Re: Susannah Matthews m. Henry Lumsden in Louisa County Virginia
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In reply to:
Re: Susannah Matthews m. Henry Lumsden in Louisa County Virginia
Stephen Matthews 4/20/07
Stephen, et.al.,
Regarding the following from your lengthy post on the confusion of the two Samuel Matthews, Senior and Junior:
[QUOTE] -- Governor Samuel Mathews, Sr.?
Was Senior ever a “governor”? As a very senior member of the Council, most likely—whether by election or seniority, it is academic. In his locale, he was known at the rank of Captain, almost assuredly short for Captain-General. Bear in mind as well that there were two councils. One was called the Council of State and the other was called the House of Burgesses. Each was called councils however, as set out in the Constitution of 1621. Each had different duties, methodologies of appointment/election, etc. Due to Senior’s status, it would be hard to imagine he would not have been a “governor” of some sort especially since the term was ubiquitous in his lifetime.
In the Notes of Virginia Land Records, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents is the following statement which supports this claim:
“Captain Samuel Matthews came to Virginia in 1622, was one of the Commissioners to examine condition of Virginia, 1623; member of the Council, 1624-1644; Commissioner of Warwick River, 1631; elected to the Council (Burgesses), April, 1652; elected Governor by the House of Burgesses, December, 1656; and held the place until his death in January, 1659.”
It is pretty clear to me that Senior was a “governor”.
[END QUOTE]
As genealogists and family historians, we are painfully aware of the fact that even the officials records contain errors.In this instance, the cite of the Notes of Virginia Land Records, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents is partially to blame for the confusion and erroneous history that cloud Senior and Junior Mathews.
Samuel Matthews did indeed come a second time to Virginia in 1622 aboard the Southampton, along with a Robert Matthews, whose relationship with Samuel Senior is, as far as I know, unknown at this time. I say Samuel came a second time because there are references that Samuel was in Virginia as early as 1618 with Sheriff Johnson of London assessing the condition of the colony. I have no comments on the Samuel timeline prior to the statement that he was ..."elected Governor by the House of Burgesses, December, 1656; and he held the place until his death in January, 1659."On this, I will say that once again, Senior is being credited with Junior's history.
Senior Mathews is dead in England not long after he signs the agreement settling the boundary dispute with Maryland.Senior was in England as Agent for Virginia and signed that agreement in the presence of Lord Baltimore, Edward Digges and others on November 30, 1657 in London. [3 Maryland Archives 334]If Senior is in London at this date, then he certainly could not have been the "Governor" Mathews who issued a land patent on November 28, 1657 at Jamestown. [Patent Book 4, Virginia Land Office] Likewise, a "Governor" Mathews issued a land patent on December 1, 1657 at Jamestown. [Patent Book 4, Virginia Land Office]This sequence of dates removes Senior as having held the office of "Governor" as we commonly consider the title to mean. This can only mean that it was Samuel Junior, Governor, who died in office January 1659/60.
Going back to Senior, many researchers are unaware that Senior was actually in Enlgand for an extended period of time, certainly as early as summer of 1653 (Old Style) as evidenced by Henry Lawrence, who at the time was President of the English Council, writing to the Governor and "General Assembly of the English Plantation of Virginia," from Whitehall, England, January 4, 1653/4:
"Gentlemen.
Colonell Mathews the Agent for Virginia, hath diligently attended the dispatch of some businesses referring to the peace and setlement of that Colony, The perfecting whereof hath beene obstructed by the many publique affaires here depending . . . address hath been made unto his Highness by Colonell Mathews' petition, for the determining of those matters, which have so long depended. Whereupon his Highness hath been pleased, to put into an effectuall way the speedy resolution of those questions, betwixt the Lord Baltimore and the Inhabitants of Virginia, concerning the bounds by them respectively claymed, And hath also declared his Intention, with the most convenient speed to settle the government, and other Concernmts of that plantation. . . . In the Interim his Highness hath thought fit to signifie to you by his Councell (as he hereby doth) That the safety, protection and welfare, of that plantation, (as well as the rest) is under his serious thoughts, and Care. And to the intent it may not suffer any Inconvenience by the unfixtdnes of the governmt His Highness hath thought fitt to Continue Colonell Bennet (of whom his Highnes hath received a good Character) in execution of the place of Governor, till his Highness shall further signifie his pleasure in that behalfe, which you may in all probability expect by the next Ships . . ." [H.R. McIlwaine: Journals of the House of Burgesses, 1619-1659/60 1:128]
What this all means is that Cromwell and the Council of State kept Senior Mathews in England to settle the boundary dispute with Maryland while affirming "Colonell Bennet" as Governor. Once Senior arrived in England for this task, he would never return to Virginia.Minnie G. Cook, writing in the William and Mary Quarterly, states that ..."He [Samuel Senior] had been a member of the Virginia Council of State for more than twenty years; and represented the Colony in England -- at least until 1655, which is the last date of the latest list we have of the Councillors prior to March 13, 1657/58 -- at which latter date his name is missing from the roster for the first time in many years, a fact that probably fixes the approximate date of his death." [Minnie G. Cook - The William and Mary Quarterly 2nd Ser., Vol. 14, No. 2(Apr., 1934), pp. 105-113]
Some researchers suggest that Samuel Senior could have wrapped up his affairs in London and returned to Virginia to become Governor after November 30, 1657. We can throw water on that flame by turning to Patent Book 4 of the Virginia Land Office, entry dated November 23, 1657:..."Samuel Mathews, "the present Govr of Virginia" produced at the office of the Virginia Secretary of State, for the record in the patent Book, a survey of 5211 acres of land then occupied by the Wicocomico Indians in Northumberland County." See also: [[H.R. McIlwaine: Journals of the House of Burgesses, 1619-1659/60 1:117] and [William Waller Hening: Statues at Large of Virginia, Second Edition (1823), 515] and [Minnie G. Cook - The William and Mary Quarterly 2nd Ser., Vol. 14, No. 2(Apr., 1934), pp. 105-113].
I disagree with the assement that it is "academic" whether Senior was a "governor" in the classic use of the term. There is no doubt that he was a man of great importance, as noted by his presence in England on behalf of the colony to settle the Maryland border dispute and his holding of many "titles" of public office in the colony of Virginia. Likewise, it is quite clear to me that Senior was not a "Governor" of the colony of Virginia -- in whatever form that may be proffered up through interpretation of history. The continued attachment of the title of "Governor" to Senior does nothing but add to the continued confusion of the histories of this father and son.
Serious researchers interested in correctly the record need to start by purging their databases of the erroroneous records and data that permiate the Mathews family.
As always, my comments are not intended to belittle, provoke or attack; rather I attempt to set the record straight and correct as much of the history as possible.
Regards,
Micheal Mathews