Person Page 187

Matthew Lyddall Bacon was born on 24 Jan 1834 in Christian Co., KentuckyG.^4,5,6
     He moved to GarrettsburgG with his parents, about 1836.¹³ He moved to BeverlyG with his parents in 1838.¹³ He moved to Lafayette, Christian Co., KentuckyG, with his parents in the fall of 1839.¹³
     He was probably one of the two males age 5 to10 listed in the household of his father, Charles Asbury Bacon, in the 1840 Federal Census of Lafayette, Christian Co., KentuckyG.¹⁴
     His mother died on 11 Oct 1841, when Matthew was 7 years old.^15,16
     He moved in 1842 to Garrettsburg, KentuckyG, with his father.¹³ He moved to Roaring Spring, Trigg Co.G, with his father and stepmother in 1846.¹³ He appeared on the 1850 Federal Census of Trigg Co., KentuckyG, in the household of his father, Charles Asbury Bacon, and Margaret Gaines Gibson, his stepmother.^17,18
     Matthew appeared on the 1860 Federal Census of Hopkinsville, Christian Co., KentuckyG, enumerated 3 Aug 1860, reporting personal estate of $2,500. He was listed in the household of H. E. Bacon, his father's brother Hillary, and his wife. Also in the household was George L. Bacon, age 22 and born in Virginia, likely cousin, and James A Pendleton, age 57, a tailor.¹⁹

Drawn to Memphis by Martha's Sister --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Matthew and Martha had been engaged to marry before she had accompanied her sister to Memphis. They had not expected to marry until she became of age, but Sarah was anxious to have someone to manage her business affairs, and urged them to marry and live with her. He was then in business in Evansville, IndianaG, and was not anxious to move to Memphis, and neither of them "desired to live south." Nevertheless, after Martha had been living in Memphis from Jan to Oct 1865, in what she later described as "a life of much sacrifice and loneliness, as we were cut off from both the city and neighbors by military lines established near the gate," they did marry and agreed to live with Sarah.²⁰
     Matthew married Martha Washington Tuck, daughter of Dr. Davis Green Tuck and Elizabeth M. Toot, on 5 Oct 1865 in Shelby Co., TennesseeG, at the home of her eldest sister Sarah, with Rev. I. O. Steadman officiating.^7,8,9
     On 12 Aug 1874 Matthew and Martha sold her interest in her father's estate, consisting of her one-sixth share in his 1,000-acre farm, to Permelia S. Walton, for $2,100.²¹
     Matthew and Martha appeared on the 1870 Federal Census of Memphis, Shelby Co., TennesseeG, in the household of her sister Sarah.²² Matthew and Martha, and their daughter Elizabeth, appeared on the 1880 Federal Census of Shelby Co., Tennessee G, in the household of Sarah.²³ It appears that Matthew and Martha built their own home next door to Sarah on the property that Martha had obtained from her about 1882.²⁴

An Able Business Man --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Matthew reported his occupation as a merchant in the 1860 census in Hopkinsville, KentuckyG. No details about his business there, or his reported business in Evansville have been found.^25,26 The earliest record found of his occupation in Memphis is in 1869, when he was a bookkeeper for Russell, Grove & Co., operators of the Gayoso planning mill and lumber yard at 212 Adams. The following year he was listed as a clerk a the Post Office, though his occupation listed in the 1870 census was bookkeeper.^27,28
     No further record of his occupation has been found until 1878, when he joined W. B. Waldran and F. W. Royster in a real estate brokers under the name of Royster, Waldran & Bacon.^29,30 A newspaper advertisement that year described the firm's business as:
     Matthew left that firm about 1880 and established his own real estate and rental agency, at 5 Madison, MemphisG. He continued that business at the same address until his death.^32,29,33
     On 6 Apr 1870 Matthew purchased a store house on Front St., or Mississippi Row, in Memphis, from the estate of his brother-in-law, Quintus C. Atkinson, for $20,000.³⁴ Matthew was described in an 1887 book as
     On 13 May 1883 Matthew bought the six remaining small lots behind the home of his late sister-in-law, Sarah Elizabeth Tuck, from her executors and the bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to whom she had bequeathed them. He transferred all but one of them 10 Jun 1885 to the purchaser of the lot with Sarah's main house.³⁶

The Will of a Thoughtful Man --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Matthew left a will dated 19 Oct 1893 stating he was of Shelby Co., TennesseeG, in which he stated he was to be buried "in the simplest way possible in an ordinary wooden coffin," and as far as may be agreeable to his wife and daughter, in private. Any religious services were left to the discretion of his wife and daughter. He left his entire estate equally to his wife and daughter after payment of debts, which he said consisted only of monthly balances and monthly grocery and store bills of his wife's making. His wife was to have full authority to manage the estate as she pleased, and was to support their daughter until she married. At which time they could hold their interests jointly or divide them as equally as possible. He acknowledged that their home on Poplar St. was owned by his wife and was not part of his estate. He appointed his wife as executrix, to serve without security or need for any accounting other than to the daughter.³⁷
     Matthew died on 5 Sep 1898 in Hopkinsville, Christian Co., KentuckyG, at age 64.^10,4,11 He was buried on 7 Sep 1898 in Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Shelby Co., TennesseeG, with his wife in their lot in the Miller Circle section.^12,2
     His will was proved on 15 Sep 1898 in Shelby Co., TennesseeG, Probate Court. Letters Testamentary were issued to his widow as executrix, without bond as specified in the will.³⁸
     The final settlement of the estate was filed on 9 May 1901. His executrix stated that she had provided the required notice to creditors and settled all claims, and that no accounting was required as specified in the will. She stated that she and her daughter had agreed to hold their interests in the estate jointly, and asked to be discharged as executrix. Her daughter and her husband stated their agreement with the statement. The court accepted the statement and discharged her.³⁹
     On 7 Dec 1909 Martha filed a petition for letters of administration to re-open Matthew's estate in order to collect a $2,000 life insurance policy on Sitwell Harris, who had recently died. She was granted letters as executrix de bonis non (for goods not administrated). She apparently failed to file a settlement in this new case, as a summons for her to do so was issued 24 Feb 1914. The sheriff reported 19 May that she could not be found.⁴⁰

Rebecca Ann Tuck was born on 3 Oct 1824 in Halifax Co., VirginiaG.^4,5,6
     She was probably the female age 5 to 10 listed in the household of her father, Dr. Davis Green Tuck, in the 1830 Federal Census of Halifax Co., VirginiaG.¹²
     She moved to Christian Co., KentuckyG, with her parents in 1832 or early 1833.^13,14 She was probably one of the two females age 15 to 20 listed in the household of her father in the 1840 Federal Census of Christian Co., KentuckyG.¹⁵
     Rebecca married Thomas Henry McNeill, son of Malcom McNeill and Martha Rivers, who lived on the adjoining farm, on 26 Oct 1842 in Christian Co., KentuckyG, with Sam B. White officiating.^7,8
     Rebecca and Thomas settled Kentucky near his father's farm, near LafayetteG after their marriage.¹⁶
     Rebecca and Thomas seemed to have moved their family permanently to Coahoma Co., MississippiG, about 1848, as all their subsequent children were born there.
     Rebecca died on 22 Nov 1859 near Garrettsburg, Christian Co., KentuckyG, at age 35.^9,5,10 She was buried in the Tuck-Elliott Family Cemetery, Lafayette, Christian Co., KentuckyG.¹¹

Thomas Henry McNeill was born on 1 Aug 1821 in Lafayette, Christian Co., KentuckyG.^4,5,6
     His mother died on 5 Aug 1827, when Thomas was 6 years old.¹⁴
     He was probably the male under age 5 to 10 listed in the household of his father, Malcom McNeill, in the 1830 Federal Census of Christian Co., KentuckyG.¹⁵ Thomas gave his son Thomas a parcel of 698 acres from that plantation 22 Dec 1857, leaving over 3,000 acres.¹⁶
     Thomas graduated from Yale CollegeG at the age of 18.¹⁷
     Thomas married first Rebecca Ann Tuck, daughter of Dr. Davis Green Tuck and Elizabeth M. Toot, who lived on the adjoining farm, on 26 Oct 1842 in Christian Co., KentuckyG, with Sam B. White officiating.^7,8
     Thomas and Rebecca settled near his father's farm, near Lafayette, KentuckyG, after their marriage.¹⁷

Becoming a Mississippi Planter --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     His father had acquired large parcels of land in Mississippi, and Thomas took charge of them, becoming supposedly the largest cotton planter in the South.¹⁷
     Thomas and Rebecca seemed to have moved their family permanently to Coahoma Co., MississippiG, about 1848, as all their subsequent children were born there.
     Thomas has not been found in the 1850 or 1860 census, when they are believed to have been living in Coahoma Co., MississippiG. His holding of 24 slaves is listed on the 1850 census in Coahoma Co., MississippiG, enumerated 16 Oct 1850.¹⁸
     Thomas purchased his first land in Coahoma Co., MississippiG, on 5 Dec 1853, a section (one mile square, 644 acres) in the vicinity of his father's plantation on the Mississippi River. He bought it from the county school commissioners, paying $377 to hold it for 99 years.¹⁹ He purchased about 524 acres on the Mississippi River, on 2 Feb 1856 from Samuel B. Eason for $900.50.²⁰
     When his wife's eldest brother, Dr. William J. Tuck, died in MemphisG in 1859 leaving a library of 536 books, Thomas purchased over half of them when they were offered at auction, for $392.²¹
     On 22 Dec 1857 his father gave him a parcel of 698 acres fronting on the Mississippi River,G adjacent to his previous purchase. The river has since changed course, and this property now is on a cutoff section called Desoto Lake.¹⁶ On 31 Dec 1857 Thomas sold all of the parcels he had accumulated in his southern plantation, including those given to him by his father a week before, to Goodloe W. Malone, for $48,625.²²

Creating a New Plantation --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Shortly before selling his previous properties Thomas purchased a 1,100-acre parcel about ten miles north, also fronting on the Mississippi River. He purchased the property from Henry H. Beard on 31 Mar 1857, for $33,000 with an unusual "title bond." He paid $12,000 in cash and agreed to pay the remainder in two equal annual installments. The seller wrote him 16 Dec 1859 urging him to come down and perfect his title, but no further record has been found. The title bond and the letter were finally recorded in 1870, but it is not clear by which party.²³ According to family correspondence this was the site of a plantation he established called "Dogwood." The river has since changed course, and this property now is on mostly in the river, with parts now on the other side.
     By the late 1850's Thomas and his family spent winters on his plantation in Mississippi, and the fall and spring months in Memphis, TennesseeG. They spent the summer months traveling. He was said to entertain his friends "in the most elaborate style."¹⁷
     His wife died on 22 Nov 1859 in Garrettsburg, Christian Co., KentuckyG.^24,25,26
     The 1860 Federal Census of Coahoma Co., MississippiG, enumerated 18 Apr 1860, lists 82 slaves belonging to him. It is not clear whose property they were working on, though there is some indication they were rented to someone named Boon.²⁷
     Thomas married second Ann Eliza Arthur, daughter of William Arthur and Susannah Hill Peters, on 11 Jun 1861 in Marshall Co., MississippiG.^9,10

A Brief Military Career --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

      Thomas enlisted as a Jr. 2nd Lieutenant in Co. B, Chalmers' Battalion, Partisan Rangers on 23 Aug 1862, in Suffordville, now Lyon, Mississippi. G That unit later became Co. B, 18th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry.²⁸ He submitted a letter of resignation, stating he was physically unable to perform the duties of the office, writing from Coahoma Co., MississippiG. His resignation was accepted 30 Jun 1863.²⁹
     His second wife died on 3 Oct 1866.^13,4
     Thomas died on 29 Nov 1866 at his plantation in Coahoma Co., MississippiG, at age 45.^11,12,4,6 He was buried in the Boddie Family Cemetery, Lafayette, Christian Co., KentuckyG.¹³