Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Great Great Grandfather Thomas Matthias Burton

My Great Great Grandfather on my father's mother's side of the family, Thomas Matthias Burton, lived in western England. I've been intrigued to know from whence came his middle name. I found the following on the internet:

The Greek Matthias (or, in some manuscripts, Maththias), is a name derived from Mattathias, Hebrew Mattithiah, signifying "gift of Yahweh." Matthias was one of the seventy disciples of Jesus, and had been with Him from His baptism by John to the Ascension (Acts 1:21-22). It is related (Acts 1:15-26) that in the days following the Ascension, Peter proposed to the assembled brethren, who numbered one hundred and twenty, that they choose one to fill the place of the traitor Judas in the Apostolate. Two disciples, Joseph, called Barsabas, and Matthias were selected, and lots were drawn, with the result in favour of Matthias, who thus became associated with the eleven Apostles. Zeller has declared this narrative unhistoric, on the plea that the Apostles were in Galilee after the death of Jesus. As a matter of fact they did return to Galilee, but the Acts of the Apostles clearly state that about the feast of Pentecost they went back to Jerusalem.

My grandmother Davis always said that her forebearers had been ministers in England. So far, I have not found any evidence of that. Still, religion was obviously very important to the Burtons.

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