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--- book:006.matthew [2011/04/09 14:18] – external edit 127.0.0.1
+++ book:006.matthew [2011/04/09 15:42] (current) – jims
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 [[005.richard|(<-- 5. Capt. Richard(2) Seymour)]] [[start|(Back to Start)]] [[007.john|(7. John(3) Seymour -->)]]
+//The following information was supplied by Paul Carleton Seymour.//
+**Capt. Matthew Seymour (1669-1735)**
+I don't know about you, but when I read Thomas' will, it sounds like younger
+son John is the favorite.  Maybe it's just my imagination.  When I looked at
+John's history, it's said that he died in 1746 with "an unusually large
+estate".   But in our case, we're descended from Capt. Matthew, who was an
+ensign at the time of his father's death.
+As Thomas died in 1712, we see that a few years earlier, his oldest living
+son Matthew had already left Norwalk.    Capt. Matthew Seymour, in the
+tradition of his father and grandfather, founded yet another prosperous
+American town, this time Ridgefield CT, moving there in 1708 when he was 39
+years old.  Note that they dealt directly with the Indian chief.   I can
+only imagine what they traded for the land, but a quick internet search at
+the time of writing in 2010 shows that there's a house for sale on Seymour
+Lane in Ridgefield for just over a million dollars.  I guess we should
+expect that kind of appreciation in 302 years.  Also note the witchcraft
+superstitions, which occurred long after GGGGGGGG Grandpa Matthew's time.
+He was evidently a soldier in the Connecticut Militia as an Indian fighter
+long before the Declaration of Independence was issued.
+[[http://www.archive.org/stream/ancienthistorica00hall#page/100/mode/2up|
+http://www.archive.org/stream/ancienthistorica00hall]] Google Books, Ancient
+Historical Records of Norwalk, Conn.
+{{006matthew1.gif|}}
+{{006matthew2.gif|}}
+//At a Norwalk town meeting in 1718, Matthew, is picked as part of a 6-man
+committee to represent the town in a major political dispute.  Presumably
+the townspeople voted for the guys they knew to be impartial and fair.//
+{{006matthew3.gif|}}
+{{006matthew4.gif|}}
+{{006matthew5.gif|}}
+A group of 25 people from Norwalk, led by Matthew and 3 others, purchased a
+large tract of land from the Indians between Norwalk and Danbury in 1708,
+about 10 years earlier, which explains why the Norwalk residents would have
+to pay for their services now.  Ridgefield looks to be about 7 miles NW of
+Norwalk.
+Looking at the tree, we see that after his first five children were born in
+Norwalk, including Samuel, the sixth of Matthew's twelve kids was born in
+Ridgefield in 1708, but that his next daughter was born in Danbury in 1709,
+then later ones back in Norwalk, so he apparently returned back to his
+hometown.  I wonder if it was related to this trip back to resolve the
+dispute. It looks like he was very popular after resolving this issue and
+the Norwalk folks wanted him to stay on as one of their leaders.
+[[http://www.genesmall.net/Genealogy/Seymour/Book.006.Matthew.html]]
+"Matthew Seymour was a selectman of Norwalk for several years (//the board
+of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England
+towns. The board typically consists of three or five members//) and deputy
+to the General Court from Norwalk in 1712 and 1713. //The General Court was
+the precursor to the State Legislature, and each town had 3-4 deputies, who
+were what we would call today, State Representatives.  //He was made
+lieutenant in 1710, and was chosen captain of the North Company Militia unit
+in Norwalk, 26 May 1729 //when he was almost 60//. In his will, dated 4 Jan.
+/5 and proved 6 Jan. 1735/6, he names wife Catherine, sons Matthew,
+**Samuel**, Thomas, and Jehiel, youngest son Daniel (who is under age and is
+to have the whole of the house after the decease of Catherine, his mother),
+and daughters Hannah St. John, Elizabeth Bouton, Ruth Smith, Sarah Bouton,
+Catherine and Susanna. He directs that some of the estate and "also my Negro
+man Bristoll" be sold. He appoints his wife Catherine and his brother John
+Seymour as executors. The amount of the inventory was £436. 5s. 1d."
+//I have no idea what 436 pounds would be in year 2010 dollars.  As I
+understand having a slave indicated some sort of wealth, but not an
+"unusually large estate" as was noted for younger brother John, here an
+executor.//