Matthew Cushing (bef. 1589 - 1660)

Born before 2 Mar 1589 in Hardingham, Norfolk, England

Ancestors

Husband of Nazareth (Pitcher) Cushing — married 5 Aug 1613 in Hingham, Norfolk, England

Descendants

Died 30 Sep 1660 after age 71 in Hingham, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Matthew Cushing migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 85) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Matthew was baptized in Hardingham, England, on 2 March 1588[/9].^{[1] [2][3][4][5]}

He married 5 Aug 1613 in Hingham, Norfolk, England to Nazareth Pitcher. ^[5] Children- all born in Hingham, England ^[5]

1. Daniel Baptized 20 Apr 1619.
2. Jeremiah (Jesse?) Baptized 21 Jul 1621.
3. Matthew Baptized 5 Apr 1623. Died 9 Jan 1701.
4. Deborah Baptized 17 Feb 1625. Died 25 Sep 1700.
5. John Born 1627.

On 26 Apr 1638 Matthew and family left Gravesend, Kent, England. The arrived 10 Aug 1638 in Hingham, Massachusetts Bay. Matthew was about 50 years old when he and his wife, their five children, and his wife's sister, who was the widow of Francis Riecroft and who died a few weeks after their arrival, embarked in the ship Diligent of Ipswich, England, John Martin, Master, which sailed from Gravesend, 26 April 1638, with 133 passengers including their rector, Robert Peck. "The immediate occasion of their departure seems to have been trouble in ecclesiastical matters. Their rector, doubtless with the sympathy and aid of most of those constituting the emigrating party, had pulled down the rails of chancel and altar, and leveled the latter a foot below the church, as it remains to this day." ^[5]

Matthew built his home on a house lot of five acres which was granted to him in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1638. This house remained in the family until 1887. He was engaged in the public affairs of the town as well as being a deacon in Rev. Peter Hobart's church (the Old Ship Church in Hingham, Massachusetts).^[6][5]

He became a deacon in Rev Hobart's church and had many descendants. It is now pretty well established fact that, with the exception of a few families who have come to this country in the past century, all the persons bearing the surname of Cushing in the United States and Canada are his direct lineal descendants. ^[5]

He resided on Main Street, Hingham below "Pear Tree Hill."^[7]

Matthew died 30 Sep 1660 in Hingham,^[8][9]

His will, which was a verbal one, was written after his decease by his children, who, under date of 15 Nov 1660, pray that Daniel Cushing, Esq. their oldest brother, may be appointed administrator of their father's estate. (Will in appendix). ^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Mathias Cushine 1588[/9] baptism, Parish registers of Hardingham; digital images, FamilySearch, FHL Digital Collection, DGS 4033226 (Hingham), image 9 of 133.; father is Petri, mother is Suzanne.
2. ↑ Cushing, James S. p.21-22
3. ↑ Little, George Thomas. Vol 4, p.1868
4. ↑ Deane, Samuel. History of Scituate, Massachusetts (James Loring, 132 Washington Street, Boston, 1831) p.254
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6} "The Genealogy of the Cushing Family, an account of the ancestors and descendants of Matthew Cushing, who came to America in 1638 by James S. Cushing" https://archive.org/details/genealogyofcushi00cush/page/21
6. ↑ Cushing, James Stevenson. p. 13-20
7. ↑ History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts (The Town of Hingham, Massachusetts, 1893): Vol II, p.150
8. ↑ Little, George Thomas. Vol. 1, p.336.
9. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-897M-Y41K?cc=2061550&wc=Q4D7-PTG%3A353350201%2C353451301%2C353453801 : 13 July 2016), Plymouth > Hingham > Births, marriages, deaths 1635-1844

See also:

• Little, George Thomas. Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine (Lewis Historical Publishing Company 1909)
• Cushing, James Stevenson. 1905. The genealogy of the Cushing family: An account of the ancestors and descendants of Matthew Cushing, who came to America in 1638. Montreal: Perrault Print. Co. archive.org
• Alden, Ebenezer, M.D. Biographical Notices of Deceased Physicians in Massachusetts, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass.) Vol. 1, Page 180
• Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Vol. I. p. 502 [Under Theophilus Cushing entry, believed to be Matthew´s brother.]
• Colonial Families of the United States of America. In Seven Volumes. Volume VII Page 436-437

Additional information

The early Cushing ancestry has been traced from the Viking, Hrolf Nefja Jarl, mentioned in the Scandinavian Sagas relating to the latter half of the eighth century, through his descendants in later centuries in Normandy and in England to a Galfridua, Gerard or Geoffrey Cusyn who was born in Norfolk County, England, in the latter part of the thirteenth century. He possessed estates in Hardingham, Norfolk County, for which in 1327 he was assessed to the King's subsidies. Galfridua's descendants remained in Norfolk County until our immigrant ancestor, Matthew Cushing, moved to America in 1638. The spelling of the name developed from Cusyn, Cosyn, Cussheyn, Cushyn to the current spelling of Cushing.