AMERICA THE GREAT MELTING POT
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Direct descendant is highlighted in red
| Martha Matilda Fenner | see Family Tree | |
| Born: 24 March 1801 Franklin Co., NC Married: 23 Feb 1819 Raleigh, Franklin Co., NC Died: 02 May 1877 Seguin, Guadalupe Co., TX |
FATHER
MOTHER
HUSBAND
CHILDREN
1. Richard John Coorpender b. 27 June 1820
2. Eliza A Coorpender b. 26 June 1821
3. William Fenner Coorpender b. 30 Sept 1823
4. Lewis Coorpender b. 19 Dec 1827
5. Mary Lou Coorpender b. Abt. 1831
6. Caroline Coorpender b. Abt. 1834
7. Robert Coorpender b. Abt. 1836
8. McKinney Coorpender b. Abt. 1838
9. Julia Coorpender b. 05 Nov 1845
Martha Matilda Fenner
by Chase Brooke
Mar 2021
Martha Matilda Fenner was born 24 Mar 1801 in NC. (1) Her parents were
Richard John Fenner and Ann McKinney Geddy. (2) Matilda
Fenner was attending the Lewisburg Female Academy in Lewisburg, NC just
northeast of Raleigh in Franklin County, NC in 1816. (age 15) In June
Matilda was examined in Astronomy, American Geography and the use of the
Globes in the Seventh Class. "This class passed an excellent examination,"
according to the Raleigh Minerva. Matilda was also distinguished for
Geographical Drawing. The school was evaluated again in December of 1816.
The report in the Raleigh Register says Matilda was examined on Reading,
Spelling, English Grammar and Parsing. She was also examined on the
Geography of North and South America and Europe. She won a "distinction" in
Painting. (3)
At the age of 18 she married Lewis Coorpender in Raleigh
NC on 22 Feb 1819. (4) (5) He was about 33 years old. They had nine
children together in a 25 year period. At some point they moved to
Jackson, Madison, TN. In 1828 when her father's will was probated she
inherited 100 acres of land in Madison from her father. (2) She and her husband
lived there in Madison County, TN until they moved to Clinton, Hinds, MS in
1840. She sold this land, signed with her seal, in 1848. (7) While still
in Clinton she applied for a Bounty Land Warrant based on her husband's service
in the War of 1812. (8)
By 1854 M M Coorpnder had moved to Seguin, Guadalupe
Co, TX with her children. Her worth in this tax record is $5,725 (9) In the 1860
federal census she was listed as living with her son-in-law, R. J. Jefferson who
was married to her daughter Eliza. (10) By 1872 she was listed as having
only 133 acres of land worth $665. (11)
Martha Matilda Fenner wrote her will
on 21 Mar 1777. Part of her estate consisted of a note for $500 from her
grandson Junius Coorpender for land she had sold to him. The will was
probated on 20 Nov 1885. (12) She died 2 May 1877. (1) Her great great
granddaughter erected a memorial stone in Riverside Cemetery. (13)
Sources
(1) Rubbing from tombstone of Matilda Fenner Coorpender in
Riverside Cemetery, Seguin, TX Stone
"Born Mar, 24, 1801 died May
2, 1877 Her children shall arise and call her blessed."
Headstone for Martha Fenner Coorpender
(2) The will of Richard John Fenner mentions his daughter, M. M. Coorpender.
Probated 28 Oct 1828
He left his daughter, Martha M Coorpender, several
things, one of which was "100 acres of land including the improvements whereon
Dr. L Coorpender now lives in trust however for the use and benefit of my said
daughter, Martha M Coorpender."
The Revolutionary War Application of his
widow Ann Fenner. A letter from her sister, Elizabeth Geddy, states that
her sister Ann Geddy married Richard Fenner in Halifax County, NC sometime in
1784-85.
(3)
The school report was printed in the Raleigh Register on
06 Dec 1816.
Her father was instrumental is starting the Franklin Academy in 1802 and
adding the Female Academy in 1814. See comments on page for her
father, Richard Fenner.
 |
Raleigh Register on 06 Dec 1816.
(4) Raleigh Minerva Friday Feb 26, 1819
In this city, on Tuesday evening the 2nd, Dr. Lewis Coor Pender, of Wayne, to
Miss Matilda Fenner, daughter of Dr. Richard Fenner.
(5)
Wake County North Carolina Marriage Bonds fhl film 296869 image 261
(6)
Hinds County Mississippi Land Deeds fhl film 878673 image 140
18 Mar 1840
Lewis Coorpender is buying several animals, wagons and a great deal of household
assets. No land.
(7) Madison County TN Land Deeds fhl film 389641 image 330
This Indenture, entered into the 5th day of November 1847, between Martha M CoorPender of Hinds County in the state of Mississippi and Eunice B Fenner of Madison County, Tennessee. Witnesseth, that the said Martha M CoorPender, for the consideration of five hundred and twenty five dollars, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, hath this day bargained and sold to the said Eunice B Fenner, and doth hereby alien, transfer and convey to her and her heirs forever all of her right and title to a tract or parcel of land, in said County of Madison, containing one hundred acres, but which is not described by ? and bounds, the same being the tract of land bequeathed to the said Martha by her late father Dr. Richard Fenner, being an undivided one hundred acres of the tract described in said will, and whch will is of record in Madison County, Tennessee; the said hundred acres being the tract on which the late Lewis CoorPender resided immediately previous to his removal to the State of Mississippi and which has more recently been in the occupancy of John M Fenner, deceased. To have and to hold the aforesaid tract of 100 acres with all and singular the tenements and apportions acres, to the said Eunice B Fenner and her heirs forever. Witness the hand and the seal of the said Martha M CoorPender, the day and year first above written. Signed, and sealed and delivered. M. M. CoorPender (Seal)
 Letter from pension office about bounty land warrant to Martha M widow of Lewis Coorpender |
 Marriage Testimony for bounty land warrant Louis Coorpender and M. M. Fenner |
 Application for bounty land warrant by Martha M Coorpender widow of Lewis Coorpender |
(9)
1854 Tax List Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas fhl film 2282235 image 203
M M Coorpender 11 slaves worth $5,500 1
horse valued at $75 1 carriage worth $150.
(10) 1860 Federal Census fhl film 805296 image 14
(11) 1872 Tax List Seguin, Guadalupe County, Twxas fhl film 2282235 image 999
(12) Matilda M Coor-Pender died in Seguin, Texas on 2 May 1877. Her will was filed 01 June 1877
Filed Nov 20, 1885
The State of Texas County of Guadalupe Court Term 1877
To the Hon Henry Maney Judge of the County Court of Guadalupe County. Your
Petitioner John R. Jefferson Frank Saunders and Eliza A Jefferson Executors of
my last will and testament of Mrs. M. M. Coorpender dead and residents of
Guadalupe County Texas, beg leave to represent unto your honor what the said
Mrs. M. M. Coorpender was at the time of her death a resident and had her
domicil in said County, that she died in the town of Seguin on the 2nd day of
May AD 1877, that said Mrs. M, M, Coorpender during her life made her will and
declared the same to be her last will and testament and that said will is hereto
attached marked (Exhibit "A") and made a part hereof, Petitioners pray that said
will be admitted to probate and that notice do issue according to law of this
application As in duty
Frank Saunders for Executors
Exhibit "A"
State of Texas
County of Guadalupe I M. M. Coorpender of the County and State above within
being of sound mind and body and knowing that uncertainty of life do hereby make
this my last will and testament. at the same time revoking any other will and
testament that I may have made at any previous time. After paying all of my just
and legal debts I hereby give and bequeath unto my daughter Mrs. Eliza A.
Jefferson all of my right title and interest to thirty three and one third acres
(33 /3) of land more or less in what is commonly called the Johnson field the
said tract of land twin Lots Nos. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5 & 6 in Block Fifty one (51),
known as timer or river lots in the town of Seguin.
I hereby give and bequest to my daughter Bettie Howard & Mary Lou Jefferson a
half interest that I possess on a certain piano, my daughter Mrs. Eliza A
Jefferson, owning the other half interest. I hereby give to my grand daughters
Cleona Matilda and Mary Coorpender daughters of my late son Louis Coorpender a
note that I hold against Capt W M Rush for five hundred (500$) Dollars of which
the fall owing is a copy viz
$500 Seguin Oct 23rd 1876 Twelve months after date I promise to pay to Mrs. M.
M. Coorpender Five hundred (500) Dollars for value received this note given in
payment for ninety acres of land out of the Clemants league sold by Mrs.
Coorpender to Junius Coorpender and by him to me interest at 8 per cent"
Signed W. M. Rush
This note is given to my grand daughters Cleona Matilda & Mary Coorpender with
the following provisions and conditions to wit. I hereby appoint my daughter
Mrs. Eliza A Jefferson as Guardian and trustee to collect the said note and to
put the principal out at interest and to use the interest for the benefit of my
Grand daughters Cleona Matilda and Mary Coorpender in such manner as she in her
judgment may deem best. Whenever either or both of my grand daughters Cleona
Matilda or Mary Coorpender should marry then my daughter Eliza A Jefferson is
authorized to pay them each the one half Two Hundred & fifty Dollars of the
principal. In case either of my grand daughters Cleona Matilda & Mary Coorpender
should die without marrying then the one remaining shall have all the five
hundred dollars under the conditions above set. Fourth, and in case both of them
should die before marrying then I desire the five hundred dollars to be
distributed among my children what may be living at the time. Having full
confidence in the honor and business capacity of my daughter Eliza A. Jefferson
I hereby forbid any bond or security being asked of her for the performance of
the trust above set forth, and in case of her death, I hereby appoint either
John R. Jefferson or Frank R. Saunders as guardians or trustee to carry out the
trust upon the same conditions provided for my daughter Eliza A. Jefferson.
I do hereby appoint John R. Jefferson Jr Frank Saunders and Eliza A Jefferson as
executors and executrix to carry out the provisions of this my last will and
testament, and having full confidence in their honor it is my request that no
bond or other security be required of them for the performanse of the trust, and
I further desire that no further action shall be had in the Courts in relation
to the settlement of my estate except the probation and registry of this my will
and the return of an inventory of my property.
In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand this 21st day of March, 1777
M M Coorpender
Witness
W W McClaugherty
Hayward Braham
Filed May 5, 1777
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(13) In Memory Of Matilda Martha Fenner Coorpender erected
by Marceil Coorpender Great Great Granddaughter April 3, 1998
_____________________
Their oldest child, Richard John Coor-Pender was born in Wayne County, NC in
1820. By 1832, the family moved to Madison Co. Tenn. Jackson, Tenn settled
quickly after an important treaty with the Indians in 1818. Lewis Coor Pender
ran an Inn and Tavern there in 1832. In the History of Madison County Tennessee
by Cisco the "Lafayette Inn" is sighted as a meeting place for Whigs. According
to "Tennessee Cousins" by Ray there was the "Lafayette (hotel) on the N. side of
Lafayette St. (in Jackson, Tenn) which was run by Rudisil, Coorpender and
Johnson all popular hosts." This same book refers to "Thomas Henderson, who came
to Jackson, Tenn from Raleigh NC with Dr. Richard Fenner and a man by the name
of Johnson, his brother-in-law. He settled near the Pinson Mounds. His wife was
Ann Fenner." So it seems Richard Fenner and four of the children of Richard
Fenner; the son Richard, Matilda (married to Lewis Coor-Pender), Ann (married to
Thomas Henderson), and Mary (married to Johnson) left Raleigh together about
1822 to settle awhile in Tenn. Lewis and Matilda had several more children in
Tenn. and then moved to Hinds County, Mississippi by 1840.
 The 1850 census for Hinds Co. Miss shows M. M. Coor-Pender as a widow; her
household being in the same county as her son Richard J. Coor-Pender. Matilda and the
children made their way to Seguin, TX by 1853 or 1854. The "Coorpender House"
was built in the early 1850's and was occupied for a time by Lewis and Matilda's
son Luke also known as Lewis. It then became the Goodrich School. Mr. Goodrich
was the schoolmaster in the mid 1880's. There was a room for the girls and one
for the boys. |
Informal family history of the Coorpenders. There are no primary
sources that show Richard John Coorpender as the son of either Lewis Coorpender
or Martha Matilda Fenner Coorpender. Neither is there a family tree published
anywhere that we have been able to find. However, there are 3 things that make
me think that there is a decent chance that he was in fact their son. For one,
Richard John's migration from his birth in North Carolina to his final home in
Seguin, Texas closely parallels Lewis and Matilda's similar migration. Lewis and
Matilda were married in North Carolina and lived for a while in Hinds County ,
Mississippi. We know from the 1840 and 1850 census that Lewis and Matilda were
there and we know from marriage bonds that Richard John was a marriage bondsman
during that period. We have copies of both the censuses and the bonds in our
Coorpender family file. Secondly my grandmother left some letters in her
belongings which we also have in the Coorpender family file. In both of the
letters a lady named Virginia addresses the letters to my grandmother as your
loving cousin. In the same set of belongings we have a copy of a Seguin
newspaper obituary for Mrs Matilda Coor Pender
Scott and it mentions that she was the daughter of Mr. Louis Coor Pender and
Alice Ann and that Matilda left a daughter named
Virginia Hodges. We know from the 1850 census of Hinds County that Louis
Coor Pender was the son of Martha Matilda Coorpender and we know from a record
of a North Carolina newspaper that Martha Matilda Fenner married Dr Lewis
Coorpender. So we are fairly sure that Virginia's great grandfather was Dr Lewis
Coorpender. The "loving cousin" signature implies that my grandmother and
Virginia were second cousins, sharing the same grandfather and making Dr Lewis
Coorpender Richard John's father. Thirdly, in one of the letters Virginia
alludes to the death of an aunt Mary and of my grandmother's mother Carrie as
being a cousin of aunt Mary. An obituary for a
Mac Coorpender refers to his father being Lewis Coorpender and leaving two
sisters Mary and Matilda. This implies that Carrie and Mary were first cousins
again making Dr Lewis Coorpender the father of Richard John