NCROOTS-L Archives

From: Larry M Matthews <>
Subject: [NCROOTS-L] Bass and Mathews/Mathis families
Date: Wed, 03 Mar 1999 11:08:48 -0500

To all,
I need some help after much searching and head scratching. I am trying
to obtain more information on my greatgrandfather James Matthews( Mathews
or Mathis). In the 1880 census he is listed in Wilson Co with his wife
Laura Gill Matthews and their newly born son-William Leslie and a farm
laborer-Riley Mattox. James is 30.
In the 1870 Wilson Co census, James is listed with a Wash Mathews and
Margaret Mathews. Wash is short for Washington and he is 25. James is 20
and Margaret is 22. My assumption is that Washington and James are brothers
but I have no proof yet. Margaret is probably Washington's wife. I have a
listing for Washington Mathews who married a Mary A Horne on 1/6/1867.
Still with me.
In the 1860 Wilson Co census, James Mathis is living with Nancy
Bass-age 63. The age for James is off by 1-2 years but this is possible.
Obviously, the spelling changed but I'm almost sure this is the same
person. Nancy is 63 and has a medium to large farm in the Black Creek
township. In this same household is an Exaline Eatmon 18-F, and a Gilbert
Ward 18-M. All are listed as farm laborers. Within a few miles is
Washington. He is in a household with Mordecai Bass. Mordecai is 34 and a
farmer. Martha-25 (I assume his wife) has 2 small children. Washington
Mathis (note again the change in spelling) is listed as 16 (still possible).
My assumption is that Mordecai is probably the son of Nancy. Neither
the Bass families nor Washington are listed in the 1850 census for NC. My
next step is to check for guardianship papers for James and Washington but
I have no idea when this may have occurred if it did. I have no information
other than a family verbal history that said that James originally came
from VA. If he did, he was awfully young and possibly without his parents.
I don't know if the Bass families and the Matthews boys are related.
In researching VA, I did find one listing for a Washington Mathews in
Accomack Co. Washington is about the right age to be the youngers
grandfather-not father. I haven't researched this line yet to see if there
is a connection until I resolve the issues below.
Where do I go from here? Anyone have information on the Bass families
in the Black Creek area of Wilson Co. I checked the 1850 census, and there
are very few Bass families in this area in that census but by 1860, there
were 10-15 different Bass families in the area south of Wilson. Although
you may not have immediate information on these families, most of you have
enough experience to know where to look next. So far, most of my "hunches"
on the other lines have proven to be true but this one has me worried.
Larry M Matthews
5412 Dutchman Dr
Raleigh, NC 27606-9794

Researching-MATTHEWS in VA, Wilson Co-NC and Moore Co-NC
GUIN in Moore Co-NC, Hoke Co-NC, and VA
WEEKS in Edgecombe Co-NC
MOORE in Pender Co-NC and New Hanover Co-NC
GILLIS in Hoke Co-NC and Scotland
MOORE in Edgecombe Co-NC
GILL in Edgecombe Co-NC

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• [NCROOTS-L] Bass and Mathews/Mathis families by Larry M Matthews <>