CREWS FAMILY. No family in Wayne County has been more prominently identified with the progress, prosperity and the general welfare of the whole community, from the first settlement to the present time, than the one mentioned at the head of this sketch. Very much migh be said in praise if it were necessary, but it is sufficient to say that the older members invariably cast their influence on the side of morality, right, the laws of the land, and, in fact, all that good citizens are expected or required to do.
JOHN AND RICHARD CREWS, two brothers, came from England, and are supposed to have settled in Virginia in the "long, long ago."
Richard had sons --- Peter, Richard, John, Josiah and William.
Richard, Jr., settled in Kentucky in 1814.
Peter's sons were Andrew, James, Jesse, and one other name unknown.
Rev. Hooper Crews was the son of James.
Andrew was born in Halifax County, Va.; removed first to the Cumberland River region in Tennessee, then to Kentucky, and finally to Wayne County, Ill., in 1817, and settled on Section 31, in Massillon Township, in 1818, where he died about 1830, and was buried at the Enoch Beach Cemetery.; He is described as a most excellent man, affable, pleasant and gentlemanly, with a keen and piercing black eye of great intensity, with that peculiar magnetism about him that would attract and make fast friends of all who came in contact with him, and a grace and ease of manner that would make the most timid eel comfortable and at home in his presence. Being severely afflicted for many weary years previous to his death with rheumatism, and unable to move about with comfort, he invited the different Christian denominations to worship at his house, and in his dwelling was organized the first Christian society, so far as is now know, in the county. He and his family were Methodist when they came to the country. His children were
Matthew Crews was born in Halifax County, Va., January 13, 1794, and came to Wayne County in 1829. He enlisted as a soldier in the war of 1812, but was debarred from the active field by the early termination of hostilities. On the 14 day of May, 1817, he was married to Mary Blair, in Kentucky, to whom were born
He was, after the death of Mary, again married, August 19, 1828, to Elizabeth Owen, and to them were born
In many respects Matthew Crews was a remarkable man. Those who were favored with an intimate acquaintance with him found him to be gentle, kind-hearted, affable and sincere. A true friend, he could be trusted with implicit confidence, and relied upon with a certainty that was never questioned. His stern integrity, applied with such unvarying certainty to his business affairs, was none the less prominent in his moral and religious sentiments; and while fulfilling the law to the very letter himself, he expected others to do the same to the extent of their ability.
Among that class of people who consider themselves "privileged characters," and who aim, as far as possible, to live off the property of honest and industrious citizens so long as they can escapte the meshes of the law, he was not liked. How could it be otherwise? The very elements in the make-up of such society "beats" will forever preclude them from entertaining just views of men who check them in their petty peculations.
Verily, Matthew Crews may be classed as of the "salt of the earth", a race of men never popular with the bad men, but who stand, indeed, as fortresses to our moral civiliza tions, and without whom the world would grow worse every day. Very characteristic of the man were his transactions in corn, during the memorable year of the great drought, in 1854. When the wealthy came to him for corn, he sent them away with the remark. "There are enough poor people, who cannot go to a distance, to consumer all the corn I have, and you who are able to go farther must do so."
After a very useful life, in which be industry and economy he had amassed a handsome property, this good man passed away, September 2, 1861, honored and esteemed by all good men and regretted as an irreparable loss to the community.
| Visit Our Neighbors | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Marion | Clay | Richland | |
| Jefferson |
 |
Edwards | |
| Franklin | Hamilton | White | |
