History of Rowan County North Carolina United States of America

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Moses Waddel, educator, was born in Rowan county, N.C., July 29, 1770; son of William Waddel, who emigrated from near Belfast, Ireland, about 1764, landed in Charleston, S.C., and settled in Rowan county, N.C. Moses Waddel attended a neighborhood school known as Clio's Nursery, and taught school in both his native state and in Georgia and was graduated front Hampden-Sidney college in 1791. He was licensed by the Hanover presbytery, Va., May 12, 1792; conducted a school in Columbia county, Ga., 1794-180l, and one in Vienna, Abbeville district. S.C., 1810-04. In 1804 he established a home and school at Willington, S.C., about six miles from Vienna, where his academy became celebrated and patronized by the best citizens of the state. In 1818 he was elected president of the University of Georgia, and in May, 1819, he removed with his family to Athens, Ga., presiding over the university, 1819-29. He returned to Willington, S.C., in February, 1830, where he was pastor, 1830-37. He was married first, to Catharine, a sister of John C. Calhoun, who died childless; and secondly, about 1800, to Elizabeth W. Pleasants of Virginia, by whom he had four sons, James Pleasants Waddel (1801-69), University of Georgia, A.B., 1822, A.M., 1825; tutor there, 1822-24; principle of the academy of Richmond county, 1824-26, and professor of ancient languages, University of Georgia, 1836-56; the Rev. Isaac W. Waddel, A.B., University of Georgia, 1823, A.M., 1826; Dr. William W. Waddel, A.B., University of Georgia 1823, A.M., 1826; and John Newton Waddel . Moses Waddel received the honorary degree of D.D. from the College of South Carolina in 1807. He died in Willington, S.C., July 21, 1840.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Matthew Locke, representative, was born near Salisbury, N.C., in 1730. He was chosen a treasury commissioner of the colony of North Carolina in 1771; was a member of the house of commons of North Carolina, 1775-93; a delegate to the convention at Halifax that framed the constitution of North Carolina in 1776; voted for the ratification of the constitution of the United States in 1787. He served during the Revolution as brigadier-general, and was a representative in the 3d, 4th and 5th congresses, 1793-99. He died in Rowan county, N.C., Sept. 7, 1801.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Richmond Mumford Pearson, jurist, was born in Rowan county, N.C., June 28, 1805; son of Richmond (a student at the University of North Carolina, 1799) and Eliza (Mumford) Pearson, and grandson of Richmond Pearson, a native of Dinwiddie county, Va., who settled in Rowan county in early life, served in the Revolutionary war, and was afterward a merchant and planter. Richmond Mumford Pearson was prepared for college at Statesville, N.C., by John Mushat, and was graduated at the University of North Carolina, A.B., 1823, A.M., 1826. After studying law under Judge Archibald Henderson he was admitted to the bar in 1826. He was married in 1832 to Margaret, daughter of Col. John Williams of Knoxville, Tenn. He was a representative in the general assembly, 1829-32; an unsuccessful candidate for representative in the 24th congress in 1834; judge of the superior court of North Carolina, 1826-48; of the supreme court, 1848-58, and chief-justice, as successor to Chief-Justice Frederick Nash, 1858-78. For several years he conducted a large law school at Richmond Hill, N.C. He died at Winston, N.C., Jan. 6, 1878.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Charles Fisher, representative, was born in Rowan county, N.C., Oct. 20, 1789. He was educated by private tutors at Poplar Tent and in Raleigh, and was admitted to the bar, but never practised to any extent. He was a state senator in 1818; was elected as a Democrat a representative in the 15th congress in place of George Mumford, deceased, and served from Feb. 11, 1819, to March 3, 1821, when he declined a re-election. He was a member of the North Carolina house of commons, 1821-23, 1826-31, 1833 and 1836; a member of the state constitutional convention of 1835; a representative in the 26th congress. 1839-41; was a candidate for representative in the 29th congress but was defeated, and declined the Democratic nomination for governor of North Carolina in 1846. He died, while on a tour of the southwest, at Hillsboro, Miss., May 7, 1849.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Rowan County North Carolina

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