Matilda Frances Nowland was born in 1803 in Harford, Maryland. her father, Peregrine, was 40, and her mother, Rebecca Savin, was 35.
She married her first cousin in 1825, attorney William Savin Fulton, son of her Aunt Elizabeth Savin Fulton, and they had eight children together. He was a territorial Gov of Arkansas, assigned by Andrew Jackson, then became a US Senator. She was a friend to many, and a rock to family in Little Rock.
Managing her household included the supervision of slaves they owned on the property they called "Rosewood". She did a lot of this her own as her husband was often away, especially due to his travels to represent Arkansas in Washington D.C. She was often praised for her organization and ability to keep things tidy. She was well respected for her frugality. She educated herself to make the most of what was grown/raised on their plantation.
There are tales told by her and written down from those mid 1800 years about some of the things she had to manage to keep the slaves in line that would seem very insensitive to the plight of a slave by today's (2023) reader. For example, one of her slaves, named Marcus was considered unruly because his wife was sold to another master and he wanted Matilda to buy her back. He caused a lot of mischief and eventually had to be incarcerated and beaten for his efforts to be with his wife. Matilda had to, she reported, 'resign herself' that Marcus was "his own man". No record shows he was reunited with his wife.
Matilda had many tragic events of her own in life. She suffered the loss of all but 3 of children before adulthood. After one such loss she became ill she almost died as well- but William stayed with her during this time even to the criticism of missing some government duties. One surviving daughter, Elizabeth Wright, was a great historian determined to keep the memory of her parents alive and was instrumental in insuring they were remembered in word and institutions.
In 1833 Matilda's mother, Rebecca Savin Nowland, died on a ship bound for a visit to Arkansas. She arrived only to be buried there.
1841 Matilda's beloved brother, Edward W.B. Nowland, was shot dead in an argument over a horse when he served as a judge in a horse racing. He had 4 small children at the time and was only 35 years old. They were very close siblings- Edward having moved there being appointed to high positions of Arkansas government by William.
Matilda's husbad died from a freak accident at age 49 so she lived many years as a widow and saw the end to slavery and many sons of Arkansas go to war and not return. William could not have predicted these events- Matilda had to make many decisions on her own with little preparation.
Matilda Nowland Fulton died in 1879 in Little Rock, Arkansas, having lived a long life of 76 years, and was buried there.
She married her first cousin in 1825, attorney William Savin Fulton, son of her Aunt Elizabeth Savin Fulton, and they had eight children together. He was a territorial Gov of Arkansas, assigned by Andrew Jackson, then became a US Senator. She was a friend to many, and a rock to family in Little Rock.
Managing her household included the supervision of slaves they owned on the property they called "Rosewood". She did a lot of this her own as her husband was often away, especially due to his travels to represent Arkansas in Washington D.C. She was often praised for her organization and ability to keep things tidy. She was well respected for her frugality. She educated herself to make the most of what was grown/raised on their plantation.
There are tales told by her and written down from those mid 1800 years about some of the things she had to manage to keep the slaves in line that would seem very insensitive to the plight of a slave by today's (2023) reader. For example, one of her slaves, named Marcus was considered unruly because his wife was sold to another master and he wanted Matilda to buy her back. He caused a lot of mischief and eventually had to be incarcerated and beaten for his efforts to be with his wife. Matilda had to, she reported, 'resign herself' that Marcus was "his own man". No record shows he was reunited with his wife.
Matilda had many tragic events of her own in life. She suffered the loss of all but 3 of children before adulthood. After one such loss she became ill she almost died as well- but William stayed with her during this time even to the criticism of missing some government duties. One surviving daughter, Elizabeth Wright, was a great historian determined to keep the memory of her parents alive and was instrumental in insuring they were remembered in word and institutions.
In 1833 Matilda's mother, Rebecca Savin Nowland, died on a ship bound for a visit to Arkansas. She arrived only to be buried there.
1841 Matilda's beloved brother, Edward W.B. Nowland, was shot dead in an argument over a horse when he served as a judge in a horse racing. He had 4 small children at the time and was only 35 years old. They were very close siblings- Edward having moved there being appointed to high positions of Arkansas government by William.
Matilda's husbad died from a freak accident at age 49 so she lived many years as a widow and saw the end to slavery and many sons of Arkansas go to war and not return. William could not have predicted these events- Matilda had to make many decisions on her own with little preparation.
Matilda Nowland Fulton died in 1879 in Little Rock, Arkansas, having lived a long life of 76 years, and was buried there.
Matilda Frances Nowland was born in 1803 in Harford, Maryland. her father, Peregrine, was 40, and her mother, Rebecca Savin, was 35.
She married her first cousin in 1825, attorney William Savin Fulton, son of her Aunt Elizabeth Savin Fulton, and they had eight children together. He was a territorial Gov of Arkansas, assigned by Andrew Jackson, then became a US Senator. She was a friend to many, and a rock to family in Little Rock.
Managing her household included the supervision of slaves they owned on the property they called "Rosewood". She did a lot of this her own as her husband was often away, especially due to his travels to represent Arkansas in Washington D.C. She was often praised for her organization and ability to keep things tidy. She was well respected for her frugality. She educated herself to make the most of what was grown/raised on their plantation.
There are tales told by her and written down from those mid 1800 years about some of the things she had to manage to keep the slaves in line that would seem very insensitive to the plight of a slave by today's (2023) reader. For example, one of her slaves, named Marcus was considered unruly because his wife was sold to another master and he wanted Matilda to buy her back. He caused a lot of mischief and eventually had to be incarcerated and beaten for his efforts to be with his wife. Matilda had to, she reported, 'resign herself' that Marcus was "his own man". No record shows he was reunited with his wife.
Matilda had many tragic events of her own in life. She suffered the loss of all but 3 of children before adulthood. After one such loss she became ill she almost died as well- but William stayed with her during this time even to the criticism of missing some government duties. One surviving daughter, Elizabeth Wright, was a great historian determined to keep the memory of her parents alive and was instrumental in insuring they were remembered in word and institutions.
In 1833 Matilda's mother, Rebecca Savin Nowland, died on a ship bound for a visit to Arkansas. She arrived only to be buried there.
1841 Matilda's beloved brother, Edward W.B. Nowland, was shot dead in an argument over a horse when he served as a judge in a horse racing. He had 4 small children at the time and was only 35 years old. They were very close siblings- Edward having moved there being appointed to high positions of Arkansas government by William.
Matilda's husbad died from a freak accident at age 49 so she lived many years as a widow and saw the end to slavery and many sons of Arkansas go to war and not return. William could not have predicted these events- Matilda had to make many decisions on her own with little preparation.
Matilda Nowland Fulton died in 1879 in Little Rock, Arkansas, having lived a long life of 76 years, and was buried there.
She married her first cousin in 1825, attorney William Savin Fulton, son of her Aunt Elizabeth Savin Fulton, and they had eight children together. He was a territorial Gov of Arkansas, assigned by Andrew Jackson, then became a US Senator. She was a friend to many, and a rock to family in Little Rock.
Managing her household included the supervision of slaves they owned on the property they called "Rosewood". She did a lot of this her own as her husband was often away, especially due to his travels to represent Arkansas in Washington D.C. She was often praised for her organization and ability to keep things tidy. She was well respected for her frugality. She educated herself to make the most of what was grown/raised on their plantation.
There are tales told by her and written down from those mid 1800 years about some of the things she had to manage to keep the slaves in line that would seem very insensitive to the plight of a slave by today's (2023) reader. For example, one of her slaves, named Marcus was considered unruly because his wife was sold to another master and he wanted Matilda to buy her back. He caused a lot of mischief and eventually had to be incarcerated and beaten for his efforts to be with his wife. Matilda had to, she reported, 'resign herself' that Marcus was "his own man". No record shows he was reunited with his wife.
Matilda had many tragic events of her own in life. She suffered the loss of all but 3 of children before adulthood. After one such loss she became ill she almost died as well- but William stayed with her during this time even to the criticism of missing some government duties. One surviving daughter, Elizabeth Wright, was a great historian determined to keep the memory of her parents alive and was instrumental in insuring they were remembered in word and institutions.
In 1833 Matilda's mother, Rebecca Savin Nowland, died on a ship bound for a visit to Arkansas. She arrived only to be buried there.
1841 Matilda's beloved brother, Edward W.B. Nowland, was shot dead in an argument over a horse when he served as a judge in a horse racing. He had 4 small children at the time and was only 35 years old. They were very close siblings- Edward having moved there being appointed to high positions of Arkansas government by William.
Matilda's husbad died from a freak accident at age 49 so she lived many years as a widow and saw the end to slavery and many sons of Arkansas go to war and not return. William could not have predicted these events- Matilda had to make many decisions on her own with little preparation.
Matilda Nowland Fulton died in 1879 in Little Rock, Arkansas, having lived a long life of 76 years, and was buried there.
Gravesite Details
Wife of Senator William Savin Fulton.
Family Members
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