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• Stubbart   Morford
• Spillman    Hamlin

Stubbart Roots and Threads

     Matthew Stubbart was born on 26 Jun 1826 in Sydney Mines, Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia, Canada.^3,4,5,6,7,2 He was initially a Baptist, but converted to the RLDS Church in 1869. He was educated in Nova Scotia at Acadia College according to his son James. Several Stubberts did attend Acadia in its early years, but none named Mat(t)hew appear in the Memorials of Acadia College and Horton Academy for the Half-century 1828-1878.⁸ He married first Margaret Mitchell, daughter of Robert Mitchell and Mary Brown, before 1844 in Nova Scotia, Canada.⁹ He and Margaret Mitchell immigrated to Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, in Aug 1844 and settled in Pittsville, Pennsylvania.¹⁰ John, Mary, David, and Ellen were born here.. This was also where they would first meet Mormon preacher John L. Blythe, who eventually figured prominently in the dissolution of their marriage. Margaret was converted and baptised, but Matthew remained unconvinced. Perhaps more importantly, Margaret was as captivated by the preacher as the preaching, and reportedly remained infatuated with Blythe long after the missionaries left town.⁸ He and Margaret Mitchell relocated to Alton, Illinois, in 1852 or 1853 where Margaret's brothers Robert Mitchell and James Mitchel had purchased a coal mine. Matthew worked the mine with his brothers-in-law for a time.⁸ He is probably the same Matthew Stubbart who was issued a land patent on 1 Aug 1853 in Edwardsville, Illinois, for 80 acres purchased under the 1820 act.¹¹ 17 Mar 1854 another son, James Mitchel, was born to the couple. Two months later, lured by gold fever,Matthew Stubbart and Margaret Mitchell and Margaret's brothers joined a wagon train to California.¹² He was worked as a gold miner for a company owned by his brothers-in-law from 1854 to 1856.¹³ But California was not kind to Matthew. His wife met John Blythe again very soon after they arrived, and the love triangle flared up in earnest.¹² Family legend has it that Margaret actually plotted to have Matthew killed so she could run away with the children. Whether or not events were quite so dramatic, there was certainly a divorce, and the court awarded Matthew custody of the couple's five children, including their six-month-old baby (certainly unusual enough to raise eyebrows and lend some credence to the stories).^14,8 He and Margaret Mitchell were divorced in Sep 1854 or Oct 1854 in California Matthew apparently remained on good terms with Margaret's brothers and remained in California for a while.¹² Not long after, Matthew was forced through a sluice box in a mining accident and nearly killed. Evidently, he'd had enough of California at this point, and the Mitchell brothers arranged for Matthew and the children to return to Illinois by boat.^12,15 When he applied for citizenship in c 1856, Matthew resided in Madison County, Illinois. Robert Mitchel had purchased a farm near Alton, and Matthew had use of the land to provide for his family.^15,10 He was worked as a coal miner and farmer between 1856 and 1864 in Alton, Illinois.^16,12 He married second Mrs. Susanna Cargill (a widow, maiden name unknown) circa 1857 in Alton, Illinois.^17,5,18 He was naturalized on 20 Oct 1858 in Madison County, Illinois.¹⁹ He was apparently issued another land patent on 2 May 1859 in Palmyra, Illinois, for another 80 acres.²⁰ He bought his own farm in 1864 in Nokomis, Montgomery County, Illinois.¹² He and Susanna (—?—) lived in near South Bend, Dodge County, Nebraska, say 1868.⁹ He was baptised on 19 Apr 1869 in Columbus, Platte County, Nebraska, by George W. Galley.⁶ He was ordained on 30 Apr 1871 in Columbus, Platte County, Nebraska, to the office of priest by Charles Brindley.⁶ Matthew was widowed by Susanna's death on 23 Sep 1873 in Pleasant Valley, Maple Creek, Dodge County, Nebraska.^21,6 He married third Louisa A. Wood, daughter of James Wood and Clara Williams, on 29 Sep 1875 in Butler County, Nebraska, at his home.^21,2 Matthew's church membership was transferred to Elm Creek, Iowa 18 Mar 1877.⁶ He lived in David City, Butler County, Nebraska, in 1885. He was included in a group photo taken say 1894 in Lamoni, Decatur County, Iowa. Two unnamed women are also in the photograph, one may be Pearl's mother May. The home in Lamoni was still in use in 1999. Matthew died in Octavia, Butler County, Nebraska, on 20 Apr 1899 at 72.^22,23,24