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This information is contributed by Don Matthews I enclose a copy of North Carolina's military warrant #2437 for 640 acres of the states western lands which was issued to the heirs of William Mathews, deceased, on September 9, 1785 for his Revolutionary War military service/death in the line of duty. You can see that this warrant was endorsed (sold) three days later by Joseph Matthews who identified himself as William Matthews heir. I believe this deceased soldier William Mathews was the same person as the Wm. "Mathis" who was credited with "entry" of 250 acres in Duplin County in 1779. By the time this man's 250 acre Duplin entry was surveyed (on September 10, 1782) it had already been inheirited by his son Arthur. (Arthur Mathews Nov. 10, 1784 deed to this property is recorded at Duplin County Deed Book B, Page 64; and Arthur Mathews land grant file for the 250 acre property. North Carolina repealed primogeniture circa 1784 in favor of a new inheiritence law calling for equal shares to all sons. Joseph Matthews inheirited his fathers military warrant for 640 acres in 1785 under the new inheiritence law, his older brother Arthur having inheirited everything else that belonged to their father before the inheiritence law changed. |
