Alva

Could you please do a lookup for me from the D.C. Free Negro Registers (2 vol.) 1821-1861, by Dorothy Provine. I am looking for Matthew Matthews and his wife Mary, and 6 children - Maria, Lavinia, Mary Ann, George Henry, John, and Simon. The name Matthew and Matthews could have been spelled with only one "t", and the last name Matthews could lack the "s".

Thank you for any help you can give me on this. If it helps, the owners of the Matthews family were Dr. John Spence and his wife Mary F. Spence. John Spence died in 1829, but his widow continued to own all of the children. Matthew Matthews was given his freedom at some point before 1834 and was working in D.C. at that time. His wife and children were with Mary Spence in Dumfries, Va. In 1835 Matthew started to try to buy his children's freedom one by one. I believe most of them joined him in D.C.

Mary Parsons