Individual Details

Marriage

"1744/5 Febry. 5th There was married Benjamin Mathews and Ann Holmes, spinster by the Revd. Mr. Josiah Smith presbyter Minster according to the form of their profession."
St. Phil PR
Notice - SC Gazette February 11, 1745 - On Tuesday last Mr. Ben Mathewes was wedded to Miss Anne Holmes, a celebrated beauty with a large fortune.


Matthews, Benjamin
Holmes, Anne
11 Feb 1745

Will

South Carolina In the Name of God Amen I Benjamin Mathewes of Charles Town in the Province of South Carolina Merchant being weak in Body but of sound and disposing memory and understanding / thanks be given to Almighty God for the same / calling to mind the uncertainty of this mortal State & knowing that it is appointed all Men once to Die and desireous to settle my Temporal Affairs before my great change comes Do make and declare my last Will & Testament in manner & form following But first and Principally Recommending my Immortal Spirit into the hands of my Great Creator trusting in the merits of my Blefsed Saviour Jesus Christ for Pardon & Remifsion of all my Sins & An Happy Admifsion into the Regions of Blifs and Life Everlasting & my Body to the Earth whence it was taken to be decently Interred at the direction of my Exers Exers hereinafter named and touchg. the disposition of such Worldly Estate with which it hath pleased Almighty God to blefs me I give and bequeath the same in manner and form following Imp. I will & order that all my Just Debts & Funeral Expenses be paid and discharged with all convenient after my Decease Item I give devise and bequeath unto my dearly beloved Son Benjamin Mathews and to his heirs and Afsigns forever all that Brick Tenament on Mefsuage wherein I lately lived & which is now in the Possession of Hexter Benzenger d' Beaufain Esq. with the ground & improvements containing by Estimation Forty three Feet of Land Front on Church Street & one Hundred and Ninety six feet Deep measuring from West to East & the Front part of the said Lot or ground to measure

from North to South beginning at the Southernmost side of the Alley or Arch the parts the said Mefsuage or Tenament from another Mefsuage or Tenament which I used as a Kitchen & which is now used as a Kitchen by the said Hester B. d'Beaufain Item I give devise and bequeath unto my dearly beloved Son Isaac Matthews and to His heirs and Afsigns forever All that my other part of the said Lot with the improvements thereon containing in Front on Church Street twenty five feet of Land measuring from the Northernmost Corner Southerley as far as the Southernmost part of the said Arch or Alley and on which said part of the said Lot stands a Brick Mefsuage or Tenament which has hitherto been used as a Kitchen & which has the same Depth that the other part has which I have given to my Son Benjamin Item I give devise and bequeath unto my dearly beloved Son John Raven Matthewes all that my part of a L Lot of land with the improvement thereon which I purchased from John Chapman and which contains Forty Feet Front on Church Street in Charles Town aforesaid & one hundred & ninety six Feet in Depth measuring from West to East To Hold the same to my said Son John Raven Mathews his heirs and afsigns forever. And also I give devise and bequeath unto my said Son John Raven Mafthews the sum of One Hundred Pounds good & Lawful money of Great Britain to be paid him by my Executrix and Exers immediately after my Decease in case my said Son shall then be Twenty One Years old but if not then my Will & mind is and I do hereby direct that the said sum of One Hundred Pounds Sterling shall be put out at Interest on such good personal Security as my Executrix & Exers shall think proper until he shall attain his age of Twenty one Years & then the same to be paid him together with all such Interest money as shall then be due the son. Item I give & bequeath unto my dearly beloved daughter Ann Matthews the sum of Two thousand Pounds current money of the said Province to be put at Interest for her use until she shall attain her age of Twenty one Years or day of Marriage which shall first happen Item I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Anne Matthews one Negro Girl named Haunch with

her future ifsue and increase Item I give & bequeath unto my dearly beloved Wife Anne Matthewes all those my five Negro Slaves named Clarinda Pathena Florah Diamak and Dinah together with their each and every of their future ifsue & increase also all those my six Negro men Slaves named Robin Jacob Quash Midday Ben and Jack together also with all & singular my wearing Apparel Household furniture of what nature or kind soever also my silver plate mereerlfs Riding chair and Books To hold the said Slaves and every of them & also the af.d Plate apparel Books Riding Chair & Household Furniture unto my said dearly beloved Wife Anne Matthewes to her her Exers Admers or Afsignes forever to be at her & their absolute Will & disposal without any Condition or Limitation whatsoever Item I give & devise all the rest and residue of my Estate both Real & Personal whatsoever & wheresoever of what nature or kind soever to be equally divided between my said wife Ann Mathews my Daughter Anne Matthewes & my three sons Benjamin Isaac and John Raven Matthews Share & Share alike to their each and every of their Exers Admers and Afsigns forever But my Will and mind is and I do hereby direct the same accordingly that in case any of my said Children shall happen to Depart this Life before he she or they shall have attained his her or their Respective ages of Twenty one Years or day of Marriage which shall happen first and without ifsue of his her or their Body Lawfully begotten that the share of part shares or parts of his her or them so dying as aforesaid shall go to and belong to the Survivors and Survivor of my said Children share and share alike and to the heirs Exers & Admors of such Survivor forever Item In case it should so happen that my said wife Anne Matthews should be with child at the time of my Death and the said Child should be born after my Decease as a Provision for the said Child I do hereby give & bequeath unto such child whether Male or Female out of the Residue of my Estate the sum of Two thousand Pounds current money of the said Province & also a distribution part of the Remainder of the

Residue of my said Estate with my said Wife and Children share and share alike but in case any such posthumerous Child should happen to Die under the age of Twenty one Years or day of Marriage which shall first happen & without ifsue of his or her body Lawfully begotten then my Will and mind is and I do hereby direct the same according that the share or part of such Posthumerous Child so dying shall go in a course of Survivorship and among my other Children share and share alike in like manner as is above mentioned & in case any such Posthumerous Child should happen to Live to the age of Twenty one Years or day of Marriage as aforesaid I do hereby intitle him or her to the like Benefit & advantage of Survivorship as any of my other Children shall or may be intitled unto Item I do hereby give full Liberty to my dearly beloved Wife Anne Matthews and to her Afsigns to have the Free use and occupation of my part of a Lot And Buildings which I have hereinbefore given to my Son Benjamin and that Rent free until my said Son Benjamin shall attain his age of Twenty one Years she paying the Taxes and keeping the same in Repair And Lastly I do hereby nominate constitute & appoint my said dearly beloved wife Anne Matthews Executrix & my Brother John Matthews and my Brother-in law John Raven Executors of this my Last Will & Testament hereby Revoking and making Full and void all former and other Wills by me at any time here tofore made In Witnefs whereof I the said Benjamin Matthews have hereunto set my hand and Seal this Eighteenth day of April in the Year one thousand seven hundred and fifty Four & in the twenty seventh Year of the reign of King George the second. /.

Benjamin Matthews LS

Signed Sealed Published and declared by the said Testator Benjamin Matthews as and for his Last Will & Testament in the presence of us who in his presence & at his request here subscribed our names as Witnefses thereto ----
Edward Lightwood
Samuel Evelsigh
Jacob Hilner

This will was proved before the Ordinary the thirtieth day of May 1755 And at the same time Anne Mathews Qualified.

Recorded from Will Book No. 1752-1756 page #357

(Charleston Wills vol. 8, pg 424)

Death

On the 11th Instant died, after a lingering Indisposition, Mr. Benjamin Mathewes, of this Town, Merchant, - who was, a most affectionate Husband, tender Parent, good Master, and sincere Friend. (Thursday, December 19, 1754.) (Salley 26).