Maria Antoinette (Seaman) Matheson (abt. 1831 - 1887)

Born about 1831 in New York

Wife of Roderick Nicol Matheson — married 6 Jan 1846 in New York, New York

Descendants

Died 28 Feb 1887 at about age 56 in Healdsburg, Sonoma, California

Profile manager: Craig Wilson [send private message]

Biography

Maria Antoinette Seaman, born in New York 1831^[1] was the daughter of Obediah and Mary Fowler Seaman, of Putnam Valley, Westchester County, New York. ^[2] Her parents are buried at Saint Marks Church Cemetery, Mt Kisco, Winchester, N.Y.^[3]

She Married Roderick Nicol Matheson (b. 1824) at the Green Street Methodist Church in New York on 6 January 1846.^[4] They had three children: Roderick (b1849), Maria Antoinette (b. 1855), and George W (b. 1862). In 1853 she, Roderick (Jr) and her brother Jesse Fowler Seaman joined Roderick (Sr) in San Francisco having traveled 'around the horn' from the East Coast.^[5] The family eventually moved to a large ranch in Healdsburg in 1856. In 1860 the household included: Rodrk <sic> age 36, Maria A age 32, Rodrk son age 11, Maria daughter age 4, Not Named (George) age 9/12, Thomas fatherinlaw age 65, Jane, motherinlaw age 73, Wm Patterson age 16 from Louisiana and Mary Brady age 23 from Ireland.^[6]

In January, 1861 president-elect Abraham Lincoln invited Matheson to attend his inauguration. He traveled to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration on 4 March 1861, intending to stay only a few weeks, but found himself swept up in the fever of approaching war. ^[7] Roderick then organised the 32nd Infantry Regiment of NY/California Volunteers, was appointed Colonel and after leading a number of Battles was killed in the American Civil War Battle of Crampton's Pass, Maryland 1862.^[8]

Roderick had mortgaged most all of his estate to equip the Regiment (Springfield 1842s)^[9] and the family was financially devastated as well as bereaved; however, the California State Legislature (after much discussion) awarded an appropriation that relieved the family of all debt.^[10] Netty was awarded a widow's pension as well^[11] and lived the rest of her life on the Healdsburg farm. She also lost both of her boys in their early twenties to farming accidents. She passed away in 1887 and is buried in the Oak Mound Cemetery, Healdsburg, California.^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC1W-B1F : 12 April 2016), Mary Seaman in household of Obadiah Seaman, Putnam Valley, Putnam, New York, United States; citing family 35, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
2. ↑ Colonel Roderick N. Matheson: City Builder and Civil War Hero. Hannah Clayborn's History of Healdsburg © 2003 Hannah Clayborn accessed 11/2018.
3. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial 123486118 and Find A Grave Memorial 110256748
4. ↑ Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald: 1835-1855 page 241
5. ↑ An Illustrated History of Sonoma County, California. The Lewis Publishing Company 1889
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDKD-M82 : 13 December 2017), Maria A Matheson in entry for Rodrk Matheson, 1860.
7. ↑ Clayborn's History of Healdsburg © 2003 Hannah Clayborn
8. ↑ http://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/32nd-new-york/
9. ↑ Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 21, Number 3181, 7 June 1861(by Pony Express.) LETTER FROM NEW YORK. New York, May 21, 1861.
10. ↑ Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 25, Number 3780, 4 May 1863
11. ↑ "United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NHQF-22F : 24 March 2016), Roderick N. Matheson, 1863.
12. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial 10391254

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