Matthias Hitchcock (abt. 1610 - 1669)

Born about 1610 in England

Husband of Elizabeth (Unknown) Hitchcock — married 1640 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 16 Nov 1669 at about age 59 in New Haven County, Connecticut Colony

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Matthias Hitchcock migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 3, p. 336) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Anderson's Great Migration says that it is very likely that the passenger of 1635, the resident of Watertown and Cambridge and the resident of New Haven, were all the same person. Anderson indicates that the wife of Matthias Hitchcock was Elizabeth ___, so her maiden name has been changed from Rogers to Unknown.^[1]

Anderson also says that Edward Hitchcock of New Haven was the brother of Matthias, but disagrees with Jacobus (1952) that Luke Hitchcock of New Haven and Wethersfield was a third brother, so Luke's connection to Matthias has been removed. Note: Jacobus made these arguments for Luke, Matthias and Edward being brothers:

"Edward and Matthias Hitchcock [took] the [freeman's] oath at the same time [as Luke]. Edward was married by 1638, Matthias perhaps as early, and Luke within four years later. Matthias at least was an original settler, for he signed the fundamental agreement at New Haven, 4 June 1639. It is a reasonable assumption that the three were brothers. At Edward's death, Matthias testified regarding his testamentary wishes, and Matthias and Luke bore the names of two gospel writers. But while Matthias and Edward remained in New Haven until death, Luke shortly removed to Wethersfield."^[2]

No parents are identified for Matthias Hitchcock in either the "Genealogy of the Hitchcock Family" or in "The Great Migration", so his presumed parents, John Hitchcock and Mary Franklin, have been removed from this profile and his birth location of St. Peter Marlborough, Wilshire, England has also been removed.

1635 Arrived in Boston aboard the "Susan and Ellen" aged 25

1636 July - Watertown, Essex Co., MA "Great Dividends" - Rec'd 23 acres (Afterwards sold to 'D Patrick')

1639 June - New Haven, CT., Original signer of the "Fundamental Agreement.."

1647 Jan 4 - ...for a willful neglect to walk ye round when ye officers called him was fined 5s.

1648 Nov 7 - ...late with eight others in coming to training yesterday in the afternoon, but they said theywas there before the bodye moved which as the Captain said was longer before it moved than it used to be, yet because it hat bine the usiall course to count no man late till the bodye hath been removed, ye court passed it by this time"

His will is dated November 1669 (no day is given), and his inventory is recorded but no dates are given.^[3]

Burial: Center Church on the Green Churchyard, New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut. Note that the Find A Grave entry says that time and weather have possibly erased the location of this grave, a likely indication that there is no gravestone for him at this cemetery.^[4]

Note

In the Barbour Collection, he is listed as "one of the southend men". Mathias Hitchcock came to Boston, at age 25, from London on the bark "Susan and Ellen" in the spring of 1635. He first settled in East Haven, Conn., where he was one of the five purchasers of "South End Neck". He was also an original signer of the "foundamental agreement made on the 4th of the fowerth moneth called June, 1639" in the records of New Haven, Connecticut.

Mathias had a brother Edward. Mathias and Edward were both fined in 1643 for coming late to training. In the same year Mathias was also fined for disorder in his watch.

Mathias was fined 5 shillings in 1647 for "a wilful neglect to walk ye round when ye officers called him". In 1648 when "he was too late with eight others in coming to trayning yesterday in the afternoon but they said they was there before the bodye moved which as the Captain said was longer before it moved than it used to be, yet because it hath bine the usiall course to count no man late till the bodye hath been removed, ye court passed it by this time".

Sources

1. ↑ Robert Charles Anderson, “The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634-1635”, Boston, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999-2011, Vol III G-H, pages 336-338.
2. ↑ Donald Lines Jacobus, "Luke Hitchcock (profile)," in Hale, House and Related Families, Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1952, p 611.
3. ↑ “New Haven Probate Records, Vol. 1-2, 1647-1703”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L92K-G9N5-F : 6 March 2021), New Haven, Connecticut, FHL microfilm 007626739, image 87. New Haven Probate Record, 1647-1687, Vol. 1, Part 1, page 147.
4. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #166435601

See also:

• Hitchcock, Edward Mrs., The genealogy of the Hitchcock family (Amherst, Mass. : Press of Carpenter & Morehouse, 1894) Open Library
• Donald Lines Jacobus, "Families of Ancient New Haven", Vol III, page 749 (Hitchcock Family).
• Dodd, Stephen. The East-Haven Register, In Three Parts (A.H. Maltby & Co., 1824) Page 162: "1669, Matthias Hitchcock, one of the South-end men."
• Prominent Families of New York: Being an Account in Biographical Form of Individuals and Families Distinguished as Representatives of the Social, Professional and Civic Life of New York City, by Lyman Horace Weeks. Historical Company, 1898. Page 279. [1]