Matthew Locke McCorkle
34. Matthew Locke McCORKLE was born on 7 Nov 1817 in Catawba Co., NC. He died on 11 Jul 1899 in Newton, Catawba Co., NC. Col. Matthew Locke McCorkle, of Newton N.C., was born in Catawba, County, November 7, 1817. He is the grand son of Francis McCorkle, a native of Mecklenburg County, who was a gallant soldier of the Revolution, participating in the battles of Ramsours Mill. Kings Mountain, Eutaw Springs, Cowans Ford and Torrence's Tavern. The grandfather of Col. McCorkle was Matthew McCorkle of Scotch Irish parentage, who came to America in 1745. The year after Davidson College was rounded, Col. McCorkle became a student there, and though compelled to teach school during a part of his academic course, he was able to graduate with his class, which he did with honor, in the year 1843. Subsequently he read law with Chief Justice Pearson. and began practice in 3845 at the county seat of Catawba, now the city of Newton. In 1846 he was appointed Clerk of the Superior Court, to fill a vacancy, and subsequently being elected, held the office until 1850. [Annals of Lincoln County]
Matthew Locke McCorkle
Upon the passage of the ordinance of secession by North Carolina, he devoted himself heartily to the support of the State, and though advanced in years, sought active duty in the field. He organized a Company of which he was made Captain, and this was assigned as Company "F" to the Thirteenth Regiment, North Carolina Volunteers, known at a later date as the Twenty Third Regiment.
Accompanying this command to Virginia, he was on duty near Manassas Junction until the Spring of 1862, and then marched to reinforce McGruder on the peninsula. After the evacuation of Yorktown, he participated in his first battle at Williamsburg. At this time his health was completely wrecked and he was compelled to resign and return to his home. During the latter part of the War he held the rank of Colonel commanding a Regiment of Senior reserves. From 1864 until 1867 he represented the counties of Lincoln, Catawba and Gaston in the State Senate, and in 1875 was a member of the Constitutional convention which framed the constitution under which we now live. His high reputation as a jurist warranted his appointment as judge of the Superior Court of the eleventh judicial district by Governor Daniel G. Fowl. During his service upon the bench it was observed that upon all appeals to the supreme court his judgments were affirmed by the higher tribunal. And upon his retirement there from, Judge McCorkle was the recipient of many complimentary notices of his ability and wisdom generally in the discharge of the duties of that high office. In 1850, Judge McCorkle was married to Jane Martha Wilfong, a daughter of John Wilfong and granddaughter of John Wilfong Sr., who was a gallant soldier of the Revolution, and a presidential elector in 1836. The living children of this union are Henry W. McCorkle, Texas, Civil engineer, George McCorkle, Lawyer, Newton, Charles M. McCorkle, Clerk of the Superior Court of Catawba County. Lieut. in Co. A. 1st N.C. Vols War with Spain. Mrs. Mary Locke Simons, Statesville, and Mrs. Alberta Beyfin, Wadesboro. Col. McCorkle's great ability and high character was a vital force in everything that tended to the uplift of his fellow man, and no man has lived in Catawba County who has to a greater extent left the imprint of his life on the community generally to a larger extent than he. He was foremost in education and was said by the late Rev. Dr. J.C. Clapp to have been the founder of Catawba College, and was president of its board of trustees for many years.
Matthew Locke McCorkle graduated from Davidson College in 1838, studied law at Pearson Law School, was licensed to practice and settled in Newton, was married November 10, 1850, to Martha Ann Wilfong; was Clerk of Superior Court for Catawba County, 1848-50; Captain and promoted to Colonel in the Civil War; State Senator 1865-66; member of the Constitutional Convention of 1875; appointed Judge of Superior Court in June, 1890, by Governor Holt to succeed Judge Shipp, deceased. Judge McCorkle died in Newton, July 11, 1899, in his 80th year. Of lofty character, he commanded the high respect of his countrymen. [The Catawba Soldier in the Civil War]
A stained-glass window
was dedicated to Matthew L. McCorkle at the Grace Evangelical and Reformed
Church in Newton, North Carolina. It remains to this day, in the church
now occupied as the Calvary Baptist Church.
He was married to Jane Martha Ann WILFONG on 15 Nov 1850 in Newton, Catawba Co., NC. Jane Martha Ann WILFONG was born in 1832. She died in 1908 in Newton, Catawba Co., NC. Martha had two brothers that were Confederate veterans. Matthew Locke McCORKLE and Jane Martha Ann WILFONG had the following children:
+71 i. Anna
E. McCORKLE.
72 ii. Caroline
Elizabeth Lav. McCORKLE died on 20 Aug 1854. Caroline Ellizabeth LaVinia
McCorkle died in infancy.
73 iii. Frank
Wilfong McCORKLE died about 1876 in Balitmore, MA. Frank Wilfong McCorkle
died while he was attending Jefferson Medical College in Philadelpia and
was never married.
+74 iv. John
Macon McCORKLE.
+75 v. William
Henry McCORKLE.
+76 vi. George
W. McCORKLE.
+77 vii. Mary
Locke McCORKLE.
+78 viii. Lizzie
Alberta McCORKLE.
+79 ix. Charles
Milton McCORKLE Sr.
