John Mathis was born in England about the year 1690, and when a young man he and his brother Charles emigrated to America. Their first residence in the New World was at Oyster Bay, on Long Island. Charles Mathis's family settled at Shrewsbury, Monmouth county, N.J. I believe all of the Mathis's (or as some write the name Matthews) of East Jersey, are the posterity of Charles Mathis.

At an early date there were Matthews who settled at Cape May, and there is a Thomas Matthews mentioned among the early settlers in upper Burlington county. In the early settlements of Virginia there was a Matthews sent from England to Virginia to be the Governor of that Province, No doubt they were relatives of John and Charles Mathis.

In the year 1713 John Mathis was living on Long Island and in that year he and William Birdsall and Moses Forman purchased Daniel Mathis' island (then Biddle's island) of Daniel Leeds, of Springfield, N.J. In the year 1714, John Mathis was residing in Egg Harbor, and in September of the same year William Birdsall sold his share of the island to Jno. Mathis, and shortly after Moses Forman sold Matthis his portion of the property. The survey contained in all 250 acres. It is probable that Moses Forman finally settled in Ocean county, and was the forefather of the Formans in that section; from a certain record he once owned a farm in Egg Harbor.

Daniel Mathis' island (on Bass river) was John Mathis' first purchase of land in Egg Harbor, and this was the commencement of his career as a land speculator, which steadily increased until he was the greatest landholder of the township. At the time of Mathis' purchase of the island it was in its primeval state, but he settled on it, and soon had it cleared and formed into a valuable farm.

This island received its original name from William Biddle, one of the great land proprietors. From the time of John Mathis' purchasing the island to the present date (1879) it has been owned in the Mathis name.

Mathis is not the original and therefore not the proper method of spelling the name. The ancient form of spelling and writing the name was "Mathews." It is said that John Mathis considered it a difficult name to pronounce and write, and for this cause he omitted the E and the W and substituted I for E and thus it became modernized into Mathis, and long custom has made Mathis the permanent way of writing and pronouncing the name among most of the descendants of John Mathis. In almost all of the deeds for John Mathis' lands his name is written Mathews. The learned, in such matters say, that the Norman signification of the term Mathews is "as stubborn as a mule." This is indeed an appropriate appellation, for it is a useless waste of time and patience, to attempt to turn a true full-blooded Mathis or Mathews from what he considers the right course. A Mathis can be led by truthful and pleasant words and just and honorable acts, but treat him to the essence of meanness, and he cannot be driven any farther than can the most stubborn mule that ever came under the lash. Doubtless the Norman invaders of England found John Mathis' ancestors as true as steel and as stubborn as mules to the interests of their native England, and hence this designation for their stubbornness.

The Mathis family is remarkable for longevity, for their excellent memories, for their preciseness in business affairs, and their exalted sense of justice, and further for their aptness in learning, for keeping their own counsel and even the secrets of others, for attending to their own instead of other people's business. These are the traits of character of the thorough dispositioned Mathis, yet there are many who possess the name who have but a small portion of the nature and principles belonging to the genuine race.

In John Mathis' time it was customary to affix the title of "Great" to the names of distinguished men, therefore John Mathis was called "Great John Mathis," and people directed letters to "Great John Mathis." In his time he was the wealthiest and most distinguished man of the township of Little Egg Harbor.

In the year 1716 John Mathis married Alice Higbee, widow of John Higbee, and eldest daughter of Edward Andrews, the founder of Tuckerton. Mathis' wife brought him a valuable personal property. She had the reputation of being a "strong-minded woman," who was possessed of unusual business talents, ordering and arranging her affairs with the utmost regularity and good judgment, and it is also affirmed that she was a greater speculator than her husband, and it was in a measure owing to her influence and speculative passion that he became such an extensive landholder. Taking into consideration the age in which she lived, and also the meagre opportunities for acquiring knowledge, she had a fair education. She wrote a better hand than did her husband. She is described as a large, tall and muscular woman, of a dark complexion, with black eyes and black hair, which she inherited from her father, Edward Andrews.

John Mathis' wife had two children by her first husband, these were Abigail and Edward Higbee. Abigail Higbee was born the 22d day of the 5th month in the year 1713. She married Robert Leeds, son of Japhet Leeds the 1st. Their children were Solomon, Rebecca and Mary.

Edward Higbee was born the 4th day of the 6th month in the year 1714. He married and lived in Atlantic county, N.J. He was the forefather of all the Higbees of that section.

John Mathis had six sons and one daughter, viz: Micajah Mathis, born the 9th day of the 9th month, 1717; Job Mathis, born the 13th day of the 5th month, 1719; Sarah Mathis, born the 19th day of the 7th month, 1721; Daniel Mathis, born the 7th day of the 9th month, 1723; Jeremiah Mathis, born the 14th day of the 3d month, 1726; Nehemiah Mathis, born the 13th day of the 6th month, 1728; Eli Mathis, born the 4th day of the 6th month, 1730.

After John Mathis had got his Island farm into successful operation, he purchased 813 acres of John Budd, and on this tract cleared a farm now known as the Francis, or more properly the Thomas E. French farm, on the east side of Bass River. His next location and also formation of a farm was what is usually denominated the Enoch Mathis or Smith Mathis farm, which is situated on the west side of Bass River, opposite his farm on the east side of the river, and his next establishment of a farm was the land which now constitutes the Arthur Cranmer farm, and also the Daniel Sooy farm; in John Mathis' time these two farms were comprised in one farm. John Mathis was a slave holder, and employed most of his negroes in clearing land and farming.

It will be seen that at this time John Mathis had four farms, two on each side of Bass river, and the tradition among some of his descendants is that all four of these farms were carried on under his superintendence, he going from farm to farm and directing the working thereof. This state of things continued until some of his sons married, when he deeded each one of them a farm, and set them to work for themselves. John Mathis was not only a farmer and land speculator, but he was a money lender, as I can testify, for I have some of the original documents in my hands, showing that persons in Philadelphia loaned money of him, and gave him mortgages on houses and lots in that city, and likewise people of Egg Harbor, Springfield, Northampton, Southampton, Monmouth county, and various other places hired money of him and gave him bonds or mortgages for the same. During the Revolutionary War he loaned the Government a considerable sum of money; but when pay day came the Government had nothing to pay with except Continental paper, which was next to no pay. The lender was compelled to take large packages of the worthless scrip, which was preserved in the Mathis family for some generations, but at this time it is nearly all destroyed. The war proved a ruinous thing to John Mathis' money affairs, but did not interfere with his extensive real estate.

John Mathis appears to have been intimately associated with a great number of the noted men of New Jersey, and his kindred of Egg Harbor were the most eminent characters of the place. Edward Andrews was his father-in-law, Peter and Jacob Andrews, the noted ministers, were his brothers-in-law. Thomas Ridgway was his brother-in-law also. Robert, Allen and Samuel Andrews, and his children, all married into the first families of the time and places where they lived.

John Mathis was nearly connected with several of the Quaker preachers of his time. Among these were Edward Andrews, his father-in-law. Peter and Jacob Andrews, his brothers-in-law. John Leeds, his son-in-law. Vincent Leeds (son of John Leeds) his grandson, and some of his nephews and nieces were Quaker ministers.

Many of the Mathis family have been members of the Quaker church. Many of the old stock of the Mathis family married without the consent of the Friends' Meeting, and thereby lost their membership, and this seems to have been the principal cause of the decrease of Quakerism in the Mathis family. The Mathis have a dislike of marrying among their near kindred, and therefore many of them married among strangers in distant localities, not being able (especially in old times) to marry in Egg Harbor without espousing their near relations. The name of Mathis is fast dying out, yet there are hundreds of people of the Mathis blood in Egg Harbor. The greater part of John Mathis' lands are now in possession of his descendants, but in a great measure among those of other names, the Mathis name being lost in other names.

First Branch of John Mathis' Family. - Micajah, eldest son of John Mathis, was an enterprising man, and beside his father's liberal bequests, he accumulated a handsome property, but the depreciation of the Continental paper was a heavy blow to his financial affairs, yet, notwithstanding all of his losses at his death, his personal property amounted to several thousand dollars, and he also owned the Francis French farm and a farm at Chestnut Neck, now called the Shreve Mathis farm; and he likewise owned many hundred acres of heavily timbered upland and cedar swamp.

In the year 1747 Micajah Mathis married Mercy, daughter of Joshua and Jane Shreve, of Upper Springfield, Burlington county, N.J.

Micajah Mathis had seven children, whose names and ages were as follows:

Martha Mathis, born the 25th day of May, 1748, and died the 8th day of April, 1759, aged 11 years.

Job Mathis, born the 17th day of April, 1750.

John Mathis, born the 23d day of December, 1753.

Barzillai Mathis, born the 13th day of December, 1755.

Benjamin Mathis, born the 15th day of July, 1760.

Mercy Mathis, born the 21st day of August, 1762.

Sarah Mathis, born the 29th day of August, 1764.

After Micajah Mathis married he settled on the Francis French farm, where he resided until the time of his death, which took place the 11th day of November, 1804, he being aged 88 years and two days.

Job, son of Micajah Mathis. married Leah, daughter of Aaron and Susannah Ellis, of Upper Mansfield, N.J. Job Mathis' wife was an estimable woman, who had been brought up and educated in all of the ladylike accomplishments, which were fashionable in that day. She was a strict member of the Baptist Church.

Job and Leah Mathis' children were Micajah Mathis, born the 2d day of February, 1786.

Elihu Mathis, born the 11th or 12th day of September, 1792.

Ellis Mathis, born the 28th day of October, 1797.

Micajah, son of Job Mathis, married Mary Brown, of Massachusetts. No children.

Elihu Mathis, son of Job Mathis, was a surveyor, and by his unswerving adherence to justice and preciseness in his works, he gained the confidence of his acquaintances, many of whom, when they were involved in difficulties, or had business to be entrusted to other hands, unhesitatingly and confidently sought his counsel and efficient aid. He was unusually well versed in the law for one who had not been educated for a lawyer. He,like many of his name, was distinguished for the soundness of his judgment, for keeping his own counsel and the confidences of others, and also for his firmness when he thought he was in the right. He assessed the township of Little Egg Harbor for nine years in succession; he was several years a Justice of the Peace, and two years a member of the Legislature of New Jersey. He died the 11th day of December, 1856, aged 64 years and three months. Elihu married Amelia, daughter of Benjamin Seaman, of West Creek, Ocean county, N.J. Their children were Leah, Sabra, Amelia, Lydia, Benjamin Franklin, Sophronia Almira, and Lovenia Elvina.

Leah, daughter of Elihu Mathis, married Ezra Blackman, and had children named Melinda, Thomas, Elihu M., Elizabeth A., William E., Susan L., and Lovenia E.

Melinda Blackman married Ezra L.Hanson. Their child was named William Lockwood Hanson.

Thomas Blackman married Mary Lane; their children were Leilu and Leonard.

Elihu M. Blackman married Margaret, daughter of Charles Mathis; their child was named Somers Elihu Blackman.

Elizabeth A. Blackman married Captain Job Somers.

William E. Blackman married Sarah E. Jones.

Susan L. Blackman married Timothy W. Brown.

Lovenia E. Blackman, unmarried.

Sabra Amelia, daughter of Elihu Mathis, married William C. Sears. Their children, Elihu, married to Mary, daughter of Captain George Allen; and Abigail Amelia, married to Bodine, son of Daniel Parker. Achsah Sears unmarried.

Lydia, daughter of Elihu Mathis, married Jesse R. Sears. Their children, Mary, married to Hiram Elbridge, son of Captain William French; Sabra Sears married to Thomas, son of Captain George Allen. Jesse Sears' other children were Benjamin Franklin and Walter.

Sophronia Almira, daughter of Elihu Mathis, married Joseph Parker. Their child was Joseph E. Parker.

Lovenia Elvina, daughter of Elihu Mathis, married Jesse R. Parker. No children.

Ellis, son of Job Mathis, married Mabel, daughter of Maja Mathis, Esq. Ellis and Mabel's children were Maja, Ruth, Abigail, Huldah, Micajah, Leah, Amanda, Mabel and Marietta.

Ellis Mathis married a second wife whose name was Rebecca Adams. The children of this marriage were Job, Elihu and Evi.

Maja, son of Ellis Mathis, married Phrebe, daughter of Ebenezer Sooy. Their children are Ellis, Ebenezer, Abigail, Cowperthwaite and Samuel.

Ruth, daughter of Ellis Mathis, married John, son of Charles Rutter Their child was named Eliza. John Rutter was a soldier of the Union Army; was taken prisoner, and died a victim to the cruel treatment of the rebels.

Abigail, daughter of Ellis Mathis, married George, son of Aaron Mathis, and died soon after her marriage.

Huldah, daughter of Ellis Mathis, married Charles Gaskill. Their child was Henrietta Gaskill.

Micajah Mathis, son of Ellis Mathis, married Martha Adams.

Marietta, daughter of Ellis Mathis, married Joseph B. Allen.

John, son of Micajah Mathis, Sr., married Martha, daughter of Caleb Cranmer, Sr., of Bass River. Their children were Reuben, Caleb, Jennings, John, Shreve, Beriah, Chalkley, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Mary and Sarah.

I have been unable to ascertain who most of the above-named persons married.

Barzillai, son of Micajah Mathis, Sr., married Elizabeth, daughter of James Edwards, of Barnegat. Their children were George, James, Martha, Emma, Susan and Phoebe.

George, son of Barzillai Mathis, married in Philadelphia, his wife's name was Rhuhamah.

James, son of Barzillai, married two wives in Philadelphia.

Martha, daughter of Barzillai Mathis, married Samuel, son of Hezekiah Mathis, and had children named Elmina and Robert.

Elmina married ______ Sinderland, and had children named Elizabeth and Mary.

Elizabeth Sinderland married ______ Podesta.

Mary Sinderland married Edward Page.

Martha, daughter of Barzillai Mathis, married a second husband, whose name is Seth Austin. The children of this marriage are Charles, Sarah and Mary.

Charles Austin married Margaretta Bowers. Their children were Robert, William, Thomas, Charles, Martha, Ellen and Mary.

Sarah Austin married George Williamson, of Philadelphia. Their children were William, Mary, Charles, Anna, Clara and John.

Mary Austin married Thomas Field, of Philadelphia. Their children were Martha, Sarah, Elizabeth, Mary, Charles, Emma, Harry, Alfred, Edwin, Walter and Austin.

Emma, daughter of Barzillai Mathis, married Elwood Haines, of Philadelphia. Their children were Livingston, Mary, Ella, Francis and Henrietta.

Phoebe, daughter of Barzillai Mathis, married Stewart Benson, of Philadelphia.

Benjamin, son of Micaiah Mathis, Sr., married Anne Merritt, of the upper section of Burlington county. Their children were Mercy, Angeline, Eliza, Grace, Thomas, Rebecca, Mary, Leah, Jane and Benjamin.

Mercy Mathis married Isaac Powell. Their children were Mathis, Charles, Rebecca and Anne.

Angeline Mathis married William Butler. Their children were Beulah, Benjamin, Shreve, William, Jane, Theodosia, Edwin and Mary.

Eliza Mathis married Jacob Powell. Their children were Jacob, Benjamin, Samuel and Anne.

Samuel, son of Jacob and Eliza Powell, was a surgeon in the Union army, and fell a victim to the cruel treatment of the rebels. The following is the notice of his death, which I copied from the New Jersey Mirror:

"At Macon, Georgia, on the 8th of August, of chronic diarrhoea, Doctor Samuel Powell, aged about 36 years, formerly of Mount Holly."

The deceased was an assistant surgeon in the United States army, and while in the discharge of his duty, fell into the hands of the rebels. After the action at Travillion Station, having under his care a number of wounded soldiers who could not be removed, he nobly remained with them, and preferred to face Libby Prison and starvation, than desert the generous braves who had been disabled in their country's cause. He was taken prisoner, sent to Richmond, and afterwards to Macon, at which place he languished and died.

Such an act of devotion, and such a disregard for self, was to be expected of such a Christian man as Dr. Powell, and most nobly has he sustained himself under such trying circumstances. He was a member of the Methodist Church, and while amongst us walked worthy of the vocation wherewith he was called. He knew in whom he trusted, and boldly and fearlessly committed himself to the care of his God. But mysterious are the ways of Providence, and he was not permitted to return to receive the thanks of his fellow men. His body lies unhonored in a far distant land, with no marble slab to mark the spot, but his memory, and such devotion to duty stand in bold relief, and will be embalmed in the hearts of his countrymen.

Grace Mathis married Jesse E. Bodine. Their children were John, Anne and Edwin.

Thomas Mathis married Mary, daughter of Captain Josiah Cale. Their children were Anne, Alfred, Mary, Josiah and Elizabeth.

Rebecca Mathis married Samuel Wright. Their children were Adam Gaskill, Eliza Jane, Hannah, Rebecca and Mary.

Mary Mathis married Isaiah Adams. Their children were Charles, Jesse, Henry and Irick.

Leah Mathis married Joel Bodine.

Jane Mathis married Rehoboam Haines, of Northampton, Burlington county. Their children were Phoebe, Ann, John and Joseph.

Benjamin Mathis, Jr., married Mary Branson. Their children were Joseph and William.

Mercy, daughter of Micajah Mathis, Sr., married William Merritt, of the upper section of Burlington county. They went to reside in the State of New York, near the Falls of Niagara, where they have descendants.

Sarah, daughter of Micajah Mathis, Sr., married Samuel, son of Captain John Leek, Sr. They had several children, among whom were John and Stacy Biddle.

Second Branch of John Mathis' Family. - Job, son of John Mathis, resided on Daniel Mathis' Island. He married Phoebe, sister of Captain John Leek, Sr., of Bass river. She was an English woman. Job Mathis' children were Daniel, Enoch, Phoebe and Mary.

Daniel Mathis, married Phoebe, daughter of Micajah Smith, Sr., of Atlantic county. N.J. Their children were Owen, Aaron, Micajah, Smith, Daniel, Mary, Sarah, Leah, Phoebe and Ann.

Daniel Mathis inherited the Island farm from his father, and like him, he spent his days on the Island. Daniel Mathis was one of the principal men of his time and place. He carried on his farm and also received considerable sums of money from his valuable fisheries, and also from the rent of his extensive meadows. He had the reputation of being an honest man, and one who was a stranger to deceit.

Aaron Mathis married Marjorie Kirkbride, of the upper part of Burlington county. Their children were Daniel, Phineas, George, Enoch, John, Aaron, Martha, Leah, Esther, Marjorie and Elizabeth.

Micajah Smith Mathis married Nancy, widow of Enoch Mathis. Their children were Phoebe, Maria, Harriet, Eliza and Theophilus.

Daniel Mathis, Jr., married Elizabeth White. Their children were De Witt Clinton, Churchwood, Edward, Lane, Louisa, Mary Ann, Elizabeth and another daughter, name not remembered.

Mary Mathis married Jonas Miller. Their children were Ann, John, Susannah, Cordelia, John 2d, Lafayette, Burrows, Lucretia Pauline.

Sarah Mathis married James Downs. Their children were Austin, Franklin, Frances, Leah, Jane and Sarah.

Phoebe Mathis married Capt. William French, of Bass River. Their children were Martin Van Buren, Livingston, Hiram Eldridge, Nelson, Ebenezer Tucker, Mary Jane, Matilda and Arabella.

Anna Mathis married Francis French, of Bass River. Anna French is noted for her good judgment and uprightness in dealing, and also (like her father) for her freedom from deceit. Francis and Anna French's children were Thomas, Daniel, Lewis, Burrows, Levi, Francis, Mary Ann, Phoebe, Leah, Ellen and Anna.

Enoch, son of Job Mathis, Sr., married Nancy Gamage. Their children were Emeline, Mary Ann, Marshal and Enoch Jackson.

Emeline Mathis married John Mulliner. Their children were Enoch, Nathan, Marshal, John and Emeline.

Mary Anne Mathis married Joseph B. Cranmer. Their child was Mary Ann, who married Phineas Mathis.

Marshal Mathis married Sophia Van Pelt, of New York city.

Enoch Jackson Mathis married (if I have been rightly informed), a Miss Reeves, of Mount Holly.

Phoebe, daughter of Job Mathis, Sr., married John Forman, Esq., of New Brunswick, N.J. Their children were John, Enoch, Samuel, Mary, Ann, Ellen, Phoebe and Caroline.

John Forman married Ann Smith. Enoch Forman married Charity Gaskill. Samuel Forman married Rebecca Cranmer. Mary Forman married Joseph Woodward. Ann Forman married Abel White. Ellen Forman married Isaac Engle. Caroline Forman married Job Engle. Phoebe Forman married Joel Bodine.

Third Branch of John Mathis' Family. - Sarah, only daughter of John Mathis, married Marmaduke Coate, of Mansfield, N.J. Coate died early in life leaving two children, one was a son named John, and the other child's name is not remembered. Coate owned a property in Mansfield on which he resided, and he also had large possessions at Kingwood, in Bethlehem township, in the county of Hunterdon, N.J. In his will he denominates those possessions his "lands up in the mountains." After Coate’s death his widow came to reside at her father's, and after she had been a widow two or three years, she married John Leeds, son of Japhet Leeds 1st, and brother to Robert Leeds who had married her half sister, Abigail Higbee. John Leeds was a public Friend. John and Sarah Leeds' children were John, Daniel, Jeremiah, Vincent, Dorothy and William. Vincent Leeds was a public Friend, and frequently visited Friends at Egg Harbor. In the year 1783 he came on a visit to his kindred in Egg Harbor. He staid several weeks, and he and other Friends visited families throughout the place.

Fourth Branch of John Mathis' Family. - Daniel, son of John Mathis as before stated, in the year 1716 married Sophia, daughter of Zebulon and Sophia Gauntt, of or near Burlington city, N.J. Some time after his marriage he removed to North Carolina, where it has been ascertained that he has a large number of respectable descendants. He and his wife were members of the Society of Friends, but it appears that they married contrary to Friends' discipline.

Fifth Branch of John Mathis' Family. - Jeremiah, son of John Mathis, married his first cousin Hannah, daughter of Samuel Andrews, Sr. Their children were Hezekiah, who was born the 10th day of January, 1749.

Elizabeth Mathis, born the 11th day of July, 1750.

Mary Mathis, born the 14th day of December, 1752.

John Mathis, born in the year 1755.

Job Mathis, born the 18th day of October, 1757.

Eli Mathis, born the 10th day of December, 1759.

Hezekiah Mathis married Hannah Rogers, of Toms River. Their children were Joshua, Mahlon, Jordan, Samuel, Aden, Judith, Martha, Mahala, Thursa, Beulah, Mary and Sarah.

Mahlon Mathis married Mahala Andrews. Their children were Mary, Gertrude, Charles, Ann, Dorcas, Jacob and Phoebe. Mahlon Mathis lived to be almost ninety years of age. He was noted for his honesty and precision in business affairs and by his industry he amassed a clever fortune.

Jacob Mathis married Martha Jones. Gertrude Mathis married George Hiles. Ann Mathis married Thomas Haines. Dorcas Mathis married Nathan Andrews.

Jordan, son of Hezekiah Mathis, married in Philadelphia, and his descendants are residents of that city.

Samuel, son of Hezekiah Mathis, married Martha Mathis. Their children were Elmira and Robert.

Aden, son of Hezekiah Mathis, married Mary Myers. Their children were Oliver, Thursa, Sylvester, Schuyler, Charlotte, Hannah, Eliza and Cornelia.

Oliver Mathis married Sarah Jane Shourds. Thursa married Timothy Jones. Sylvester married Hannah Shourds, and after her death Hannah Lippincott. Schuyler married Dorothy Rutter. Charlotte married Captain Joseph Shourds. Hannah married Thomas Pharo. Eliza married James Rutter. Cornelia has had two husbands by the name of Pharo.

Judith, daughter of Hezekiah Mathis, married Staats Palmer. He was an honorable and consistent member of the Society of Friends, and also a highly esteemed citizen. His children were Elijah, Elkanah, Maria, Maritta and Judith.

Elijah Palmer married Sarah Berry. Their children were Charles, Clayton, Sena, Hannah and Mary.

Elkanah Palmer married Hannah Thompson. Their children were Alfred, Alexander, Elkanah, Elizabeth, Sarah, Lucy, Angelina and Anne.

Maria Palmer married Senor White, Their children were William, Adaline and Hannah.

Judith Palmer married Gabriel Inman, of Barnegat.

Martha, daughter of Hezekiah Mathis, married a man by the name of Humphreyville.

Mahala, daughter of Hezekiah Mathis, married John Devinney.

Thursa, daughter of Hezekiah Mathis, married Ebon Willits.

Buelah, daughter of Hezekiah Mathis, married a man by the name of Perrie. They had one child named Robert.

Mary, daughter of Hezekiah Mathis, married Clayton Mathis. Their children were Barton, Maria and Eveline.

Sarah, daughter of Hezekiah Mathis, married Jacob Willits. Their children were Salinah, Margaretta and Buelah.

Elizabeth, daughter of Jeremiah Mathis, married Job Ridgway, of Barnegat. They had one daughter by the name of Esther, and she married Joseph Craft, and they were the parents of Job Craft.

Mary, daughter of Jeremiah Mathis, married Reuben Soper, of Barnegat. They had two children named Stacy and Reuben. When Reuben Soper, Jr., was but two weeks old, his father (Reuben Soper, Sr.,) being on Barnegat beach, was shot by some one of Bacon's gang of refugees. After the death of Reuben Soper, Sr., his widow married Thomas Gifford, Sr., and they were the parents of Isaac, Eli and Hannah Gifford.

Reuben Soper, Jr., married Rachel Extel, their children being Reuben, John, Mary, Susan, Hannah, Judith and Elizabeth.

Reuben Soper 3d, was a soldier in the United States army. He went through one term of service and then enlisted again, was wounded and died in consequence of his wounds, one of the martyrs for the preservation of the Union.

John, son of Jeremiah Mathis, married Deborah Grant, of Toms river. This John Mathis was called carpenter John Mathis, to distinguish him from the others of the same name. He, and all of his family, removed to the State of Ohio. His children were John, Sarah, Caleb, Job and Deborah.

Eli, son of Jeremiah Mathis, was a member of the Society of Friends, and one of the strictest of that strict sect. He was a long time one of the elders of the meeting; he also was a useful member of the general society. By his firmness and uprightness he gained the respect and confidence of his fellowmen, many of whom sought his counsel, and entrusted their business affairs in his competent hands. He lived to a good old age, and died as he had lived, a consistent member of the religious society to which he belonged.

Eli Mathis married Judith, daughter of Timothy Willits, Sr. Their children were Charles, Clayton, Samuel, Jesse, David, Hannah, Esther, Mary and Ann.

Charles Mathis never married; he was drowned when quite a young man.

Clayton Mathis married Mary Mathis.

Samuel Mathis married Atlanta Berry. Their children were Charles, Hiram, Eli, Hannah, Mary and Judith.

Jesse Mathis married Nancy, widow of John Bogan. They had but one child, who lived to the age of maturity; he was Job Mathis, who married Mary Ann Carter.

David Mathis married Maria Gaskill. Their children were Samuel, Eli, Sarah and Phoebe.

Hannah Mathis married Isaac Gifford, Sr.

Esther Mathis married Jonathan Gifford.

Ann Mathis married Job Gifford.

Mary Mathis died unmarried. She was an estimable woman. From her youth up, she was remarkable for an unusual steadiness of character. She was a member of the Society of Friends, and one of the strictest of the strict. Having a wise father and a very amiable mother, she was trained up "in the way she should go," and she never departed from it.

Job, son of Jeremiah Mathis, was in the meadows cutting grass, and while thus employed, Jonathan Morse, one of the mowers, accidentally struck Job with the edge of his scythe, inflicting a fearful gash. Mortification set in, and at the end of the eleventh day after he was wounded, his leg dropped off at the knee and he died. He was a young man and unmarried.

Sixth Branch of John Mathis' Family. - Nehemiah, son of John Mathis, married Elizabeth, daughter of John Cranmer, Sr., of Bass River. Nehemiah Mathis' children were Job, John, Nehemiah, Ziba, Alice, Elizabeth, Sarah, Rebecca, Hannah, Mary, Sophia, Phoebe and Nancy. Those thirteen children all lived to be grown, and most of them arrived at a good old age, five of the sisters lived to be considerably over eighty years of age, and Mary, wife of John Headly, lived to within a few months of 95 years, retaining her uncommon memory until her death, which occurred on the 17th day of March, 1863. She was born on the 9th day of June, 1768. She lived to a greater age than any other one of the descendants of John Mathis, Sr. She was a granddaughter of John Mathis, and also a granddaughter of John Cranmer, both of whom were early settlers in Egg Harbor.

The writer of this sketch is indebted to Mrs. Headley for many important items of history, and often when I have been at a loss for information on certain subjects, I have thought if Mrs. Mary Headley were alive I should know where to seek for the required knowledge.

Job, son of Nehemiah Mathis, married Sarah Cossaboom, of Barnegat. Their children were Job, Elizabeth, Judith, Mary Ann, Gideon and John Wesley.

John, son of Nehemiah Mathis, married two wives, one was a Carter and the other a Baremore.

Nehemiah, son of Nehemiah Mathis, Sr., married Susan, daughter of Lawrence Peterson, Sr. Nehemiah's children went to the West.

Ziba, son of Nehemiah Mathis, Sr., married his cousin Elizabeth, daughter of Semor Cranmer. Elizabeth was the mother of Daniel, Jesse, James, Smith, Mary and Martha. Some of these children settled in the State of Ohio. Ziba Mathis married a second wife, who was Mary, daughter of Benjamin Gifford. Mary's children were John, Benajah, George, Robert, Elizabeth and Harriet.

Elizabeth, daughter of Nehemiah Mathis, Sr., married William Weatherby, of Pennsylvania; he was the captain of a company of soldiers in the Continental army. Their children were Benjamin, Septimus, George, William, Elizabeth, Ann and Hannah.

Benjamin Weatherby married Sarah, daughter of carpenter John Mathis. They went to live in the State of Ohio.

Septimus Weatherby married Sarah ______.

George Weatherby married Deborah ______, of Cape May.

William Weatherby married Phoebe Brewer. Their children were Ann, David, Joshua, Jane, William, Amanda, Hannah, Sarah, Harriet, Benjamin and George.

Elizabeth Weatherby married Charles Cavileer, among their children were Julia Ann, Elizabeth, John, Charles, William, Samuel, Lorenzo 1st, Lorenzo 2d, and Harriet.

Julia Ann Cavileer married Bennet Rose. Elizabeth Cavileer married Mordecai Cox. Charles Cavileer married Matilda Myers. Samuel Cavileer married Mary Cavileer. Lorenzo Cavileer married Hannah Weatherby. Harriet Cavileer married Doctor John H. Black and had one child. Eliza married Nicholas V. Lane. After Dr.Black's death his widow married Noah Sooy, Jr., and their children were Mary and Jeana. Ann Weatherby married Daniel Weeks. Their children were Ann, Lucy Ann, Fanny, Benjamin and Daniel. Ann Weeks married Ezekiel Weeks. Lucy Ann Weeks married Captain Edwards. Fanny Weeks married Richard Cranmer. Benjamin and Daniel Weeks married in Camden, N.J.

Hannah Weatherby married Joshua Engle.

Sarah, daughter of Nehemiah Mathis, Sr., married James Roger, of Virginia. He was a privateersman and came to Egg Harbor in that capacity, during the Revolutionary War. James Roger's children were John, Lorania, Elizabeth and Dorothy.

John Roger married Talitha Peterson. Lorania Roger married Israel Peterson, of Toms River. Elizabeth Roger married a New Yorker, by the name of Wilson.

Rebecca, daughter of Nehemiah Mathis, Sr., married Jacob Headley. Among their children were John, Nancy, who married Charles Rose, Sr., Abigail, who married Jonathan Brown, and Rebecca and Hope, both of whom married Penn's.

Hannah, daughter of Nehemiah Mathis, Sr., married John, son of Solomon Rockhill, Sr. Their children, Solomon, Susan, John, Hannah and Hope.

Solomon Rockhill married Sarah Burton. Their children, John, Nancy, Mary, Lydia and Hannah.

Susan Rockhill married Joseph McColloch. Their children, Mary, Charles, Edward, Eliza and Hannah.

John Rockhill married Elizabeth Kindal. Their children, Phoebe, Zebedee, Solomon, Susan, Rachel, Nathan, Sabra, Thomas, Elizabeth, Emma, Mary, Ella and Martha.

Hannah Rockhill married Thomas Hughes. Their children, James, John, Catharine, Ann, Mason and Victoria.

Hope Rockhill married David Adams. Among their children are Caleb, Adaliza, Emily, Susan, Charles and George.

Mary, daughter of Nehemiah Mathis, Sr., married John Headley. Their children, Elizabeth, Job, Samuel, Sarah, Jemima, John, Mary, Joseph and Jesse.

Job Headley married Mary Lemonyon. Their children, James, Joseph, Thomas, Emeline and Alice.

Samuel B. Headley married Mary Foster. Their children, Joseph, Alfred, Sarah, Elizabeth, Mary, Dorcas, Samuel, Edward, Esther and Charles.

Sarah Headley married Jabez Parker. Their children: Mary, Selinda, Woolston, Isaac, Enos and Jesse.

Jemima Headley married Elvin Smith. Their children: Amanda, John and Huldah Ann.

John Headley, Jr., married Phoebe Lamson, of Mannahawkin.

Mary Headley married Richard Parker. Their children: Hannah, John, Lewis and Samuel. John Parker was drowned when in the act of saving seamen who were on a stranded wreck off Barnegat beach.

Joseph Headley married Ann Burton. Their children: John, Phineas, Richard, Jemima and Sarah.

Jesse Headley married Mary Rockhill. Their children: Subonian, William, Charles, Sarah, Lydia, Georgiana, Jesse and Amanda.

Sophia, daughter of Nehemiah Mathis, Sr., married William Woolley. They removed to the State of Ohio.

Nancy, daughter of Nehemiah Mathis, Sr., married John Mathis, 4th. They emigrated to the State of Ohio.

Alice and Phoebe, daughters of Nehemiah Mathis, Sr., died unmarried.

Seventh Branch of John Mathis' Family. - Eli, son of John Mathis, married Phoebe, daughter of Richard Devinney, Sr. Eli was a Justice of the Peace. and the first proselyte of Methodism in Egg Harbor. He had four sons, and it seems he had a taste for rhyme, for an old tradition says that he chose names for his sons that would rhyme, thus: -

These being the names of his four sons and rhyming in the order of their ages.

Jeremiah, son of Eli Mathis, Sr., married Esther, daughter of Lewis and Grace Darling. Their children: Eli, Darling, Jeremiah, Phoebe, Esther and Jemima.

Most of these children married in distinct sections, therefore I cannot say anything further of them.

Jeremiah Mathis, Jr., married Mary Brewer. Their children: Esther, Jane, Lewis.

Phoebe Mathis married Reuben Mathis.

Asa, son of Eli Mathis, Sr., married Rachel Bartlett. Among their children were Jonas, Asa, Joseph and Julia, &c. Most of these went to reside in the West.

Maja, son of Eli Mathis, Sr., married Mabel Bartlett. Their children: Hannah, Ann, Mary, Mabel, Stacy, Eliza, Maria and John.

Hannah Mathis married George Leake.

Ann Mathis married John Bogan. Their children: Richard and Mary Ann.

Richard Bogan married Ann Eliza Sooy. Their children: Georgiana, Mary, Catharine, Rhoda, Ann, John and Richard.

Mary Ann Bogan married Thomas Shourds. Their child was Ann Eliza Shourds.

Eliza Mathis married Shreve Mathis.

Stacy Mathis married Julia Cranmer. Their children: Caleb, Mary Ann, Chalkley and George.

Caleb Mathis married Judith Collins. Mary Ann Mathis married an Endicott. Chalkley Mathis married Mary Jane Shourds. George Mathis married Abigail Lane.

Mabel, daughter of Maja Mathis, married Ellis Mathis.

Maria, daughter of Maja Mathis, married Michael Micks. They went to the West.

John, son of Maja Mathis, is a Methodist minister. He married Mary Ann Potts. Their child: Charles Mathis.

Amasa, son of Eli Mathis, Sr., married Marjarett Brewer, of Atlantic county. Their children: Eli, Peter, Maja, Amasa, Baker, James, John Wesley, Marjarett, Louisa and Phoebe Jane.