St. John update and new floors

Last first: We had new flooring installed, so putting the house back in order trumps genealogy, for the moment. [I'm on break for a few minutes.]

St. John update: It appears that I was misinformed about the termination of the theory that Christopher and Matthias Sension / St. John were of "Dutch" heritage. That idea is dormant, but alive and kicking. So, I'm back to square one or near to it.

Were the St. Johns from Highlight, Glamorgan, Wales or Antwerp, Spanish Netherlands [Belgium]?

Stay tuned, there may eventually be an answer!

John Simmons Jr.: Three wives mentioned

Several sources have mentioned that the only reference to all three of John Simmons Jr.'s three wives is in the DAR files. It is. One supporting document lists all three Mrs. Simmonses:
1. Mary Nelson
2. Lucy Cunningham
3. Margaret Harbison Moffat

John Simmons: Tavern keeper

Supporting documents suggest that John may not have left New York City when the Redcoats arrived.
It was noted that John Simmons provided food for American prisoners in 1777.

John may also have been the scourge of small children. Local kids appeared to have been terrified of him and called John "Old Simmons." [Maybe ol' John just enjoyed scaring the local urchins in good-natured fun! [A 400 pounder cold have done a lot of scaring!]

DC heating up for 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11

We were in Washington DC over the weekend. It was HOT. The capital city is ramping up for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11. Sound systems, screens and other elements are being set up on the Mall for the celebration. It should be a spectacular event!

On the junket this weekend were Ford's Theater and the Peterson House, Mount Vernon, the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Museum, the Spy Museum and the Smithsonian Castle. While my better half attended a conference, I took in the WWII Memorial and conducted a bit of research at the DAR Library.

For those of you planning on a trip to DC, several displays at the Air and Space Museum will be shut down while the facility undergoes renovation. Many of the items at A&S are being moved to Udvar-Hazy. [Udvar-Hazy is part of the Smithsonian and holds planes, spacecraft, etc. not on display at A&S, or, like Space shuttle Discovery - too large for A&S. It's located near Dulles Airport.]

The Spy Museum is quite an experience! It covers the history of spy craft and has a ton of interactive displays. The gift shot has an interesting variety of books, gizmos, attire, games and such. [The beverage cooler is labeled "truth serums."]

The research session at the DAR Library was worth the effort. I was able to fing a gem or two on my Revolutionary War ancestors. More on that later!

St. John Conclusions for now, maybe

Here is what I think may be the lineage for my St. John line to Samuel. This is subject  to reevaluation  at any time!

1) Christopher Sension / St. John: [button maker]

b. by 1581 - location to be determined, possibly Highlight, Glamorgan, Wales.*

m. before 1601 possibly St. Olave, Silverstreet, London, England

d. [buried] 19 June 1629 St. Olave, Silverstreet, London, England

Joan / Jone  _______ [midwife]

b. unknown - England
d. after 1653 London, England

2) Matthias Sension / St. John I: [chandler]

bp. 9 Aug 1601 St. Olave, Silverstreet, London, Englang

m.1 Nov 1627 New Windsor, Berkshire, England

d. 19 Oct - Nov 1669 Norwalk, Fairfield, Connecticut, British America

Mary Tinker

bp. 6 Aug 1606 New Windsor, Berkshire, England

d. aft Jan 1670 prob. Norwalk, Fairfield, CT

3) Matthias Sension / St. John II:

bp. 30 Nov 1628 New Windsor, Berkshire, England

m. c1656 Norwalk, Fairfield, CT


d. Dec 1728 Norwalk, Fairfield, CT

Elizabeth _______

b. c1636 unknown

d. unknown

4) Samuel Sension / St. John

b. 1672 -77 Norwalk, Fairfield, CT [no later than 1680]

m. c1702 Norwalk, Fairfield, CT

d. c1752 Cortland Manor, Westchester, New York

Rebecca Olmstead

b. c1681 Norwalk, Fairfield, CT

d. aft 1755 Cortland Manor, Westchester, NY

*The Returns of Aliens in London for 1617 show Christian Santken in Silverstreet, his wife, English, five children, bottonmaker - dwelt here 36 years. Based on this information, Christopher's wife was born in England, while he was foreign born. Christopher had been in England since 1581. He either arrived shortly after his birth or was an infant when his family arrived, suggesting a birth earlier than 1581.

Alternate Lineage: [suggested by current research]

Matthew Sension [1590-1670] & Sarah [d. 1647] - Matthias Sension [1635-1712] & Rachel Button [1667-unk] - Samuel Sension [1685-1752] & Rebecca Olmstead [1681-aft1755]

St. John Issues

The time line presented in the previous post presents, for me, some issues:

[1] Matthew St. John, as a resident of London, has a relatively complete time line there. A date for his marriage is missing, but a wife Sara/Sarah is named in baptismal records. Births and deaths for children are recorded, A burial is recorded for Matthew. Missing is a burial or second marriage record for wife Sarah.

[2] Events taking place in Connecticut, that involve Matthew coincide with events taking place in London. Baptisms are being held in England at times that it would have been difficult for Matthew to have been there at the time of the child's conception.

[3] Toby St. John was baptized on 5 April 1646 and buried on the 13th. Would his mother have boarded a ship shortly thereafter to join her husband in Connecticut, where she died the following year?

[4] There is no record, to date, of a death in Norwalk, CT for Matthew St. John.

In defense of the Matthew theory:

[1] Matthew St. John's name appears on the Norwalk Founders Monument and Norwalk records.

[2] The names of Matthew and Matthias were used interchangeably in CT records at times. [The sketch on Matthias in the Great Migration 1634-34 discusses Matthias, but is entitled Matthew Sension.]

The Brothers St. John / Sension

Until recently, it has been assumed that Mathias Sension [b. 1601] and his brother Nicholas were the sole representatives of the Sension family to venture to the British American Colonies.

Recent research suggests that Matthew Sension [b. 1590 London], a brother to Christopher, also made the journey about the same time as his nephew, Mathias. Matthew and Christopher were son of Sir Thomas St. John, a native of Highlight, Glamorganshire, Wales. He entered Gray's Inn, London in 1577. Thomas was married to Jane Matthew. Christopher was born in Highlight. Matthew and the other children were born in England.



Based on details presented on Matthew St. John the following timeline covers his life in England:


Matthew St. John / Sension [son of Thomas St. John & Jane Matthew

b. 13 Apr 1590 St. Andrew Holburn, London, England

by 1629 Matthew was a shoemaker

m. before 1629 – Sarah _______

23 Aug 1629 - St. Botolph Bishopsgate, London, Eng. – William

6 Nov 1631 - St. Botolph Bishopsgate, London, England – Elizabeth

1 Sep 1633 - St. Botolph Bishopsgate, London, England - Sarah

13 Dec 1635 – Hackney, St. Leonard, Shoreditch, Middlesex, Eng – Mathias

28 Jul 1639 – Hackney, St. Leonard, Shoreditch, Middlesex, Eng. – Joyce

19 Nov 1643 – Hackney, St. Leonard, Shoreditch, Middlesex, Eng. – Walter

5 Apr 1646 – Hackney, St. Leonard, Shoreditch, Middlesex, Eng. – Toby

13 Apr 1646 – Hackney, St. Leonard – burial of Toby

15 Dec 1669 – Hackney, St. Leonard – burial of Mathias [Matthew] Senshon

The following is the corresponding timeline for the same Matthew St. John in Massachusetts and Connecticut:


1634 – in Dorchester [p. 81]

1637 – keeper of the cows; removed to Windsor, but not with first company. [p. 81 & 156]

Before 1636 – name appears on list of settlers whose names appear in Dorchester town records previous to January 1636. [p. 39]

18 Mar 1638 – residing in Dorchester, Suffolk, MA

1640 – residing in Windsor, CT

19 Nov 1643 – member of Grand Jury in Wethersfield, CT

1647 – death of Sara Senchon in Windsor

1655 – resides in Norwalk, CT

1670 – dies intestate in Norwalk

3 Jan 1671 – town votes that son Matthias Sension is to take up his portion of six acres to the 100 upon Elie’s Nek, next to his uncle Hoite.[osa 5] 

The page numbers above refer to histories of Dorchester, Windsor and the St. John Genealogy.

Matthew Sension had a son, Mathias, baptized in 1635. Per the research, this Mathias went to Norwalk after the death of his father to take over his property.

[to be continued...]

The St. John conundrum #3

OK, here's what we have so far, based in documented fact:

Christopher St. John / Sension / Sention [buttonmaker,buried 19 June 1629] and Jaon _______ [a midwife, living in 1653]were the parents of

Mathias St. John /Sension / Sention, bp. 9 August 1601 St. Olave, Silver Street, London, England

Mathias, a chandler, was married in New Windsor, Berkshire, England on 1 Nov 1627 to Mary Tinker [bp. 6 Oct 1606 at New Windsor], daughter of Robert Tinker and Mary Merwin.

They had, among others,

Mathias Jr. [II], bp. 30 Nov 1628 in New Windsor, Berkshire, England.

The Sensions were in London by 1631 and sailed for America sometime after the birth of son Mark in June 1633.

[Christopher's will was written on or about 17 June 1629 named sons Mathias, James, Thomas and Nicholas and wife 'Jone.']

Figuring in to the confusion over the Sension family are the following factors:
[1] The use of Mathias as a given name in multiple generations.
[2] Th similarity between the names Mathias and Matthew.
[3] The two names occasionally being used interchangeably. [R.C. Anderson's Great Migration article was entitled "Matthew Sension," but nearly all citations used 'Mathias.'
[4] Another line of the family that included both Matthew and Mathias contemporary to Christopher, Mathias Sr. and Jr.

[to be continued...]