2 Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671) 2021 The St. John Genealogy Biography of Mathew St. John Living about 1590-1671 BY Suzanne St. John, A St. John Family Researcher THE ST. JOHN GENEALOGY & DNA PROJECT 2021 Citation: St. John, Suzanne. Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671), 2021, p. 2 3 Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671) 2021 MATHEW ST. JOHN AND SARAH _____ MATHEW ST. JOHN I10585 Thomas, Christopher, William, Oliver, William, Alexander, John II, John I, Oliver, Alexander, John I, Roger, John, Roger, Thomas, John, Ralph, Wimund II, Wimund I, Ansfrid II “Mathew Stoniston sone of Thomas Shonson beneth”1 was baptized April 13, 1590, St. Andrew’s Holborn, Camden, London, England.2 Familysearch.org has this record indexed under Stevnson or Stenneson.3 Record 1 Baptism: [13 Apr 1590] Mathew Stoniston sone of Thomas Shonson beneth the 13 day He was the third child and second son of THOMAS ST. JOHN and JANE MATHEW. He was most likely named, as the second son, after his mother’s surname. This seems to be a custom that appears among landed gentry and in several St. John generations. The first son is usually named after the paternal family by either taking the father or grandfather or current tenement-in- chief’s name and the second son takes the mother’s surname as a first name. With his father, Thomas, being a younger son himself, his marriage to the female heir of the Mathew family offered Thomas or one of his sons a greater chance of rising himself to tenant-in-chief of the Mathew estate. But, as seen with gavelkind, Thomas was not to be excluded, regardless. The Life and Career of Mathew St. John St. Andrew’s Holborn, Camden, London, England Mathew was baptized and raised near St. Andrew’s until he was about 15 years old. His family then moved to Westminster, London. During this time, aged about 14-15, Mathew probably 1 Refers to the type of baptism “above” or “bene[a]th” 2 This parish was researched because it is the parish for baptisms for those who attended Gray’s Inn Law School. Thomas’ brother Morrice also baptized his son here. 3 "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.2/9H2G-GS8: accessed 14 Jun 2014), Mathew Stevnson or Stenneson, 13 Apr 1591; citing ST ANDREW, HOLBORN, LONDON, ENGLAND, reference; FAMILY SEARCH’S FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY (FHL) microfilm 374348. Citation: St. John, Suzanne. Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671), 2021, p. 3 4 Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671) 2021 entered an indenture Cordwainer’s guild trade bond to become a shoemaker. No record of such indenture has been located. These types of contracts were often private arrangements where documentation rarely survives. It is unclear now if any records survive with the guild company itself. St. Botolph’s Bishopgate, London, England Mathew next appears at St. Botolph’s Bishopgate parish registers from 1629 to 1633 where we find he was already married and had baptized three children. Mathew lived in London, England as a shoemaker and possibly a ship merchant until he moved to the American Colonies permanently. Mathew was probably a member of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers and a citizen of London. Image 1 http://allaboutshoes- toeslayer.blogspot.com/2015/06/cordwainer-or-cobbler- whats-difference.html Image 2 The one but last Cordwainers Hall from T. H. Shepherd & James Elmes. London and its Environs in the Nineteenth Century (1831) In 1493, the Cordwainers acquired their first hall in the shadow of old St. Paul’s Cathedral on Maiden Lane. In 1547, the Company’s first benefactor, John Fisher bequeathed his property in Fleet Street, at ‘The sign of the Citation: St. John, Suzanne. Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671), 2021, p. 4 5 Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671) 2021 Falcon’ to the Cordwainers, asking that he be remembered at an annual service at the church of St. Dunstan’s in the West. The Cordwainers still own the site and Fisher is commemorated every year on Oath day. In 1577, a second hall, Faire New Hall, was constructed. In 1624, explorer Captain John Smith dedicated a copy of his Generall Historie of Virginia to the Cordwainers.4 St. Leonard Shoreditch, London, England From 1635 to 1646, Mathew and his wife baptized four more children at St. Leonard Shoreditch parish in London. At one time his residence was on Kingshead Lane, now King Street, as there are references to it in the parish baptism records for his children. 4 http://cordwainers.org/about-us/#companyhistory Citation: St. John, Suzanne. Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671), 2021, p. 5 6 Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671) 2021 The Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1630-1691 Mathew’s father Thomas St. John was a founder of the Popham Colony prior to its abandonment. By charter, and membership into the Virginia Company of Plymouth, and by way of his father, Mathew held hereditary rights to land ownership in the Colonies. These same rights passed to his nephew Mathias St. John (1601-1669). The territory of the modern Commonwealth of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, was settled in the 17th century by several different English colonies. The territories claimed or administered by these colonies encompassed a much larger area than that of the present commonwealth, and at times included portions of central and southern New England outside the Citation: St. John, Suzanne. Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671), 2021, p. 6 7 Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671) 2021 bounds of the modern state, as well as present-day Maine and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Some colonial land claims extended all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The first permanent settlement was the Plymouth Colony (1620), and the second major settlement was the Massachusetts Bay Colony at Salem in 1629. Settlements that either failed or were merged into other colonies included the failed Popham Colony (1607), on the coast of present-day Maine, and the Wessagusset Colony (1622–23), in present-day Weymouth, Massachusetts, whose remnants were folded into the Plymouth Colony. The Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies coexisted until 1686, each electing a governor in annual elections. Governance of both colonies was dominated by a relatively small group of magistrates, some of whom governed for many years.5 Dorchester, Massachusetts On March 18, 1637-8, “It is ordered that all the hoame lotts and great lotts shalbe sufficiently fenced against swine and great cattle p’ the 25th of this moneth. On payne of thre shillings for eny goad found defective, to be lenied p’distresse, besides damedg. The Proportion which each man is to have in the necke according to the rule agreed on for devideing the same as here under foll…. “Mathew Sension” was granted three acres two roods and four rods in the Neck6 and two acres, one rood and four rods in the Cow’s pasture.7 The immigrants founded the First Parish Church of Dorchester in 1631, which exists today as the Unitarian-Universalist church on Meetinghouse Hill, being the oldest religious organization in present-day Boston. The first church building was a simple log cabin with a thatched roof. The settlers held their first town meeting at the church, and they set their laws in open and frequent discussion. In all of this they were inspired by the ideal of the Kingdom of God on earth and the 5 Wikipedia contributors. "List of colonial governors of Massachusetts." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 25 May. 2015. Web. 2 Jul. 2015 6 A neck probably refers to a narrower strip of land in comparison to the whole of the land in question. 7 Dorchester Town Records, p. 29-31 Citation: St. John, Suzanne. Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671), 2021, p. 7 8 Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671) 2021 attempt to realize this in England in the time of the Rev. John White. The church is referred to as the ‘Foundation Stone of the Nation.” Image 3 First Parish Church of Dorchester as of 1896 The new settlers also founded in 1639 the first elementary school in the New World supported by public money, the Mather School. The school is the oldest elementary school in America. Dorchester was annexed by the City of Boston in 1970.8 8 Wikipedia contributors. "William Phelps (colonist)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 11 Jun. 2015. Web. 2 Jul. 2015. Citation: St. John, Suzanne. Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671), 2021, p. 8 9 Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671) 2021 Image 4 The Mather School built in 1694 as of 1913. This school was replaced in 1798 when the town voted to sell the old school and build a new one of brick on Meeting House Hill Citation: St. John, Suzanne. Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671), 2021, p. 9 10 Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671) 2021 Citation: St. John, Suzanne. Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671), 2021, p. 10 11 Biography of Mathew St. John (1590-1671) 2021 Record 2 Dochester Town Records p. 31 Windsor, Connecticut “Matthew Sension” 1640, lot gr. In Pal. 10 rods, now occup. By Mrs Anson Loomis, bd. S. by the Burying Gd., and road leading to it was S. W. cor. Palisado-Green; bd. E. by the Green, 10 r. wide, 18 r. deep, or back to the Palisades. A record of the lot was made in the “Book of Figures” the record kept before the court established a Town Clerk and records to be kept by him.