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WHO WAS WHO in PLUM TOWNSHIP
~ Titusville Herald
By H. W. Strawbridge ~ 1950s - 60s

David Ambrose Matthews

David Ambrose Matthews was born Sept. 18, 1829, probably in Westmoreland County, Pa. His parents were Samuel and Louisa Ambrose Matthews, and he was one of seven children. The father operated a tannery. Eventually the family moved into Armstrong County, and about 1842 they moved into Plum Township, just south of Chapmanville.
David reached his maturity on this place, and he then acquired a lot in Sunville. It is doubtful if he lived on that lot at first because its valuation was only $10, indicating no buildings on it at that time.
David was a carpenter which occupation he followed until his later years when he engaged mainly in farming. He did, however, do some carpentering in his later years too.
As a young man he worked in the old Wallaceville flouring mill for a time when the millers had so much buckwheat flour to grind that they worked both day and night.

Married in ‘50’s

In 1857 or ’58 David was married to Miss Eliza Jane Davison, one of several children of John and Eliza Weekley Davison of between Bradleytown and Sunville. She was born March 25, 1839. She was always known by her middle name, Jane.
There is no record of their residing in Plum during their first six or seven years of married life. Possibly they lived in some adjoining township. In 1863 or ’64 they moved into Plum and resided on a 39-acre piece of land between Chapmanville and Bradleytown. Actually, David’s father owned this land until his death in 1864. David and Jane lived there until the spring of 1865 when they bought three lots in Sunville from Dr.E.C.Westlake. This was in the northwest corner of Sunville, and the property is presently owned by Kelvin L.Davison.
On March 12, 1878, David bought the old school lot in Sunville from the school directors. This lot was across the road, or Green Street, from his main property.
David and Jane had four children, who with their birthdates were as follows: Ida Almira Matthews, Feb.21,1859;John Lincoln Matthews, Sept. 20,1860; Harriet E.Matthews, Sept.27,1863; and Samuel Burchard Matthews, Jan.7,1868.
Ida, a girl of excellent qualities, attended the academy in Sunville and taught in the Plum Center school when she was 15. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church of Sunville and active in its functions. She died May 26,1877, at the age of 18.
Lincoln, or “Link”, as many knew him, was married at Salem City on Sept.22, 1899, to Miss Sadie A.McClelland of near Sunville. Lincoln was a lifelong farmer. According to record he was in Sawtown for a time when he was single, so he apparently had employment there. They had two children, Mrs. Jennie Spangler, deceased, of Franklin, and Clyde Matthews of Panama City, Fla. J.L. Matthews died July 26,1918, following a lengthy illness, and Mrs. Matthews died Dec.19, 1931.
Little Harriet died Sept.3,1865, just lacking 24 days from reaching her second birthday. There is no record of the cause of her death.
Burchard was married to Miss Ida Thompson of Sunville. He had begun the mercantile business in Sunville when he was 15 years old, which occupation he followed for awhile. He also taught in the Plum schools for several years. About 1912 he and his family moved to Titusville where he traveled with an A&P tea route. His last employment was in the cutlery works office. Their four children are Mrs. Hazel Hoepfl, Harry Matthews and Joseph Matthews, all of Titusville, and William D. Matthews of Dallas, Tex. Mrs. S.B. Matthews died Feb.19,1908, and he on Feb.14,1932.
All four children of David and Jane Matthews are buried in the Sunville Cemetery.
On Wednesday evening, March 22, 1882, the house of David and Jane burned to the ground. Jane had fueled up quite a hot fire in preparation to do a large ironing. It somehow, probably through a defective chimney, caught the house on fire. Some of the furnishings on the first floor were saved. The loss was $1,000, with some insurance on it.
A large cantata was being given in the auditorium of the academy at the time, and it caused quite the confusion for some time.
Also, a Sunville war veteran, Paul Messner, had died that afternoon. Thus that day was long remembered by the Sunville people.
It is said that young Burchard Matthews stayed that night at the home of a neighbor, Mary Gilliland.
The Matthews family then moved nearer the center of the community in the house presently owned by the McPheters heirs. It was here that David and Jane spent their remaining years.
Indeed this house caught fire shortly after the turn of the century. Norris Richey discovered it. However neighbors formed a brigade and saved it with Burchard Matthews pumping the water.
David built a medium-sized barn on his lot in 1887 and ’88. It had mows overhead and held five or six tons of hay. His farmland was down the hill, or west of the community. He and Jane had owned 50 acres which was part of her father’s homestead, but in 1883 they sold the western half to Crawford Billig for $400. David kept the remaining 25 acres and farmed it. He was a one-horse farmer. In other words, he disliked driving a team. He had two or three fields and pastured his cows in the part by the run.
O.T.Bower, 86, of Bethel, Venango County, recalled that David liked to hoe and cover corn for most of his neighbors. His old hoe was well worn out.
John Williams, 86, of near Bradleytown, whose aunt was Jane Matthews, recalled that David once hired him to help cut three acres of corn in 1891 or ’92. It was agreed that each would cut a row, but that David would shock it. David figured that John, who was quite young, would not be able to cut corn fast. He got surprised and spent most of his time shocking. John cut it in good time.
John also said that David helped his (John’s) father, Samuel Williams, to build his house in the early 1880’s.
David carpentered a new barn in 1885 for Peter McClelland, who lived a short distance from the community. He also repaired and fitted up the store building which his son first opened.
David and Jane made two oil leases in 1876 and 1877, respectively, with the Brawley Brothers of Petrolia, but descendents know of no drilling having been done on their land.
David was a small, thin man who walked with a limp. Even so he was what one would call a “quick-stepper”. He had gray chin whiskers. He always gave grace before meals.
Jane was a nice lady and was short and quite heavy. Leo S. Bumpus recalls that the old couple often sat on their front porch, and that she was rather jolly at times.
She was an exceptionally good cook. Her delicious home-made bread and skillet cakes (composed of soda, sour milk, and served as dessert) are still remembered. She always kept a crock full of sugar cookies. She made her own soap, too.
Mrs. Mary Wilcox of Titusville, RD 3, a grand-niece of Jane, states that Jane used to keep boarders during the academy days. She was a hard worker and picked berries, etc., to make many preserves. She often served as hostess for public suppers in her home. For example, an Easter supper for the benefit of the Methodist Church was held the evening of April1,1904, in her home. She helped the neighboring Richey boys to get ready for school after their mother died by getting their dinners packed, combing their hair, etc.
David and Jane reared a niece, Celia Davison, whose mother died when Celia was very young. Celia was Mrs. Hasson at the time of her death in 1958.
David and Jane united with the Presbyterian Church of Sunville in 1857. They were active members, and on Jan.21, 1866, he was installed as a ruling elder. As an elder he was occasionally appointed on a committee to visit certain members of the church who had been living in violation of the Covenant obligations. He was appointed by his session to attend the 1874 fall meeting of the Presbyterian Synod held in Mercer.Unfortunately, something happened which caused David and Jane to cease their affiliation with the Presbyterian Church and in November 1889 David was released from the duties of eldership upon his request. They then attended the community’s Methodist Church to which he transferred his membership in 1884, and she 10 years later. They remained Methodists until their deaths. He was very active in the Methodist Church. He served as class leader for a few years, a church trustee, a parsonage trustee, and Sunday superintendent. For some time he sent to Pittsburgh for book supplies necessary to his church. In the family Bible possessed by his grandson, Joseph Mathews of Titusville, is a certificate for two shares of “The People’s Gold and Silver Mining Company” of San Francisco, Calif., issued to David in the 1860’s. Descendents claim that he never received any profit from them.
David’s politics were somewhat varied. Around the mid 1870’s he was apparently a Prohibitionist because he attended a large convention of that party in Franklin in September 1875. In the latter 1870’s and early ‘80’s he must have been a Republican because he attended several conventions of that party. In 1886 he attended the Democratic convention.
According to his obituary he was jury commissioner on the Democratic ticket three years prior to his death, but during his last few years he had been a member of the Prohibition Party.
He held several township and borough offices. In 1864 he served as Plum assessor; in 1872 he was elected town clerk of Plum; in 1873 he was elected a Plum school director; in 1882 he was elected constable of Sunville borough; in 1890 he was selected as the borough burgess, but couldn’t serve because he wasn’t permitted to serve as burgess and constable at the same time; then in 1892 he was assessor of the borough.
David and Jane spent the winter of 1908 in the home of his son, Burchard, in Sunville. David died there at 11 a.m., Feb.11,1908, from an illness of less than a week’s duration. Organic heart disease was listed as the immediate cause of his death, together with old age.
His body was removed to his own home and he was buried on Feb.13 with the Methodist pastor, Rev.G.W.Chapin, officiating.
Jane who had rheumatism during her last years, spent her remaining time in Sunville. While visiting the home of her son, Lincoln, outside of Sunville, she took ill and died there on Oct.5, 1911. The cause of her death was listed as endocarditis of four months duration. She was buried in the Matthews plot in the Sunville Cemetery.

Transcribed by Paula Harry
dharry@pa.rr.com

Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription of information from both early and late (current contributors) work.