Mussenden Ebenezer Matthews


Mussenden Ebenezer Matthews was an early settler in Iredell County, North Carolina, military officer in the American Revolution, speaker pro tem of the North Carolina House of Commons, plantation owner, and elder in the Fourth Creek Congregation Presbyterian Church.

Early life

Musenden's first names is also spelled Mussendin, Mussendine and Mussentine. He is reported to have been born in Belfast, County Antrim, Ireland in about 1735. His parents may have been James Matthews and Mary McGill. He immigrated from Ireland to the American colonies and appeared in Rowan County, North Carolina in 1778, the same year that Iredell County, North Carolina was created from Rowan county. In 1780, "Mussentine Matthews" was one of seven Elders at the Fourth Creek Presbyterian on the records of the Orange Presbytery to which the Church belonged.

Military service

Matthews was a known Lieutenant in the NC State Cavalry-Western District in 1780 under Capt. John Reid. He was also referred to as "Major" Matthews.
The following accounts of his Revolutionary War exploits have been found:

After the war

In 1786, Mussenden was given a Land Grant consisting of 274 Acres on Station Camp Creek just northeast of Nashville. This land was in Davidson County, Tennessee and was given to him by the State of North Carolina for his service during the Revolutionary War.
In 1789, Mussenden was one of the first two representatives from Iredell County to the North Carolina House of Commons, soon after the county was created. He was elected to serve 13 times between 1789 and 1803. In 1796, he served as speaker of the house,
His residence was a plantation on Third Creek near Statesville. He had married Ann Sloan before 1780 in Rowan County. Ann was the daughter of Fergus Sloan who donated the land for the Fourth Creek Congregation church. After Ann died, he married Jane Knox in Iredell County.
Mussenden died on March 17, 1830 and was buried in the Old Fourth Creek Cemetery in Statesville.