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- Anne Mathews was born c1767, and died 11 May 1840, in Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia, where she is buried in the churchyard of Trinity Episcopal Church. Her tombstone reads "Here lies the remains of Anne Blackburn, late Anne Matthews, daughter of the late Genl. George Matthews, and widow of Genl. Samuel Blackburn, who departed this life 11 May 1840, aged 73." She married 28 August 1785, in Virginia, Samuel BLACKBURN (called General Blackburn, though he held no military position). General Samuel BLACKBURN was born c1758 in Augusta County, Virginia, and died 2 March 1835, in Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia, where is buried in the churchyard of Trinity Episcopal Church, next to his wife. No children were born of this marriage.
Gilmer [Gilmer, George R., Sketches of Some of the First Settlers of Upper Georgia, of the Cherokees and the Author, orig. publ. 1855, reprinted, Americus, Georgia, 1926.] says:
"Anne Mathews, oldest daughter of Gen. Mathews, married Samuel Blackburn, who was of Irish descent, if not an Irishman. He was a classical scholar, and for some time after his removal to Georgia, principal teacher of the academy in Washington, Wilks County. Whilst thus employed he prepared himself for the practice of the law. After his marriage, he settled in Elbert County, on Broad River, where he commenced the life of a lawyer. He was advancing successfully in his profession and political influence, when the Legislature met in 1795. He was a member. His conduct in relation to the Yazoo Act, was such as to excite suspicion that he held with the hare whilst he ran with the dogs. Though he voted against the act, it was alleged that he spoke for it, and would have voted the same way if it could not have otherwise passed, and that his voting against it was done by consent of the speculators, to save the Governor, his father-in-law, from suspicion of being concerned in the purchase. The allegations against the integrity of General Blackburn, were founded upon the most trivial circumstances. They were, however, so noised abroad among his constituents, that he quitted Georgia, and settled in Staunton, Virginia, and afterwards upon his plantation, called the Wilderness, in Bath County. He several times represented Bath County in the Virginia Legislature. His fine eloquent men of his time. He was a Federalist in politics. His abusive denunciations of the Republicans, when he was a member of the Virginia Legislature, made him long remembered by the partiesof the State."
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