Family History - Person Sheet
Family History - Person Sheet
Notes for Luke Mattingly
It isn’t clear who Sarah’s Mattingly’s parents were. Three sources have suggested that they were Luke Mattingly and Eleanor Thompson, which seems to me a very good possibility. An old listserve post2063 states as a fact that Margaret (actually, Mary2064) Mattingly, who married Richard Lyon, was a sister of Sara Mattingly, who married Gustavius Lyon, and of (Thomas) Luke Mattingly, who married Mary Hayden. This post, however, is undocumented and rather speculative. More cautious but solid research comes from Linda Reno2039, who independently worked through the 1810 St. Mary’s County census, ending up with Luke Mattingly by process of elimination, since no other Mattinglys had daughters of eligible age. Finally, an unsourced family tree193 shows Sarah born 1777 in St. Mary’s County, died 1835 in Bardstown Kentucky, as daughter of Luke Mattingly. This version has him marrying first Eleanor Thompson, who died in 1776, then Sue Ellen Hagan, who was Sarah’s mother. This is plausible but unfortunately without the backing of any specifics.
There are a number of Luke Mattinglys around in Maryland and Kentucky, with ample room for confusion. The one of focus here married Eleanor Thompson on February 11, 1772.2065 He remained in Maryland through the 1810 census2059), in which he was reported to be over 45 years old. Names of neighbors on that census page include Thompson (his wife’s maiden name), Lyon (his hypothesized daughters’ husbands), Hayden (his son’s wife). The census and marriage records would suggest a birth date perhaps a bit before 1750. He had a son called Luke, Jr.2039 Luke, Jr. appears to be in the 1820 census of Washington County, Kentucky.2066 Neighbors on that census page include a Hayden (son’s wife), a Hinton (wife of Joseph Mattingly, relationship to Luke unknown), various Alveys (also a neighbor in the 1810 St. Mary’s census), and five other Mattingly households. The census reports are consistent with a move in the latter half of the 1810s, as indicated by the reported birthplaces of the children of Augustus and Sara Lyon. There is a bill of sale for “chattle” – personal property, not “cattle” – from Luke Mattingly to Richard Lyon in St. Mary’s County, dated March 28, 1815.2067
If we are willing to accept the premise that Sarah was Luke’s daughter, we can continue the tree back for a couple more generations. I’ve done so here, though things certainly aren’t proven. The chain won’t be stronger than its weakest link, however, which is probably in the tie from Sarah to Luke.
There are a number of Luke Mattinglys around in Maryland and Kentucky, with ample room for confusion. The one of focus here married Eleanor Thompson on February 11, 1772.2065 He remained in Maryland through the 1810 census2059), in which he was reported to be over 45 years old. Names of neighbors on that census page include Thompson (his wife’s maiden name), Lyon (his hypothesized daughters’ husbands), Hayden (his son’s wife). The census and marriage records would suggest a birth date perhaps a bit before 1750. He had a son called Luke, Jr.2039 Luke, Jr. appears to be in the 1820 census of Washington County, Kentucky.2066 Neighbors on that census page include a Hayden (son’s wife), a Hinton (wife of Joseph Mattingly, relationship to Luke unknown), various Alveys (also a neighbor in the 1810 St. Mary’s census), and five other Mattingly households. The census reports are consistent with a move in the latter half of the 1810s, as indicated by the reported birthplaces of the children of Augustus and Sara Lyon. There is a bill of sale for “chattle” – personal property, not “cattle” – from Luke Mattingly to Richard Lyon in St. Mary’s County, dated March 28, 1815.2067
If we are willing to accept the premise that Sarah was Luke’s daughter, we can continue the tree back for a couple more generations. I’ve done so here, though things certainly aren’t proven. The chain won’t be stronger than its weakest link, however, which is probably in the tie from Sarah to Luke.