MATTIE WALLING WEAVER

The following bio was taken from page 435 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Claudia Schuster

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

"In the Village of Hulton, two and a half miles East of Lancaster, England, near the mouth of the Irish Sea, where River Lune flows, the name of Walling is found as far back as Queen Elizabeth I. James, John, and Thomas being the names used at regular intervals." (From a letter by Thomas Walling, Director of Education, City and County of New Castle, January 11, 1934, (From "The Walling Family," by Maudie S. Walling.)"

"The earliest records I have of the family in America go back to around 1650 when our immigrant English ancestor, Thomas Walling, founder of the family in America, came over from England. As nearly as I can tell, he was born in England around 1630, probably in Lanchire. He settled in Roger Williams’ colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation. Thomas Walling married Mary Abbott, daughter of Daniel Abbott, one of the earliest settlers of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Daniel Abbott was from a very eminent English family. He was born in Suffolk in the late 1500’s and was a kinsman of the famous Archbishop of Canterbury." (Taken from a letter to Lula Skinner from Rev. Albert C. Walling II.)

"Thomas Walling, who died July 19, 1674, was married first to Mary Abbott, daughter of Daniel Abbott. She died in 1669. Their children were Thomas, 2^nd , Greshorn, Abigail and James. Thomas I, married a second time to Margaret Collwell, their children were William, John C. and Cornelius. Thomas Walling II married Sarah Elwell in 1695. Their children were Abigail, Thomas, John, William, Mary, James, Samuel, Elisha, Joseph, and Rebecca." ( Maudie Walling)

"Elisha Walling was born July 26, 1708, came to Virginia, was leader of the noted "Long Hunters." Elisha Walling and wife, Blevins, had children named Elisha Jr., Joseph Allen, James, Thomas, and John. John Walling’s wife was scalped by Indians fifteen miles from Morton’s Station." (See History of S.W. Virginia by Sammers.)

James Walling’s will was executed October 3, 1785, and proved in 1789 in Montgomery County, Virginia. He served in the Navy on an armed boat called "Rattletrap" on an expedition to New Orleans in 1777. We have no mention of his wife that we could find, but his children were: Joseph, Thomas, James Jr., Manning Anderson, and Betsy.

James II, son of James, born in Virginia in 1773, married Phoebe Jones. His second marriage was to Patsy Howard. He was elected Commissioner to select a permanent location for the county seat of Scott County. Near Doyle, White County, Tennessee, there is an old Walling graveyard. The markers indicate that James Walling was born in 1773 and died in 1849. Phoebe Jones, born in 1771, died in 1843. From the records of Maude Walling we are told, although we do not have the positive evidence, in the best connection of records that this James was father of John Walling, Sr., who came to Texas after his sons, Thomas and James. Reverend Walling adds to the list of children, making it include Joseph, Nancy, and Elizabeth (Betsy).

There is much evidence to support the fact that Thomas, the son of James, was our forebear. Thomas had a son Jessie who married his first cousin, Nancy, daughter of James. Jessie’s brothers were John, Smith, and Joe. Nancy, daughter of James, had brothers and sisters as follows; Daniel, James, Ruth, Denton, Susan Denton, Sarah Roberts, and Shelby.

Jessie was born in 1801 and died in 1841. Nancy was born July 21, 1804 and died December 16, 1849. They had children as follows: Daniel, James, Elisha, Phoebe, Gist, Creed, Crockett, Stockley and Smith.

James was born in 1828 and died in 1870. He married Altamira Pennington, who was born in 1820 and died in 1875. We are not sure when the family left Virginia, but the records on Jessie and Nancy and their families give the place of birth as Tennessee. When this couple died, they left four minor children: Creed, Stockley, Crockett, and Smith.

First, Daniel was made the minor children’s guardian; then he resigned and James was named their guardian in Daniel’s place. Somewhere in the early fifties, James and his wife, Altamira, came to Texas. They settled near James’ father’s cousin, Jessie. Court records show James and Alma near Church Hill. Cousin Jessie was at Millville. The minor children show up in the households of Cousin Jesse, and he was appointed guardian in Texas, August 18, 1851. Smith Walling died in 1852 or 1853.

James and Altamira had children born in Texas as follows: Andrew, Osborn, Martha B. (Mattie), and Mary. Mary is seen only once on the records as an infant. It can be supposed that she died at an early age. Family tradition has it that Osborn left as a young man, and the family never heard from him again.

Martha B. (Mattie) married A.J. (Dude) Weaver, and they had the following children: Kiziah, James (Jim), Cora, Birtie, Emmett, Ross (See Ross Weaver story.) Minnie, Mary, and Martha. The last two were twins. Mary died when only a few months old, and Mattie died within the year. Dude Weaver died January 1, 1924.