Thomas Matthews (1633 - 1693)

Born 28 Jul 1633 in England

Ancestors

Husband of Eleanor DeFoss — married 1684 in St Keverne, Cornwall

Descendants

Died 1693 at about age 59 in Centre, New Castle, Delaware

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Biography

A Matthews History - The Family of Thomas Matthews (ca. 1631) of Hall Comb , Terry Cowan, et al.- pages. 10,11. -- excerpt follows: ^[1]

Thomas Matthews was born circa 1631 in England. Thomas died after 1693 in Christiana Hundred Centre, New Castle County, DL [Delaware].

This study focuses on the family that descends from Thomas Matthews, an English Quaker who immigrated to Delaware by 1686. Few details are known about his life. Traditional accounts refer to his place of origin as the "north of England", or more particularly, "New" Cumberland. Matthews' estimated date of birth is 1631 or earlier, allowing for service as a soldier under Olivere Cromwell.

Quakers had settled in [what is now] New Castle County, Delaware by 1682... While their exact date of arrival is unknown, Thomas Matthews had purchased in in the area by the summmer of 1686.

The Matthews farm called "Hall Comb" was situated in a neighborhood of Quaker families. From the above description and its accompanying plat, we find that neighbors of like faith included the Stockdale, Gregg, Vance, Hogg, Hollingsworth, and Hurnice families. Other local families of like faith included the Dixons, Piersons, the Sharpless family, the Harlans and the Kirk family. Many of these families were already well acquainted with one another, having previously left England for the Quaker community at Lurgan in Ulster [Northern Ireland]. Hall Comb was situated in what is known as the Christiana Hundred District of New Castle County, Delaware. Delaware counties were divided in to districts of approximately 100 [one hundred] families, known as "hundreds". Centre was the nearest village.

Children of Thomas Matthews and an unknown spouse were as follows:

1. Oliver, born circa 1667 in England, married Elizabeth Thomas (?)
2. Edward, born circa 1671? in England, married Eleanor DeFoss.

Research Notes

• Is there a source showing his exact date of birth?
• Is there a source showing his relationship to his father?
• Is there a source showing he married Eleanor DeFoss? Cowan, et al list her as the wife of Thomas' son Edward. Also, it's quite odd that she died in England after moving to Delaware (although not unheard of) It's also very suspicious that the marriage date given is decades after their son was born. Also, the marriage location is given as being in Cornwall which is in the extreme southwest of England, but he is said to have lived in the north of England.

Sources

1. ↑ http://books.google.com/books/about/A_Matthews_History.html?id=e8jnHAAACAAJ

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Matthews-1685 created through the import of Thompson Family Tree.ged on Sep 1, 2012 by Wilson Thompson.

• Norman Perry, firsthand knowledge.