Matilda Francis Claiborne
Fourth Child of John B. Claiborne
10 June 1838 - 10 January 1888

Matilda Francis Claiborne (called "Mary") was born on 10 June 1838 in DeKalb County, Tennessee [Much of the information available concerning Matilida was derived from her descendant Marc E. David in 2010. Such information was corroborated by census data and tombstone sources.]. Mary first married Corporal James David Allen on 9 June 1861 [James was born in about 1840 in Tennessee. For marriage records see the marriage records with the Clerk of County Court, Northern District Prairie County, Arkansas.].

James David Allen enlisted in the Confederate Army in March of 1862 at Princeton, Dallas County, Arkansas and was mustered in the 37th (Bell's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment. A little over a year after his enlistment, on 4 July 1863, he was captured at Helena, Arkansas. The capture occurred when Confederate Lieutenant General Theophilus Holmes's troops attacked Helena in an attempt to relieve pressure on Vicksburg. Although the rebels had more troops and did initially capture some of the fortifications, the Union forces repelled them. Thus, Helena continued as an important Union enclave in the Trans-Mississippi theater and served as a base for the expedition that captured Little Rock. Following his capture, James was sent to prison in Alton, Illinois. He's also listed as being in the Richmond, Virginia hospital on 13 March 1865.

After the war Mary and James had one daughter, Rosa Lee (listed below), in 1867, but by 1870 Mary and her daughter were living with Mary's parents. Presumably James had either died or the two had divorced.

Mary married (2nd) R.H. Ferguson sometime after 1870 [R.H. was born on 5 May 1832 in Alabama.]. Together they had six children, all listed below. R.H. died on 2 January 1888 and Mary followed in death just eight days later on 10 January 1888, both in White County, Arkansas.

Pedigree Chart

						Joshua Clyburn c. 1758 - c. 1799
				Ephraim Claybourn 1788 - 1850
						Sarah
		John B. Claiborne 1812 - 1874
				Mary "Polly" Browning 1792 - 1874
						Sally Browning
Matilda F. Claiborne 1838 - 1888
		Perlina E. Thomason c. 1830 - 1870

Descendants

Mary and her first husband James David Allen had one daughter together:

1. Rosa Lee Christina Allen was born on 16 January 1867 in Beebe, White County, Arkansas. On 9 September 1886 she married Robert Thomas Watson (also born in January of 1867) and together they had at least five children. The 1900 census lists Robert's occupation as "farmer" [United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.]. Rosa Lee died on 2 July 1902 in White County, Arkansas and is buried there at Antioch Cemetery. Her husband Robert died many years later on 18 March 1936 in Beebe, White County, Arkansas.

   1. Eva Watson was born in August of 1889.
   2. Edith Watson was born in May of 1892 and died in 1959.
   3. Annie Florence Watson was born on 29 May 1892 and died on 18 June 1951 in White County, Arkansas.
   4. Kenneth Watson was born on 17 February 1895 and appears on a World War I registration card, though his involvement in that war is unknown [United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm.]. Kenneth died on 27 February 1976.
   5. Guy Franklin Watson was born on 30 March 1899 in Antioch, White County, Arkansas. On 2 November 1919 he married Kate ("Katie") Ethel Welch. Guy died on 15 November 1969 in Beebe, White County, Arkansas.

Mary and her second husband R.H. Ferguson had six children together:

2. T.B. Ferguson was born in 1870 in Arkansas.

3. Mattie C. Ferguson was born in 1872 in Arkansas.

4. Annie F. Ferguson was born on 28 October 1872. She died on 25 August 1877 in White County, Arkansas and is buried there in Cheek Cemetery.

5. Joseph G. Ferguson was born on 14 January 1875. He died on 8 June 1877 in White County, Arkansas and is buried there in Cheek Cemetery.

6. C.F. Ferguson was born on 1878 in Arkansas.

7. Claudie B. Ferguson was born on 11 February 1880 in Arkansas. She died on 1 July 1887 in White County, Arkansas and is buried there in Cheek Cemetery.