Abigail, or Nabby, as she was called, to differentiate between her and her mother, Abigail Sumner Matthews, and her grandmother, Abigail Ball Matthews, for whom she was named, was born in Hartland, Vermont, at the foot of a good sized hill, called Clay Hill, upon which the first ski tow in America was located when Nabby was a child. This home was about 400 feet west of the little schoolhouse she attended.
Her grandfather, Major Joel Matthews, a local hero of the American Revolution, was one of the original founders of Hartland, and one of the first town clerks. The first name of the town was Hertford, but it was changed to Hartland in June 1782. The first transportation to and from Hartland was via rafts and flat boats on the Connecticut River. Eventually roads were laid out and built, and wagons and stagecoaches became the mode of travel, followed by the railroad which was completed to Hartland about 1850.
Nabby's father, Samuel Matthews, also served in the Revolutionary War. He was in a militia regiment and served during 1779-1780.
Nabby's father was a sheep farmer and, as a young girl, she and her sisters, Susannah and Patty, were taught to spin the wool and make socks and clothing for the family. She had a happy childhood until the death of her father in 1802 when she was 10 years old. It was so sad and her mother was now a widow with 8 children, ranging in age from a 2 year old (William Augustin Matthews, born March 10, 1800), up to Nabby's oldest sibling, John Matthews, born November 15, 1785, now age 17. Nabby's grandfather, Joel Matthews, stepped in and lived with the family, in return for Nabby's mother promise to care for him in his old age. It seemed to be a good arrangement, and other male family members were appointed guardians of the minor children, since Nabby's father's estate was declared insolvent. Nabby's guardian was a close family friend, Asa Taylor.
The Grow family in Hartland were friends of the Matthews family and lived near them, and when she was 17, Nabby married George Grow, age 21, son of Joseph Grow and Tirzah Sanger Grow, on December 6, 1809. They had 8 children, but only five lived to adulthood. The first six children were born in Hartland, and the last two in Derby, Orleans County, Vermont. About 1835 the family moved to the growing mill town of Lowell, Massachusetts, where daughters Sophia, Lucia and Louisa went to work in the Suffolk Cotton Mill.
Those 3 daughters and their oldest sister, Charity, all married, 2 of them in Lowell, 1 in Boston, and one in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Son, Henry also married.
Nabby's husband died in 1844, and she made her home with her children, moving between the five of them.
In the summer of 1860, when Nabby was 68, she traveled alone by train to Bangor, Maine, where she then hired a horse, buggy and driver to take her to Castle Hill, Aroostock County, Maine, where her daughter, Louisa Grow Bean was living in a newly built log cabin with her family, which included a brand new baby boy, Forrest Bean, born July 19, 1860. Her visit was a wonderful surprise for the family. Nabby brought supplies and gifts for the whole family. She stayed several months, helping out where she could.
The Matthews family had great spirits of adventure. They were unafraid of new opportunities and challenges. Nabby's youngest brother, William Augustin Matthews, 1800-1856, found on Find a Grave, # 119879518, left home about age 16-17, traveled southwest to Texas, fought in the Texas war for independence, and helped settle Gonzales County, Texas, becoming a very prominent cattleman in that state.
His son, Thomas Newton Matthews, 1849-1912, traveled north to Deadwood and Spearfish, South Dakota, establishing a large cattle ranch in Spearfish, and becoming a well established citizen in both South Dakota and Wyoming. He is mentioned in the book, "Progressive Men of Wyoming". His Find a Grave # is
119876950.
Nabby lived with all her children at different times until her death on 30 June 1885 in Boston. She was living with her daughter, Charity, at 10 Sumner Street in Boston when she died. Charity probably took her to Nashua to be buried with George. She was 93 at the time of her death. She had a long life well lived!
Her grandfather, Major Joel Matthews, a local hero of the American Revolution, was one of the original founders of Hartland, and one of the first town clerks. The first name of the town was Hertford, but it was changed to Hartland in June 1782. The first transportation to and from Hartland was via rafts and flat boats on the Connecticut River. Eventually roads were laid out and built, and wagons and stagecoaches became the mode of travel, followed by the railroad which was completed to Hartland about 1850.
Nabby's father, Samuel Matthews, also served in the Revolutionary War. He was in a militia regiment and served during 1779-1780.
Nabby's father was a sheep farmer and, as a young girl, she and her sisters, Susannah and Patty, were taught to spin the wool and make socks and clothing for the family. She had a happy childhood until the death of her father in 1802 when she was 10 years old. It was so sad and her mother was now a widow with 8 children, ranging in age from a 2 year old (William Augustin Matthews, born March 10, 1800), up to Nabby's oldest sibling, John Matthews, born November 15, 1785, now age 17. Nabby's grandfather, Joel Matthews, stepped in and lived with the family, in return for Nabby's mother promise to care for him in his old age. It seemed to be a good arrangement, and other male family members were appointed guardians of the minor children, since Nabby's father's estate was declared insolvent. Nabby's guardian was a close family friend, Asa Taylor.
The Grow family in Hartland were friends of the Matthews family and lived near them, and when she was 17, Nabby married George Grow, age 21, son of Joseph Grow and Tirzah Sanger Grow, on December 6, 1809. They had 8 children, but only five lived to adulthood. The first six children were born in Hartland, and the last two in Derby, Orleans County, Vermont. About 1835 the family moved to the growing mill town of Lowell, Massachusetts, where daughters Sophia, Lucia and Louisa went to work in the Suffolk Cotton Mill.
Those 3 daughters and their oldest sister, Charity, all married, 2 of them in Lowell, 1 in Boston, and one in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Son, Henry also married.
Nabby's husband died in 1844, and she made her home with her children, moving between the five of them.
In the summer of 1860, when Nabby was 68, she traveled alone by train to Bangor, Maine, where she then hired a horse, buggy and driver to take her to Castle Hill, Aroostock County, Maine, where her daughter, Louisa Grow Bean was living in a newly built log cabin with her family, which included a brand new baby boy, Forrest Bean, born July 19, 1860. Her visit was a wonderful surprise for the family. Nabby brought supplies and gifts for the whole family. She stayed several months, helping out where she could.
The Matthews family had great spirits of adventure. They were unafraid of new opportunities and challenges. Nabby's youngest brother, William Augustin Matthews, 1800-1856, found on Find a Grave, # 119879518, left home about age 16-17, traveled southwest to Texas, fought in the Texas war for independence, and helped settle Gonzales County, Texas, becoming a very prominent cattleman in that state.
His son, Thomas Newton Matthews, 1849-1912, traveled north to Deadwood and Spearfish, South Dakota, establishing a large cattle ranch in Spearfish, and becoming a well established citizen in both South Dakota and Wyoming. He is mentioned in the book, "Progressive Men of Wyoming". His Find a Grave # is
119876950.
Nabby lived with all her children at different times until her death on 30 June 1885 in Boston. She was living with her daughter, Charity, at 10 Sumner Street in Boston when she died. Charity probably took her to Nashua to be buried with George. She was 93 at the time of her death. She had a long life well lived!
Abigail, or Nabby, as she was called, to differentiate between her and her mother, Abigail Sumner Matthews, and her grandmother, Abigail Ball Matthews, for whom she was named, was born in Hartland, Vermont, at the foot of a good sized hill, called Clay Hill, upon which the first ski tow in America was located when Nabby was a child. This home was about 400 feet west of the little schoolhouse she attended.
Her grandfather, Major Joel Matthews, a local hero of the American Revolution, was one of the original founders of Hartland, and one of the first town clerks. The first name of the town was Hertford, but it was changed to Hartland in June 1782. The first transportation to and from Hartland was via rafts and flat boats on the Connecticut River. Eventually roads were laid out and built, and wagons and stagecoaches became the mode of travel, followed by the railroad which was completed to Hartland about 1850.
Nabby's father, Samuel Matthews, also served in the Revolutionary War. He was in a militia regiment and served during 1779-1780.
Nabby's father was a sheep farmer and, as a young girl, she and her sisters, Susannah and Patty, were taught to spin the wool and make socks and clothing for the family. She had a happy childhood until the death of her father in 1802 when she was 10 years old. It was so sad and her mother was now a widow with 8 children, ranging in age from a 2 year old (William Augustin Matthews, born March 10, 1800), up to Nabby's oldest sibling, John Matthews, born November 15, 1785, now age 17. Nabby's grandfather, Joel Matthews, stepped in and lived with the family, in return for Nabby's mother promise to care for him in his old age. It seemed to be a good arrangement, and other male family members were appointed guardians of the minor children, since Nabby's father's estate was declared insolvent. Nabby's guardian was a close family friend, Asa Taylor.
The Grow family in Hartland were friends of the Matthews family and lived near them, and when she was 17, Nabby married George Grow, age 21, son of Joseph Grow and Tirzah Sanger Grow, on December 6, 1809. They had 8 children, but only five lived to adulthood. The first six children were born in Hartland, and the last two in Derby, Orleans County, Vermont. About 1835 the family moved to the growing mill town of Lowell, Massachusetts, where daughters Sophia, Lucia and Louisa went to work in the Suffolk Cotton Mill.
Those 3 daughters and their oldest sister, Charity, all married, 2 of them in Lowell, 1 in Boston, and one in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Son, Henry also married.
Nabby's husband died in 1844, and she made her home with her children, moving between the five of them.
In the summer of 1860, when Nabby was 68, she traveled alone by train to Bangor, Maine, where she then hired a horse, buggy and driver to take her to Castle Hill, Aroostock County, Maine, where her daughter, Louisa Grow Bean was living in a newly built log cabin with her family, which included a brand new baby boy, Forrest Bean, born July 19, 1860. Her visit was a wonderful surprise for the family. Nabby brought supplies and gifts for the whole family. She stayed several months, helping out where she could.
The Matthews family had great spirits of adventure. They were unafraid of new opportunities and challenges. Nabby's youngest brother, William Augustin Matthews, 1800-1856, found on Find a Grave, # 119879518, left home about age 16-17, traveled southwest to Texas, fought in the Texas war for independence, and helped settle Gonzales County, Texas, becoming a very prominent cattleman in that state.
His son, Thomas Newton Matthews, 1849-1912, traveled north to Deadwood and Spearfish, South Dakota, establishing a large cattle ranch in Spearfish, and becoming a well established citizen in both South Dakota and Wyoming. He is mentioned in the book, "Progressive Men of Wyoming". His Find a Grave # is
119876950.
Nabby lived with all her children at different times until her death on 30 June 1885 in Boston. She was living with her daughter, Charity, at 10 Sumner Street in Boston when she died. Charity probably took her to Nashua to be buried with George. She was 93 at the time of her death. She had a long life well lived!
Her grandfather, Major Joel Matthews, a local hero of the American Revolution, was one of the original founders of Hartland, and one of the first town clerks. The first name of the town was Hertford, but it was changed to Hartland in June 1782. The first transportation to and from Hartland was via rafts and flat boats on the Connecticut River. Eventually roads were laid out and built, and wagons and stagecoaches became the mode of travel, followed by the railroad which was completed to Hartland about 1850.
Nabby's father, Samuel Matthews, also served in the Revolutionary War. He was in a militia regiment and served during 1779-1780.
Nabby's father was a sheep farmer and, as a young girl, she and her sisters, Susannah and Patty, were taught to spin the wool and make socks and clothing for the family. She had a happy childhood until the death of her father in 1802 when she was 10 years old. It was so sad and her mother was now a widow with 8 children, ranging in age from a 2 year old (William Augustin Matthews, born March 10, 1800), up to Nabby's oldest sibling, John Matthews, born November 15, 1785, now age 17. Nabby's grandfather, Joel Matthews, stepped in and lived with the family, in return for Nabby's mother promise to care for him in his old age. It seemed to be a good arrangement, and other male family members were appointed guardians of the minor children, since Nabby's father's estate was declared insolvent. Nabby's guardian was a close family friend, Asa Taylor.
The Grow family in Hartland were friends of the Matthews family and lived near them, and when she was 17, Nabby married George Grow, age 21, son of Joseph Grow and Tirzah Sanger Grow, on December 6, 1809. They had 8 children, but only five lived to adulthood. The first six children were born in Hartland, and the last two in Derby, Orleans County, Vermont. About 1835 the family moved to the growing mill town of Lowell, Massachusetts, where daughters Sophia, Lucia and Louisa went to work in the Suffolk Cotton Mill.
Those 3 daughters and their oldest sister, Charity, all married, 2 of them in Lowell, 1 in Boston, and one in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Son, Henry also married.
Nabby's husband died in 1844, and she made her home with her children, moving between the five of them.
In the summer of 1860, when Nabby was 68, she traveled alone by train to Bangor, Maine, where she then hired a horse, buggy and driver to take her to Castle Hill, Aroostock County, Maine, where her daughter, Louisa Grow Bean was living in a newly built log cabin with her family, which included a brand new baby boy, Forrest Bean, born July 19, 1860. Her visit was a wonderful surprise for the family. Nabby brought supplies and gifts for the whole family. She stayed several months, helping out where she could.
The Matthews family had great spirits of adventure. They were unafraid of new opportunities and challenges. Nabby's youngest brother, William Augustin Matthews, 1800-1856, found on Find a Grave, # 119879518, left home about age 16-17, traveled southwest to Texas, fought in the Texas war for independence, and helped settle Gonzales County, Texas, becoming a very prominent cattleman in that state.
His son, Thomas Newton Matthews, 1849-1912, traveled north to Deadwood and Spearfish, South Dakota, establishing a large cattle ranch in Spearfish, and becoming a well established citizen in both South Dakota and Wyoming. He is mentioned in the book, "Progressive Men of Wyoming". His Find a Grave # is
119876950.
Nabby lived with all her children at different times until her death on 30 June 1885 in Boston. She was living with her daughter, Charity, at 10 Sumner Street in Boston when she died. Charity probably took her to Nashua to be buried with George. She was 93 at the time of her death. She had a long life well lived!
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