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...]