Brief Life History of Francis Lafayette
When Francis Lafayette Mathews was born in 1785, in Laurens, Laurens, South Carolina, United States, his father, Thomas Mathews II, was 36 and his mother, Eleanor McKnight, was 36. He married Mary McDaniel in 1823, in Gwinnett, Georgia, United States. They were the parents of at least 7 sons and 4 daughters. He died on 3 November 1842, in Gwinnett, Georgia, United States, at the age of 57, and was buried in Camp Creek Cemetery, Lilburn, Gwinnett, Georgia, United States.
Photos and Memories (1)
Do you know Francis Lafayette? Do you have a story about him that you would like to share? Sign In or Create a FREE Account
Family Time Line
Sources (6)
- Francis Matthews, "Find A Grave Index"
- Frank F. Matthews in entry for John F. Matthews, "Georgia Deaths, 1914-1927"
- Francis Mathews, "Find A Grave Index"
Spouse and Children
Children (11)
+6 More Children
Parents and Siblings
Siblings (19)
+14 More Children
World Events (8)
1786 · Shays' Rebellion
Caused by war veteran Daniel Shays, Shays' Rebellion was to protest economic and civil rights injustices that he and other farmers were seeing after the Revolutionary War. Because of the Rebellion it opened the eyes of the governing officials that the Articles of Confederation needed a reform. The Rebellion served as a guardrail when helping reform the United States Constitution.
1795 · Yazoo Land Fraud
As Georgia had been weakened during the Revolutionary War, it was unable to defend its Yazoo lands, or land west of the Yazoo River. Thirty-five million acres were sold to four companies for $500,000 as Governor George Mathews signed the Yazoo Act on January 7, 1795. Angry Georgians protested in the streets as they felt bribery and corruption were involved and the sale was far below market value. The legislation tried to rescind the Yazoo Act, but much of the land had been sold to third parties. The issue made its way to the United States Supreme Court and it was determined that rescinding the law was an unconstitutional infringement on a legal contract. The government took full possession of the territory by 1814 and awarded its claimants over $4,000,000.
1803
France sells Louisiana territories to U.S.A.
Name Meaning
English: patronymic from Mathew ; a variant of Matthews . In North America, this surname has absorbed various cognates from other languages.
History: Among the earliest bearers of the name in North America was Samuel Mathews (c. 1600–c. 1657), who came to VA from London c. 1618. He established a plantation at the mouth of the Warwick River, which was at first called Mathews Manor; later its name was changed to Denbigh. He was one of the most powerful and influential men in the early affairs of the colony. He (or possibly his son, who bore the same name) was governor of the colony from 1657 until his death in 1660.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
Possible Related Names
Discover Even More
As a nonprofit, we offer free help to those looking to learn the details of their family story.