Descendants of Matthew Gethings Generously contributed to the GHOTES Web site by Ann Blomquist

Descendants of Matthew Gethings

Generation No. 1

1. MATTHEW1 GETHINGS was born c 1602, and died c 1668 in Northampton Co VA. He married ELLENOR c 1628. She was born c 1607, and died Aft. Feb 1676/77 in Northampton Co VA.

Notes for MATTHEW GETHINGS:
Some early information about Mathew Gethings is unknown: his date and place of birth, his parents, and siblings. The name Gethings appears in many forms throughout these early records as Gething, Gethinge, and even evolving into Giddins and Geddens.

The first record of Mathew in Northampton Co VA is Aug 1639 when he bought 175 acres in N11 from Henry Walker. (Whitelaw, 76; Marshall, 118) Because of this land purchase, it is possible that Mathew and his family had recently arrived in the area. This land is located on the Chesapeake shore at the southern end of Northampton County.

In 1641, Nathaniel Littleton gave a cow to young Martha Gethinge. (Whitelaw, 78)

Mathew leaves a number of records in Northampton County. In Nov 1643, he gave a deposition about the will of Robert Lawson; in Sep 1665, a cow bequeathed to Jane Severn by Elias Hartree was delivered to Mathew; in Mar 1665, Mathew declined the administration of the estate of his past son-in-law John Severn; in Jun 1665, he was an appraisor for the estate of John Gray; in Dec 1667, he was an appraisor for the estate of John Stevens. (Marshall)

In Sep 1648, "Ellynor Gathines" gave a deposition in the case between master Edmund Scarburgh and his servant John Daniell. Daniell was accused of beating his master and fathering a child by Anne Winter, another of Scarburgh's servants. Ellenor stated that she had told Daniell that she did not know anything about any relationship between Scarburgh and Winter. (Mackey, Vol 3, 297-298)

In Sep 1654, Mathew Githinges and several others testified to the court that John Stephens had intimiate relations with Elizabeth Spratt Lewin. (Mackey, Vol 5, 58)

Mathew's daughter Elizabeth married Richard Hanby before Feb 1650, but she died before 1656. On July 20 1655, Mathew Gethings made a gift of a cow to 3-year-old William Hanby, probably his grandson. (Mackey, Vol 5, 104) Perhaps this was William's inheritance from the Gethings family.

Daughter Martha had married John Severn about 1651. Martha and John were both about 17 years old when they married, unusually young for the era. They would have had to secure permission to marry so young. They had one child, Jane Severn, and then Martha died before 1654. John Severn married next Elizabeth Chapman, an orphan whose only brother was younger. John Severn treated her so badly that testimony was taken in court. In July 1657, Susannah Ayers, wife of Thomas Ayers, testified that "Mathew Gethings and Ellynor his wife were the chief cause of disagreement between Elizabeth and John, that John had beaten Elizabeth, put her out of their house, talked badly about her to the neighbors, and refused to allow her to have clothing." Elizabeth told Susannah that she was intending to do away with herself by drowning or other means. John Stephens also deposed to the court that Elizabeth blamed her bad usage by her husband on the Gethings. (Mackey, Vol 6, 161-162) Elizabeth died before 1660, making us wonder about her fate.

In Dec 1657, Mathew Gethings gave Francis, a son of Wallassa (a Negro), a cow. If Francis were to die without issue, the cow would go to the next son Sande, if that son died, then the cow went to Wallassa. The witnesses to the deed were John Severn (Mathew's past son-in-law) and George Smith. (Mackey, Vol 6, 149)

[I do not have access to court records 1666-1683.]

In 1661, son John, along with his relation John Severn, kidnapped 12-year-old Elizabeth Charlton from her guardian Capt. Jones. Elizabeth was an orphan of a wealthy man and had only one sister. Severn delivered Elizabeth to John Gethings' house where they tried to arrange a marriage. Since no local minister would perform the rites, they carried Elizabeth out of the county and had the marriage performed by Col. Yoe. The Court demanded that Elizabeth be returned, but Gethings refused to comply. Elizabeth died of childbirth in 1662 at the age of 13. When John Gethings applied to the court for her property, leading citizen Edmund Scarburgh submitted a lengthy objection, stating that the property should go to Elizabeth's sister Bridget, wife of Isaac Foxcroft. The Court agreed with Scarburgh and Gethings was denied the Charlton property. Nothing further is known of John; he left no other records in Northampton County. (Whitelaw)

The Gethings men appear in the 1662 tax list: John, Mathew, Thomas, and Robert (who?) and Lambner (who?). 

Daughter Alice had terrible luck in her marriages She married first about 1652 to Simon Fly and second to William John before May 1654. About 1660, she married Neal McMillan (many spellings) and they had two children. Alice was dead before 1663. So, Mathew and Ellenor lost another adult child.

Son Mathew married Margaret Melling, the widow of Eustis Sanders, between 1667 and 1674. Sometime during those years, Mathew died, and Margaret married for her third husband Daniel Neech. This was the fourth adult child of Mathew and Ellenor to die after marriage.

Mathew died before Nov 30 1668 when his son-in-law Neal McMillon and Stephen Costen presented a nuncupative (unwritten) will. Ellenor was named as his relict and executor. (Marshall, 81) Unfortunately, without a will or estate proceedings, we cannot be certain of his children. However, using the list of assumed children, it is sad to note that 4 of his 6 adult children died prior to Mathew's death. Only Thomas and possibly John were still living. And due to his children's early deaths, Mathew had only 7 grandchildren of which only two were males to continue the name Gethings.

Ellenor lived until at least 1677 when her son-in-law Neal McMillan named her in his will. Neal gave clothing to Ellenor Gethings and directed that his daughter Ellenor McMillan remain with her grandmother Ellenor Gethings until she reached the age of 14. (Marshall, 99) Nothing further is known of Ellenor.

The land in N11 that Mathew bought in 1639 passed to granddaughter Jane Severn who married Thomas Eyre (born c1647). Nearly 50 years later in 1686, they sold the tract to Daniel Neech. (Whitelaw, 76)

This list of the children of Mathew and Ellenor should be explained. There is no proof that Elizabeth (who married Richard Hanby) is a daughter. However, placing her in this family helps explain why Mathew Gethings gave William Hanby (who was a child) a cow in 1655. The other children have clear records connecting them with Mathew and Ellenor. This arrangement also explains the frequent dealings of this connected family.

It is the opinion of this complier that Mathew Gethings, his son John, and his son-in-law John Severn were rascals and mischief-makers. The role of John Gethings and John Severn in the abduction and marriage of Elizabeth Charlton seems greedy and cruel. They are definitely not ancestors about whom we would brag.

References
Northampton Co VA Deeds
Whitelaw, Ralph. Virginia's Eastern Shore, Vol 1, p 76, 78, 398, 427-430.
Marshall, James H. Abstracts of the Wills and Administrations of Northampton County VA 1632-1802. p 15, 75, 77, 78, 81, 99, 118.
Mackey, Howard and Marlene Groves. Northampton County VA Record Book, Orders, Deeds, Wills Vol 3 1645-1651. p 297-298.
Mackey, Howard and Marlene Groves. Northampton County VA Record Book, Orders, Deeds, Wills Vol 5 1654-1655. p 58, 104.
Mackey, Howard and Marlene Groves. Northampton County VA Record Book, Orders, Deeds, Wills Vol 6 and 7-8, 1655-1657. p 149, 161-162, 260.
Bell, John B. Northampton County VA Tithables 1662-1677. p 5, 7, 13, 24.
Theory of Elizabeth Gethings marriage to Richard Hanby originated by Duane Boggs.
This was researched and written by Ann Blomquist. 6/2002


More About MATTHEW GETHINGS:
Fact 14: 1668, Ref: Marshall, p81

Children of MATTHEW GETHINGS and ELLENOR are:
i. ELIZABETH2 GETHINGS, b. c 1629.
2. ii. THOMAS GETHINGS, b. c 1631; d. Aft. 1684.
3. iii. MARTHA GETHINGS, b. c 1633; d. Bef. 1654, Northampton Co VA.
4. iv. ALICE GETHINGS, b. c 1635; d. 1663, Northampton Co VA.
5. v. JOHN GETHINGS, b. c 1637.
vi. MATTHEW GETHINGS, b. c 1639; d. Bet. 1667 - 1674, Northampton Co VA; m. MARGARET MELLING, Bet. 1667 - 1674, Northampton Co VA; b. c 1643; d. Aft. 1703, Northampton Co VA.


Generation No. 2

2. THOMAS2 GETHINGS (MATTHEW1) was born c 1631, and died Aft. 1684. He married ELIZABETH BELL c 1656 in Northampton Co VA, daughter of THOMAS BELL and MARY. She was born c 1636, and died Aft. 1678.

Children of THOMAS GETHINGS and ELIZABETH BELL are:
i. ELIZABETH3 GETHINGS, b. c 1657.
ii. SON GETHINGS, b. c 1659.
iii. JOHN GETHINGS, b. c 1661.


3. MARTHA2 GETHINGS (MATTHEW1) was born c 1633, and died Bef. 1654 in Northampton Co VA. She married JOHN SEVERN c 1651, son of JOHN SEVERN and BRIDGETT POTT. He was born c 1634, and died Mar 1664/65 in Northampton Co VA.

More About JOHN SEVERN:
Fact 14: Marshall p16,40,54,75

Child of MARTHA GETHINGS and JOHN SEVERN is:
i. JANE3 SEVERN, b. c 1652; d. Bef. 1715; m. THOMAS EYRE II, c 1680; b. c 1647; d. 1715, Northampton Co VA.

Notes for THOMAS EYRE II:
Will, p 206, Marshall



4. ALICE2 GETHINGS (MATTHEW1) was born c 1635, and died 1663 in Northampton Co VA. She married (1) SIMON FLY c 1652 in Northampton Co VA. He died Bet. Dec 1651 - May 1654 in Northampton Co VA. She married (2) WILLIAM JOHNSON Bef. May 29, 1654 in Northampton Co VA. He died c 1659 in Northampton Co VA. She married (3) NEALE MACMILLON c 1660 in Northampton Co VA. He died 1677 in Northampton Co VA.

Notes for SIMON FLY:
In 1646, Symon Flyye named as owning a sword of the estate of William Hookins (Mackey, Vol 3, p 314)

In 1651, Simon Fly bought land from John Stockley (Whitelaw, p 92). Fly immediately sold to George Smith.

In Dec 1651, Simon Flie named in estate of George Clarke (Walczyk, p 49)

More About SIMON FLY:
Fact 14: 1651, Whitelaw p92

More About WILLIAM JOHNSON:
Fact 14: Marshall p52; Whitelaw p92

More About NEALE MACMILLON:
Fact 14: Whitelaw p69

Children of ALICE GETHINGS and NEALE MACMILLON are:
i. THOMAS3 MACMILLON, b. c 1661; d. 1716, Northampton Co VA.

More About THOMAS MACMILLON:
Fact 14: Marshall p208

ii. ELLENOR MACMILLON, b. c 1663.


5. JOHN2 GETHINGS (MATTHEW1) was born c 1637. He married ELIZABETH CHARLTON c Aug 1661 in Northampton Co VA, daughter of STEPHEN CHARLTON and BRIDGETT POTT. She was born c Feb 01, 1647/48 in Northampton Co VA, and died 1662 in Northampton Co VA.

Child of JOHN GETHINGS and ELIZABETH CHARLTON is:
i. NONE3 GETHINGS.


Page added January 14, 2004 (wls)

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