Person:Matthias Schene (1)

Matthias Schene was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia

Contents 1 Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA 2 Estate Records 3 Records in Augusta County, VA 4 Information on Matthew Skeen		Welcome to Old Augusta Early Settlers Beverley Manor Borden's Grant Register Data Maps Places Library History Index
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Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA

Acquisition of Land from Northern Neck Warrants & Surveys:

• Jane Schene, widow of Matthias Schene, no warrant, date from survey - 19 Jan. 1748 - 11 Apr. 1749; warrant issued in name of Matthias Schene; 301 acres on Smiths Creek where he then lived and now deceased. Surveyed at request of widow, Jane Schene; adj. Capt. Peter Scholl, Thomas Locker & part of Vallentine Survier (Sevier) survey. Chain Carriers - Robert Collvell & Andw. Burd. Capt. Peter Scholl present on survey & sundry other persons. Surv. George Byrne. [Abstracts of Virginia's Northern Neck Warrants & Surveys, Orange & Augusta Counties, with Tithables, Delinquents, Petitioners, 1730-1754, Volume One, Peggy Smomo Joyner, pg. 31].

Acquisition of Land from Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants:

• G-230: Jane Schene of Augusta Co., 301 acres in Augusta Co. Surv. Mr. George Byrne. Mathew Schene of Augusta Co. made entry but died soon after, leaving Jane, his widow, and three sons, John, Matthew & Jacob, all minors. The Widow and their said mother should have independent means for her support and maintenance of the children. Also to prevent said lands passing from children in case Mother should remarry - land granted Mother during her life & after her decease to her sons. Adj. Capt. Peter Scholl, on Smith's Creek. 21 July 1749. [Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775, Vol. 2, Gertrude E. Gray, pg. 34].

Estate Records

• Page 97.--15th February, 1748. Jane Skaine's bond as administratrix of Mathew Skaine.

• Page 182.--5th April, 1749. Mathew Skeen's appraisement by William Carroll, Wm. James, Robert Colwell.

• Vol. 1 - JUNE 19, 1752. - (278) Peter Scholl petitions that he is security for Jane Scone on her deceased husband's estate and that she has since intermarried with William Draper--prays counter security.

Records in Augusta County, VA

From Chalkley’s Augusta County Records: (unless otherwise listed)

• Vol. 2 - Muster List of 1742 - Capt. Peter Shoull's List: Peter Shoull, Captain; And. Burd, Lieutenant; Math. Skeens, Ensign; Abram Harden, John Hill, Johnath Burley, John Harison, Georg. Clemens, Wm. Halimes, Zebulun Harrison, Jno. Davis, Jno. Taylor, Joseph Burley, William White, Isaac Lotos, Wm. Sherral, Valante Severe, John Cumberland, Jacob Jacobs, Thos. Moor, Stephanes Haveworth, Jas. Haveworth, John Beeson, Steph. Howard, Absolom Howard, Joseph Howard, John Benson, Benj. Hames (Haines), John Harrison, Thos. Lowker, Griffiths Thomas, John White, Adam Sherral, Rob. Caldwal, John Miller, Will Brizes (Briges), Wm. Carrel, John Hodg, Absolom Haveworth, John Haveworth.

• Page 13.--4th September, 1747. John Millar (Millan) and wife Hannah to Francis Hughes, late of Lancaster County, Penna., part of 400 acres patented to Thomas Rutherford, of Frederick County, and by him sold to James Gill, late of Augusta; other part in possession of Thomas Moore Teste: Mathew Skeen, Thos. Milsap. Delivered to Abra. (?) Bird, January, 1754.

• Northern Neck Survey: Thomas Loocker, 19 Jan. 1748 - 12 Apr. 1749; 421 acres on Smiths Creek where he now lives, adj. widow Scheines survey, Valentine Sevier & on the North side of the Waggon Road. Chain Carriers - William Carroll and Samuel Newman. Capt. Peter Scholl present on survey. Surv. George Byrne. [Abstracts of Virginia's Northern Neck Warrants & Surveys, Orange & Augusta Counties, with Tithables, Delinquents, Petitioners, 1730-1754, Volume One, Peggy Smomo Joyner, pg. 27].

• Northern Neck Survey: Nicholas Seahorn, 31 Jan. 1748 - 15 Apr. 1749; 399 acres on a branch of Smiths Creek; adj. Thos. Loocker, the waggon road, Vallintine Seveir [Sevier] survey, William Carrole, Mary Newman, widow, Jane Schene. Chain Carriers - Corneles Ruddle & James Thomas. Capt. Peter Scholl present on survey. Surv. George Byrne. [Abstracts of Virginia's Northern Neck Warrants & Surveys, Orange & Augusta Counties, with Tithables, Delinquents, Petitioners, 1730-1754, Volume One, Peggy Smomo Joyner, pg. 32].

Information on Matthew Skeen

From Familytreemaker site of D. Michael Hughes: (added with permission)

Mathew Skeen was born Abt. 1680, and died 1748 in Augusta County, VA.

Notes for Mathew Skeen: The following notes are from Harry Long: Mathew Skeen (d. 1748), of Swedish descent, was among the earliest of the Swedish families that took up land, along Smith Creek and in other parts of present Shenandoah County, VA. Other easily recognizable Swedish families that settled in the area were Kerlin, Yocoum, Rambo, Huling, Jones, and Bird. Andrew Bird (1695-1749) (RIN 718) and his wife Magdalene (RIN 531), a daughter of Swedish emirgrants, Mounce and Ingeborg Jones, settled at Crancy Island, beside Smith Creek, about two miles south of Mathew Skeen's plantation. Another Swedish family, Swain Rambo and his mother Barbara, settled on 400 acres adjoining Andrew Bird. Later a part of the Swain Rambo tract was sold to Andrew Huling (RIN 747). The families of Kerlin, Yocoum and Jones settled on the west side of Moores Store.

To the east of New Market, VA, pioneer Mathew Skeen purchased from Benjamin Borden 108 acres of land lying on both sides of Smith Creek, it being a part of the 3,300 acres Borden had purchased by survey made March 2, 1734, from Joist Hite and partner Robert McKay. When the Fairfax line was surveyed in 1746, Mathew Skeen's land fell within the boundaries of the Northern Neck Grant claimed by Thomas Lord Fairfax. So in order to obtain a clear title to his land Mathew Skeen made application to Fairfax for a grant but died shortly thereafter. Therefore, when grants became available on 21 July 1749, Thomas Lord Fairfax granted 301 acres of land to Mathew's widow Jane Skeen for her lifetime only and after her decease the 301 acres was to be divided among her three sons, John Skeen, Mathew Skeen and Jocob Skeen, who were at that time minors, being less than 21 years of age. Contained within the boundaries of the 301 acre grant was their home and the 108 acres of land Mathew had purchased from Benjamin Borden.

When Mathew Skeen, Sr. died in 1748, his widow Jane Skeen was bonded as Administratrix of his estate with Peter Scholl, her neighbor, as security on the bond. As recorded in Augusta County Order Book 3, page 278, dated 19 June 1752, Peter Scholl brought this charge before the Court: "On a motion of Peter Scholl Gent setting forth that he was security for Jane Skeen for the Administration of her dec'd husband's Estate and that she have since intermarried with William Draper, who is ravishing the said estate and praying counter security..." Scholl's bitterness toward Draper was further evident from an entry on page 369 of the same order Book wherein it was charged that Peter Scholl had struck William Draper with a wooden shovel.

Mathew Skeen, Sr. no doubt had been a prosperous farmer and a recognized leader in the community. In 1742, he was an officer in the local Militia, serving with rank of Ensign, under Lieutenant Andrew Byrd in Captain Peter Schull's (Scholl's) Military Company *(See Chalkley's 'Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia', Vol. 2 p. 509).

Mathew Skeen was a witness to the purchase of 400 acres by Francis Hughes (late of Lanc Co.) from John Millar (Millan) and wife Hannah on 4 Sept 1747

More About Mathew Skeen: Miscellaneous: +.

Children of Mathew Skeen are:

+John Skeen, b. Abt. 1730.

Mathew Skeen, b. Abt. 1730.

+Jocob Skeen, b. Abt. 1740.

Lieutenant in the Militia in Augusta Co, VA, in 1742.

Mathew died in 1749 in Augusta Co, VA, leaving his wife and three minor sons. "Jane was appointed the administrator for her husband's estate. The estate records indicate that Mathew was a farmer, raising sheep, cows, and everything required to live on. Mathew had applied for a land grant in Augusta Co, VA, but before it was granted, he died; therefore, Thomas Lord Fairfax granted the 301 acres along Smith Creek to Jane, his wife, and 3 minor sons: John, Jacob and Mathew for their lifetime."

"This land did not move, but Augusta Co was divided into Frederick Co and then to Shenandoah Co; the 3 minor sons of Mathew and Jane Schene have land recordsin all 3 counties. William Draper had land assigned to these 3 boys until they were old enough to acquire land"

This Mathew has long been said to be a son of John Skene, Dep Gov of East Jersey. But this has been shown to be untrue. See: "The Virginia Genealogist" Vol. 45 (Oct-Dec 2001) pp. 305-309.

1.   (i)The Heritage of Davidson Co. (NC)(/i) (The Genealogical Society of Davidson Co, NC 1982, Lexington, North Carolina).