Matthias Hatfield
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THE DESCENDANTS OF MATTHIAS HATFIELD THE DESCENDANTS OF MATTHIAS HATFIELD Compiled by 11 ABRAHAM HATFIELD, F.G.B.S. Compiler ot The H atftelds of Westchester; and Captain John Hatfield, Loyalist 1954 Published by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society INTRODUCTION The surname Hatfield has been borne by several apparently unrelated pioneers who came to America in Colonial days. The marriage intentions of a Joseph Hat field were published in Boston in 1730; in the early 17oo's, Adam Hatfield became the progenitor of a prominent family in Philadelphia; and there was a group in Virginia, not to mention the Kentucky family whose feuds with the McCoys, pur sued through generations, have become a classic in American annals. But undoubtedly the best known and most widely distributed families of the name in this country descended from Thomas Hatfield, who was a soldier in New York City in 1665, and Matthias Hatfield, who took the Oath of Fidelity in New Haven, Connecticut, in 166o and subsequently became one of the patentees of Elizabethtown, New Jersey. The descendants of Thomas were compiled and pub lished some two decades ago under the title, The Hatfields of Westchester. In this present volume Matthias and his descendants are presented by the same compiler, Mr. Abraham Hatfield, F.G.B.S., of New Canaan, Connecticut. As Thomas and Matthias Hatfield were contemporaries, it was thought at one time that they might have been brothers, possibly the sons of a young Englishman Thomas Hatfield who went to Leyden, Holland, early in the seventeenth century and married there May 1, 1621, Mrs. Anna (Hamden) Cox. This theory was discussed in some detail in the opening pages of The Hatfields of Westchester. Subsequent developments, however, have revealed that Matthias Hatfield was a "high Dutchman," a native of Danzig, a Free City of eastern Germany, and this fact probably removes all possibility of the two men being related. Upon this dis covery a search was made in the archives of that city, and while no trace of the name "Hatfield" was discovered, variants such as Hitfi.eld, Heetvelt, and Heath field were found. Any of these names could have been Anglicized to Hatfield and such a change may have occurred after Matthias moved into an English commu nity; or he may have seen or heard the English name and adopted it for his own. The present compilation of the descendants of Matthias is based upon the exten sive research done on this family by the Reverend Edwin Francis Hatfield ( 1807- 1883), author of the History of Elizabeth, New Jersey; generous credit is given to him throughout the following pages. In manuscript form this genealogy is now a part of the collections of the New-York Historical Society. Using this material as a nucleus, Mr. Abraham Hatfield has brought the history of the family down to the present time and bas verified his statements by the inclusion of much original data. transcribed from wills, land conveyances, and other pertinent records. This family had more than the average number of loyal adherents to the Crown during the Revolution, many of whom afterwards settled in Nova Scotia and other parts of eastern Canada. A special effort has been made to trace down these lines, with the result that the Canadian branches of the family are unusually complete and well documented. J. CRAWFORD HARTMAN FIRST GENERATION 1. Matthias1 (Matheus, Mathys, Matthys) Hatfield (whose name also ap pears in the early records of New Amsterdam as Heesvelt, Heetvelt, Hitfield, Heathfield, Hithfield, Heatfield, and Sierei was the pioneer of this family. The last spelling, probably a clerical error, occurs in the original copy. The following is a reproduction from the Medical Journal of John Winthrop, Jr., which is in the archives of the Massachusetts Historical Society. As one may readily see from the above reproduction mentioned, it is not easily read and as so many attempts have been made to read it correctly and so many differences have resulted, it was thought better to have a composite of all opinions. This we renroduce as follows : .. - - - -. Hetfield Mathias an high duchman of dantsick now living at Newhaven hath paine in knee & swelled; hath used many meanes & last he used by direction of a sweedish * * * decoction yt English (say) to*** it in (av)alanche but is rather worse. I gave him S doz 15 gr & 4 doz 8 gr * * * because he said he had some of Mrs. Davenp(ort) & not worked; also he had pl: doth: The foregoing would definitely establish the fact that Matthias was not an Englishman as was heretofore thought and an incomplete survey of the rec ords of Danzig has established the fact that there were people living there bearing his name under its various forms. Up to the present it has not been possible to discover the means by which Matthias reached this country. One of the earliest accounts we have of Matthias in America is that "Mat thias Hithfield" took the Oath of Fidelity in New Haven, May 1, 16oo. Later he went to the newly settled plantation of Arthur Kull Sound called Elizabeth Town, N. J., and there took the Oath of Allegiance with sixty-four others on February 19th, 1665. Matthias Hatfield may have come to America with the Colonists who settled at Staten Island under the Patroon, Cornelius Melyn (Moleyn, Mellyns, Mul line, Mellyn, etc.) and whose daughter Maria (Mary) he married at New Haven. We have no evidence to show that he came in that way other than his close association with the Melyns. Cornelius Melyn and family went to the New Haven Colony. Mr. Melyn and Jacob Melyn with 29 others took the "oath of fidellitie" on February 7th, 1657. 8 THE DESCENDANTS OF MATTHIAS HATFIELD At a court held at New Haven the first of May 166o, Jacob Murline & Sarah Tuttle being called appeared, concerning whom the Gouernor declared that the business for web they were warned to the Court he had heard in private at his house, web he related to stand thus: on the day yt John Potter was married, Sarah Tuttle went to Mra Murline bid her goe to her daugh ters in the other roome, where they fell into speech of John Potter & his wife, that they wert: both lame, upon web Sarah Tuttle said that she wondered what they would doe at night,'' "whereupon Jacob came in & tooke away or tooke up her gloues; Sarah desired him to give her the gloues, to web he answered, he would doe so, if she would give him a kisse, upon web they sate downe together, his arme being about her, & her arme upon his shoulder or about his necke, & he kissed her & shee him, or they kissed one another, continuing in this posture about half an houre, as Mariah & Susan testified, web Mariah now in Court affirmed to be so. Mrs. M urline now in Court said that she heard her say, she wondered what they would doe at night, & she replied they must sleep, but there was company wth her in ye roome, & she was in a strait; but it is matter of sorrow & shame to her. Jacob was asked what he had to say to these things; to web he answered yt he was in the other roome, & when he heard Sarah speake those words be went in, where sbee haveing let fall her gloues, he tooke them up & she asked him for them; bee told her he would if shee would kisse him, well she did; further said that he tooke her by ye hand & they both sate downe upon a chest, but whether his arme were about her, & her arme upon his shoulder or about his neck, he knowes uot, for he neuer thought of it since, till Mr Raymond told him of it at ye Man mtoes; for well he was blamed & told yt it appeares that he hath not layd it to heart as he ought. But Sarah Tuttle replyed that shee did not kiss him; Mr Tuttle said yt Mariah hath denycd it, & he doth not looke upon her as a competent wit aesse. Tho Tuttle in Court affirmed that he asked Mariah if his sister kist Jacob. · and she said, noe. Moses Mansfeild testified that he told Jacob that he heard ,' Sarah kissed him. but he denyed it; but Jacob granted not what Moses testified." ••Mr Tuttle pleaded that Jacob had endeavoured to steale away his daughters affections, but Sarah being asked if Jacob had inveagled her, she said. no; Tho Tuttle said that he came to their house two or three tunes before he went to Hol Jand, & they two were together, & to what end he came be knowes not, unless it were to inveagle her, & their mother warned Sarah not to keep company wua him; &: to the ~e purpose spake Jonath. Tuttle; but Jacob denyed that he came to their house wtll any such intendmt, nor did it appeare so to the Court. The Goucmor told Sarah that her miscarriage is the greatest that a virgin. sbou.lcl be so bold, in the prscnce of others, to carry it as she had done. & to speake s~ch corrupt words, most of the things charged being acknowledged by her self, though that about kissing him is denyed, yet the thing is proued. Sarah confessed that she was sorry that she had carried it so foolishly & sinfully, wdl she sees to be hatefull; she hoped God would help her to carry it better for time to come. The Gouernor also told Jacob that his carriage hath beene very euill and sinful11 so to carry towards her; &' to make such a light matter of it as not to thinke of it (as he had exprest) doth greatly agravate; & for Mariah who was a married woman to suffer her brother & a mans daughter to sitt almost half an houre in such a way as they have related is a very great euill; shee was told that she should have shewed her indignation against & have told her mother that she might have beene shut out of doores.