Redden, Mathew

REDDEN, QUIGLEY, WHITE

Posted By: Volunteer Transcribers
Date: 2/14/2003 at 15:34:09

MATHEW REDDEN. 

Mathew Redden, a self-made man of sterling qualities who is now living a retired life in Clinton, Iowa, was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, some sixty years ago, and is a son of Mathew and Honore (Quigley) Redden, who were farming people and life-long residents of the Emerald Isle, both attaining a good old age. In the family were nine children who reached man and womanhood, of whom only three came to the new world, these being Mathew, our subject; Michael, also a resident of Clinton; and Mrs. N. J. White, who formerly lived in this city, but now makes her home in Chicago.

In his native land our subject was reared and educated and there followed agricultural pursuits until coming to America in 1862. On the 15th of September, that year, he arrived in Clinton, and after working on a farm for a short time he obtained the position of watchman at the Lamb mills. So faithfully did he serve his employers that he was retained in that capacity for the long period of nineteen years. He purchased two lots where he now lives and erected a house, which is to-day a part of the Elias Allison residence. When he first took up his abode here there were no houses in that part of the city, but it is now all built up.

In 1875 he erected his present comfortable residence, and has planted around it both shade and fruit trees, making a very pleasant and attractive home. In 1883 Mr. Redden purchased a fine farm of two hundred acres in Ida county, Iowa, on which he made many improvements in the way of buildings, and for seven years successfully engaged in farming and stock raising, making a specialty of feeding cattle, of which he usually kept about sixty head. Since 1890 he has rented his farm and lives retired in Clinton, enjoying the fruits of former toil.

On the 24th of November, 1865, Mr. Redden was married by Rev. Father James to Miss Bridget Redden, also a native of County West Meath, Ireland, and a daughter of James Redden. Their wedding ceremony was the first service conducted in the Catholic church of Clinton, which was then located where the grammar school now stands, and which has since been moved and converted into a dwelling. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Redden were born six children, namely: Mathew, who is now employed in the Lamb mills; James, who became a fine portrait artist but died at the age of twenty-eight years; William, stage manager at the opera house in Clinton; John, a brakeman on the Chicago & Northwester Railway; Nellie, at home; and Edward, who is also an artist of exceptional ability, and his masterpiece was on exhibition at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo.
Source: The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.