Thomas Matson

Thomas Matson came to Boston in 1630 from England in the fleet with John Winthrop. He joined the Boston Church that same year as member number 85, and took the Freeman's Oath in 1633. His occupation was a gunsmith. In 1632 Thomas married Amy Chambers.

Thomas' allotment of land on Pullen Point is recorded as:

"Thomas Matson, 28 Acrs of upland and marsh together: bounded towards the North by the said Allotment of Ed. Bayts, towards the East by Fishers Creeke, towards the West by the said Way, and towards the South by the Allottment of Mr. Edward Gibones." 1

He also received a similar amount of land in Rumney Marsh.

As a supporter of John Wheelwright and Anne Hutchinson, Thomas was caught up in the Antinomian Controversy and disarmed in 1637. He recanted his support, was given an allotment of land in "Mount Woollystone" (Braintree), and moved there in 1639 with this family.

Thomas and Amy had four children, two in Boston, and two after moving to Braintree; Thomas Jr. (1633), John (1636), Joshua (1640), Abigail (1642). All survived infancy.

Thomas joined the Braintree Church, was made a Sergeant of a "train-band", and Selectman in 1642. Thomas did not lose his gun shop in Boston, and continued to acquire land on "Boston Necke". He was elected a Boston Constable in 1653. Thomas died in 1677, Amy, his wife, a year later.

Thomas' allotment of land was purchased by Edward Gibbons.

Selected Matson descendants, locations, and objects of note:

Doglock Musket - Rare musket made by Thomas Matson circa 1650 is one of the first guns to be produced in America. - John Leverett, History of the Presidency
Nathaniel Matson (b. 1682) - First of the Matson family to move from Boston to the Lyme, Conn. area in 1715. The land is now called Matson Hill. . - Old Silltown, Sarah Sill Welles Burt, 1912, pg. 90, Internet Archive
Nathaniel Matson (b. 1765) - A Deacon in the church, he also owned grist, woolen, and paper mills in the busy manufacturing section of Lyme along Mill Brook, Conn. - Old Silltown, Sarah Sill Welles Burt, 1912, pg. 91, Internet Archive
Silver Tankard by William Cowell Sr. - "A.M." initials engraved on the handle are for Abigail Matson (b. 1764), brother of Nathaniel (b. 1765). - History of the Ely Re-union, Held at Lyme, Conn., Margaret Elizabeth Dubar Stuart, 1879 pg. 80, ebook
Woolen Mill in Laysville, Conn. Large stone factory at the outlet of Rogers Lake, near Lyme, Conn., was jointly owned by Nathaniel Matson and Thomas Sill. - Old Silltown, Sarah Sill Welles Burt, 1912, pg. 91, Internet Archive
Aaron Matson (b. 1770). A U.S. Representative from New Hampshire, 1821-1825 - New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources, Internet Archive
Henry Matson Waite (b. 1869) (PDF). Was the first city manager for Toledo, Ohio Later had a distinguished career in Washington, D.C. He was the grandson of Morrison Waite, a Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.. - Descendants of Judge Henry Matson Waite and Maria Selden

Selected Thomas Matson Descendants

Thomas (b. c. 1602); m. Amy Chambers

Joshua (b. 1640); m. Elizabeth Thomas

Nathaniel (b. 1682); m1. Ruth Roc, m2. Joanna Ely

Nathaniel (b. 1727); m. Dinah Newton

Susanna (b. 1761); m. Remick Waite

Henry Matson Waite (b. 1787); m. Maria Selden

Mason Remick Waite (b. 1816); m. Amelia Warner

Henry Seldon Waite (b. 1841); m. Ione Brown

Henry Matson Waite (b. 1860); m. Helen Walker

Abigail (b. 1764); m. Zepheniah Hackett

Nathaniel (b. 1765); m1. Polly Sill, m2 Anna Ely

William (b. 1736); m. Eunice Skinner

Aaron (b. 1770); m. Francis Carpenter

Links

Descendants of Thomas Matson - Ancestry.com
Family of Thomas Matson, Jr. - Genealogy of the Samuel Buck Family, Horace Blake Buck, Internet Archive
Matson - The Pioneers of Massachusetts, Charles Pope, 1900, ebook
James Matson, Edwin Matson - History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, 1897, Internet Archive
Thomas Matson - Geni.com
¹ A Documentary History of Chelsea: including the Boston Precincts of Winnisimmet, Rumney Marsh, and Pullen Point, 1624-1824, Vol. 1, pg. 109 - Mellen Chamberlain, 1908, Internet Archive

Doglock Musket made by Thomas Matson. One of the first guns to be made in North America - NRA National Firearms Museum

Thomas Matson Descendants

Engarved Tankard made by William Cowell Sr. (circa 1720-1730) , Initials "A.M." on the handle are the Abigail Matson (b. 1764) - The Met

Nathaniel Matson (b. 1765), Deacon in the church, he also owned grist, woolen, and paper mills - Florence Griswold Museum, Lyme, Conn.

Woolen Mill, Laysville, Conn., Jointly owned by Nathaniel Matson (b. 1765) and Thomas Sill - Old Silltown, Sarah Sill Welles Burt, 1912, Internet Archive

Aaron Matson (b. 1770), United States Representative from New Hampshire - Portrait by E. Wyatt Kimball, Wikipedia

Henry Matson Waite (b. 1869), Deputy Administrator for the Public Works Administration during the Depressione - Wikipedia