Matthew Allyn

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Matthew Allyn, son of Richard Allen and Margaret Wyott, was born probably shortly before his baptism at Braunton, Devon, England, 17 April 1605.1 He died at Windsor, Connecticut, 1 February 1670/71.1

Matthew married Margaret Wyatt, daughter of John Wyatt and Frances Chichester, at Braunton 2 February 1626/27.2,3,1,4,5

He was first of record in Cambridge, 4 November 1633 when he was granted a one acre cowyard, and two acres in the Neck of Land 2 February 1633/4. He reeived a proportionate share of six in the undivided meadow, 20 August 1635. By 7 December 1638 he had purchased from Plymouth Colony their trading post at Windsor, and as late as 20 March 1654 he and the town fo Windsor were still bargaining over it.

Admitted to the Cambridge chruch before 4 March 1634/5 as implied by being granted freeman status on that date. The church moved as a whole to Hartford in1636 so Thomas would have remained a member, but he was excommunicated by 1644, and his attempts to be reinstated by the Connecticut General Court were unsuccessful. He was probably admitted to the Windsor church when he moved there, but there is no record of it.

By February 1639/40, "Mr. Matthew Allen" held twelve parcels of land, and in 1661, the Connecticut General court "granted unto Mr. Math: Allyn, 400 acres of upland and 100 acres of meadow, where he can find it within ConectA: liberties . . . "

He was probably well educated, signing his will in a clear, strong hand, and his inventory included books at £3 11s. He held some prominent civic positions including: Deputy from Cambridge to the Massachusetts Bay General Court, 3 March 1635/6; deputy from Windsor to the Connecticut General Court, 1648 - 1651 and 1654 - 1657, and assistant of the Connecticut General Court, 1658 - 1666, Patentee for the Royal Charter, 1662, and Commissioner for United Colonies, 1664.

He was not only highly respected and served society well, he was also a highly contentious man. He had lengthy disputes with his brother Thomas of Barnstable, Plymouth Colony. Also, not long after he left Massachusetts he was wanted for "debt and damage" he had left behind: Massachusetts Bay General Court ordered: a letter shalbe sent to Mr. Haynes & the rest of the magistrates at Connectecot, to send back the prisoner Mathewe Alleyn, or satisfy the debt & damage." There is more evidence of his litigiousness thoughout the Connecticut court records.1

Matthew left a will dated 30 January 1670/71, and proved 2 March 1670/1 naming or mentioning:
wife Margaret his entire estae for live with sons John Allyn, Thomas Allyn & Benjamin Nuberry to improve it for her benefit)
son John after decease of Margaret, all lands in Kenillworth on County of New London, as well as land in Hartford previously given him as his marriage portion.
son Thomas after decease of Margaret half of the land at Catch [Simsbury] out of which "my beloved grandchild Mathew Allyn" is to get one hundred acres as well as lands at Windsor already given him as his marriage portion;
son and daughter Benjamin and Mary Newbery after decase of Margaret, other half of land at Catch out of which "my beloved grandchild Mary Mardsley" is to get fifty acres;
Mary Griffen (servant) 40s;
John Indian one suit of clothes;
sons John, Thomas and daughter Mary residue equally;
wife sole executrix.

The inventory was taken 14 February 1670/1 and totaled £466 17s. 2d., of which "land & stock at Kennelworth," £120 and "land at Catch," £40.1

Family

Margaret Wyatt b. 8 Mar 1594/95, d. 12 Sep 1675
Children
This person was last edited on2 Jan 2021

Citations

  1. [S2281] Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I–III, 3 vols. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), 1:40-44 (Matthew Allyn), further cited as Anderson, GMB.
  2. [S1947] Douglas Richardson, Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families (Five vols., Salt Lake City, Utah: s.p., 2013), 1:114 (Allyn 21), further cited as Richardson, Royal Ancestry.
  3. [S791] Douglas Richardson, "Allyn and Wyatt Families of Braunton, Devon," The American Genealogist 57 (Apr 1981): 115-119, further cited as Richardson, "Allyn & Wyatt Families."
  4. [S1872] Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700, 3 vols. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011), 24, further cited as Torrey, New England Marriages (2011).
  5. [S1926] Charles Knowles Bolton, The Ancestry of Margaret Wyatt, Wife of Matthew Allyn of Braunton in Devon, and Later of Windsor in Connecticut (Brookline, Massachusetts: s.p., 1898?), further cited as Bolton, The Ancestry of Margaret Wyatt.