Susannah (Matchett) Day (abt. 1623 - 1717)

Born about 1623 in England

Descendants

Died 10 Dec 1717 at about age 94 in Gloucester, Essex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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This person is an ancestor of President Millard Fillmore^[1]

Biography

Susannah (or Susanna) Matchett was born about 1623, based on her stated age (94) at her time of death.^[2] That age may have been exaggerated, as death ages often were, so needs to be treated with some caution. There are also questions about her last name, as some early genealogies give her last name as Ring.^[3]

In 1694 Susannah, as Susannah Matchett, was living in Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts as the servant of William Vinson. Vinson accused Susannah with being unvirtuous. Susannah's future husband, Anthony Day, counter-sued, taking Vinson to court. Anthony effectively won, as Vinson did not pursue his case against Susannah.^[4]

Susannah and Anthony Day were married after the court case^[5] and moved to Exeter, Rockingham, New Hampshire,^[6] where it is likely their first two sons, Thomas and Timothy, were born. By 1657, Anthony and Susanna were back in Gloucester, where Anthony bought a house and land near the Poles (site of the old town of Gloucester), and where their third son John was born.

Susannah and Anthony lived the remainder of their lives in Gloucester, adding another six children to their family, socializing with neighbours, and enjoying a reasonable reputation, at least judging by Anthony's activities. In their later years they began to distribute some of their property to their children, with Susannah signing at least two deeds with her husband. One, in 1692/3 was for land for their son Nathaniel^[7]; the other, in 1693, was to their son John.^[8]

Susannah outlived Anthony by ten years, dying on 10 December, 1717, in Gloucester^[9] Her date and place of burial are unknown, although it is likely that she was buried in Gloucester, not too long after her death.

Sources

1. ↑ Roberts, Gary Boyd; Ancestors of American Presidents
2. ↑ Vital Records of Gloucester, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. Deaths, p. 114.
3. ↑ See, for example, Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700
4. ↑ Records and files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts., Vol 1, p. 174.
5. ↑ It is often claimed that Susannah and Anthony were married 23 April 1650 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts, although without documentation.
6. ↑ See Records and files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts, Vol. 1, p. 269 for evidence of Anthony's place of work and residence
7. ↑ Essex, Massachusetts. "Deeds". Vol 14, p. 40; FHL #0866021
8. ↑ Essex, Massachusetts. "Deeds". Vol. 20, p. 34; FHL #0866023
9. ↑ Vital Records of Gloucester, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. Deaths, p. 114.

• Essex County (Massachusetts). Register of Deeds. Deeds, 1639-1866; index to deeds, 1640-1879 (Essex County, Massachusetts). (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1971)

• Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Gloucester, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. (Salem, Massachusetts.: Essex Institute, 1917)

• Massachusetts (Colony). Quarterly Courts (Essex County). Records and files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. (Salem, Massachusetts: The Essex Institute, 1911-1925, 1975)

• Person:Susannah Matchett (1), WeRelate.org

• Roberts, Gary Boyd. Ancestors of American Presidents. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009).

• Torrey, Clarence Almon. New England Marriages Prior to 1700. (1963), p. 210.
  DAY, Anthony (1616, 1614?, ?1624/27-1707) & Susannah RING?/[probably MATCHETT?] (1624-1717); b[efore] 1650, aft 11 Sep 1649; Gloucester

See also

• Day Association. Day Genealogy - Green Book. (Furbush-Roberts Printing Co. Inc 435 Odlin Road, Bangor Maine 1967.) Originally published as "A record of the descendants of Jacob Day and an incomplete record of Anthony Day" (Warren Press, Boston, MA. 1916)

• Cutter, William Richard . Genealogy - Boston and Eastern Massachusetts. (Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, 1908)

• Historian Committee, Freeland Jones, Karen Walker, et al. Day Genealogy 1989 Red Book. (Twin City Printery)

• Noyes, Sybil; Charles Thornton Libby; and Walter Goodwin Davis. Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire. (Portland, Maine: Southworth Press, 1928-1939).

• Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1860-1862).