Ninth Generation

446. Matthew BECKWITH¹²⁷ was born in July 1636 in Hartford or Saybrook?. He died on 21 October 1680 at the age of 44 in New London, New London Co., CT.
MATTHEW BECKWITH was born 1610 in Essex and came to New England, perhaps as early as 1630, as a merchant trader with a group from Essex that first settled in Watertown and later in Windsor, Weathersfield and Hartford, Connecticut. Evidently a man of enterprise, he was responsible for the building of the first vessel launched at New London, the firm of Mould & Coit buildling to his order the bark "Endeavor," which was sailed in the trade with Barbadoes, the vessel passing out of the possession of Matthew Beckwith in 1666, in exchange for a cargo of sugar. In 1641, Matthew married Mary Lynde, who was born in 1625. The couple did not acquire a home lot until four years later. Hartford records show that Mary and their first child, a daughter Mary born in 1643, resided with the household of B. Barnard in Hartford , indicating that Matthew traveled and lived on his vessel. In 1645, Matthew purchased land in Hartford from a proprietor, William Platt. In 1650 he bought more land in Hartford from another proprietor, Thomas Porter. In the spring of 1651, Matthew was given a home lot in that section of New London known today as East Lyme. Matthew traveled from port to port, keeping his homeport in Lyme in a section of waterway that became known as Beckwith Cove. Matthew and Mary had twelve children, and many of them traveled with their father as youngsters. Matthew was not a quiet, obscure man. His name appears several times on the pages of the recorded history of Connecticut. He was fined once for public drunkenness, was a defendant in two separate cases, one for "slaunder" in which he paid a fine and did public penitence. In 1662, at the age of fifty-two, suits were brought against him and three other men for assault. He paid a fine. He in turn brought suit against two other men for debts owned and for killing his "swine." This same Matthew Beckwith is given credit as one of the founders of the church at Bramford. Matthew died on October 21, 1680. Records report that "Matthew Beckwith, age abt. 70, missing his way in the very darknight, fell from a ledge of rocks about 20 or 30 feet high and beat his brains against a stone he fell upon." This gave occasion for a sermon on the providence of God which took away Matthew Beckwith and spared his fellow wayfarer. The inquest showed that he was then seventy years old, and this is the only evidence as to the year of his birth. His widow Mary married Samuel Buckwall (Buckland). Mary died June 30, 1694. The estate of Matthew Beckwith was after his death appraised at 293 pounds, indicating him to have ranked among the "well-circumstanced class of that day." He was able to give land "somewhat liberally to his sons." It was recorded that in 1675 thirty acres more were "laid out" to Matthew Beckwith, all of which he gave to his son Joseph. Sarah Elizabeth GRISWOLD and Matthew BECKWITH were married in 1666 in Guilford, New Haven Co., CT.

447. Sarah Elizabeth GRISWOLD was born about 1645 in Guilford, New Haven Co., CT. She died in 1691 at the age of 46 in Lyme, New London Co., CT. Three daughters named Sarah? Unlikely...

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