park Cemetery, Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The daughter of Gen. John Summerfield Griffith. (Henson and Parmelee, p. 301).

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JDNP-YQV
name: Emily Griffith Roberts
death date: 08 Jul 1951
death place: Terrell, Kaufman, Texas
residence 606 Griffith Avenue
gender: Female
race: white
death age: 79 years 5 months 9 days
estimated birth date:
birth date: 29 Jan 1872
birthplace: Rockwall, Texas
marital status: Widowed
spouse's name:
father's name: Summerfield Griffith
father's birthplace: Maryland
mother's name: Sarah Emily Simpson
mother's birthplace: Texas
occupation: Houseduty
place of residence: Terrell, Kaufman, Texas
cemetery: Oakland Memorial Park
burial place: Terrell, Texas
burial date: 09 Jul 1951
Informant Maudeen C Roberts
additional relatives: X
film number: 2074775
digital film number: 4167205
image number: 748
reference number: cn 36477
Collection: Emily Griffith Roberts, "Texas, Deaths, 1890-1976"

Margaret Henson writes that Emily privately published a two-volume genealogy about the family in 1939 and 1948. The volumes included research and many documents concerning the Roberts, Griffiths, Cartwrights and other interrelated families.

Notes:

Married:
"Twenty-year old Matthew C. Roberts, already on his way to becoming a successful entrepreneur like his uncle, soon found reasons to make regular business trips (from Terrell) to Dallas in order to see Emily Griffith...who had moved there from Terrell. They were married at the end of 1890, but like many of their contemporaries, the newlyweds continued living with their parents for awhile." (Henson and Parmelee, p. 301).

Notes:

FindAGrave indicates he was a son of Noel Gil Roberts (1813-1864) and Maria Thomas Roberts (b. 1816-), and grandson of Elisha Roberts

Henson and Parmelee have a photo of Benjamin Thomas Roberts in uniform, and note that he served alongside his future brother-in-laws, Leonidas and Americus Cartwright during the Civil War. On May 25, 1861, Lon, Meck "and twenty other volunteers rode to Shelby County, where Captain Short lived, to enlist...Short's company left in June to rendezvous near Dallas, where along with other East Texas units, they were sworn into Col. Elkana Greer's mounted regiment....(and) eventually were designated as the Third Texas Cavalry, and Short's company became Company E." (Henson & Parmelee, THE CARTWRIGHTS OF SAN AUGUSTINE, p. 200, p. 202) Upon reorganization of the regiment on May 8, 1862, Ben T. Roberts became second sergeant of Company E. (ibid, p. 215) He was taken prisoner at Iuka, and paroled, but had to remain in Iuka to care for wounded Confederatte prisoners. (ibid, p. 218).



(Research):

Census Listings:

1870 Census
Texas, San Augustine County, PO San Augustine
Enumerated 5 Aug 1870
Page 90
40-40
Roberts, B T 33 M W Farmer 10,000 8,000 Tx
Roberts, Anna W 26 F W Keeps House Tx
Roberts, Mathew 5/12 M W Tx Jany
Roberts, Felix G 21 M W Merchant Tx
Roberts, Maggie 17 F W At Home Tx
Kirkley, E 20 F B House Servant Ala

1880 Census
Texas, San Augustine County, San Augustine
Page 2 SD 1 EDF 80
Enumerated 7 Jun 1880
20-20
Roberts, B. T. W M 43 Farmer Tx Mi NC
Roberts, Anna C W F 35 Wf Keeping House Tx Tx/Tn?
Roberts, Mathew W M 10 Son At School Tx Tx Tx
Roberts, Amanda W F 9 Dtr At School Tx Tx Tx
Roberts, Anna W F 7 Dtr At School Tx Tx Tx
Roberts, Benjamine W M 6 Son At School Tx Tx Tx
Roberts, Felix M W M 4 Son At Home Tx Tx Tx
Roberts, Claud W M 3 Son At Home Tx Tx Tx
Roberts, Mary W F 1 Dtr At Home Tx Tx Tx
Smith, Chas B W 21 Laborer Tx Tx Tx

Benjamin married Anna Wigglesworth Cartwright on 10 Jan 1869 in San Augustine County, Texas. Anna (daughter of Matthew Cartwright and Amanda "Mandy" Holman) was born on 6 Apr 1844 in San Augustine County, Texas; died on 27 May 1903 in Kaufman County, Texas; was buried in Oakland Memorial Park Cemetery, Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:

Anna and her sister Mary had commenced writing letters to "care-worn soldiers" other than their brothers. One of these soldiers was Benjamin T. Roberts, seven years older than Anna and a neighbor since childhood, whom had asked her to begin a "friendly correspondence." Although she "never corresponded with young gentelmen before the war...(and) said I never would, She decided it was a 'duty imcumbent of the fair sex' to contribute to the soldier's happiness." (Henson and Cartwright, p. 227) in October 1868, Anna finally gave in to Ben Roberts's ardent courtship and set the wedding for January 1869. Using money from her father's wedding gift, Anna bought the 1830 Ezekiel Cullen house in December 1869, registering the transaction in her own name, an unusual practice for married women at that time. (ibid, p. 267). As a young girl, Anna had displayed more independence of mind than many of her friends, even her mother deplored her occasional "contrariness." After her husband died in 1887, Anna applied to the court and was immediately appointed administrator. Although there was not a prenuptial agreement on file, Anna had kept her property seperate from Ben's. (ibid, p. 299). Her youngest brother, Matthew, offered to build a house for Anna on Griffith Avenue in Terrell, and she agreed to make a fresh start in an area that offered business opportunities for her sons. Within eighteen months of the move, she and her eldest son Matthew had opened a real estate and loan office with the aid of her brother Matthew, and they soon opened an insurance agency to augment their income. (ibid, pp. 300-301). Anna later also had her husband's body reinterred in Terrell, Texas.

Notes:

He began clerking and keeping books for his father's store in 1831, and in 1832 they formed a partnership, "Matthew Cartwright & Co." Each contributed $2,000 to the business. The store prospered. (Noble, pages 80 - 81).

In his August 30, 2007 column in the San Augustine Tribune, Harry Noble writes that Matthew was the richest man in San Augustine and the sixth wealthiest in the State of Texas in his era. In 1860, he owned so much land scattered across the state that as he traveled on his big sorrel horse "Red Buck," it was said that no matter where he was, that he could spend the night on his own land.

Noble went on to write that Matthew exhibited maturity at an early age. When he was 14, his father sent him to the unsettled frontier of Texas with one servant to clear land John had acquired two years earlier. John also gave his son power of attorney at age 18 and sent him to Tennessee and Mississippi to settle family affairs.

At the age of 21, Matthew traveled to Wilson County where he enrolled in a local college...late in 1829 Matthew rejoined his father in Texas who was then operating a family farm, cotton gin and store.

Matthew's paid $900 in 1849 for the two-story Isaac Campbell home on Main Street. The New England style home had been built by Augustus Phelps, a master carpenter, in 1839. The palatial dwelling was still standing in San Augustine, and is owned by Matthew's direct descendants, as of 2007. Never a large slaveholder, Matthew's slaves were all employed inside or around the house, taking care of the livestock, firewood, garden and orchard.

The home was purchased by Americus "Meck" H. Cartwright and his wife, Minnie Clementine Sublett in 1898, after Amanda was forced by ill health to move in with her son Lon, and remained in the hands of Meck and Minnie's descendants. (Henson and Parmelee, p. 302).

At the time of the 1850 census Matthew's land alone was worth $165,000, and he had only seven slaves, considerably lower than most other wealthy families. The 1850 slave schedule listed the number of male and female slaves, as well as their ages, but not their names. Matthew Cartwright's bible, however, shows them as Nancy, b. 1810 and her four children, Dick, b. 1836, Emeline b. 1838, Virtue b. 1840 and Walker, b. 1846. It also lists Jane, b. 1830 and her daughter, Harriet, b. 1849.

In 1860, Matthew's occupation was listed as "land trader" and it was estimated that his real estate was worth $500,000 and personal property near $75,000, with 13 slaves. Henson and Parmelee point out by way of contrast that brother-in-law and "planter" William Garrett had a $171,651 estate, including 132 slaves, and that "Farmer-Merchant" Iredell D. Thomas had $166,000 in accumulated wealth, and 52 slaves. (Henson and Parmelee, p. 191).

After the war, the president Andrew Johnson issued an amnesty proclamation restoring citizenship to those who would pledge future loyalty to the United States; however, those holding high military or civil offices in the Confederate government, as well as those with taxable property valued over $20,000, would have to petition him directly for individual pardons. Matthew, the pragmatic businessman, wanted to get his special pardon as soon as possible so that he could resume his activities and protect his property. He took his amnesty oath on August 28, 1865 in the Caddo Parish District Court and received a copy to carry with him in order to conduct business. He later recorded this in the San Augustine District Courty. (ibid, pp. 239-243). Unlike many of their neighbors, the Cartwrights survived the Civil War without the loss or maiming of a son. The emancipation of their few household slaves was not an economic loss comparable to those suffered by neighbor planters who possessed numerous field hands. And by carefully guarding their gold and silver reserves, as well as utilizing his long business experience to carefully buy, sell and barter during the war, the family was able to resume business activities relatively unhampered. (ibid, p. 247).

His funeral notice card read:

The friends and acquantances of
MATTHEW CARTWRIGHT, Sr.
are respectfully invited to attend his funeral tomorrow
morning at 10 o'clock, A.M. He will be buried with Masonic
honors, at this late residence in the town of San Augustine.
SAN AUGUSTINE, TEXAS, April 2, 1870

Amanda chose a burial plot several hundred feet east of the house.

No copy of the obituary that surely ran in the San Augustine paper can be found. The San Antonio Daily Express carried a brief obituary on May 1: "DIED at his home in San Augustine, first day of April, Matthew Cartwright, one of the pioneers of Texas, and one of the largest, if not the largest, land holder in the state." (ibid, p. 275).

When the inventory of his estate was compiled, it was shown that he owned 298 parcels of land in 56 counties, totalling 361,632 acres with a value of $356,304. Amanda inherited one-half as his widow, and the rest was to be divided equally among his six children.

At the time of the 1870 census, Amanda reported owning real estate worth $343,281, and personal property valued at $75,529, which ultimately placed the Cartwright estate as the fourth-largest in Texas, following those of Richard King in South Texas and Galveston Merchants, J. J. Hendley and George Sealy. (ibid, pp. 278-279).



(Research):
Census Listings:

1860 Census
Texas, San Augustine County
61-61
Cartwright, Mathew 52 M Land Trader 500,000 75,000 TN
Cartwright, Mandy 42 F TN
Cartwright, A.P. 20 M TX
Cartwright, Leonidas 17 M TX
Cartwright, Anna 15 F TX
Cartwright, Mary 14 F TX
Cartwright, Mathew, Jr. 4 M TX

Matthew married Amanda "Mandy" Holman on 18 Oct 1836 in San Augustine County, Texas. Amanda (daughter of Col. Isaac Holman and Anne Wigglesworth) was born on 24 Jul 1817 in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee; died on 26 Jun 1894 in San Augustine County, Texas; was buried in Oakland Memorial Park Cemetery, Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In both 1870 and 1880. Amanda Cartwright was living in a household with her son Leonidas "Lon" and his family.

Amanda died in Lon's home at age seventy-seven. The family gathered for her funeral and, as she had wished after almost a quarter century of widowhood, she was buried next to Matthew in the little private graveyard east of her old house. Lon composed suitable facts about her life on a sheet of paper entitled "In Memoriam" for use of the minister. Besides providing her birthdate, parents' names, date of arrival in San Augustine, and marriage dated, and noting the loss of one of her six children, Lon added, "She was one of the Kindest of Mothers and devoted wife, a faithful Christian, charitable to all in need and beloved by all who know her. She had joined the Methodist Church in 1858, and, he added, she had been a faithful and consistent member...Two weeks later, Lon, who once wrote poetry for Ludie, wrote six stanzas praising motherhood. (Henson and Parmelee, p. 305).



(Research):
Census Listings:

1870 Census
Texas, San Augustine County, PO San Augustine
Enumerated 6 July 1870
Page 20
121-121
Cartwright, A 52 F W Keep House 343291 15529 Tenn
Cartwright, M 14 M W At School Tx
Cartwright, A. P. 30 M W Merchant Tx
Cartwright, Ophelia 23 F W Tx
Cartwright, Mathew Jr 7/12 M W Tx
Jones, Tom 20 M B Svt Tx
Burl, Elvira 15 F B Svt Tx
Sexton, Qunn? 10 F B Tx

Notes:

Married:
In "The Cartwrights of San Augustine,' a transcription of a stilted, formal note written by Matthew Cartwright to his future bride reads as follows:

Miss Amanda Holman,

Please allow me to address you for the first time with the most profound respect. I admire your person, your addrss and appearance....I have come to the conclusion that of all other objects met with in this life...you are the one. Therefore I now address you for the purpose of requesting permission to pay my suit on that of which is the most importance to me and I hope not indifferent to you. Please reply as soon as convenient and relieve the suspense of one who is desiorous to unite his fate and happiness in life with yours.
Your obedient servant,
Matthew Cartwright

Amanda soon accepted Matthew's proposal, scheduling the ceremony for Octobe 18, 1836. Some months prior to the wedding she bought seven yards of French muslin and two bonnest at Matthew's store, and later pink silk and gauze ribbon, all suitable for a wedding.

The couple was married nearly thirty-five years before Matthew's death, and Amanda survived him for nearly twenty-five additional years. They were buried side by side in a small family plot near their home in San Augustine. Youngest son Matthew later made arrangements to have his parents reinterred in Terrell, Texas, with a suitable marker, in September 1896. (Henson and Paremelee, p. 308).