General Notes

MATTHEW5 WING (STEPHEN4, REV. JOHN3, MATTHEW2, GODFRIEDUS1 WYNGE) was born January 01, 1673/74 in Sandwich, Mass.. He married ELIZABETH ( RICKETSON) MOTT April 09, 1696 in Dartmouth, Mass., daughter of ADAM MOTT and MARY LOTT.

Notes for MATTHEW WING:
Co- executor of fathers will.

Matthew Wing...1674 to 1724.
(son of Stephen Wing, one of founders of Sandwich, Mass., in 1637)

Matthew Wing, youngest son and child of Stephen Wing and Sarah (Briggs) Wing, was born at Sandwich"1st month 1, 1674." He received the name of his paternal great-grandfather. His mother died when Matthew was but fifteen years of age. In December, 1700, his father conveyed his homestead and other lands in Sandwich to Matthew and his older brother, Ebenezer; but previous to that date Matthew appears to have settled in the extreme western part of Dartmouth, where he married," 9th month 4, 1696," the widow Ricketson. At the time of his marriage Matthew was but twenty-two years of age. His wife was much older and had six children, the oldest of whom was fifteen years old and the youngest a son six years old.

Just how Matthew found his way from Sandwich to Dartmouth is not difficult to surmise. His brother, Elisha, lived at Wareham, about half way, and his sister had married Robert Gifford and lived in Dartmouth. After the death of his mother, young Matthew may have made his home with his sister, Sarah, and thus have been acquainted in the Ricketson neighborhood.

At the Sandwich reunion in 1905, Mr. William Arthur Wing of New Bedford, a descendant of Matthew and Elizabeth (Mott-Ricketson) Wing, read a paper entitled "Some Wings of Darmouth and Their Homes," in which was the following:

"In ye town of Dartmouth on ye 25th day of ye sd month (called April), 1704, a meeting was appointed on purpose at ye house of Matthew Wing'. So reads the worn marriage certificate signed by Matthew Wing and others - - for the 'purpose' was the marriage of his step-daughter, Rebecca Ricketson, to John Russell - 'there being nothing to hinder and their intentions being duly published.'

"The house of Matthew Wing, built about ten years after King Phillip's war - when, as Increase Mather wrote, 'Dartmouth did they burn with fire and barbarously murder both men and women' - stands on the east side of Acoxet or Westport River. Facing south on the upland, it commands a fine sweep of it commands a fine sweep of river, bay, and good old New England country. The sunset softens the time-worn shingles and the crumbling stone of the massive chimney, with its crude pilasters. Within, in spite of its pathetic desolation, the brave old beams and fine wood work bespeak an early New England craftsman at his best. The wedding room with its attractive corner buffet and great fireplace, in the simplicity of its appointments, was in accord with the assembled Friends, and if the sun streamed through the many-paned windows on that spring day - 200 years ago- it must have been a rare, quaint picture.

Up winding stairs, in the great chamber above, was a chimney piece (now in the rooms of the Old Dartmouth Historical society at New Bedford) called by experts the finest of its time extant in Massachusetts. Clamboring up to the loft to watch the last rays of the setting sun upon the hills, the river and the far-off islands, you feel your ancestor, William Ricketson, builded well. Elizabeth (Mott) Ricketson, his widow, came from Portsmouth, R.I., where her parents were well known Friends. Her grandparents, first comers of the Motts, had been members in Roxbury of the church of Rev. John Eliot, the apostle to the Indians. In 1694, Mrs. Elizabeth Ricketson was one of the two women named in the confirmatory deed to the proprietors of Dartmouth.

Matthew Wing received his first mention in the Dartmouth town meeting records in 1710, when chosen one of the two grand jurymen for the superior court of Bristol, then Dartmouth's county seat. It is interesting to find that he held several quaint offices, such as 'receiver of blackbirds' (those who killed them to have a penny a piece) and also 'fence viewer." Probably when the oldest Ricketson son married, a few years after his sister Rebecca, Matthew Wing bought the house and 100 acres at Shinuet, just north of the Ricketson homestead.

"This house was a great two-storied double one, of the lean-to type, rare in Dartmouth, and faced south - as well-behaved colonial houses should. Family tradition says that it was begun by one Landers of Sandwich, and left unfinished. When Matthew bought it the floor timbers had sprouted and small trees were growing up toward the second story. in the stone wall, near the front of the house, is a large flat stone serving as a stile. In it is a deeply-cut 'B.W - 1771', none other than Benjamin Wing, who with Joseph, were Matthew's only two sons. It is the home which Benjamin Crane, the old Dartmouth surveyor, means when in his quaint journal about 1720, he writes: 'steyed one night at Matthew Wing's.'

Like most in old Dartmouth, with its many Friends, Matthew Wing seems to have lived a life that 'glided on like rivers that water the woodland.' The Indian troubles were now fireside tales. The greatest excitements were those of town meetings, when the Friends and their affiliates made determined and repeated opposition to war, slavery and 'hireling Ministers."

A slight glimpse within this old house may be seen by selections from its master's inventory in 1724: "My bible, 19 chairs, a round table and another table, one grate table and 17 napkins, 12 pewter plates, 10 platters, 4 porringers, one tankard, 13 silver spoons, knives and forks, a case of drawers, 5 feather beds with furniture well completed, 7 pairs of good linen chests, a cradle and a spinning wheel."

The old house was torn down some years ago. Just in the rear is the old family burying ground where, as from the house, are beautiful views. Here, when the nearby orchard is in full bloom, the wind from the river below sometimes scatters the petals over the graves of Elizabeth and Matthew Wing.

Captain Franklin Howland, historian of the Howland Family, wrote this in the "OWL" in December 1906, concerning the building of the old Apponegansett Meeting House, erected in 1689-9 and still standing:

" It was just previous to these interesting events that the above Matthew Wing became a resident of Dartmouth and a member of the meeting. Of the romance that brought this about probably no man living knows. It is safe to presume, however, that young Matthew and the caring, winsome Elizabeth, grand-daughter of Adam Mott, formerly of Portsmouth, R.I., then of Dartmouth, met at one of the large meetings at Apponeganseet or at a Monthly Meeting at Spring Hill. It was no unusual occurrence for members of these meetings to exchange visits on the occasions. The distance is about 28 miles as the crow flies; the way was over winding Indian trails which increased the distance considerably, and the mode of conveyance was wholly on horse-back. But these men and women of granite nerve and muscle considered such as this no impediment to love and duty. However, in due time Matthew and Elizabeth plighted their troth and were married after the simple quaker manner; established a family home at Dartmouth and a church home with the flourishing Apponegansett Meeting. The marriage was in 1696. These and other interesting facts indicate that Matthew was a man of New England grit, gumption and good common sense; and that he personally aided building the meeting house and in establishing the Monthly Meeting with the encouragement of good-wife Wing there is no doubt. Matthew and Elizabeth Wing were prominent and useful members of the Meeting which was the religious home of nearly all their hundred of descendants of the century succeeding the marriage, many of their names appearing on the meeting records of births, marriages and deaths."

Matthew Wing appears to have been quite prominent in the affairs at Dartmouth. His marriage, and also the births of his three children, appear in the town records. He seems to have taken an active interest in town affairs. At a town meeting held at Dartmouth at the house of Philip Sherman "August the 22 day 1700, John Jene and Matthew Wing were chosen Grand juremem for the Superior Court at Bristol and Robert Remens, Joseph Earl and Jonathan Talman were chosen jureman for trialls." And here is a quaint record in the proceedings of a town meeting held in Darmouth the 24th day of January, 1704-5;

"It is also ordered at sd meeting that every householder being a planter shall kill 12 blackbirds between the first day of January and the middle of May yearly on pain of forfeiting three half-pence for every bird they shall neglect killing of sd number sd forfeture to be added to each defective person's town rate yearly to be paid into the town stock and farther it is ordered that every blackbird that shall be killed within the town within the time limited more the number of 12 to each planter as above shall be paid 1 penny out of the town stock or be abated out of the rate in the next town rate it is also ordered that each crow that shall be killed within sd time yearly shall be reckoned for three blackbirds it is also ordered that Joseph Tripp, Matthew Wing, Nathan Howland, John Russel, Jsn Spooner be the persons to take account yearly to the selectmen so that the penalty may be laid on such as are negligent and money may be raised to pay them that present more than their number."

At a town meeting held March 20, 1704-5, Matthew Wing, Nathaniel Howland and Thomas Tabor Jr., were chosen constables. On January 28, 1709, Matthew was chosen a surveyor of highways and held the office for three successive terms. He was a "fence viewer" in 1721 and 1722.

Among the brass memorial tablets in the rooms of the old Dartmouth Historical Society at New Bedford, is one to the memory of Matthew Wing.

From William Arthur Wing's Some Wings of Old Dartmouth, Matthew Wing's home in Dartmouth, called "the old fort house," was built in 1645, is or was owned by Alvin Wing, and at the time of his writing was one of the oldest homes in New England still in possession of  descendants. "This house was a great two-storied double one, of the lean-to type, and faced south - as well-behaved colonial houses should. Family tradition says that it was begun by one Landers of Sandwich, and left unfinished so when Matthew Wing bought it, the floor timbers had sprouted and small trees were growing up toward the second story. In the stone wall, near the front of the house, is a large flat stone serving as a stile. In it is a deeply cut B. W. - 1711, none other than Benjamin Wing, who with Joseph, were his only sons. It is this house which Benjamin Crane, the old Dartmouth surveyor, means when, in 1720, he writes, "stayed one night at Matthew Wing's."

"Like most in old Dartmouth, with its many Friends, Matthew seems to have lived the simple life.

The Indian troubles were now fireside tales. The greatest excitements were those of the town-meetings, when the Friends and their affiliates made determined and repeated opposition against War, Slavery and 'hireling ministers.'"

From The Owl December 1906, Captain Frankline Howland's discussion: "...young Matthew and the charming, winsome Elizabeth, granddaughter of Adam Mot, formerly of Portsmouth, R.I., then of Dartsmouth, met at Apponegansett, or at a Monthly meeting at Spring Hill. It was no unusual occurrence for members of these meetings to exchange visits on these occasions. The distance is about 28 miles as the crow flies; the way was over the winding Indian trails which increased the distance considerably, and the mode of conveyance was wholly on horseback. But these men and women of granite nerve and muscle considered such as this no impediment to love and duty. However, in due time Matthew and Elizabeth plighted their troth and were married after the simple Quaker manner; established a family home at Dartmouth and a church home with the flourishing Apponegansett Meeting. The marriage was in 1696. These and other interesting facts indicate that Matthew was a man of New England grit, gumption and good common sense; and that he personally aided building the meeting house and in establishing the Monthly meeting with the encouragement of good-wife Wing there is no doubt. Matthew and Elizabeth Wing were prominent and useful members of this meeting which was the religious home of nearly all their hundreds of descendants of the century succeeding the marriage, many of their names appearing on the meeting records of births, marriages and deaths."