Thomas, Nancy Elizabeth Ann
Birth Name | Thomas, Nancy Elizabeth Ann |
Gender | female |
Age at Death | 97 years, 5 months, 27 days |
Events
Event | Date | Place | Description | Sources |
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Birth | March 18, 1840 | Morgan County, Alabama, United States | Alabama | |
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Death | September 14, 1937 | McGregor, McLennan County, Texas, USA | Texas | |
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Burial | 1937 | Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas USA | Old Tarrant Cemetery | |
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Relation to the center person (Claunch, William Nathan) : second great grandaunt
Parents
Relation to main person | Name | Birth date | Death date | Relation within this family (if not by birth) |
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Father | Thomas, Laban Gilbert | October 26, 1816 | August 4, 1902 | |
Mother | Maples, Rachel Helen | September 14, 1818 | July 30, 1888 | |
Brother | Thomas, Laban Henry | July 14, 1853 | January 5, 1933 | |
Brother | Thomas, John Laban | 1838 | 1862 | |
Brother | Thomas, William E. | 1843 | September 30, 1862 | |
Thomas, Nancy Elizabeth Ann | March 18, 1840 | September 14, 1937 | ||
Brother | Thomas, James F. | 1842 | ||
Brother | Thomas, Benjamin K. | 1844 | September 10, 1882 | |
Sister | Thomas, Emmarille Jane | 1847 | 1920 | |
Sister | Thomas, Rachel Francis | February 1, 1849 | December 4, 1922 | |
Sister | Thomas, Sarah Matilda Angeline | March 8, 1851 | November 22, 1937 | |
Brother | Thomas, James Burton | 1857 | November 12, 1917 | |
Sister | Thomas, Martha Custus | October 26, 1860 | February 27, 1947 | |
Sister | Thomas, Bertha | 1838 | 1845 |
Families
Family of Mathews, John C. and Thomas, Nancy Elizabeth Ann | ||||||||||||||||
Married | Husband | Mathews, John C. ( * + ... ) | ||||||||||||||
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Narrative
Biographical Note
Born in Morgan County, Alabama to Laban Gilbert and Rachel Helen Maples Thomas.
Married John C. Mathews, July 4, 1867.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22427762/nancy-elizabeth_ann-mathews
Narrative
PROFILE OF AN EARLY SCHOOL AND ITS TEACHER
Ruth M. Higdon
The location, Hopkins County, Texas - the time, 1875 - the building, a crude plank structure used for church services and chapel for a nearby cemetery. The teacher - Nancy Elizabeth (Thomas) Matthews.
Nancy had taught as early as 1858 in Northern Mississippi after having attended The Female Academy in Vicksburg. After the War Between The States was over, nancy married John Mathews and started raising her family, consequently, she abandoned her chosen profession for the time being.
Conditions in Northern Mississippi being what they were and the lure of the many wagon trains leaving for Texas enticed Nancy and John to board their ox wagon and join the throngs. They settled in Hopkins County.
John died in 1874 leaving Nancy with three small children so it became necessary for her to resume her teaching career. There was no public school building near her home but being an enterprising young woman, Nancy soon thought of the only available building, the church, in which she might teach a subscription school. She set about soliciting pupils from among the families of the community who wished to have their children taught and who were willing to buy Blueback Spellers, Davies Arithmetic and Eclectic Readers. They also had to be willing to pay $15.00 per child per term of school which lasted three months.
The meager facilities of the school were split log benches, slates in the absence of blackboards adn the nearby timber was utilized for restrooms. Water was supplied from a well by pulley and chain and if a child did not bring his own drinking cup, he was obliged to drink from a common dipper which was likely to be a gord [sic].
Despite the inconveniences and the inaccessibility of this early day school, children were taught to read, write and work arithmetic. Many grew up to revere their early teacher who lived most of her life in this community, and when she was lain to rest at age 97 1/2, her Pallbearers were former students, some of whom had by this time become tottery.
I knew Nancy Thomas Matthews well, she was my grandmother.
Included among research notes from Mary Louise Claunch
Web Links
Type | Description |
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Findagrave.com |