On the King's Charter of Connecticut — Matthew Allyn

B. about Apr 1605 in Braunton, England
M. 2 Feb 1627 in Braunton, England
Wife: Margaret Wyatt
D. 1 Feb 1671 in Windsor, Connecticut

Matthew Allyn was one of the most influential men of his day in what would become Connecticut, and was listed on the document that officially designated it as a colony. He also sometimes ran into trouble with those he disagreed with, and had involvement in a few scandals as well.

It's believed that Matthew was baptized on April 17, 1605 in Braunton, England, which is near the northeast coast of Devon. Little else is known of his early years, except that he had a brother named Thomas. Matthew married Margaret Wyatt in Braunton on February 2, 1627. They had five children born between 1628 and about 1638, with two who died young. Matthew was said to be a merchant, and by his dealings throughout the years, he seemed to be well-educated.

The rise of Puritanism in England during the early 17th century defined Matthew’s life. He became a follower of the movement likely through the preaching of several non-conformists who lived in nearby Barnstaple. During the 1620s, religious dissenters were persecuted under King Charles I. Even though Matthew may have been financially comfortable, the harassment of Puritans was enough to motivate him to seek a new life in America.

Matthew was believed to have arrived in New England during 1633. His name first appeared on a land grant in Cambridge, Massachusetts, giving him 45 acres of land at "the Common Pales," the largest share by far of any settler, and he was also given an acre for his cow and three acres for planting ground "on the Neck." Matthew received more land grants in 1635 at Watertown and Charlestown. He was admitted as a freeman on March 4, 1635, and he was made a representative to the General Court in Boston during the spring of 1636. All of this shows that Matthew had a higher status than most of his fellow New Englanders, and this can be attributed to his previous life in England. While the idea of social ranking wasn’t wholly transferred to the colony, some aspects of it carried over, and people like Matthew tended to take on more of a leadership role.

After having disagreements with some of the religious authorities in Boston, Matthew joined Reverend Thomas Hooker to form a new settlement on the Connecticut River. A group of 25 men were sent to explore the area in October of 1635, and Matthew was among them. He returned for good on an expedition led by Hooker in May of 1636. This must have been quite an adventure because they were truly setting up a separate colony. The men had to choose a location, arrange ownership of land previously occupied by indigenous people, and build enough homes to shelter themselves through their first winter. 

The 1636 Reverend Hooker expedition to Connecticut.

Matthew’s role as a leader became even more evident as the new settlement on the Connecticut River took hold. He came to own 110 acres in the place they founded, which became Hartford, and he was credited for having built the first mill there. In 1638, Matthew made a purchase of land in Windsor, Connecticut from the Plymouth colony. He would later purchase properties in Killingworth and Simsbury. His break with Massachusetts wasn’t entirely severed, though. He seems to have owed money to someone, and in a letter dated October 7, 1641, officials in Connecticut were ordered "to send back the prisoner Mathewe Alleyn, or satisfy the debt & damage." Presumably, he paid the debt. Matthew was also known to have traveled back to England in about 1640; a note that year stated that he had “conference in England this last summer with certain merchants.”

Matthew had a personality that was somewhat contentious, and sometime during the early 1640s, he had a few differences with the church of Hartford, leading to him being excommunicated. On June 3, 1644, he appealed to be reinstated as a church member, but this was denied by the court which said he didn't prove his case. Soon after, Matthew moved to Windsor and joined the church there. He claimed he should be exempt from paying Connecticut taxes because he had bought his land from the colony of Plymouth, but it was ruled he had to pay. In 1650, Matthew was once again in trouble for not repaying a debt, this time with his brother Thomas. Several lawsuits were filed and ultimately Matthew was ordered to pay his brother.

It's been said that Matthew once used his power and influence to clear his son Thomas' name. In 1651, the young man was serving in the militia when his musket went off and accidentally killed a middle-aged man named Henry Stiles. He was found not guilty of murder, but was censured for “homicide by misadventure,” and had to pay a large fine. Three years later, a young girl named Lydia Gilbert was accused of witchcraft that led to the shooting, a scheme that may have been cooked up by Matthew. The poor girl was found guilty and executed. This all happened way before the Salem witch trials of 1692; overly-zealot New Englanders found that charging women with sorcery was an easy explanation for things that went wrong. In April 1662, Matthew was a magistrate at another witchcraft trial, and three women were hanged as a result.

As with the other places Matthew had lived, he held many offices in Windsor. He was representative to the General Court almost every year 1648-1658 and in 1657-1667, he was a magistrate. In 1660-1664 he was commissioner for the United Colonies of New England. In 1649, when the General Court decided to begin hostilities against the indigenous people, Matthew was one of three deputies appointed to raise troops. He interacted with the Indians regarding decisions of the commissioners in 1657, and served on a committee to divide up tribal lands in 1659.

By 1661, the colony of Connecticut was firmly established, and the time had come to make things official. Matthew was on the committee to petition the new king of England, Charles II, to issue a charter for the colony of Connecticut. Governor John Winthrop Jr. sailed to England to deliver the petition and after a couple of unsuccessful meetings with the king, managed to win him over. The charter was granted and Matthew was one of 13 men named on the document. This charter was used to define the government of Connecticut until 1818.

First page of the Charter of Connecticut showing Matthew's name.

Matthew died in Windsor on February 1, 1671. He left an estate of over £466 and was buried at the Ancient Burying Ground in Hartford. His name is inscribed on the Founder's Monument which was installed at the Burying Ground in 1936.

Matthew's descendants include Nancy Reagan, Mitt Romney, Bess Truman, First Lady Ellen Wilson, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Agatha Christie.

Children:
1. Richard Allyn — B. England; D. young

2. Mary Allyn — B. before 16 Jan 1628, Braunton, England; D. 29 Jul 1689, Windsor, Connecticut; M. Benjamin Newberry (~1624-1689), 11 Jun 1646, Windsor, Connecticut

3. John Allyn — B. before 24 Feb 1631, Braunton, England; D. Nov 1696, Hartford, Connecticut; M. (1) Ann Smith (~1635-~1669), 19 Nov 1651, Springfield, Massachusetts; (2) Hannah Lamberton

4. Thomas Allyn — B. about 1635, (probably) Massachusetts; D. 14 Feb 1695, Windsor, Connecticut; M. Abigail Warham (1638-1680), 21 Oct 1658, Hartford, Connecticut

5. Benjamin Allyn — B. about 1638, (probably) Hartford, Connecticut; D. young

Sources:
Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford (website)
The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995
Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut, Lucius Barnes Barbour, 1977
Maternal Ancestry of Charles Whiting McNair, Hannah Louise MacNair Crawford, 1912
The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut – The 1662 Connecticut Charter (website)
WikiTree
Famous Kin (website)