Matthew was born about 1627 at The Hague, Belgium which was probably the last place that the Wing family lived prior to Rev. John Wing's death at London. Matthew would only have been about two or three years old at the time of his fathers death and only about five years old when he sailed with his mother and brothers for New England. It is proven that from his last will and testament that Matthew Wing was a landowner at "his Majesties Colony of New Plymouth in new England."
It is not known when Matthew returned to England or why. We do know that his maternal grandfather, Rev. Stephen Bachiler returned to England about 1654 and we know that he was accompanied by two other grandsons, Stephen Sanborn and Christopher Hussey. My original theory was that Matthew may have accompanied his grandfather and cousins back to England until I received the following information from Raymond Wing on July 10th:
Just a note to inform you that Matthew Wing, son of Rev. John Wing
died in England before 1653. See the following:
Thru the kindness of Mr. Victor C. Sanborn, the Bachiler-Sanborn genealogist, our attention is called to the following excerpt from Wyman's "Estates of Charlestown:" under "Green, James:" "Daniel Wing and wife Hannah of Sandwich entrusted money to James Green of Malden for use of Joanna Nicholson (sic) in 1653.: Mr. Sanborn thinks that this was from some court files in either the county of Suffolk or Middlesex. The word "sic" is here used after the name Joanna Nicholson to show that the quotation of the name is rightly given. Matthew's wife was Joan Newman. The inference we draw is that after Matthew's death she married again and that her last name was Nicholson.The record is important from the fact it establishes the circumstances that Matthew returned to England prior to 1653, and that his marriage and death, probably occurred several years prior to that period. [Owl, JUN 1915, pp. 1458-9] As Matthew is believed to have married in England, it is almost certain he came to England before Stephen Bachiler. |
My many thanks to Raymond Wing for his information. I really appreciate this insight into at least establishing that Joan/Joanna did indeed remarry and that the estate was turned over to James Green in 1653. In the year 1653, Matthew would have only been between twenty-five and twenty-seven years old, according to the estimated time of his birth. It seems to me that he would have had to have married fairly young to have had time to return to England, take Joan Newman for his wife, conceive his son John and to die "several years prior to that period (1653)."
We do know that when Matthew returned to England and that he married Joane Newman, the daughter of Robert Newman of Stroud Co., Kent, England. There is no exact date of the marriage between Matthew Wing and Joane Newman. Matthew Wing and his wife, Joane Newman had one son; John Wing, date of birth unknown.
Actually, the will is very informative but also very confusing. It is clear that Matthew pre-deceased his wife and son, but it is not clear by how long. Matthew Wing's will was probated on August 27, 1680, but the language tends to indicate that Matthew had been dead for several years prior to 1680. It appears that Matthew probably died while his son was still very young. The land that Matthew owned in New England was in the care of his brother, Daniel Wing. After Matthew's death, Joane Newman Wing, his widow, requested "by vertue of her Leter of Attorney," that Daniel Wing turn the estate of his brother, Matthew Wing, over to Joane's brother-in-law, James Green. (James Green married Joane Newman's sister, Elizabeth Newman.)
In accordance with Joane Newman Wing's wishes, Daniel Wing turned the estate over to James Green "of the town of Malden in his Majesties Colony of Massachusett Bay in New England." The intention was that James Green would manage the estate so that Joane Newman Wing and her son, John Wing, "might reap the benefitt of it in their necessity here in England." That never happened; "which notwithstanding they did not, through the frauds of the said James Green, dureing their lives."
By the time that Matthew Wing's will was probated, it seems to me that very few of his intentions were actually carried out. It appears that his wishes were that if his wife and son died before his brothers that his estate in New England would be divided among his brothers, John, Daniel and Stephen Wing equally. However, even after she accused her brother-in-law, James Green of fraud, Joane Newman Wing still wants her own blood line to have the estate. Therefore, she asks that John, Daniel and Stephen Wing relinquish their right to Matthew Wing's estate to her niece, Hannah Shankes/Snakes (it is spelled both ways in the will.) Hannah was the daughter of Thomas Griffen and Anne Newman, another sister of Joane Newman Wing. Hannah married William Shankes/Snakes. The three surviving brothers of Matthew Wing apparently turned over their share of Matthew Wing's estate without any fuss, Daniel even acted as the Attorney on behalf of Hannah Shankes/Snakes.
We may never know why Matthew Wing did not return to New England or why Joane Newman Wing seemed determined that Matthew's brothers would not retain their inherited rights to his estate. All of these questions are tantalizing and beg for more research. Ultimately the legacy of Matthew lives on only through his brothers' lines of descent while it seems that Matthew's ended in England while he was still a young man.
The will in it's entirety follows, the original is continuous, paragraphing was added for reading convenience.
"To all Christian people to whom these presents shall come, William Shanks of Stroud in the County of Kent, Cooper, and Hannah Shankes his wife sends greeting. Whereas Matthew Wing of Stroud in the County of Kent, aforesaid, Planter, in his Majesties Colony of New Plymouth in new England, haveing purchased a certain Estate there, afterwards comeing over into England, center it in the hands of his Brother Daniel Wing of his Majesties said Colony of new Plymouth, Planter;
"And the said Matthew Wing haveing been come into England marryed Joane Newman, daughter of Robert Newman of Stroud in the said County of Kent, Blacksmith, by whom he begot a son whom he named John Wing, and in his minority deceased; And after his decease his wife Joane Newman alias Wing dureing his sons minority by vertue of her Leter of Attorney authorized her brother in law James Green of the town of Malden in his Majesties Colony of Massachusett Bay in new England, who had marryed Elizabeth Newman, sister of the said Joan Newman alias Wing, for her and in her name and to her use and behoofe, to aske, require, and take and receive that her said Husband's Matthew Wing's estate, of and from the said Daniel Wing who accordingly delivered it into his hands, to the intent the said Widdow Wing and her son John might reap the benefitt of it in their necessity here in England, which notwithstanding they did not, through the frauds of the said James Green, dureing their lives.
"Now the said Joan Wing, the Widdow, and John Wing the son, of the said Matthew Wing, being both likewise deceased, and the estate not haveing been delivered into their or either of their hands before their decease, the Estate is devolved unto three brothers of the said Matthew Wing, vizt, John Wing of the town of Yarmouth in the said Colony of new Plymouth [Planter?] and Daniel Wing and Stephen Wing of the town of Sandwich in the said Colony of new Plymouth, Planters, in new England, Who all three as well for the naturall love and afftection which they beare unto their deare and wellbeloved Cousin, the abovesaid Hannah Snakes, daughter of Thomas Griffen of Stroud aforesaid in the said County of Kent, Fisherman, and of Anne Griffen, alias Newman, his then wife deceased, sister of the said Joan Newman alias Wing, as for divers other good [causes] and valuable considerations, then and every of them thereunto especially moving, have for themselves, their heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, given, graunted, enfeoffed and confirmed. All and singular the said Estate of their said Brother Matthew Wing, situate lying and being in his Majesties Colony of new Plymouth in new England, and all and every their Rights, Titles, Priviledges, claymes and demands thereunto, and to every part thereof, unto the said Hannah Snakes, the now wife of the said William Shankes, and to the heires of her body lawfully begotten for ever.
"Know yee therefore, That the above named William Shankes and Hannah Shankes his now wife, in consideration hereof and for the better accomplishment of the obtaining the said estate in her possession have appointed, ordained and made and in their stead and place by these presents put, deputed and constituted their deare and trusty and well-beloved Unkle Daniel Wing, aforenamed, of the town of Sandwich in his Majesties said Colony of new Plymouth in new England, Planter, to be their lawfull Attorney [irrevocable?] for them and in their names and to their uses and behoofes to ask, demand, sue for..."
Matthew had returned to England to settle some family financial matters.There he married and died before he could return to New England. (ref: Conway, pg 56-58, 67; Allied Families, pg 272; Ray Olson, pg 247).
[GMB, various] Embarked on the __William & Francis__ with the "Plough Company" [GMB 60; WJ 1:93] 7 Mar 1631/1632 at London, Greater London, England
[Wing Graham Notes] Sailed on the William & Francis with the "Plough Company" 9 Mar 1632
Arrived at Boston Harbor in the __William and Francis__ 5 Jun 1632 at New World
[Wing Graham Notes] Arrived in the William & Francis 5 Jun 1632 at Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony
[GMB, pg. 62] Deborah (Bachiler) Wing and her children came to New England in the late 1630s and resided at Sandwich. bef. 1640
[Wing Graham Notes] Plea for settlement 20 Aug 1680
Cited in [Gifford/Barrows] Ancestry of Elihu B. Gifford and Catherine Sandow Barrows Pg. 247
Cited in [Austin - Allied Fam] One Hundred and Sixty Allied Families Pg. 272
Cited in [Conway] Historical and Genealogical Register of John Wing of Sandwich Massachusetts and his Descendants Pg. 56-58, 67
Cited in [Wing Graham Notes] Files, notes and monographs of the Wing family (#4)