History of Wayne Co., Illinois, published 1884, Globe Publishing Co.,
Historical Publishers, Chicago.  Barren County.

CREWS FAMILY.  No family in Wayne County has been more prominently
identified with the progress, prosperity and general welfare of the whole
community from the first settlement to the present time, than the owne
mentioned at the head of this sketch.  Very much might be said in praise
if it were necessary, but it is sufficient to say that the older members
invariably cast their influcence 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 another name
unknown.  Rev. Hooper Crews was the son of James.  Andrew was born in
Halifax County, Va; removed first to the Cumberland River region of
Tennessee, then to Kentucky and finally to Wayne County, Ill., in 1817,
and settled on Section 31, in Massillion Township, in 1818, where he died
about 1830 and was buried at the Enoch Beach Cemetery.  He is described as
a most excellent man, affiable, 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
feel comfortable and at home in his presence.  Being severely afflicted
for many 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 known, in the county.  He and his
family were Methodists when they came to the country.  His children were
Matthew, Peter and James (twins), Nancy (Monroe), William and Jesse
(twins), and Polly (Farley).  Matthew Crews was born in Halifax County,
Va., January 14, 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 14th day of May, 1817, he was
married to Mary Blair, in Kentucky, to whom were born William, Andrew,
Nancy (Vandeveer), Alexander and James.  He was, after the death of Mary,
again married, August 19, 1828, to Elizabeth Owen, and to them were born
Mary, Tabitha (Lane), Hooper (who died in the army), Caleb, Sarah
(Heidinger) and Barton R.  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, affiable 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 escape 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 bad men, but who stand, indeed,
as fortresses to our moral civilization, 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
consume all the corn I have, and you who are able to go farther must do
so."  After a very useful life, in which by 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.

Crews Monroe Farley Vandeveer Owen Lane Heidinger
=
Wayne-IL England Halifax-VA TN

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/barren/crews.txt