Rufus Matthews

Rufus Matthews (October 10, 1791 – November 17, 1869), also spelled Mathews, was an American politician who served one term in the Michigan House of Representatives.

Rufus Matthews
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
from the Washtenaw County district
In office
November 2, 1835 – January 1, 1837
Personal details
Born(1791-10-10)October 10, 1791
Watertown, Connecticut
DiedNovember 17, 1869(1869-11-17) (aged 78)
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Political partyDemocratic

Biography

Rufus Matthews[1] was born in Watertown, Connecticut on October 10, 1791, the son of William Matthews and Charity Kimberly.[2] He grew up in western New York, working as a carpenter and joiner.[3]

He moved to Michigan in 1831 and settled in Northfield Township, where he was a farmer. He was elected as a Democrat[4] to the Michigan House of Representatives in the first election under the state constitution.[5] He also served as supervisor of Northfield Township from 1835 to 1836, 1842 to 1843, in 1845, and from 1850 to 1852, and as justice of the peace from 1837 to 1840.[6]

Matthews died in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on November 17, 1869.[7]

Notes
  1. His name in some sources is spelled Mathews (Michigan Manual 1877, p. 549), but it is Matthews in others (Bingham 1888, p. 438) and on his tombstone (Find A Grave 2009).
  2. Karlstrand 2002, p. 215.
  3. Bingham 1888, p. 438.
  4. Bingham 1888, p. 438–439.
  5. Michigan Manual 1877, p. 549.
  6. C. C. Chapman 1881, pp. 653–654.
  7. Bingham 1888, p. 439.

References
  • Bingham, Stephen D. (1888), Early History of Michigan: With Biographies of State Officers, Members of Congress, Judges and Legislators, Lansing: Thorp & Godfrey, retrieved 2018-11-12
  • History of Washtenaw County, Michigan and Biographies of Representative Citizens, Chicago: C. C. Chapman, 1881, retrieved 2018-11-19
  • Karlstrand, Lillian B. (2002), White, Lorraine C. (ed.), The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records, Genealogical Publishing Co., ISBN 978-0-8063-1697-0, retrieved 2018-11-19
  • Michigan Manual (1877–78 ed.), Lansing: W. S. George & Co., 1877, retrieved 2018-11-13
  • Tripp, Jan E. (April 22, 2010), "Tombstone of Alvin B. and Charity Matthews", Find A Grave, retrieved 2018-11-19
  • "Tombstone of Rufus Matthews", Find A Grave, November 14, 2009, retrieved 2018-11-19
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