M. 2 Feb 1627 in Braunton, England1
Husband: Matthew Allyn
D. 12 Sep 1675 in Windsor, Connecticut2
Among the people who sought a religious haven in Puritan New England, there were a handful who had long traceable pedigrees going back for centuries, and Margaret Wyatt was such a person. Margaret’s life began in Braunton, England, a village near the northeast coast of Devon, where she was baptized on March 8, 1595.1 Her parents were John Wyatt and Frances Chichester, and she had two brothers and three sisters. Her father was described as a “gentleman,” an indication of his status,3 but he died when she was about 3-years-old.3
On February 2, 1627, Margaret married Matthew Allyn,1 who may have been ten years younger than she was. They continued to live in Braunton, having three children, one of whom likely died as an infant. Devon was one of the regions of England which had a large following of Puritans, and Margaret and her husband were among them. While the majority of people who joined the migration to America were of what we would consider middle class (yeomen, merchants, artisans, etc.), a few Puritans were from a wealthier class. For such people, the strength of their religious beliefs outweighed any sort of comforts they would have by remaining in England. So in about 1632, Margaret, Matthew and their children boarded a ship to become a part of the Puritan colony.4
After arriving in Massachusetts, Margaret and Matthew settled in Cambridge, where they became among the largest landowners in the area,4 and a son was born around this time. Matthew served as a representative to the General Court in Boston,4 but he had disagreements with community leaders. In 1636, the family joined a group led by Reverend Thomas Hooker who formed a new settlement on the Connecticut River called Hartford.4
Margaret and Matthew made their home in Hartford for the next few years, as he took a leadership role there. Then Matthew had a falling out with Reverend Hooker, and the family ended up relocating to the town of Windsor.4 This was where they spent the rest of their lives. Matthew died on February 1, 1671,4 and Margaret passed away on September 12, 1675.2
Margaret’s Family Tree
The lines of Margaret’s pedigree that trace back into antiquity are through her mother, Frances Chichester. Frances was born into minor nobility, but in a family of 19 children, inheritance becomes splintered, explaining why she didn't marry a nobleman. From here, going back in time, family connections can be pieced together through probate records, and Frances has lines on both sides showing over 20 generations.5 Some ancestors connect to monarchs who include John I (of Magna Carta fame), Henry I of England, William the Conqueror, Alfred the Great, Robert I of France, and Charlemagne.
A page of Margaret's pedigree. (Source: WikiTree)
Beyond the Saxon kings and Norman princes are threads of genealogy that go even further. Through intermarriage of nobility, some lines go back into German, Irish, or other nationalities in Europe. They include people who lived over a thousand years ago, and in a couple of extreme cases, the lines trace to almost the year 1 AD. That’s about 60 generations back from Margaret.
Are these ancestors really Margaret’s? There’s no way to be certain because many of the links are assumptions, and all it takes is for one assumption to be wrong for the chain to be broken. The farther back in time you go, the more doubtful the accuracy is. Still, it’s fun to think about — it demonstrates the idea that we are all descended from thousands of people who lived during the Dark Ages and beyond.
Margaret’s family tree also has very impressive descendants, including Agatha Christie, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and three First Ladies: Ellen Wilson, Bess Truman and Nancy Reagan.6
Children:
1. Mary Allyn – B. before 20 Jan1628, Braunton, England;1 D. 29 Jul 1689, Windsor, Connecticut;2 M. Benjamin Newberry (~1624-1689), 11 Jun 1646, Windsor, Connecticut2
2. John Allyn – B. before 24 Feb 1631, Braunton, England;1 D. Nov 1696, Hartford, Connecticut;2 M. (1) Ann Smith (~1635-~1669), 19 Nov 1651, Springfield, Massachusetts;4 (2) Hannah Lamberton4
3. Thomas Allyn – B. about 1633, (probably) Massachusetts;4 D. 14 Feb 1696, Windsor, Connecticut;7 M. Abigail Warham (?-1680), 21 Oct 1658, Hartford, Connecticut6
Sources:
1 "Allyn and Wyatt Families of Braunton, Devon,” Douglas Richardson, The American Genealogist, V. 57
2 Connecticut Vital Records to 1870, Lucius Barnes Barbour Collection, 1928
3 Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700, Frederick Lewis Weis, 2004
4 The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995
5 WikiTree pedigree for Frances Chichester
6 FamousKin.com (website)
7 The History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut, page 521, Henry Reed Stiles,1863
