Matthew Pridgeon (abt. 1753 - aft. 1830)

Born about 1753 in Duplin County, Province of North Carolina

Ancestors

Husband of Hannah (Anders) Pridgeon — married about 1795 in Bladen County, North Carolina, United States

Descendants

Died after 1830 after about age 77 in Bladen County, North Carolina, United States

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Biography

Matthew Pridgeon was a North Carolina colonist.

Matthew was born about 1753 based on owning land in 1778. He was the son of Matthew Pridgeon.

His father, Mathew, received two land grants in Duplin County, province of North Carolina in 1766. Duplin County was formed in 1750 from New Hanover County, North Carolina, and Bladen County was formed in 1734 from New Hanover.

In October 1778, Matthew Pridgen, of the county of Bladen in the province of North Carolina, for and in consideration of the sum of £35 paid by Matthew Pridgen Junior, of the county of Duplin, sold to Matthew Pridgen Junior one messuage or tract of land situate lying and being in the county of Duplin on Clear Run, containing, by estimation, 160 acres of land it being the land Patented for William Stewart dated the 13th day of March 1756.^[1] One of the witnesses to the conveyance was Mark Pridgen.

The Duplin County Regiment of Militia listed Matthew Pridgen as one of the known Privates.^[2] Given the fact that there was a cousin named Mathew of similar age, it is uncertain which Matthew served; however this Mathew was documented owning land in Duplin County in 1778. The 1783 Tax List for Duplin County, North Carolina taxed Mathew Pridgeon for £78, as well as John Prigeon, William Pridgeon, and also another John Pridgeon in Jesse Peacock's collection.^[3] His father, Matthew, was taxed in Bladen County.

The household of Mathew "Pregion" was enumerated with three males over 16, one male under 16, and two females on the 1790 Census for Bladen County.^[4] It is not clear if this is Matthew's household or his fathers. The households of Peter "Pregion" and "John Pregion" were also enumerated in Bladen County.

The 1800 Census for Bladen County, North Carolina only recorded the households of John Pridgen, Matthew Pridgen and Peter Pridgen; however there was no male of age 45 recorded in either household.^[5] The elder Matthew was perhaps in another household. The household of Matthew Pridgen was enumerated with:

three males under age 10 [Stephen, Timothy, & Evan], one male age 26 to 44 [born 1756 to 1774], and one female age 26-44

Mathew Pridgen of Bladen County, North Carolina set his hand and seal to his Last Will and Testament on the 13th day of September 1808 making special bequests unto:^[6]

• unto my two sons, Stephen and Timothy, all the lands I purchased from Evan Anders, Stephen to have one upper part of said lands and Timothy one lower part and the Grist Mill equally between them...
• unto my son, Evan, the plantation where I now live and all the lands adjoining thereto containing 294 acres...
• unto my wife Hannah all my Negroes stock of all kind and household furniture of all kinds to school and support my children on while she remains a Widow until the youngest becomes of age then to have an equal division between children's, should she marry before the youngest child becomes of age, then must be divided all the perishable property among them except the negroes...
• unto my three daughters, Catherine, Elizabeth and Jannet, $100.00 to each of them ready money that is now in the house which shall be port out in interest to their use and benefit...
• G. W. Bannerman and Enoch Herring. I leave as Executors

His father died in 1809. A deed from Mathew Pridgeon to Timothy and Stephen Pridgeon dated the 7th day of August 1824 proves that the will was for this Matthew rather than his father. On that date, Matthew conveyed to Steven and Timothy a certain piece or parcel of land lying in Bladen beginning on the river Bank the upper corner of a survey of 101 acres which Evan Anders sold the John Anders thence with his line...a branch then down by the edge of said branch...in the fork of the branch a little West of the stage Road...containing in the survey ___ hundred acres. It is understood by the sd Stephen and Timothy Pridgen that the above survey is to be divided between them as follows...Also another piece lying in Bladen beginning on the North side of Cobbin branch...by the side of a drain...containing 37 acres to the same more or less the one "Griss" [Grist] Mill in "Newhanover" [New Hanover] County with two acres of land whereon she stand.^[7] This is the same land, Matthew bequeathed in his will in 1808. The deed was not proved until the May term 1833.

The 1830 Census for Bladen County, North Carolina enumerated the household of Matthew "Pridgen" with:

one male age 20 to 30, one male age 60 to 70 [born 1760 to 1770],

one female age 20 to 30, one female age 50 to 60^[8]

His son, Timothy, was enumerated on the same Census as age 30 to 40, as well as his son, Stephen, as age 40 to 50 which suggests that his son, Evan, was still in the household.

He passed away after 1830, but perhaps before 1833 when the 1824 deed was filed.

Children

Children of Matthew Pridgeon born to Hannah were:

• Stephen Pridgeon
• Timothy Pridgeon
• Evan Pridgeon
• Catherine Pridgeon
• Elizabeth Pridgeon
• Jannet Pridgeon

Sources

1. ↑ Sampson County, North Carolina, Deed Book 6, Page 213-214, citing page 214, Mark Pridgen witness for Matthew Pridgen, Sr. to Matthew Pridgen Jr. Digital images: Familysearch.org [database with images] Film #007540366 image 726 of 1974, Page 214 on image 725. Accessed 25 November 2022.
2. ↑ Carolana.com, The American Revolution in North Carolina, Duplin County Regiment of Militia, Known Privates / Fifers / Drummers, etc. - Captain Unknown:, column 2, citing Matthew Pridgen. Digital images: Carolana.com. Accessed 21 November 2021.
3. ↑ Duplin County Tax List 1783-1817, Year 1783, Page 7, line 12, citing John Prigeon, line 26, citing William Pridgeon, page 8, line 8, citing Mathew Pridgeon, line 10, citing John Pridgeon. Digital images: Familysearch.org [database with images] Film 008139488, image 187 of 370, image 188 of 370. Accessed 23 November 2022.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (14 October 2022), North Carolina > Bladen > Not Stated > column 2, entry 10, citing Peter Pregion, entry 12, Mathew Pregion, entry 19, John Pregion, image 8 of 10; citing NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (10 June 2015), North Carolina > Bladen > Capt Anders District > citing line 2, household of John Pridgen, line 3, household of Matthew Pridgen, line 5, Peter Pridgen, image 1 of 4; citing NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
6. ↑ Bladen County, North Carolina, Wills, Volume 1, 1766-1883, Page 11, citing will of Matthew Pridgen. Digital images: Familysearch.org [database with images] Film #004753835, image 37 of 344. Accessed 24 November 2022.
7. ↑ Bladen County, North Carolina, Deed Book 10, Page 57, citing Mathew Pridgeon to Timothy and Stephen Pridgeon. Digital images: Familysearch.org [database with images] Film #007513155, image 95 of 599. Accessed 24 November 2022.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch ( 14 August 2015) North Carolina > Bladen > Not Stated > Page 89, citing entry 15, Matthew Pridgen image 67 of 78, citing Timothy Pridgen and Stephen Pridgen, image 35 of 78 .