Mary C. ``Polly'' Matthews

Tombstone of William Chizum
Tombstone of William Chizum at Salem Cemetery
born: Abt 1805, Pulaski Co.,Kentucky
died: 20 Jan 1875
spouse: William CHIZUM
marr: 10 Aug 1826, Ross Co.,Ohio
born: 7 Mar 1807, Pulaski Co.,Kentucky
died: 10 Jul 1842, Fountain Co., Indiana
bur.: Attica, Fountain Co., Indiana, at Salem Cemetery
Children:
Margaret Mattthews CHIZUM
Garrison I. CHIZUM
James Morgan CHIZUM
William Josiah CHIZUM
John Harvey CHIZUM
spouse: John GILFILLAN Alias: John Gilfillin
marr: 8 Feb 1848, Fountain Co., Indiana
born: Abt 1813, Ohio
occu: miller
Children:
Joanna GILFILLIN
spouse: John KILLEN
marr: 27 May 1851, Fountain Co., Indiana
spouse: Henry HAMILTON
marr: 5 Apr 1860, Clinton Co., Indiana
born: 1801, Ohio
died: Aft 1870
occu: farmer

Pedigree Chart

                      |--------Preston MATTHEWS ( - )
                      |
           |---------Joel MATTHEWS (1755, (probably) Virginia - 1834, OH)
           |          |
           |          |--------RANSBIRD ( - )
           |
  |------James MATTHEWS (1779, Virginia - 1837, Indiana)
  |        |
  |        |          |--------
  |        |          |
  |        |---------Patty (1757, (probably) Virginia - )
  |                   |
  |                   |--------
  |
Mary C. ``Polly'' MATTHEWS (1805, Kentucky - 1875)
  |
  |                   |--------
  |                   |
  |        |---------
  |        |          |
  |        |          |--------
  |        |
  |------Margaret REED (1784 - 1824, Ohio)
           |
           |          |--------
           |          |
           |---------
                      |
                      |--------
Joel Matthews officiated at Polly's wedding, according to the Ross County, Ohio, marriage records viewed by Anne Rose. Interestingly , there is also a Lucy Matthews and John Chism marriage on Jan. 13, 1831 in Ross County. It turns out that Lucy Matthews Chism was the daughter of Obadiah Matthews. Some Chism/Chizum family researchers have claimed John and William Chism were brothers, but evidence is still lacking.

Mary's Chizum children are from a variety of sources. The 1840 census supports there being 4 sons and one daughter in this family. Mary Matthews Robertson's (this Mary's niece) LDS sacraments for the dead name two children: James and William Chizum. William also is listed in the 1850 census with Mary and her second husband, John Gilfillin. An 1884 biography of Garrison names William and Mary (Matthews) Chizum as his parents (while Garrison was still living). Mary's son James is said to be James Morgan Chizum about whom several facts and an obituary are available. James' obituary clipping was found in the bible of Joanna (Chizum) Camp, who was a daughter of John Harvey Chizum. That seems to be the main evidence for believing that James Morgan Chizum was the correct James Chizum who was the son in this family. That leaves the daughter Margaret Matthews Chizum and another son John Harvey Chizum. So far, these are only connected by other's family records. John is said to have been a brother of James and Garrison and followed Garrison to Cass Co. Iowa several years after Garrison went there. Descendents of John had retained James' obituary, identified by them as John's brother. The middle names for James Morgan and John Harvey would certainly have significance to Mary.

Some family researchers place all these sons as sons of Lucy Matthews, wife of John Chism. I don't know of any evidence supporting that. The 1840 and 1850 censuses do not show all these sons as belonging to Lucy's household at all, while there are enough boys present in Mary's 1840 census record to account for them.

John Gilfillin was apparently married before Mary since there are Elizabeth, age 12, and May M, age 6, (both born Indiana) listed with John Gilfillin and Mary in the 1850 census. There is also a Joseph Gilfillen, age 6, b. Illinois, with the Joseph and Sarvilla Chisam family 3 pages earlier. I believe Joseph to have been William's brother.

Census: 1840, Fountain Co., Indiana
Census: 1850, Davis Twp, Fountain Co., Indiana
Census: 1860, Perry Twp, Clinton Co., Indiana
Census: 1870, Perry Twp, Clinton Co., Indiana

Sources for this individual: @S193@ @S381@ , censuses, www.chizum.com, Indiana marriages pre-1850, Fountain Co. IN marriage index , Clinton Co. IN marriage index, findagrave.com

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Dennis J. Nicklaus dnicklaus(at)yahoo.com
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