What evidence for parents of early Virginia settler Mathias Hughes (1640-1701)?

Question

The current version of this profile claims he was son of Indian trader Rice (aka Rees) Hughes and a Native American woman (supposed niece of Pocahontas).

What is historically known about this man?

Thanks

Comments

According to Maryland records, the first "John Hughes" to arrive in Maryland was transported there about 1657.  A man named "Rice/Rees"  "Hooe, Howes, Howe" arrived in Jamestown in 1618.  He is well documented and had a wife named Sarah and a son, also named Rice Hooe, born in 1640. He died before Dec. 1655 when his estate was probated.  [Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, Martha McCartney, JSTOR article John Bailey Calvert Nicklin. “Rice Hooes I-V.” The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 48, no. 3, 1940, pp. 270–274. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4245031.]

Early records from Jamestown list no "John Hughes."  The only early "Hughes" were a man named Edward Hughes who died before the 1624 muster and a man named Hugh Hughes arrived before 1621; he was married to a woman named Anne. [Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, Martha McCartney, p. 407}

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Well done, Martha!

Answer 1

Find-a-grave lists a man named Matthias Hughes as buried in St. James Parish Episcopal Cemetery, Lothian, Anne Arundel Co., MD, died 21 Jan 1702.  No image of a gravestone.  The Maryland Calendar of Wills 1703-1713 abstracts his will, dated 21 Jan 1702, as " To son Samuel and to son John at majority, "Paw Paw Ridge" equally.  To daus. Sarah and Margaret personalty.  Sarah Little executrix to have charge of son John during his minority.  Test: Thos. Trott, Alex. Caddle, Jno. Beacher.  Image of the will is available on Ancestry.  This appears to be the man in the profile, although there is no evidence for the parents or siblings listed.  Matthias Hughes appears in the "Early Settlers of Maryland" on the Maryland Archives site "service by 1667" is the notation.  The microfilm does not appear to be digitized.

Comments

Thank you, Kathryn. I've incorporated the info you found into the profile.

I'm hoping a US Southern Colonists project leader/coordinator will concur that we should detach him from the claimed parents.

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I did more research and confirmed that Matthias came to Maryland as a servant at some date before 1667, when he became eligible for a land grant.  He should be disconnected from the parents and siblings shown. I updated the text of his bio adding more detail and documentation.