Matthew Cartwright

1807 - 1870  (62 years)

• Name	Matthew Cartwright  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  Birth	11 Nov 1807	Wilson County, Tennessee   [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
  Gender	Male
  Death	1 Apr 1870	San Augustine County, Texas   [4, 5, 10, 11]
  Burial	Oakland Memorial Park Cemetery, Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas   [4, 11]
  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
  Person ID	I6996	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  Father	John Cartwright,   b. 10 Mar 1787, Pitt County, North Carolina d. 18 Jul 1841, San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas (Age 54 years)
  Mother	Mary E. "Polly" Crutchfield,   b. 26 Oct 1787, Virginia d. 17 Jun 1848, San Augustine County, Texas (Age 60 years)
  Marriage	21 Jan 1807	Wilson County, Tennessee   [12]
  Family ID	F1140	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Amanda "Mandy" Holman,   b. 24 Jul 1817, Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee d. 26 Jun 1894, San Augustine County, Texas (Age 76 years)
  Marriage	18 Oct 1836	San Augustine County, Texas   [13, 14]
  	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).
  Children	1. Columbus "Cumby" Clinton Cartwright,   b. 23 Aug 1837, San Augustine County, Texas d. 12 Dec 1901, San Augustine County, Texas (Age 64 years)   2. Americus "Meck" Peyroux Cartwright,   b. 17 Mar 1840, San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas d. 11 Aug 1873, Carthage, Panola County, Texas (Age 33 years)   3. Leonidas "Lon" Cartwright,   b. 14 Nov 1842, Texas d. 25 Feb 1922, Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas (Age 79 years)   4. Anna Wigglesworth Cartwright,   b. 6 Apr 1844, San Augustine County, Texas d. 27 May 1903, Kaufman County, Texas (Age 59 years)   5. Mary Crutchfield Cartwright,   b. 15 Oct 1845, San Augustine County, Texas d. 23 Nov 1903, Kaufman County, Texas (Age 58 years)   6. Matthew Cartwright, Jr.,   b. 11 Aug 1855, San Augustine County, Texas d. 11 Nov 1925, Kaufman County, Texas (Age 70 years)
  Family ID	F3418	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	31 Dec 2012

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 11 Nov 1807 - Wilson County, Tennessee Marriage - 18 Oct 1836 - San Augustine County, Texas Death - 1 Apr 1870 - San Augustine County, Texas  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S232] Noble, Harry Jr. "William Garrett Shared Burdens of Kin" SAN AUGUSTINE TRIBUNE, 20 April 1995, page 6. [S233] Noble, Harry P. Jr TEXAS TRAILBLAZERS: SAN AUGUSTINE PIONEERS (Best of East Texas: 1999), 71 (Reliability: 3). [S350] Schluter, Helen Gomer "1835 Sabine District, Texas Census" c. 1983 Distributed by Ericson Books, p 37 (Reliability: 3). [S873] Find A Grave [database online]; http://www.findagrave.com/, (Thousands of contributors submit new listings, updates, corrections, photographs and virtual flowers every hour to the FIND A GRAVE website. When it comes to administrating, building and maintaining the site, Find A Grave is largely operated by its founder, Jim Tipton.), Oakland Memorial Parkd, Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas (Reliability: 3). [S1426] Henson, Margaret Swett and Parmelee, Deolece "The Cartwrights of San Augustine" (Texas State Historical Association, Austin, 1993), Appendix, Chart II: John Cartwright's Children and Grandchildren (Reliability: 3). [S633] Davis, Kathryn Hooper "San Augustine County, Texas Census Records 1860", Shown as age 52 (Reliability: 3). [S233] Noble, Harry P. Jr TEXAS TRAILBLAZERS: SAN AUGUSTINE PIONEERS (Best of East Texas: 1999). [S292] Collins, Jerry H. (Jerry H. Collins@comcast.net) Ver. 2009-01-18; http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=jhc-3cousins. [S1426] Henson, Margaret Swett and Parmelee, Deolece "The Cartwrights of San Augustine" (Texas State Historical Association, Austin, 1993), p. 11 (Reliability: 3). [S342] San Augustine Tribune, weekly, 807 E. Columbia, San Augustine, TX, (San Augustine Tribune, USPS No. 479-040, Published every Thursday at 807 E. Columbia St., San Augustine, Texas 75972 Stephen Hays & Arlan Hays, Publishers. Postmaster: Change of Address notice should be made at P.O. Box 539, San Augustine, Texas 75972. The Tribune is a continuation of the Texas Chronicle moved from Galveston to San Augustine in 1837 and published as the Redlander.), "Land Baron of Texas" by Harry P. Noble, page 10 (Reliability: 3). [S1426] Henson, Margaret Swett and Parmelee, Deolece "The Cartwrights of San Augustine" (Texas State Historical Association, Austin, 1993), p. 275 (Reliability: 3). [S1426] Henson, Margaret Swett and Parmelee, Deolece "The Cartwrights of San Augustine" (Texas State Historical Association, Austin, 1993), p. 9 (Reliability: 3). [S233] Noble, Harry P. Jr TEXAS TRAILBLAZERS: SAN AUGUSTINE PIONEERS (Best of East Texas: 1999), 85 (Reliability: 3). [S1426] Henson, Margaret Swett and Parmelee, Deolece "The Cartwrights of San Augustine" (Texas State Historical Association, Austin, 1993), p. 99 (Reliability: 3).