Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/320

 MATHEWS

MATHEWS

Hoadside (1897); Familiar Life in Field and Forest (1898); The Writing Table of the Twentieth Century (1900).

MATHEWS, Qeors;e, statesman, was born in Augusta county, Va., in 1739, son of John Mathews, wlio emigrated from Ireland in 1737. George commanded a volunteer company against the Indians in 1757, and in the battle of Point Pleasant, Oct. 10, 1774. At the outbreak of the Revolution, he was commissioned colonel of the 9th Virginia regiment. He fought at the battle of Brandy wine and at Germantown, where he was wounded ; was confined on the prison ship New Jersey until De<rember, 1771, when he was ex- changed, and he joined General Greene's army as colonel of the 3d Virginia regiment. He removed to Goose Pond, Oglethorpe county, Ga., in 1785 ; was a representative from Georgia in the 1st congress, 1789-91, and governor of Geor- gia, 1793-96. During his term of office the famous Yazoo act was passed and approved by him, which resulted in his political downfall. He was nominated by President Adams for governor of Mississippi Territory, but the President with- drew his nomination on account of Mathews's part in the Yazoo act and retained his friendship by appointing his son, George Mathews, super- visor of public revenue in Georgia. In 1811 Presi- dent Madison appointed him U.S. commissioner to negotiate for the annexation of Florida, but the President the next year disavowed the treaty, which so incensed Governor Mathews that it is aaid he started for Washington to chastise Mr. Madison, but on his way he was taken ill at Augusta, Ga., where he died Aug. 30, 1812.

MATHEWS, James Macfarlane, educator, was born in Salem, N.Y., March 18, 1785 ; son of David and Mary (Macfarlane) Mathews. His

iJNtveK::>iTY or the city of new york.

father came to America prior to the Revolution, in which he took part. James Macfarlane Mathews studied under Dr. Proudfit at Salem and graduated from Union college in 1803. He studied for the ministry in the Associate seminary of Dr. John M. Mason and was graduated in 1807.

He was associate professor of ecclesiastical history at the seminary, 1807-17 ; and pastor of the South Reformed Dutch church, Garden street, New York, 1811-40. He was active in the establish- ment of the University of the City of New York in 1829, and was first chancellor of the university, 1831-39, when he retired. He delivered lectures in various cities. The honorary degree of D.D. was conferred on him by Yale college in 1819. He was married, first, 1810, to Charlotte, daughter of Hugh Walsh and secondly, in 1825, to Ann, daugliter of John Hone, a leading merchant of New York. His daughter, Joanna Hone Mathews, author of TTie Bessie Books and over forty other volumes for children, died in Summit, N. J., April 28, 1901. Chancellor Mathews is the author of: The Bible and Civil Oovernment (1860) ; The Bible and Men of Learning (1860) ; Recollections of Persons and Events chiefly in the City of New York (1864). He died in New York city, Jan. 26, 1870.

MATHEWS, John, delegate, was born in Charleston, S.C, in 1744. He was active in the Revolutionary movements and after the dissolution of the royal government in 1776, he was elected first speaker of the South Carolina house of representatives. He was also an asso- ciate justice of the supreme court of South Carolina, 1776-78 ; a delegate to the Continental congress, 1778-82 ; served on the committee ap- pointed to confer with the British crown on the subject of purchasing peace by the sacrifice of Georgia and the Carolinas, which measure he opposed, and he signed the articles of confedera- tion of 1791. In 1782 he succeeded Edward Rut- ledge as governor of South Carolina and served one year. Upon the establishment of the court of equity he was chosen chancellor, together with John Rutledge and Richard Hudson, and served in this capacity, 1785-97. He died in Charleston, S.C, Nov. 17, 1802.

MATHEWS, Shailer, educator, was born in Portland, Maine, May 26, 1863 ; son of Jonathan Bennett and Sophia Lucinda (Shailer) Mathews and grandson of Elisha and Ann (Bennett) Mathews and of William Hosmer and Eliza Payne (Hascall) Shailer. He attended the Port- land high-school, and graduated from Colby university, A.B., 1884, A.M., 1887, and from the Newton Theological institution in 1887. He studied at the university of Berlin, Germany, 1890-91 ; was assistant professor of English at Colby, 1887-89 ; professor of history and polit- ical economy there, 1889-94 ; associate professor of New Testament history and interpretation at the University of Cliicago, 1894-97, and was elected professor in 1897 and junior dean of the divinity school in 1899. He was made a mem- ber of the American Historical society and of tl>e Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis. He