Matthew Jones (abt. 1664 - abt. 1749)

Born about 1664 in Barnstable, Plymouth Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Mercy (Goodspeed) Jones — married 14 Jan 1695 (to 1749) in Barnstable, Barnstable, Plymouth Colony

Descendants

Died about Jul 1749 at about age 85 in Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Biography

Matthew Jones was born Barnstable, Plymouth Colony about 1664. His parents were Ralph and Mary (Fuller) Jones, based on Matthew being listed as a son in Ralph's will. The 1664 birth year estimate is based on Donald Blauvelt's analysis in the Mayflower Descendant, v.68 (2020).^[1] The author's argument is that when Matthew was admitted to the town of Barnstable in 1692, along with several other men, he was at least 24 years old, based on other men's ages at admission. Since his sister Mercy has a known 1666 birth date, Matthew's birth is placed before hers, in 1664. This also works for childbirth spacing considerations. Otis in his Genealogical notes of Barnstable families had postulated that Matthew was the oldest child, so born about 1652.^[2] However, Blauvelt points out that Matthew's brother Shubael, born in 1654, was the sibling with the first recorded birth, the first son mentioned in his father's will, and the sole executor of his father's estate; so Shubael is the obvious choice for the first-born son.

There has been discussion regarding Matthew's children and marriages, because the births of two children are recorded before his only recorded marriage date.^[3] It is possible that the recorded marriage date is simply wrong, as Matthew's known wife Mercy Goodspeed was old enough to have married by, say, 1689. It is now generally accepted that she was Matthew's second wife, and that his first two children were with an otherwise totally undocumented first wife. This is the interpretation taken by Blauvelt, cited above.^[1] Otis also assumes this, but introduces several errors that Blauvelt corrects.^[2] The basic assumption is that the Barnstable birth and marriage record dates for Matthew are accurate, so two marriages are indicated.

Matthew Jones was first married about 1689, to an unknown wife, and they had two children recorded in Barnstable records:^[3]

1. Benjamin (5 Jan 1690/1), married Hannah Gifford
2. Ralph (5 Jan 1692/3), married Abigail Linnell

This first wife probably died in 1694, death not recorded, leaving Matthew with two very young children.

Matthew married, second, Mercy Goodspeed, daughter of John and Experience (Holley) Goodspeed, on 14 January 1694/5, in Barnstable.^[3][4]

Matthew and Mercy had children, all born in Barnstable:^[3]

1. Experience (1 Mar 1697/8), unmarried in 1749 when mentioned in father's will
2. Josiah (14 Jun 1702), not mentioned in father's will of 1749
3. Ebenezer (6 Jun 1706), married Hannah Jones, then Rebecca Crocker
4. Rebecca (not recorded - ca 1708), mentioned in father's will as wife of Reuben Meigs (married 1732)^[3](p.186)

Per Barnstable town records, in October 1690 Matthew was granted his request to exchange his 30 acres of land for a more favorable site (p.70). The exchanged land boundaries were affirmed in March 1694/5 (p.79). Matthew was admitted as a townsman on 4 March 1691/2 (p.73). Matthew appears on a 1691/2 list of Barnstable proprietors regarding a division of the common meadow (p.95). Matthew appears on a 1697 list of Barnstable proprietors regarding a division of common marshlands (p.122). Matthew's marsh lots are listed in an August 1697 record (pp.107-8).^[5]

At some point Matthew moved to Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts Bay Colony, as he was of Sandwich when he wrote his will. Mercy was given the use and improvement of her husband Matthew Jones' whole estate in his will dated 1 June 1749. The will also mentions sons Benjamin, Ralph, and Ebenezer; daughter Experience; daughter Rebecca Maggs; granddaughter Mary Maggs; with his son-in-law Reuben Maggs [Meigs] named sole executor. His will was probated on 1 August 1749. His inventory included wool, flax, and linen yarns, so he probably did some weaving in addition to husbandry.^[6]

Research Notes

"(Two trains of thought have been applied to this marriage: either Mercy is the second wife or the recorded date of 1694 should actually be 1684. The gap between the second and third child could indicate the death of a first wife. See Otis Barnstable Fams 2:110-11; NEHGR 3:136 for further discussion)"^[7] See the Mayflower Descendant article cited above for a critique of both of these earlier writings.

Mercy has been disconnected as the mother of Benjamin and Ralph Jones. A clue to their unknown mother's identity might be the given name of Benjamin, which was not a Jones family name at the time.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Blauvelt, Donald G., "Ralph Jones of Barnstable, Massachusetts", Mayflower Descendant, v.68 (2020), pp.148-156 NEHGS member site
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Otis, Amos, Genealogical notes of Barnstable families:, (1890), v.2 pp.110-111 FamilySearch
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4} Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850 Barnstable, v.1 p.41(Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016). NEHGS member site
4. ↑ New England Marriages to 1700. Torrey, v.2 p.868 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. NEHGS member site
   • Text: "JONES, Matthew & Mercy GOODSPEED (1669-); 14 Jan 1694, 1684?, had Benj. 1690, 1688; Plymouth {MD 6:140; Barnstable Fam. 2:110; Goodspeed 86; Hamlin 1:399}"
5. ↑ "Barnstable, MA: Town Records, 1640-1793." v.1 pp. 70, 73, 79, 95, 107, 122; Records of Barnstable, Massachusetts. CD-ROM. Boston, MA.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.)NEHGS member site
6. ↑ Barnstable County, Mass. probate records, v.8 p.411 FHL Film #007705403 image 231 FamilySearch
7. ↑ MacGunnigle's MF Vol 4 Ed 3, p 27

• MacGunnigle, Bruce Campbell. "Mayflower Families Through Five Generations Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass, December 1620, Volume Four, Third Edition, Family of Edward Fuller." Plymouth, MA: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 2006, pp 10, 27

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Jones-10617 created through the import of PaulAncestry.ged on Jan 26, 2012 by Joyce Rosnel. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Joyce and others.