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| Licking River |
Matilda Jane Hawkins was the daughter of Hansford Hawkins and Rhoda Ann Fletcher. She was born 5 January 1863 in Adair County, Missouri (we know from Census records that her parents were living in Clay Township then, post office Wilmothville). Her marriage license confirms her maiden name. Her son, James Travis Hyatt's Social Security Application as well as his death record also confirm her maiden name was Hawkins. Her birthdate is confirmed by her death certificate.
Matilda was born during her parents temporary residence in Missouri. They had moved there with extended Hawkins family, to take advantage of the lower rates for land. Within a few years of their arrival there, the coming Civil War began to cause outbreaks of violence in Missouri. It must have been a difficult time for the family. Matilda's father relocated the family back to Kentucky to be near family.
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| The Hawkins family moved from Clay Township, Adair, Missouri back to Popular Plains Precinct, Fleming, Kentucky about 1863 |
Though the war years devastated many families, Matilda's family came through without a great deal of loss or hardship. This was probably due to the fact that the mountainous region in which they lived was spared any battles or depravations from enemy troops. Matilda appeared in the
1870 Census (Poplar Plains Precinct, Fleming County, KY) with her parents
(Hansford Hawkins and Rhoda Ann Fletcher).
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| 1870 Federal Census |
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| Bath & Fleming Counties share a border along the Licking River. The Hawkins family lived on land adjacent to this river. |
Matilda was married in the family home on the 28th of August in 1879, to Jonathan Edgar Hyatt in Bath
County Kentucky. The license reads, "State of
Kentucky, Bath County. It is hereby
certified, that under and by virtue of the within License, I did, on the 28th
day of August 1879, at the house of Hansford Hawkins in said county, celebrate
the rites of Matrimony between the within named J. E. Hiatt and Matilda Hawkins
and that Charlie Wallingford, W. N. Hiatt were present and witnessed the
celebration. Given under my hand, this 28th day of August 1879. J. H.
Wallingford, Minister, C. A.
Baptist Church"
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| Marriage License of Matilda Jane Hawkins |
She appears in the
1880 Census in her in-laws home with her husband (where she is listed as
daughter-in-law to the head of household).
Name:
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Edgar Hiatt
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Age:
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27
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Birth Year:
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abt
1853
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Birthplace:
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Kentucky
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Home in 1880:
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Bethel,
Bath, Kentucky
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Race:
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White
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Gender:
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Male
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Relation to Head of House:
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Son
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Marital Status:
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Married
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Spouse's Name:
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Matilda
Hiatt
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Father's Name:
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William
Hiatt
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Father's Birthplace:
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Kentucky
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Mother's name:
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Lavina
Hiatt
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Mother's Birthplace:
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Kentucky
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Occupation:
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Laborer
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Household Members:
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Jonathan and Matilda
Hyatt had the following children:
1) Lavina Hyatt b.
Feb 1881 Bath, KY
2) George William
Hyatt b. 22 May 1884 Bath, KY
3) Robert Hyatt b.
13 Jul 1887 Bath, KY; m. Mary Thompson
4) Rhoda Hyatt b.
Sep 1890 Bath, KY; m. John Frank Igo
5) Edgar Hansford
Hyatt b. 29 Jul 1893 Bath, KY
6) Jefferson Evert
Hyatt b. 16 Nov 1896 Bath, KY; d. Feb 1969 Douglas, Cochese, AZ; m. Iva M.
Hyatt
7) James Travis
Hyatt b. 16 Jul 1899 Bath, KY; d. 25 Jun 1969 Morgantown, Monongalia, WV; m.
Letha Victoria Fortney
The 1900 Census says
they had been married 22 years. They lived in Owingsville, Bath County,
Kentucky.
After Jonathan Edgar
Hyatt died, Matilda married again. She shows up in the 1920 Census living with
Frank and Rhoda Igo (her daughter), and named Matilda Brooks. She was already
widowed again.
In 1930 she is still
living them (Frank and Rhoda Odo) in Cass Township, Monongalia, WV and still
Matilda Brooks. Her death record (which gives her name as Matilda Hawkins
Brooks) gives her birth and death dates, as well as her mother's maiden name
(though her father's name is wrong).
One of Matilda's
granddaughters said that her grandmother was full of superstitious beliefs
about many things. The granddaughter was sympathetic about her beliefs in some
things, particularly in that Matilda would often tell stories about
people who had premonitions about things to come. One story she remembered in
particular was of a woman who heard a sound like a load of coal being delivered
to her doorstep that woke her in the night. As she came to her door to see what
had happened, she heard the alarm sound at the mine where her husband worked.
She knew at that moment that he had been killed in a mining accident, and he
had.
James Travis Hyatt,
Matilda's son, was always skeptical of his mother's stories. He would shrug
them off as part of her ignorance. But on the day that Matilda died, he came to
believe. He heard a knock on the door, and told his daughter to answer it. The
doorway was at the end of a narrow passage that led past their front window,
and they had not seen anyone pass by. The daughter went to answer the door, but
no one was there. When she returned to tell him that, he got a peculiar
expression on his face as if he were frightened. That night they learned that
Matilda had passed away about the time of the knock on the door.
Her granddaughter
also said that the spirit of her grandmother, Matilda, came to visit her
shortly after Matilda's death. The granddaughter dreamt that the wall of her
room moved aside like a curtain, and her grandmother came through it with two
beings dressed in white. Matilda would not let her granddaughter approach her, but
told her she had a message for her. She insisted that her granddaughter
never lose her faith in God. When the granddaughter awoke the next day, she
turned to her sister to tell her about the vivid dream that she'd experienced.
As she described it, her sister looked at her with a surprised expression, and
said that she had the same dream that night.
Matilda's death date
comes from her death certificate which gives her death date as 21 Jun 1933 in
Monongalia WV. Her death certificate also says that she is buried in Monongalia
County Cemetery. I have not yet obtained a photograph of her grave marker.
Note: There is a
Kentucky Death Record listed that is NOT her. Do not be fooled by it. If you
look at the actual record it says that she is colored, her husband's name is
Ruben Hyatt, and her father's last name is Bonner, not Hawkins. Name: Matilda
(Hawkins) Hyatt Death Date: 26 Oct
1927 Death Place: Jefferson (KY) Age: 069 Volume: 47
Certificate: 23190.
