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My 3x Great Grandfather was Matthew D. Wright was born in Jedburgh, Scotland about one hundred miles from the border of England June 5, 1787. At the age of 14 he would sell himself into bondage for seven years. During the seven years, he served on board a ship, in the hopes of reaching America. Once he reached America, he settled in New Hanover, North Carolina. In 1814 he joined the second group of people led by Stockley Donaldson and John Robinson across the old Daniel Boone trail into the new State of Tennessee. Matthew would use the land granted to him by these two men to form a large farm. Matthew was very active politically. He served on the first civic legislature formed by John Clemens, John Oteir, James Reagan, Matthew Wright.

Matthew also established a friendship with John M. Clemens. John and his wife, Jane Lamptson, moved to Obed's town in 1823. John and Jane brought three Negro slaves, as a gift from her father. John purchased 75,000 acres of land around Obed's Town. While residents of Obed's Town, John along with Matthew, James, and John would see the Obed's Town name change to Jamestown. These four men had hope that Jamestown would become a large city. John and Jane Clemens would also have four of their children born in Jamestown. They being Orion, Benjamin, Pamela and Margaret. John would later, around 1835, move to Monroe County, Missouri as he lost most of his fortune in the 1832 crash. Their son, Mark Twain, would be born in Missouri in 1835. Orion would later trade 10,000 acres of the Fentress County land for a house and lot in Corry, Pennsylvania.

Matthew as a resident of the Indian Creek area of Fentress County, along with his wife, would have four children. They were: (1) Jacob born in 1822, Margaret born in 1827, William born in 1829 and Matthew born in 1830. His brother, Malachi Wright, would join him in Fentress County. His son, Jacob, became a well known farmer and landowner in Fentress County, his son, Matthew, would become a merchant, his son, William, would become a Large farmer, and his daughter, Margaret, would married John Allred.

In the 1850 census, the Matthew Wright household included: Margaret born in 1827, William born in 1829, Jacob born in 1822, Matthew born in 1830. Also Jacob's wife, America Hinds two children James born in 1849 and Nina born in 1850.
by Mary Shorter

My Notes 1 - There may be some confusion over this Matthew D. Wright and Matthew W. Wright, both are attributed as the the father of Jacob who married America Hinds.
Mathias A. Wright was born in 1815 in Virginia. He died at Little Crab, Fentress County, Tennessee in 1899. He was the son of Matthew W. Wright, who was born April 14, 1789 and died November 7, 1865, and Margaret Ann Ritchie Wright, born July 5, 1790, and died March 11, 1882. Both of Mathias' parents are buried in the Wright Cemetery located near Highway 52 west of Jamestown, Tennessee.

Mathias married Elizabeth Jane (Betsy) Wright about 1839. She was born in 1820 and died in 1898, and was the daughter of John Wright (1787-1964), who was a brother to Mathias' father, Matthew W. Betsy's mother was Elizabeth Lindley (1796 - ?); therefore, Mathias and Betsy were first cousins.

Betsy and Mathias came into the Little Crab area about 1840 as a young couple where they built a log residence on the old Livingston-Jamestown road.

Mathias became a big land owner. He operated a sawmill near his home on Crab Creek. At this mill, lumber was sawed and shipped by water routes to Nashville, Tennessee where it was used in the construction of our state capitol building.

In the early 1870s, in the days before banks were established in our county, Mathias was Trustee of the county. He would come to Jamestown, ten miles away, on certain days to pay county bills and to receive monies due for taxes, etc. As was necessary, he kept funds at home.

Late one afternoon two or three robbers appeared at Mathias' home and demanded the money in his possession. He refused to reveal where the funds were. After searching the home diligently, the robbers found $400 which they kept. Not satisfied with this amount, the robbers insisted on the hiding place of other monies. Mathias continued to refuse the revelation of other funds. In anger and in haste, the robbers hanged Mathias to a cedar tree in his yard. History does not tell us why the robbers became nervous, and mounted their horses and rode away.

Hastily, Betsy rushed to the tree with her long-bladed butcher knife and cut Mathias down. He suffered no ill effects from the ordeal. He told his friends that the major portion of the funds were buried near the spring in a coffee pot. The robbers were never identified or caught.

On the third Saturday in May, 1876, Mathias and Betsy, with twelve other people, met and organized the United Cedar Grove Baptist Church at Little Crab. Mathias was elected as a Deacon and the church clerk. He served in these positions until ill health forced him to retire only a few months before his death in 1899.

Mathias was appointed as the first postmaster at Little Crab, Tenn. on January 18, 1871, and he served there until January 2, 1894, when he was succeeded by L.B. Chism. Mathias also operated a mercantile business near his home until 1888, which he sold to the same L.B. Chism.

Mathias' and Betsy's children were all born and reared at Little Crab. They were: James W., born February 8, 1840, married Sally Hunt of Carthage, Tenn.; Joseph H., born 1842, never married, was in the Civil War; Margaret Ann (Peggy), born 1844, married Isham Hinds; Nancy, born 1846, married Joel Lucy Reagan; John Taylor, born March 13, 1849, married Betz Ann King; Jacob R., born 1851, married Jane Beaty, and then Sarah Jones; stillborn infant, born 1854; Samuel, born 1856, married Naomi Choate; David M., born December 2, 1858, married first Celesta Bowden, second, Samantha Bowden, and third, Abby Bilbrey.

There are many, many descendants in our country who came from these families.

Mathias and Betsy are buried in the Bailey Bowden Cemetery at Little Crab. The land for this cemetery was given by Mathias years previous to their deaths. Recently, a nice granite marker was placed at their graves by a great grandson, Roscoe H. Wright, of Liberty, Kentucky. My Great Uncle and my Grandmothers Brother.
John Taylor Wright, my paternal grandfather, was born March 13, 1849, at Little Crab, Fentress County, Tennessee, and died January 22, 1917, in Casey County, Kentucky. His father was Mathias Austin Wright, born 1815, in Virginia; died August 3, 1899; Little Crab, Fentress County, Tennessee. His mother was Elizabeth Jane "Betsy" (Wright) Wright, born 1820 in Virginia; died May 18, 1899; Little Crab, Fentress County, Tennessee. His paternal grandfather was Matthew W. Wright, born April 14, 1789, in Maryland; died November 7, 1865, in Fentress County, Tennessee. His paternal grandmother was Margaret Ann (Ritchie) Wright, born July 5, 1790, in Virginia; died March 11, 1882, in Fentress County, Tennessee. His maternal grandfather was John Wright, born 1787, in Maryland; died May 17 1864, at "head of the Cane," (Hurricane Creek), near Moodyville, in what is now Pickett County, Tennessee. He was a soldier in the War of 1812; served in the 4th Regiment of the Virginia Brigade. John T.'s maternal grandmother was Elizabeth (Lindley) Wright, born 1796 in Virginia; died after 1876, in Fentress County, Tennessee. Matthew W. and John Wright were brothers; so, John T.'s parents were first cousins. Mathias and "Betsy" are buried in Bailey Bowden Cemetery at Little Crab; while Matthew and Margaret are buried in Wright Cemetery near Manson. The burial place of John and Elizabeth is not known.

About 1869, John Taylor Wright married Elizabeth Ann King, who was born February 27, 1854, in Fentress County, Tennessee, and died April 16, 1911, in Casey County, Kentucky. Her father, Robert King, was born in March 1819; and died November 3, 1900; in Fentress County. Her mother, Nancy Agnes (Beaty) King, was born November 14, 1824; in what is now Clinton County, Kentucky; and died June 28, 1904; in Fentress County, Tennessee. Her paternal grandfather is thought to have been Robert King, Sr. or John A. King. Her maternal grandfather, Thomas Beaty, was born in 1801, in Clinton County, Kentucky; and died about 1880, in Fentress County, Tennessee. Her maternal grandmother, Jane (Mullinix) Beaty, was born in 1804, in Barren County, Kentucky; and died January 7, 1893, in Fentress County, Tennessee. Robert and Nancy are buried in King Cemetery; while Thomas and Jane are buried in Joel Beaty Cemetery in Riverton, in Fentress County.

John Taylor Wright and Elizabeth Ann King grew up and married in Fentress County, and all their children were born there. They were: Nancy Jane (Nov. 1869-Apr. 1892); James David (June 7, 1872-Mar. 12, 1928); Robert Richard (Oct. 5, 1875-Dec. 13, 1967); Matilda E. (July 1877-after 1903); Alfred Mathias (Dec. 5, 1879-Oct. 23, 1950); Emiline (b. about 1882-d. about 1901); Peter John (June 1986-Jan. 22, 1967); Frances "Frankey" (Mar. 1889-Feb. 18, 1932); Joe Green (Sept. 1890-June 12, 1973); and Effie (b. Aug. 1996-d. about 1903).

In May 1899, the oldest son, James David Wright, my father, migrated here to Casey County, Kentucky, with his wife and two oldest daughters, Maude Ann and Eva Ellen, arriving on the 18th - the day that his grandmother Wright died. And, about 4 years later, his parents came here with most of the other sons and daughters; some of which were already married and had from 1 to 3 children each of their own. The marriages were as follows: Naney Jane died unmarried in Fentress County; James David, my father, married Martha Isabel "Whited," daughter of Emiline Scott, about 1894, in Fentress County; Robert Richard married Emma "Ledbetter" daughter of Bertha Ledbetter, about 1897, in Fentress County; Matilda E. married Dick Reynolds, about 1894, in Fentress County; Alfred Mathias married Easter Hancock, about 1900, in Fentress County; Emiline married Elan Beaty, about 1900, in Fentress County. She died giving birth to their first child, (still-born). So, she didn't come to Casey County. Three of the other four married later, here in Casey County. Peter John first married Betty Grant, January 23, 1906; then Janie Peck, April 12, 1909; Frances (called "Frankey") married Claude Rodgers, September 19, 1913; and Joe Green married Ida Lay, May 5, 1912. Effie died soon after arriving here, as a child, about 9 years of age.

I never saw my father's mother, as she died before I was born. And I don't remember my grandfather Wright, as he died when I was only two and a half years of age. But, apparently, he was not as prominent, nor in the limelight, as his father, Mathias Austin Wright, had been. I suppose that he was sort of a quiet, studious type. An acquaintance of mine - Granville Emerson - who died recently, who had known my grandfather when he, himself, was, a teenager, paid my grandfather what I regard as a great compliment. To me, he said, quote: "Your grandfather, John T. Wright, was a fine man highly educated." Unquote. He also paid my father a nice compliment. Quite often, people would tell me and my younger sisters that our mother was a fine woman. And, although most people seemed to have a lot of respect for my father, (and most of the other Wrights too), about all that they'd say to us about Dad was that he had a temper. He used to help keep order at the church near our home when Granville (who was a 4th cousin to him) was a teenager. And some of the rowdy young men would come around with pistols and knives, drinking and disturbing church services, and Dad would sorter quiet them down. Apparently, he sorter impressed Granville. He told my youngest sister's husband, quote: "That Jim Wright wasn't afraid of anybody!" Unquote.

About 7 miles west of Liberty, and running parallel with Green River, is a ridge about 10 or 12 miles long. So many Fentress County families settled along it and the nearby creeks, that it was named "Tennessee Ridge." There were people of all, or most, of the following Fentress County surnames: Barlow, Beaty, Bryant, Buck, Carter, Choate, Conatser, Cooper, Crockett, Evens Fletcher Garrett, Gunter, Hayes, Helm, Hughs, King Lay, Lee McFarland, Mullinix, Murphy Norman, Patron, Peavy(house), Pile, Scott Taylor, Whited, Wood and Wright. In 1901 my father bought 100 acres of land along the Tennessee Ridge road, near the upper end. In 1905, he sold his father (John Taylor Wright) 60 acres of it. His father sold each of his other 4 sons small tracts of it, totaling 46 acres. He kept 14 acres for himself He worked around sawmills and gristmills some during his life time; as did his father, uncles, and 4 of his 5 sons. He also farmed some. His youngest son Joe farmed all his life; and was quite successful at it. He had, and has, a lot of descendents; probably between 200 and 500, in all. He, his wife Elizabeth Ann, their son Joe, their daughters Matilda, Frances and Effie and several other relatives and friends, are now buried in Whited Cemetery; about one and a half mile up the road from where he lived, near the upper end of Tennessee Ridge. James and Alfred are buried in Austin Cemetery, at the lower end of the ridge. And Robert, Peter and some of their folks are buried in Indiana. Some North Carolina families, and some Swiss families also settled on Tennessee Ridge.

compiled by Roscoe Hollis Wright my Great Uncle as I said; do your Wrights tie into mine in any fashion? I am Ruby Wright's grandson.
Michael D Allan

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