Wing, Nathaniel (b. , d. ?)

Note: Nathaniel Wing, son of Stephen Wing

1646/47...before March 2...Nathaniel Wing (Stephen, Rev. John, Matthew) is born to Stephen Wing and Oseah Dillingham. If the family historians are correct that Stephen Wing lived in the Fort House by this time, we are safe in saying that Nathaniel was born there. Nathaniel will be the only child born to Stephen and Oseah who will survive to adulthood.

Nathaniel will mature as his father and Uncle and other various family members are persecuted for being Quakers. Like his father before him, and his father's father...he would witness many abuses committed by authorities who refused to allow men and women to worship as they pleased. He was brought up in an atmosphere which inflicted a penalty for entertaining a Quaker, for speaking upon the highway with a Quaker, for being present at an assemblage of Quakers. At some point in his adult life he turned away from the Quaker religion.

1654...April 9...Nathaniel's mother, Oseah Dillingham Wing, dies in Sandwich, Plymouth Colony. Nathaniel is only about 8 or 9 years old. It is assumed by most Wing family historians that Nathaniel was the only surviving child when Oseah died...therefore, he was probably not only an orphan, but there is a good chance that his siblings had already preceded his mother in death.

1654...November 7...Nathaniel's father, Stephen, marries his 2nd wife, Sarah Briggs, in Sandwich, Plymouth Colony. The theory has always been that Stephen married Sarah Briggs primarily out of a need for a housekeeper/childkeeper. The records indicate though that Stephen and Oseah's son Ephraim, was already deceased and that their daughter Mercy, if she was still alive, would have been about 4 years old by the time that Oseah died.

1669...October 29... Nathaniel Wing appears in court at Sandwich, Plymouth Colony. He is a young 22 years when the following appears in the court records at Plymouth; "In reference to a shirt stolen by an Indian from Christopher Blake and sold unto Nathaniel Winge, which shirt is now in the custody of the constable of Sandwich, the Court have ordered that said Constable shall return the said shirt to Christopher Blake & to inquire the said Wings to pay 5 shillings to the said Blake in satisfaction for his trouble and charges about it, and 2 shillings & 6 pence to the said Wings be required to look up the said Indian and to bring him or cause him to be brought before some of the magistrates of this jurisdiction to answer for his said act."

1675...King Philip's War breaks out.

1675/76...March 26...Nathaniel's half brother, Stephen Wing is killed in the massacre of Captain Pearses company of Seekonk. It was around this time that Nathaniel, who was about 30 years old, enlists as a soldier in that war and served in Captain Gorham's Company. For his service, Nathaniel is listed as a resident of Sandwich that was granted lands in the Narragansett Grants, the town of Gorham, Maine. In his later years he would bequeath that land to his son Nathaniel Wing Jr.

Nathaniels anger must have been very great when he enlisted in the war after the death of his brother. I can almost feel his rage and his need to atone for Stephen's death...the young 19 year old brother who would forever be known as the first Wing to lose his life defending his home and family. The company that Nathaniel joined, Gorham's Company ,was at the Great Swamp Fight in which the Narragansetts were so thoroughly punished.

"In December of 1675/76, Governor Josiah Winslow of Plymouth led a 1,000 man army with 150 Mohegan scouts against the Narragansett. The English demanded the Narragansett surrender of any Wampanoag who remained and join them against Philip. When this was refused, the English attacked. Known as the Great Swamp Fight (December 19, 1675/76), the battle almost destroyed the Narragansett. In all they lost more than 600 warriors and at least 20 of their sachems, but the English also lost heavily to and was in no condition to pursue the Narragansett who escaped. Led by their sachem, Canonchet, many of the survivors joined Philip at Hoosick."

1681...Nathaniel Wing is admitted as a townsman at Sandwich, Plymouth Colony. He is about 35 or 36 years old.

1686/87...(estimate)...Nathaniel Wing marries Sarah Hatch at Falmouth, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts. Nathaniel is 40 or 41 years old when he takes his first wife , Sarah, who is 23 years old. He apparently married "out of meeting" which indicates that he did not follow the Quaker faith.

Sarah Hatch was born to Jonathan Hatch and Sarah Rowley on March 21, 1664 at Saconecet (Falmouth), Plymouth Colony.

1687...Nathaniel Wing and Sarah Hatch settle around Pocasset, which was near Hatchville, the settlement that Sarah's father, Jonathan Hatch, chopped out of the Falmouth wilderness in Plymouth Colony around 1661. Nathaniel settled in Pocasset, a part of Falmouth, Mass. His holding were so momentous that even today that part of the country is known as "Wings Neck."

"Nathaniel's settlement in the western part of Sandwich may have been due to a number of causes. First, it is quite apparent that he was out of sympathy with his Father's religious views; second, his younger brother, Elisha had located about this time upon the opposite shores of Buzzard's Bay in the town of Wareham, not more than twelve miles distant across the water; third, his cousin, John Wing, had built his home upon Great Neck, directly across the bay and almost within sight of his own habitation on the east side of the water; fourth, his desire to live in close proximity to his wife's kindred, The Hatches. It is said that the first five families in the present limits of that prart of town of Sandwich bordering on the east shores of Buzzard's Bay were the Lawrence, Swift, Nye, Handy and Wing families, and that for many years they were the only settlers living in that part of town."

"In the very early days, before the settlement of Pocasset, a road was cut through a forest of pitch pine trees from Falmouth to Sandwich village, and in those early days the trees were tapped for pitch, which was made into turpentine. Thus the road became known as the "Turpentine Road." From this old road, which was probably the only one at that time between Falmouth and Sandwich, the first five settlers drew their boundary lines to the bay; the Lawrence family next to Falmouth, the Wing holdings extending a considerable distance north (including the Neck) with Handy, Nye and Swift between. When the "county road" was laid out it was made to follow the shore, or nearly so, consequently was not a direct route from Pocasset to Sandwich village. As the settlers were obliged to attend church service at Sandwich, they naturally desired to make the walk as short as possible, therefore made a track through the woods which lessened the distance about two miles and became a well traveled road.For many years they were not allowed to maintain a separate church at Pocasset. it was not until the year 1767, nearly one hundred years after the first settlement, that they got permission from the Sandwich church to establish a church in their village. At that date they were set off as a separate precinct. Had they not attended church in Sandwich they would have been fined, and so every Sunday they had to walk this trail."

1687...(estimate)...Nathaniel Wing builds the home that will still stand generations later. This home would become known as the "Natty Wing Home."

1722...October 4...Nathaniel Wing makes and dates his will, naming his wife, Sarah, executrix. In the will he mentions his wife, and children; Nathaniel, Ebenezer, Hozia, Sarah, Marey, Oaseth and Joseph. His inventory show a personal estate of £99, 5s, 6d...no real estate.

"Nathaniel Wing was purportedly the owner of a large tract of land...but land is not mentioned in his will. It is thought that he probably had already divided his land among his children. It is also a known fact that for many generations, the descendants of Nathaniel Wing were extensive land owners in that area.The last large land owner bearing the name of Wing was Nathaniel Wing (Alvin, Lemuel, Nathaniel, Ebenezer, Nathaniel, Stephen, Rev. John, Matthew). He owned a large part of Wing's Neck in addition to extensive holdings east of the Neck. When the survery was made for the railroad that now runs to Wood's Hole, it was run directly across his land and although he vigorously opposed it, he was not able to prevent it. Nathaniel would often comment sadly that he had been obliged to give up his possessions, which he said had "come down to him through generations."

1722..November 17...Nathaniel Wing dies at Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts. Nathaniel would have been about 75 or 76 years old at the time of his death.

1731..July 8....Sarah Hatch Wing, widow of Nathaniel Wing makes and dates her will. She appoints her daughter, Mary Wing, executrix and mentions sons, Joseph, Nathaniel, Ebenezer and "these other daughters not mentioned". She also mentions her granddaughter, Mercy, the daughter of her son Nathaniel. Her inventory at that time was £80, 16s.

1734...Sarah Hatch Wing dies.

1734...October 8...Sarah Hatch Wing's will is proven.

Nathaniel Wing and Sarah Hatch had the following children:

1. Keziah Wing, born about 1689 at Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts.

2. Nathaniel Wing Jr., born about 1692 either at Sandwich or Pocasset, Massachusetts.

3. Ebenezer Wing, born about 1694 either at Sandwich or Pocasset, Massachusetts.

4. Sarah Wing, born about 1695, Natty Wing House in Pocasset.

5. Hozea/Hozeth Wing, born about 1702, Natty Wing House in Pocasset.

6. Mary Wing, born about 1705, Natty Wing House in Pocasset. Nothing more is known about Mary Wing.

7. Joseph Wing, born March 30, 1709, Natty Wing House in Pocasset.

Note: Sarah Wing, born at Sandwich, Massachusetts, died at Falmouth, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts. Sarah Wing married Meletiah Nye on December 11, 1712. Sarah died in 1734 at about the age of thirty-nine. Meletiah Nye married (2) Jemima Unknown. When Sarah Wing married Meletiah Nye, she became a member of two of the most prominent families on the Cape; Tupper and Nye.

Note: Meletiah Nye was the son of Ebenezer Nye and Sarah Gibbs, grandson of Benjamin Nye and Katherine Tupper, great-grandson of Thomas Tupper and Katherine Gator. The Nye family history can be traced back to the fourteenth century; Lave (Nye) who was a son of a descendant of Harold Blautand, who died in 985, through his daughter, who married one of the most famous of the Swedish heroes, Styribiorn, son of Olaf, King of Sweden. He became a man of prominence and in 1316 was Bishop of Roskilde.

Note: Stephen Wing, born at Flushing in 1621, came to America when he was nine years old. He married Oshea Dillingham in the fall of 1646. In March of 1647, young Stephen was fined because a son was born to his wife too soon after their marriage. Stephen confessed his guilt, paid the fine and settled his family in what had originally been built for a fort to protect the settlers from Indian attacks. Though he converted it to a confortable home, it is still called the old fort house. Stephen and Oshea were parents of, Nathaniel, Deborah, born 10 October, 1648 and Ephraim, born 2 April, 1649, Mercy born 13 Nov. 1650. Oshea died April 29, 1654 and Stephen married (2) Sarah Briggs in November of the same year.

This ancestry chart was sent to me by my cousin, John Jackson. The author of this work was Elizabeth Wing Kurfman, the daughter of Truman Perry Wing.

Note: Sarah was the orphaned daughter of John and Catharine Briggs. She had one brother, Samuel. The parents died soon after reaching America and Sarah's dowry consisted of one brown cow. She was a bride at 14, and barely 16 when her son Stephen was born. She was thirty-five when news came to her of his death at Seakonk, while fighting in Captain Michael Pierce's Company, in King Phillips War. In additon to Stephen, born 2 September, 1656, Sarah was the mother of Sarah, born February 5, 1658, John, born September 25, 1661, Abigail, born May 1, 1664, Elisha, born February 2, 1669, Ebenezer, born July 11, 1671 and Matthew, born March 1, 1674. The Owl also listed the births of sons Joseph and Benjamin. Sarah Briggs Wing died in the Old Fort House on March 26, 1689.

Note: Matthew Wing, son of Stephen and Sarah Briggs Wing, ws born January 1, 1674 in the "Old Fort House" at Spring Hill, Sandwich, Massachusetts. He married September 4, 1696, the widow Elizabeth Ricketson. Her maiden name is sometimes found as West, and in other places we read she was the granddaughter of Admam Mott. Perhaps Mr. Mott was her mother's father. Matthew settled at Hicks Bridege, Westport (the Dartmouth) Mass., before 1695. Dartmouth was burned during King Phillip's War and later Matthew built a home on the east side of the Westport River. The house, with it's diamond shaped window panes, was said to be the finest of it's time in Massachusetts. Matthew's descendants lived in the house for over 210 years, but it was finally torn down. One of the chimneys from the house was preserved by the Bedford, Mass. Hisotrical Society. An older house, built by Elizabeth's first husband, still stands. Also still standing is the Apponegansett Meeting House, erected in 1689. This was near the time that Matthew moved to Dartmouth and became a member of the meeting there. He was chosen Grand Juryman for the Supreme Court at Bristol in 1700, constble in 1704-5, and surveyor of highways January 28, 1709. At that time every planter was required to kill 12 blackbirds, betwen January 1 and May 15. If they exceeded their quota they were given a bonus, but if they failed to meet it they were fined. The same quota was required for crows. Collecting these fines was one of the constable's duties.

Matthew's inventory of 1724: "My bible, 19 chairs, a round table and another table, one grate table, 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 new linen sheets, 12 pairs other sheets, a cradle and spinning wheel. In back of where the house stood is the family burying ground, where Matthew and Elizabeth are buried. There is a memorial to Matthew in the Old Dartmouth Historical Society of New Bedford. Their descendants were Quakers for many years. The children born to Matthew and Elizabeth Ricketson Wing were:

1. Joseph, born February 20, 1697. Joseph married Catharine Cornell.

2. Benjamin, born February 1, 1698. Benjamin married Content Tucker. Married (2) Rhoda Rogers.

3. Abigail, born Feruary 1, 1702. Abigail married David Durfee.

Note: The following article was condensed from a biographical sketch compiled about 1914 by Col. George W. Wing (1856-1924), first president of the Wing Family of America.



John Wing, born in England in the latter 1500's. Died about 1629, The Hague, Holland or 1630 in England. Married probably about 1610 to Deborah Bachiller. They probably were married in Holland.

Like his father-in-law, Stephen Bachiler, John Wing was an English minister who moved to Holland and became a Puritan pastor there, most likely for similar reasons. He had been residing at Sandwich, County Kent, England on the Strait of Dover and then at Banbury before migrating to Holland. There he became pastor of an English Puritan Congregation in Flushing, Province of Zealand. It is likely that he was associated in some way in Holland with Stephen Bachiler, as he married Stephen's daughter. Pope, in PIONEERS ON MASSACHUSETTS, states that John Wing died in the Hague, Holland in 1629. Lovell, in SANDWICH: A CAPE COD TOWN, states that he died in England in 1630. An early Wing family genealogist, writing in 1881, stated that John came to America and settled in Sandwich. But more recent research proves that the writer must have confused John Wing with John Wing, Jr., his son, who did accompany his widowed mother, brothers, and Stephen Bachiler to America in 1632, and settled first in Lynn, and later in Sandwich.

Elizabeth ruled England with an iron hand. The Puritans were in a majority in the House of Commons, but the severe reprimands they had met with from the throne deterred them from enacting any religious laws. The prelates of the Church of England were still in the haughty exercise of all religious prerogatives. So that when Matthew, or perchance Mary, carried the infant John in their arms up the stately aisles of old St. Mary's to the Saxon baptismal font, he was baptized with the parents and attendants kneeling at the sacrament, which was sealed by the sign of the cross. Every question of ceremony was regulated by Queen Elizabeth. Even the size and height of the ruff about Matthew's neck was determined by the Queen's edict.

The very year of John's birth, Elizabeth consigned the religious life of England into the keeping of forty-four commissioners, who were enpowered by all means and ways they could devise, by juries, by the rack, by torture, by inquisition, by imprisonment, to reform all heresies and schism, and to punish all breaches of uniformity of worship. so we may well imagine that John was christened by his parents with strict regard to the country's laws.

Matthew and Mary were not permitted to invite their neighbors to read and discuss the scriptures. All such gatherings, without the Queen's special permission, were unlawful. And if, perchance, Matthew (who was a tailor) in his business sold a suit of clothes to a nobleman, he was obliged to wait that gentlman's knightly pleasure for payment. If he sued to recover the price, he was liable to imprisoment himself. It was only during the succeeding generations that the noble principles of liberty took root. Executions took place for robbery, theft and felonies; whippings and burnings in the hand hand were legal modes of punishment for lesser crimes. In fact, the "Merrie England" of the days of Matthew and the boyhood of John affords us no reason to be in love with the picture of the absolute monarchy or with the government of "good Queen Bess."

The boyhood of John was spent in Banbury. The square about the old Banbury cross was undoubtedly a playground, and time and again he must have passed and entered the old Reindeer Inn. The schools of the day were known as grammar schools, and undoubtedly John made good use of them, for he was able to matriculate at Oxford when but fifteen years of age. We cannot doubt that he was a regular Sunday attendant at St. Mary's. His deeply spiritual nature was a surety of that. The sermons in the English churches at that time were merely homilies prepared by the prelates and given the vicars to read, exhorting their congregations to obey the Queen and extolling her goodness.

In John's fourteenth year, all England was aflame with the approach of the great Spanish Armada. His father at that time was forty-eight years of age, and his brothers, Fulk and Thomas, twenty-four and twenty-two respectively. Unquestionably they were enrolled among the nation's defenders. The year following the excitement attending the Armada, John Wing entered Oxford University. The school was only twenty-three miles from his home. The matriculation entry is as follows:
"John Wynge of Oxon, pleb. St. Alban's Hall, 15 October, 1599, aged 14."

On 12 February, 1603, Queen's College invested him with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. During the days of John's schooling there, Oxford was particularly active in the literary movement of that day, and undoubtedly the youth became acquainted there with many of the great lights who dazzled the world with their writings in the generation following.

That we may better appreciate the scholarly attainments of young John Wing, B.A., nineteen years of age, when he left the shadows of Queen's College in 1603, a review of the times may prove interesting. Of the peers of the realm during Elizabeth's reign only about sixty knew their letters. In the rual districts, to read and write were considered rare accomplishments, and even among the gentry below the first degree there was little difference in literary accomplishments between master and the boorish attendants. As we descend a step lower we reach a class wholly illiterate. Shakespeare's father was High Bailiff of Stratford, but he could neither read nor write. Of nineteen aldermen of Stratford only six could write their names. Nor was the ignorance confined to the laymen. In1578, according to Neal, of one hundred and forty clergymen in Cornwall belonging to the established church, not one was capable of preaching, and throughout the kingdom, those who could preach were in the proportion of one to four.

The time of the induction of John into the holy order is conjectural. Oxford at the time of his graduation was, under Elizabeth's reign, the fountain head of English church theology. His parents were members of the established church, and it was quite likely with a view of taking the orders that he pursued his studies at the University. It is most likely that the young Oxford graduate secured a position in some country village as a curate or assistant to the vicar of some parish and, while acting in that capacity, met Deborah Bachiler, daughter of the Vicar of Wherwell in Hampto

Stephen Bachiler, the Vicar of Wherwell, had gained considerable reputation among his clerical brethren for learning and ability. A man of willful independent and forceful character, he had refused conformity with the requirements of his superiors in the chuch and in 1605 was deprived of his living at Wherwell. He immediately secured another following in the vicinity of Wherwell and continued to preach the gospel as a Presbyterian. It was an age of fierce religious controversy, and it was during the period immediately following Bachiler's expulsion from his living at Wherwell that the young Oxford graduate met and courted Deborah. It will not for an instant be believed by those who have studied Bachiler's dominating and forceful character that he would permit his daughter to marry a clergyman of the Church of England. Tradition says that he refused to give his youngest daughter, Theodate, in marriage to young Christopher Hussey until the latter would promise to take her to New England, where he himself proposed to settle. The influence of the courtship and the marriage of John and Deborah, and the subsequent associations with the father of the latter, may have had much to do with the breaking of the young man's relations with the mother church.

John Wing and Deborah Bachiler were married about the year 1609-10. It may be conjectured that because John's brother named a daughter Deborah, born to him in 1608, that the marriage occurred even earlier. At the time of his marriage, John was about twenty-five years of age and Deborah barely eighteen. The oldest child, Deborah was born in 1611. John, the second child, is said by some student of family history to have been born at Yarmouth. He is mentioned in his grandfather's will made in 1614, so that it is probably that his birth occurred in 1613.

In 1617, John Wing is found preaching to the famous society of Merchant Adventurers of England in Hanover, Germany, and it is known definitely that he was in charge of a congregation at the old Roman cinque port of Sandwich in Kent at some period prior to 1620. The proof of this is contained in the dedication of his first book, "The Crown Conjugall", printed in November, 1620. He thus inscribed it:

"To The Right Worshipfull Master Matthew Peke Esquire, Mayor of the Towne and Port of Sandwich, and to the Worshipfull, the Jurates of his brethren, the Common Counsell and whole Corporation for the same JOHN WING, doth with Grace and Peace and all good form from the living God through the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the worke of the Holy Ghost, (our former favours, and the abundant fruits of your love Right Worshipfull and welbeloved in the Lord) which I have from time to time experienced ever since it pleased the Lord to cast affliction upon mine external state, doe daily provoke and deeply challange from me, the manifestation of a thankfull hart unto you all to whose kindnes I stand a Debtor much engaged to this day."

Mr. Stevens, in his "History of Presbyterianism" thus makes mention of our ancestor:
"Mr. Wing, a pious man, and edifying preacher, was first at Sandwich, but had latterly been chaplain to the Merchants Adventurers of England residing at Hamburg. He exerted himself much for the good of his people her (Flushing) until he removed to the Hague in 1627."

On 19 June, 1620, he had been ordained as pastor of the churches of Flushing and Middleburg (in Holland) under the direction of Mr. John Paget of Amsterdam, assisted by two Dutch clergymen, and in the presence of the burgomaster and other magistrates.

There are many theories as to the exact religious beliefs of the Rev. John Wing. Robert Browne, the founder of English Congregationalism, as early as 1581, had emigrated to Middleburg, in Zealand, with his followers, and it was from here that he published his several works. His followers became distracted and divided on matters of discipline and were finally disbanded. It may have been remnants of Brown's old congregation at Middleburg that John Wing preached to in 1620. The fact that the Dutch government recognized and materially aided the Rev. John Wing in his ministrations at the Hague and in his induction into the Pastorate at Middleburg, leads to the belief that he was a Presbyterian in his belief and teachings. He was the first settled English pastor at the Hague, being admitted 11 May, 1627. The states of Holland allowed him a subsidy of 300 pounds year, which, by a decree of 1628, was augmented to 500 pounds. A subscription of 100 pounds was raised by the English, and expended in repairing and beautifying the chapel. This church, or chapel, was much frequented by the royal family, and especially by Elizabeth, daughter of King James, wife of the ex-King of Bohemia. It was here that Mr. Wing preached 18 May, 1624, his sermon "The Saint's Advantage, or the Wellfare of the Faithfull in the Worst Times" before Queen Elizabeth. The sermon was given at the Hague while Mr. Wing was still in the pastorate at Middleburg. It was printed in London, in 1624, by John Dawson for John Bellamie, and was sold at his shop the the Three Golden Lions, near the Royal Exchange.

A number of the sermons of the Rev. John Wing were published. Samuel Austin Allibone, in his "Dictionary of Authors" mentions some of the publications:
"1. The Crowne Conjugall, or the Spouse Royall, Middleburg, 1620
2. Jacob's Staffe to Beare up the Faithful and Beat Down the Profane, Flushing, 1621
3. The Best Merchandis, 1622"
To those should be added "Abel's Offering" and "The Saint's Advantage." The former was printed in 1622 and is dedicated "To the Right Worshipfull and worthy fellowship of Merchants Adventurers of England, residents of Delft, in Holland." It had been preached in Middleburg, in Zealand. The book contains 138 pages. The latter sermon preached at Hamburg in November 1617, and was printed at Flushing in October of 1621.

Five of the volumes of John Wing's publications are held by the British Museum and have been seen and examined there by several members of the Wing Family of America. At least one copy of each of the five publications is now in America. a Copy of the "Crown Conjugall" was secured by the late Col. George W. Wing, first president of the Wing Family of America, having been purchased in a London bookstore in 1903. A copy of the book "The Saint's Advantage" is part of the John Adams collection in the Boston Public Library, carefully guarded under lock and key. On the title page of this copy is the following notation placed by Mr. Thomas Prince who owned the book at one time:
"This Wing was Pastor of ye English Puitan Chh. at Middleborough in Zeeland, wh. wido bro't her children to Sandwich in New England who afterwards turned Quaker and frm whm ye Wings at Sandwich, Wareham, Rochester and Dartmouth are descended."

In Septmeber, 1908, Mr. George Wing Sisson, at that time Vice President of the Wing Family of America, received from Miss Miriam H. L. wing, of Coventry, England, a bound volume cotaining "Jacob's Staffe," "The Best Merchandise", and "Abel's Offering", bound within the same covers. Miss Wing was the daughter of an English Clergyman and stated that the volume had been purchased by her father from a London bookseller merely because the author bore his surname.

The religious views and teachings of the Rev. John Wing are not conjectural to his descendants. Over 800 pages of his writings or preachings are accessible to those of his posterity living today. They reveal to us a man of strong spituality, classic learning, masterful character, ready wit, fierce invective, a facile pen and a ready tongue. He lived in an age of cant and long-winded sermons, and at times his preachings take on the color of the age, but through them all gleams the effort to be of sincere use to his fellowmen.

Fully fifteen years of the lives of John Wing and his wife Deborah were spent in Germany and Holland as practical exiles from their native England. Hamburg and The Hague were cities of note and cosmopolitian beyond their contemporaries in Europe. Their associates, and the members of their congregations, were people of note and keen enterprise. The salary of 500 pounds a year while at The Hague afforded him the means of living in affluence. Reckoned for its purchasing power at that time, it would equal the modern salary of $10,000 given to favored ministers of the gospel, and speaks for itself of the value placed upon his services.

What changes of fortune brought him and his family to London before his death we are unable to determine. Perhaps it was a fatal illness: possibly the growing power of the Puritan movement: perhaps he too had caught the fever to emigrate to America. He sickened and died in London in 1630, probably during the summer, in his forty-sixth year, and his wife, Deborah, at thirty-eight was left a widow with five children.

No picture comes down to us through the ages of the Rev. John Wing. The Puritan and Presbyterian clergy of that period affected a small chin beard with mustaches, hair rather long and flowing, high hats with rather broad trims, black clothes and cloak, with knee breeches and silver- buckled shoes. The office of the clergy carried with it a great dignity and sterness of bearing. The Rev. John at all times felt the responsibilities of his mission.


The English recods contain this synopsis of his will:
"John Winge, late of the Hague in Holland, clerk, now living in St. Mary Aldermary, London, 2 November, 1629, proved Aug. 4, 1630. Certain lands (freehold) in Crickston and Stroud, Kent, shall be sold as conveniently may be and the money thereof arising shall be with all other goods, etc, divided into equal parts, the one to be had, received and enjoyed unto by my loving wife, Debora, and the other part or moiety to be equally and indifferently had, parted, divided and enjoyed unto amongst all my children, share and share alike, except unto and by my daughter Debora whom I have already advanced in marriage. Wife Debora to be executrix and Edward Foord of London, merchant, and Andrew Blake of Stroud, in Kent, yeomen, overseers."


It is not unusual circumstance for the Rev. John Wing to be styled a "clerk" in his will. His father-in-law, also a minister, was so designated in at least three conveyances made by him about the same time. The term evidently had a broader meaning than is now ascribed to it, and was used to designate a scholarly gentleman.

A brief review of the family and surroundings of the widow Deborah Wing and her children at this period may bring the situation nearer home to us. Deborah herself was still a young woman of thirty-eight. Her only daughter, Deborah, aged about nineteen, had but recently married. Her eldest son, John, was but seventeen, her son Daniel a year or two younger than John, Stephen but nine and Matthew still younger. Her younger sister, Ann Sanborn, also widowed with a family , was living on the strand in London and her brothers, Samuel and Nathaniel, probably living in Holland. The freehold estate mentioned by Rev. John Wing in his will was located at Crickston and Stroud in Kent, a few miles distant from Sandwich. There is a tradition among the New England members of the family that Matthew Wing, Deborah's youngest son, "went back to England to look after some property left behind." We have positive knowledge that Matthew Wing returned to Stroud, married, lived and died there. The size, importance and value of the estate left by John to his wife and sons is not known; but it appears probable that they were provided with some means when they set out for America in the spring of 1632.
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WILL:
Transcribed and annotated by James H. Stone. The original will is in the Public Record Office, London (PROB 11/158), which kindly gave permission for transcription and publication. An abstract of the will appears in George E. Wing's history of the Wing Family, "The Owl," volume 60, December 1966, reprint, page 1313; it was copied from "Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Register "Scroope" 1630, Abstracts and Index, J. H. Morrison, ed., London, 1934, page 103. The will was proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, London, on August 4, 1630.

February 2, 2005...I downloaded a copy of John Wing's will via the English National Archives Website. Thankfully this will was a little easier (at times) to decipher than was Matthew Wynges will. I independently went through the will which took a few hours and consider the following to be a superior and accurate transcription of Reverend John Wing's will. The only other addition that I could include that is worthy of mention is that in the right margin of the will in large writing is the name JOHANNIS WINGE.




In the name of God Amen, the second daie of November one thousand sixe hundred twenty nine And in the fifth yeare of the reigne of our Soveraigne Lord Kinge Charles etc. I John Winge late of the Hague in Holland, clarke, now living in the pish (parish) of St. Mary Aldermary London and being sicke in bodie but of good and perfect minde and memory praised bee Almightie God, Doe make and ordaine this my last will and testament in manner and forme following First and principallie I commend my soule into the hands of Almightie God my maker trusting and assuredly believing to have full and free remission of all my sinnes by and through the only marritte and righteousness of Jesus Christ my alone Savior and my bodie I committ to the earth of which it came to bee decently buried where it shall please the Lord to direct. And as touching my wordly estate and substance whereof I am now possessed, I give and bequeath the same as followeth. First whereas I am now possessed and interested of an in certayne lands being freehold with appurtenances lying and beinge in the parish of Crickston and Stroud in the county of Kent or elsewhere, I will and desire and my minde and meaning is that the same be sold as soon as conveniently maye bee by my Executrix herein after named to the best profitt and advantage, and that the money thereof arisinge shall bee (with all and singular of, my other goods chattels and estate etc. whatsoever) divided into two equal pts and porcons (parts and portions), the one moietty whereof to be had received and enioyed unto and by my loving wife Deborah and the other pte or moytie to bee equallie and indifferently had, parted, divided and enioyed unto and amongst all my children share and share like, except unto and by my daughter Deborah whom I have allready advanced in marriage. And therefore I will that what I have allready given as her marriage porcon shall be accompted as pte of her dividend and proporcon of my estate given amongst my children by this will. And my will and meaning is, and I doe hereby appoint that ye said legacies and porcons shalbe paid unto my sonnes at their severall ages of one and twentie years and unto my daughters unmarried at their like several ages of one and twentie years or severall daites of marriage wen of them shall first happen. And if any of my child or children happen to die or depart this life before the said legacies shall become due to be paid unto them or any of them in and by this my will then I will that the survivor or survirors of him, her, or them that shall soe happen to die in the mean tyme, shall have, receive and enioye the legacie and bequest of him, her, or them soe dying as in aforesaid equallie to and amongst all the said survivor or survivors. And I hereby will that my said wife shall have and enioye the benefitt and profitt of my childrens porcon herein by my will bequeathed towards thir educacon and maintenance until their said porcon shall become due and payable to them severallie and respectively according to this my present will. Item, I will that all such debts as I owe in right or in conscience, together with my funeral charges shall be first paid, deducted, and allowed out of all my estate. And I doe hereby name, nominate and appoint my loving wife Deborah my Executrix of this my last will & testament and my loving friends Edward Foorde of London mercht and Andrew Blake of Stroud in the Countie of Kent, yeoman, Overseers of the same. in witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale. Dated the daie and yeare first above written. I doe affirme that this will above written was prononced according to the Testators mind witness my hand by me Edward Foorde. I doe affirm the like witness my hand by me Andrew Blake

Note: "Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes."

The procession of the fine lady of the rings and bells takes place each year in Banbury with considerable ceremony. Banbury Cross stands at the top of High Street in a wide, open space at the junction of four cross-roads. The present cross was erected in 1859 and is near the site of the old cross.
One more thing makes Banbury famous, and that is its cakes, which are known throughout the kindom. Visitors to the town are assailed with the cry of the vendor: "Hot cross buns...one a penny, two a penny, Hot cross buns."

The Chronicles of Banbury note, under the year 1608, that the Charter of King James to Banbury, given 28 June 1608, show a John Winge being appointed as a burgess for life. The first known mention we have of Matthew Wing is contained in the records of St. Mary's Church at Banbury, under the date of 21 April, 1576, when his second son, Thomas was "christened." There is no record of his marriage or of the birth of his oldest son. From this we infer that Matthew was born in the days of the boy king, Edward VI, about the year 1548. The records go back to 1558, the year of Quenn Elizabeth's accession to the throne. Prior to that, during the days of Queen Mary, 1553-1558, St. Mary's was a Roman Catholic holding.

The days of Matthew Wing's boyhood were days of gloom, terror and depression in all of England. Oxford County was the scene of most exciting times. If Matthew lived with his parents in or near Banbury, the Princess Elizabeth was a prisoner at Woodstock, a few miles from his home. The father of Matthew was undoubtedly required to acknowledge the "real presence" in the holy communion, as were all Englishmen of his day, and because they would not, 5 bishops, 21 clergymen, 34 tradsmen, 3 lay gentlemen, 100 hubandmen and laborers, 55 women and 4 children were publicly burned at the stake. Bonner, Bishop of London, whipped persons with his own hands, and tore out the beard of a weaver who refused to relinquish his religion. With bated breath and in guarded tones these horrid events must have been told of around the fireside of Matthew's home, and his life sobered and made serious with their recital.

Tradition most alway has some foundation...and curiously illustrative of this was a memorandum coming to our attention at the first reunion held by the Wing Family of America at Sandwich in 1902. Mrs. Deborah Wing Crosman of Swampscott, Mass., brought to the reunion hall for inspection, a yellowed, time-stained paper, thought by her to have been written by her mother or grandmother more than a hundred years before. It contained some family records and at the foot of the sheet was this note:
"Four brothers came from some part of England somewhere between the year 1620 and 30. One settled at Pocasset, one on the Cape, and one got homesick and returned back to take care of some property they left behind, and the other whose name was Daniel Wing, settled in this place. I cannot find whether he was married when he came here or not. The other two brothers names that settled here from England with Daniel were John and Stephen. Their father was an old priest who fled at the time of the great persecution to some part of Germany, and after returned and was put to death, says a great-uncle Eben."

Through this tradition runs the warp and woff of truth, inacurate though it may be as to some of the details. Four brothers did come here in 1632. One settled on the Cape, two at Sandwich, and one returned to England. Nathaniel, a son of one of them, resided at Pocasset. Their father was a minister, and he lived in Germany ( at Hamburg) for a time; but no intimation has ever reached us that he died other than a natural death in London in 1630. Possibly some of his ancestors may have been put to death during the great persecution. More probably, however, that the story of deaths by persecution, came down by tradition from the tales of Matthew to his children.

Hollingshed, who lived in Queen Elizabeth's reign, gave a very curious account of the plain, or rather crude way of living in the preceding generation, which would be the generation of Matthew's parents. There scarely was a chimney to the houses, even in considerable towns; the fire was kindled by the wall, and the smoke sought its way out by the roof, or door, or windows; the houses were nothing but watling, plastered over with clay; the people slept on straw pallets, and had a good round log under their head for a pillow, and almost all the furniture and utensils were of wood.

The value of money must be understood to appreciate the magnitude of Matthew's legacies in his will to his children. He gave forty shillings to his son John. The comptroller of King Edward VI paid only thirty shillings a year rental for his house in Channel Row. The best pig could be purchased for four pence, a chicken for a penny, a hen for two pence, and the wages of a working man were eight pence a day. Only four men in all London were rated with an income of more than 400 pounds a year in 1586.

Coaches were not intoduced into England until after 1580 and, if perchance Matthew and his good wife Mary journeyed abroad, they rode upon a palfrey, Mary behind, as did Queen Elizabeth behind her chamberlain.

The vital rcords of St. Mary's church at Banbury had been kept for eighteen years before the name of Wing appeared upon the church books, in April 1576, when the baptism of Matthew's second son, Thomas was recorded. The fact that from this time on for a period of more than one hundred years the name of the family appears with regularity and frequency, it may be surmised that Matthew and his wife Mary married elsewhere, and that their first son, Fulk, was not a native of Banbury.

During all the religious excitemnts of the day, including the rapid rise of Puritansim, Matthew from the first seems to have been a regular communicant at St. Mary's churchyard. Perforse, he was a regular attendant, for had not good "Queen Bess" provided a fine of 20 pounds upon the miscreant who absented himself from meetings for the period of a month!

Shakespeare was born at Stratford-on-Avon in 1562, just eighteen miles distant from Banbury, and the days of his youth were spent in raoming about the country. He must have frequently been on the streets of Banbury, for he made Banbury "Cheeses" immortal. The entire population of all England at this period was less than two million souls, and the country was not so densely settled that some knowledge of the Shakespeare family must have been possessed by the family of Matthew, living in neighboring villages at a contemporary period.

In a "Descriptive Acoount of the Parish Church, St. Mary's Banbury," prepared by Elanor Draper and published in 1907, we learn that;
"In the days gone by the town of Banbury was famed for its noble church, cathedral-like in its grandeur and beauty. It dated from the 12th century when its earliest portions were built by alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, and dedicated to St. Mary. The first Vicar of whom we have any record was Roger, in the year 1278. About 500 years later, some parts of the building being declared unsafe, the inhabitants decided to pull down this fine structure, which barbarous act was accomplished in 1790. The present church, also St. Mary's, designed by Mr. Robert Cockerell, was erected on the site of the former old church."

The old St. Mary's in which Matthew Wing and his children worshipped is therefore no more; but a few of the building is preserved in Beeseley's "History of Banbury."
The Parish Registers date from 1558. The book which gives the earliest entries, including the records of Matthew Wing and his children, is bound in stamped leather, and has had clasps. The first pages are of thin parchment. On the seventh page is the following entry in a beautiful clear hand, with upright letters, and in regular lines, the capital letters A and D being illuminated: "ANNO DNI. 1558. THIS BOOKE ENTRETH THE FIRST DAY OF JANUARY IN THE FIRST YEERE OF THE RAIGNE OF OUR SOVERAIGNE LADIE QUEENE ELIZABETH, WHICH REPRESENTETH ALL THE CHILDREN'S NAMES BAPTIZED, AND THE NAMES OF SUCH AS HAVE BEEN MARRIED, AND SUCH AS HAVE BEEN BURIED WITHIN THE PRESENDARIE OF BANBURY." The Wing Family of America have a complete copy of the records as they pertain to Wings, having secured them in 1913, and including all entries of the Wings at Banbury from 1558 down to 1700. These lists were published by the society in its magazine "The Owl" in the issue of March 1914. Mr. G. T. Hodgkin, then the Verger of St. Mary's Church, Banbury, who was employed to search the Parish Register from beginning down to 1700 reported: " I have very carefully gone through the Parish Registers from 1558 to 1700, Marriages, Births and Burials, with the results enclosed, which are correct extracts. The first mention of the Wings is in 1576 and the last in 1695.

Since Matthew Wing made the request in his will that his body should be buried in St. Mary's churchyard, it is presumed that somewhere in this ancient burial grounds lie the bodies of Matthew and Mary. There are no memorial stones in the burial ground. In his history "Former Parish Church of Banbury" Mr. William Potts thus refers to the absence of ancient gravestones in the burial grounds:
"The former Church contained the monuments of preceding generations, none of which, it is to be regretted, were preserved and replaced in the new Church. The Church Building Act of 1790, under which the destruction of the old Church was allowed, enacted "That in taking down the said old Church, Chancel and Tower, as little Damage shall be done to the Graves, Grave Stones, Monuments, and Monumental Inscriptions as shall be necessarily removed Monuments, and Monumental Inscriptions in and about the same as reasonably may be, and that such Grave Stones, on account thereof, shall be at the Charge and Expense of the Person or Persons interested therein, and requesting the same be fixed on such part or parts of the Scite of the said old Church or Chancel, for answering as far as may be the Purposes for which they were originally laid or put up, as the Trustees shall think fit."

In spite of this, the monuments seem to have been totally destroyed. Apparently no persons were sufficiently interested in the memorials of old families to come forward and take advantage of the clause in the act which enabled them to be preserved. It seems strange that those of such families as the Copes of Harwell, the Chamberlains of Wykham, The Danvers of Culworth and Calthrop, who certainly had representatives, if not lineal descendants living at the time, should have been allowed to perish.

Oxford, twenty-three miles distant, was the seat of the government of Charles I during his war with Parliment, and Banbury was the scene of many stiffing conflicts. The great battle of Edge Hill was fought seven miles northwest of the town. And thirty years after the burial of Matthew Wing, the bullets of roundheads and Cavaliers were literally hutling over his very grave and the ground covering him trampled upon by contending armies locked in the arms of a deadly Civil War.

A list of the Vicars of Banbury since the year 1278 is preserved in the Parish Church. The Vicars of the Parish during the years of the membership of Matthew Wing and his children were: Thomas Moore, 1571-1580; Thomas Brasbrifge, 1581-1590; Ralph Houghton, 1590-1609; Thomas Bradbury, 1609-1611; William Whateley, 1611-1639.

No descriptive account of Matthew Wing is extant. In the North Chapel of the Church at Banbury were the tombs of some of the members of the Knight family of Banbury and upon one of these was carved an effigy in alabaster, curiously cut, of William Knight, under this epitaph:
"To ye pious membory of William Knight, gent, sometimes Justice of the peace and quorum in this borough (who having had his education both in the University and Inns of Cort) continued on the love and practice of good studies, gave good example of Morality and piety, finished his course in the true faith and was here layed up in ye hope of a glorious resurrecon 20 Sept. 1631."

William Knight was a contemporary citizen in the small town of Banbury and a fellow worshipper at St. Mary's with Matthew Wing. It is likely that they had a personal, if not an intimate acquaintance. The dress and manner of wearing the hair and beard, shown in the photoengravure of his effigy, may bring to us some faint likeness of Matthew and his times. (A reprint of that photoengravure is in the possession of the Wing Family of America.)

Mary, wife of Matthew and our first known maternal ancestor, was buried in St. Mary's churchyard, 24th July, 1613, and the first book of the church record recites:

"Matthew Wing, Taylor, was buried 19 October 1614."


[Wing Graham Notes] B MATHEW WING (1) Born sometime between 1548 and 1550, died Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, buried 19 Oct 1614, St. Marys Church, Banbury. Married MARY _____, died Banbury, buried 24 July 1613, St Marys Church, Banbury. Mathew was a tailor and lived not far from the Reindeer Inn which was still in business in 1980. [Lawe 111]. (ref: Banbury Bapt. and Burials, 1558-1653, pg 198, 199; records of St. Marys Church, Banbury, England; Visits to Banbury Library and St. Marys church; Allied Families, pg 271-272, 274; Waters, pg 519; Ray Olson, pg 242, 245; NEHGR, Vol 45, July 1891, pg 236). 1548/1614

Note: Marriage year is estimated based on the birth of the first child with Mary ( ) (#16577), 1573?
Married to Mary ( ) (#16577), ca. 1573?

Fulke Wing (1574) born 1574

Thomas Wing (1576) born bef. 21 Apr 1576 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, Engla

Sibill Wing (1578) born bef. 26 Jan 1578 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, Engla

Elizabeth Wing (1579) born bef. 20 Mar 1579 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Elizabeth Wing (1581) born bef. 8 Oct 1581 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Rev. John Wing (#8288) born bef. 12 Jan 1584 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Matthew Wing (1586) born bef. 27 Feb 1586 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

James Wing (1587) born bef. 1 Feb 1587 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Sarah Wing (1589) born bef. 19 Jan 1589 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Joane Wing (1592) born 25 Dec 1592 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Mary ( ) (#16577) died bef. 24 Jul 1613 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Died bef. 19 Oct 1614 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Buried 19 Oct 1614 at St. Mary's Church, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Cited in [NEHGR] New England Historic Genealogical Register Vol 45, July 1891, pg 236

Cited in [Austin - Allied Fam] One Hundred and Sixty Allied Families pg 271-272, 274

Cited in [Wing Graham Notes] Files, notes and monographs of the Wing family #B

Cited in [Waters] Genealogical Gleanings in England Pg. 519

Cited in [Gifford/Barrows] Ancestry of Elihu B. Gifford and Catherine Sandow Barrows Pg 242, 245






--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Matthew Wing (#16576), b. 1548/1550, m. Mary ( ) (#16577), ca. 1573?, d. bef. 19 Oct 1614 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England
Fulke Wing (1574), b. 1574, m. Anne Howler, 1 Nov 1592 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, d. bef. 22 Oct 1631 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Anne Wing (1600) ...

Dorcas Wing (1600) ...

Mary Wing (1600) ...

Matthew Wing (1600) ...

Thomas Wing (1576), b. bef. 21 Apr 1576 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, m. Elizabeth Patten, 28 Jun 1600 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, d. bef. 2 Nov 1624 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

John Wing (1605) ...

Sibill Wing (1578), b. bef. 26 Jan 1578 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, d. bef. 22 Feb 1578 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Elizabeth Wing (1579), b. bef. 20 Mar 1579 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, d. bef. 31 Mar 1579 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Elizabeth Wing (1581), b. bef. 8 Oct 1581 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, m. John Nychols (1580), 23 Jan 1610 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, d. bef. 30 Jan 1665 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

John Nychols (1615) ...

Rev. John Wing (#8288), b. bef. 12 Jan 1584 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, m. Deborah Bachiler (#8289), 1609/1610, d. bef. 4 Aug 1630 at London, Greater London, England

Deborah Wing (1611), b. ca. 1611 at England, m. Edward Ford, bef. 1629, d. bef. 1680 at England

John Wing (1613), b. ca. 1613 at Yarmouth, England, m. Elizabeth ( ) (1627), 1645?, m. Miriam Deane (1632), aft. 1669, d. bef. 10 Aug 1699 ...

Daniel Wing (#4144), b. ca. 1617 at England, m. Hannah Swift (#4145), 5 Dec 1641 at Sandwich, Plymouth Colony, m. Anna Ewer (1640), 2 Jun 1666 at Sandwich, Plymouth Colony, d. aft. 10 Mar 1697/1698 at Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts ...

Stephen Wing (1621), b. ca. 1621 at The Netherlands, m. Oseah Dillingham (1622), 1646 at Sandwich, Plymouth Colony, m. Sarah Briggs (1641), 7 Nov 1654 at Sandwich, Plymouth Colony, d. 24 Apr 1710 at Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts ...

Matthew Wing (1627), b. ca. 1627 at The Hague, Belgium, d. at England, m. Joane Newman (1630) at Stroud, Kent County, England ...

Matthew Wing (1586), b. bef. 27 Feb 1586 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, m. Ann Ashwood, 25 Oct 1613 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

James Wing (1587), b. bef. 1 Feb 1587 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, m. Ann Gregory, 11 Mar 1611 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

William Wing (1615) ...

Sarah Wing (1589), b. bef. 19 Jan 1589 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, d. bef. 8 Sep 1604 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Joane Wing (1592), b. 25 Dec 1592 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, m. Robert Chamberlayne, 13 Jan 1612 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Thomas Chamberlayne (1613), b. 1613? ...



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January 30, 2005....This past summer I downloaded a copy of Matthew Wynge's will from The English National Archives. What we have always enjoyed as Matthew Wynge's will was fine as far as it went but in fact the copy of the will that I downloaded was somewhat lengthier and it contained a surprise which was a wife by the name of Ann. Until this time I had never heard that Matthew Wynge had remarried. I have deciphered as much as I possibly can from Matthew's will and believe me it is not an easy chore. The exaggerated style of handwriting, the spelling and so on and so forth made it difficult to decipher. There were times I practically stood on my head to figure out a sentence or a word. Obviously the process of reproducing it on paper through the printer only diminished the quality. If I can find someway to get a legible copy on this website, I will certainly do so. Your eyes start to cross after a time and nothing makes sense. There is no doubt that he was married to a woman named Anne and that he left her very well off...for as long as she remained his "wydow." I hope that as time goes by this will can become clearer to read. Until that time, here is what I could make of the will of our most honored patriarch, Matthew Wynge of Banbury, Oxford, England:


August, 9 1614
I, Matthew Wynge of Banbury in the conntie of Oxford Taylor being of perfect memory thanks be to God I do make this my last will and testament in mannor and form following; Inprimis- I bequeath my soule to God my master and to Jesus Christ my redeemer and my body to be buried in Banbury Church yard. Item I give and bequeath to the poore of Banbury tenne shillings. Item I give (and bequeath) ( "and bequeath" has a line drawn through it) onto Fulke myne eldest sonn the lease of my home which I now dwell in and twentie pounds in money. Item I give to Thomas my second sonne thirteene pounds. item I give to John my thryd sonne fortie shillings. Item I give to Robert Chammberlayne my sonne in law tenne pounds. Item I give to Johana my daughter twentie shillings. Item I give to the children of Fulke my eldest sonne aforesaid as follows: To Anne his eldest Daughter ____ pounds a fetherbed and two payer of sheets. Item I give to Dorcas his second daughter three pounds a small bed two payer of sheets and the small brass pot. Item I give to Mary his youngest daughter three pounds and two payer of sheets or ______ a coverlet. Item I give to Matthew his sonne, five pounds & the meddle brass pott the ? sheets and a blankett. Item I give to John Wynge the sonne of Thomas Wynge my second sonne aforesaid fortie shillings. Item I give to Debora Wynge the daughter of John Wynge my third sonne and to John his sonne twentie shillings a piece. Item I give to John Nicholls the sonne of John Nicholls my sonne in law twenty shillings. Item I give to William Wynge the sonne of James Wynge my fourthe sonne twentie shillings. Item I give to Thomas Chammberlayne the sonne of Robert Chamberlayne my sonne in law twentie shillinges. Item I give to the children of Richard Gullins vizaviz to John four shillings six pence to Thomas fourteen pence and to Phoebe twelve pence. Item my will is that if any of my ____ children shall decease that then share of legacy that I have bequeathed to them shall remayne to surviving brothers or sister or share therefore or therein to be equally divivded amongst them Item my will is that James my fourth sonne shall not repaye the fiftie shillings English he owes me but be aquitted of the same. Item I give unto Anne my wife thirtie poundes of lawfull English money to be payed to sett by the funerall payment within the space of one year from my deathe. My will is that she shall allso have the free and quiet use of my hall house for her chamber yarde and leave to (?), our little house in the same and also the use of all the rest of my household stuffs is bequeathed in my will so long as she shall remayne wydowed and no longer. Last of all I give the rest of my goods as bequeathed (my debts being paid and funeral discharged) onto my children viz to Fulke" Thomas' John' James' and Johana to be equallie divided amongst them. Item I make my first sonnes Fulke and Thomas exectutors of this my last will and testament and I appoint my loving friends Mr. Thomas Whatley Mr. ? ? and Mr. John Nicholls my overseeers of this my last will and I do give them three shillings a piece: And if any doubt or ambiquity do arise concerning this my last will and testament my will is that to be determyned(?) and ended by by those my payed overseers on those of them. And hereunto I have set my hand and seal the day and year above written. The mark of Matthew Wynge. Those being called to be wittnesses Thomas Hall Allen Winholl


Approximate values of money during the Elizabethan era:
Shilling (s.)...$25.00
Pound...$500.00

Wages: Yeoman: 2 to 6 pounds per year ($1000-$3000 )
Minor Parson: 10 to 30 pounds per year ($5000-$15000)
Esquire: 500 to 1000 pounds per year ($$25000-$50000)

There seems little doubt that Matthew Wing worked hard and saved diligently. His class in life was probably between that of a Yeoman and a Gentleman. The fact that his relative, John Wing, (who was possibly his brother) became a Chief Burgess for life indicates that the Wing's were climbing the ladder to a higher social-economic plateu.

Bear in mind that these are all approximations:

Matthew Wing's will in dollars:

To the poor of Banbury = 10 shillings ($250.00)
This would buy 125 loaves of bread, or 10 pairs of shoes, or 62 pounds of soap.


To son, Fulke Wing = the lease to the house and 20 pounds ($10,000.00)
The bequest that Matthew left to Fulke is the surest evidence that Fulke became the tailor in the family after the death of his father. There is little question that the house the Wing family lived in also doubled as the shop that Matthew Wing worked out of. The front of the ground floor probably served as the shop and the window shutter might have swung downward into the street to create a kind of shop counter. This probably had a canopy overhead to protect against rain. Tradesman and craftsmen commonly worked at home.


To son, Thomas Wing = 13 pounds ( $6500.00). Thomas was in the military.


To son, John Wing = 40 shillings ($1000.00)
Matthew left Rev. John Wing only $500.00 more than he left his grandchildren. The reason for this is probably because John was the only son that we know of that was sent to Oxford. Perhaps the agreement was that John would pay for his education by forgoing a portion of his legacy...although John would not have gone on to Oxford if he had not proven that he was a scholar to begin with.

To son-in-law, Robert Chamberlain = 10 pounds ($5000.00)
This bequest may have been a part of the dowry that went with Joan Wing when she married Robert. There may have been an agreement that the dowry would be payed upon the death of Matthew Wing.

To daughter, JoAnne (Joan) (wife of Robert Chamberlain) = 20 shillings ($500.00)

It should also be noted that although James Wynge is apparently alive at the time his father wrote this will that Matthew did not leave James any money although he did aquit him of his debt of fifty shillings. (if my calculations are correct that would be about $1250.00 in current money).

To Granddaughter, Anne, Fulk Wing's daughter = 20 shillings ($500.00)

To Granddaughter, Dorcas, Fulk Wing's daughter= 20 shillings ($500.00)

To Granddaughter, Mary, Fulk Wing's daughter= 20 shillings ($500.00)

To Grandson, Matthew, son of Fulk Wing = 20 shillings ($500.00)

To Grandson, John Wing, son of Thomas Wing = 20 shillings ($500.00)

To Granddaughter, Deborah Wing, daughter of John Wing = 20 shillings ($500.00)

To Grandson, John Wing, son of John Wing = 20 shillings ($500.00)

To Grandson, John Nicholls, son of Elizabeth Wing = 20 shillings ($500.00)

To Grandson, William Wing, son of James Wing = 20 shillings ($500.00)

To Grandson, Thomas Chamberlayne, son of Joan Wing = 20 shillings ($500.00)

To John Gullins, son of Richard Gullins (relationship unknown) = 4 shillings, 6 pence...a little over a $100.

To Thomas Gullins, son of Richard Gullins (relationship unknown) = 14 pence...I have no idea how much that would be.

To Phebe Gullins, daughter of Richard Gullins (relationship unknown)= 12 pence...
For now the relationship between the Wings and the Gullins will have to remain a mystery. There are any number of possibilities to imagine concerning their link.

If my conversion of shillings and pounds are correct and if I added everything properly the total cash sum of Matthew Wynge's will is $27750.00, not including the debt that he forgave James which amounted to approximately $1250.00....

Matthew's will is practically a King's ransom to the middle class citizen of 17th century England. Half of the population of England from 1600 to beyond the time of Matthew Wing's death were considered poor to destitute. Whenever times of depression overwhelmed the cloth areas, country weavers suffered great losses. Rowland Vaughan recorded in "his Booke" for the year 1604: "There bee within a mile and a halfe from my house five hundred poor habitations; whose greatest means consist in spinning Flaxe, Hempe, and Hardes. There is not one amongst ten that hath five shillings to buy a Bale of Flaxe, but are forc'd to borrow money to put up their trade and run to Hereford (loosing a dayes worke) to fetch the same."

Note: Sandwich, Mass was settled in 1637, and incorporated in 1639, the Wings among the first there. Although Deborah's name does not appear on the list of founding fathers of Sandwich, it having been a man's world, she was and is still considered the "Matriarch of Sandwich". During her September years, she was known as "Olde Goody Wing"

Deborah Bachiler was born about 1592 probably in Wherwell, Hampshire, England. The date of death for Deborah Bachiler Wing has never been proven. There are several Wing family historians who believe that she died in 1691/92 . There are other Wing family historians that think that the reported death of "Goodie Wing" in that year could easily have been one of her daughters-in-law...perhaps John (Jr.) Wing's first wife. Deborah Bachiler married Rev. John Wing about 1610 probably in Holland.

It may be of some interest to Wing family historians that are interested in names to know that when Queen Elizabeth was made Queen on January 15, 1559 that there were several pageants that day to celebrate her coronation. One of those pageants was at the Conduit in Fleet street that showed how God had chosen the woman "Deborah" to be the judge and restorer of the house of Israel after the Israelites had long been oppressed by Jabin the Canaan King. Queen Elizabeth coronation was grand but it was even more than grand: it was a great Protestant demonstration of enthusiastic support for Elizabeth.

John Knox had written a book in 1558, "The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women" in which he argued against a sovereign being female. He felt that it was against the rule of God and therefore no woman ruler should be obeyed. When he discovered that Elizabeth not only had Protestant sympathies, but was indeed more Protestant than she was Catholic, he offered to proclaim that she was an exception to his doctrine about women rulers and was a "Deborah" chosen by God to lead His people to salvation.

It can be deduced that Deborah was probably the eldest daughter (of three daughters) of Stephen Bachiler. She was widowed in her thirties. Shortly after the death of her husband, John Wing, she emigrated from England to New England with her father, Stephen Bachiler, in 1632. Deborah and her 4 sons came to New England on the ship William & Francis with her father and his wife, Helena Mason Bachiler. One account states that she emigrated with her four sons and that one of them later returned to England. Another account states that only three of her sons accompanied her to America and that one remained behind. It has been proven that all 4 sons came with Deborah, although one son, Matthew, did return to England and died there. Deborah remained in Lynn, Mass where her father was pastor until 1637. That year was the year he removed to mid-Cape Cod (Yarmouth). She removed with her sons to upper, or western Cape Cod and there she became a founder of Sandwich. In Sandwich history, she is referred to as "the Matriarch". Her husband, John Wing, had lived in Sandwich, England; a connection, if any, is not known.

There have been accounts that Deborah moved with her son John Wing to Brewster in 1657...but I have found no proof of this. There is also an account that she lived with her son Stephen at the Wing (Old Fort) Home. So far I have not read any accounts that speculate that she ever lived with Daniel. All of these accounts could be true...but not proven...or all of them could be speculation because there is nothing mentioned about Deborah after she and her sons moved to Sandwich.

The troubles that her father (Rev. Stephen Bachiler) suffered must have had an effect on Deborah and her sons, but there is no known recorded events that indicate their involvement with him during that time. It has been stated that John Wing went with Rev. Bachiler when he attempted to settle Mattakeese, near Yarmouth, but I have not seen any proof of that.

It was during the 1640's that three of Deborah's four sons would marry. Daniel, her 2nd son, 3rd child, marries in the year 1641 to Hannah Swift. John Wing , her oldest son, 2nd child, marries about 1645 to Wife Unknown (my strongest feeling is that his first wife was Elizabeth Dillingham...but there is no proof). Then Stephen, her 3rd son, 4th child marries Oseah Dillingham in 1646...after appearing before the General Court for having had carnal knowledge of Oseah before their marriage. By this time Deborah's youngest son, Matthew, is 19 or 20 years old...yet you hear nothing about Matthew until about 1655 when you learn that Matthew married Joane Newman in Stroud, Kentshire, England...and there is still no mention of Deborah.

The reference to the "Olde Goody Wing buried" on January 31, 1692 has been believed by some Wing historians to be a reference to Deborah...but now it is thought that it is probably a reference to John Wing's first wife. My thoughts are that possibly Deborah died in the 1640's...when 3 of her 4 sons married...not only married but Daniel bought property from Andrew Hallett in 1640...when he was about 23 years old. Stephen supposedly built the Old Fort House in 1641, at the age of 20 years...and John received 6 acres of meadowland at Sandwich, Plymouth Colony in 1641. John was by then about 28 years old...and he marries in 1645 at about the age of 32 years. Perhaps John's marriage is the most significant since he was considered the head of the Wing household in Sandwich.

We may never know when Deborah Bachiler Wing died for certain. We can only be sure that her life had changed dramatically in New England from what she had experienced in England or Holland. I am sure there must have been several times she longed for the austerity of her former life. How many times she must have yearned to see her daughter (also named Deborah) and perhaps she either wrote to her or had one of her sons sit by the fireplace with her while she dictated to them what she wanted to say. Those letters would have been delivered by someone who was going to a port where a ship was leaving for England and by the time it got to the ship, it would already be weeks old. Deborah's letter would have been added to the pile that was already large for delivery in either London, Yarmouth or another port where hopefully it would be delivered with care to yet another town, village or vicarage. By some means, Deborah's daughter, Deborah Wing Ford, would be notified that there was a letter waiting for her and perhaps her husband Edward would see to it that he collected the letter. By the time Deborah Wing Ford read the letter her mother had sent to her, the letter would be months old.

Note: "He must have had rare physical as well as intellectual vigor. From tradition and the characteristics of his descendants, it is probable that he was tall and sinewy, with prominent features, especially the nose; a very dark complexion; black, coarse hair in early days, white in age, mouth large and firm, eyes black as sloes; features long rather than broad; a strong clear voice; rather slow of motion and speech; simple in dress, wearing in Lynn a suit of liste which he brought from England; obstinate and tenacious of his opinions to a marked degree; a powerful preacher, drawing larely from the scripture and impressing his hearers with the uncommon power and sanctity of his sermons; strong in his friendships and his hates. Winthrop classed him among "honest men" when he arrived in 1632, and Prince in his Annals of New England, Appendix to 1632, says: :'From governor Winslow and Captain Johnson, we learn that) he (Stephen Bachiller) was an ancient minister in England: had been a man of Fame in his Day; was 71 years of Age when he came over: bro't a number of people with him; and soon became the 1st Feeder of the Flock of Christ at Lynn (and by several Letters I have seen of his own Writing to the R. Mr. Cotton of Boston, I find he was a Gentleman of Learning and Ingenuity, and wrote a fine and curious hand.')."



It is evident from what I have read and learned of Stephen Bachiller that he was not only instilled with exceptional physical and intellectual prowess but was also imbued with a great love for his children and grandchildren. A famous story of Rev. Bachiller that illustrates this fact is; "On the first Sunday at Lynn, four children were baptised. Thomas Newhall, the first white child born in Lynn, was first presented. Mr. Bachiller put him aside saying, "I will baptise my own child first.' meaning Stephen Hussey, his daughter's child, born the same week as Thomas Newhall."


The very fact that he was responsible for transporting not only his daughter Deborah and her four sons to America, but also other members of his family (Ann Sanborn and her 3 sons) indicates that he had a great love for all of them. How painful it must have been for his children and grandchildren to watch as others tried to ruin his reputation and besmirch his nam


Eventually the Rev. Bachiller would return to England, no doubt broken-hearted over his perceived failure in America. Burned out, his books and papers destroyed, his finances in tatters, his name blackened by the young Mary Beedle and leaving the family that meant so much to him must have caused tears to well in the old man's eyes. Sometime in 1654, accompanied by one grandson (possibly more) he sailed from New England to return to his own England that now, ironically, seemed a refuge to him.


Daniel Webster, the politician and famous orator, was one of the illustrious descendants of Stephan Bachiller. Daniel Webster wrote to his son Fletcher March 5, 1840: "I believe we are all indebted to my father's mother for a large portion of the little sense which belongs to us. Her name was Susannah Bachelder; she was the descendant of a clergyman and a woman of uncommon strength of understanding. If I had had many boys I should have called one them Bachelder."


There is monument to Stephen Bachiller at the Center of Founders Park in Hampton, New Hampshire. What follows is the inscription on that monument:


A little band of pioneers under the leadership of Rev. Stephen Bachiler of Southhampton, England. Seeking a larger liberty, in October 1638 settled in the wilderness near this spot to plant a free church in a free town. They were joined in 1639 by others and in that year the town was incorporated. To do honor to the founder of Hampton, to exalt the ideals for which they strove and as an inspiration to posterity this memorial is dedicated, October 14, 1925.

Note: From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin, publ. 1901 - page 228-229

ADDISON HANDY. Prominent among the early settlers of Grant county is this well-known farmer of Wyalusing township, whose home is in Section 9, and who dates his residence here from Nov. 21, 1855. He was born in the town of Stockton, Chautauqua Co., N.Y., May 30, 1832, a son of Samuel and Rosetta (CLARK) HANDY, also natives of the Empire State, while the former was of Irish and Scottish descent, the latter of Scottish and French extraction. The paternal grandfather, Obed HANDY, was also born in New York.

About 1834 Samuel HANDY, accompanied by his family, moved to Branch county, Mich., where the wife and mother died four years later. Soon after her death the family returned to New York, and Addison grew to manhood in the town of Pomfret, Chautauqua county, near the village of Fredonia. In 1853 the family again came West, this time locating in Freeport, Ill., but a year later took up their residence on Blake's Prairie, Grant Co., Wis., which county has been regarded as their home ever since. The father passed away April 16, 1888, at the age of seventy-eight years, his last days being spent at the homes of his children. He had two sons and one daughter, all of whom grew to mature years; Addison and Juliette, widow of William BARR, survive; Mr. BARR was a soldier in the war of the Rebellion, and died at Glen Haven, Grant county, Jan. 17, 1865. Jefferson HANDY, the only brother of Addison, died in March , 1886.

On Dec. 13, 1853, Addison HANDY was united in marriage, at Jamestown, Chautauqua Co., N.Y. to Miss Sylvania McKNIGHT, who has born April 27, 1835, in the same town as her husband, a daughter of David and Jemima (ELLIS) McKNIGHT, natives of Massachusetts and Connecticut, respectively. For many years her parents made their home in Chautauqua county, N.Y., where the father, who was born Jan. 6, 1789, died in April, 1863, and the mother, who was born Sept. 9, 1791, died in September, 1862. In their family were seven children, four of whom are now (1901) living: Mrs. Pricilla LITTLE, Mrs. Sally MALLORY, Mrs. Melvina YOUNGER and Mrs. Sylvania V. HANDY. Those deceased were Mrs. Jemima CARR, David W. and William. Mr. and Mrs. HANDY have three children: Fred, born Aug. 27, 1855; Frank, born Jan. 11, 1857; and William Eugene, born Feb. 8, 1860. The eldest and youngest are residents of Grant county, Wis., while Frank is now in Iowa.

For almost half a century Mr. and Mrs. HANDY have resided in the immediate vicinity of their present home in Wyalusing township. He possesses a remarkable strong constitution and has ever led an honorable and industrious life. In their declining years he and his worthy wife are enjoying the fruits of their former toil in peace and contentment, respected and esteemed by all who know them. In public affairs Mr. HANDY has taken no deep interest. In early life he affiliated with the Democratic party, being a Democrat by inheritance, but since Abraham Lincoln's second election has voted with the Republican party.

Note: Mr. BARR was a soldier in the war of the Rebellion, and died at Glen Haven, Grant county, Jan. 17, 1865.

Note: Macario CAVAZOS
Birth Date: 16 Nov 1890
Death Date: Dec 1986
Social Security Number: 458-86-3711
State or Territory Where Number Was Issued: Texas

Death Residence Localities
ZIP Code: 78537
Localities: Donna, Hidalgo, Texas
La Tijera, Hidalgo, Texas

Death Benefit Localities
Zip Code: 78537
Localities: Donna, Hidalgo, Texas
La Tijera, Hidalgo, Texas

Note: Died at 6 months old of the flu.

Note:
Nellie Margaret Handy Davila
NELLIE MARGARET HANDY DAVILA
WESLACO - Nellie Margaret Handy Davila passed away Sunday, March 29, 2009, in San Antonio. She was born September 9, 1913, in Rancho La Esperanza, TX. daughter of Alberto C. and Melchora Yarritu Handy.
She is preceded in death by her parents.
She is survived by 5 daughters; 8 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
Chapel service will be today, Thursday, April 2, 2009, at 10 a.m. at Hawkins Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Highland Memorial Park.
Funeral services are under the direction of Hawkins Funeral Home in Weslaco.

Note: Not Married

Note: WILLIAM HENRY

“WILLIE” HANDY

PHARR — William Henry “Willie” Handy, 88, died Tuesday, May 13, 2003, at Harlingen Nursing Center.

Born in Alamo, Mr. Handy had lived in Pharr for most of his life and was a member of St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Pharr.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Alvina Handy in 1986; and his parents, Thomas and Lucia Handy.

Mr. Handy is survived by four children, Alicia (Eusebio) Rios of West Chicago, Ill., Ernestina (Erasmo) Briones Jr. of Santa Rosa, Kathryn (Servando) Torres of Edinburg, Alberto (Graciela) Handy of Houston, Texas; ten grandchildren, Ruben, Roxie, Monica, Diana, Cindy Rios, Beau and Dude Briones, Jennifer, Joshua and Valerie Handy; nine great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and a brother, David Handy of San Juan.

Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m., with a 7 p.m. rosary, today, May 14, 2003, at Memorial Funeral Home of San Juan. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m., Thursday, May 15, 2003, at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Pharr. Interment will follow at Palm Valley Memorial Gardens in Pharr. Pallbearers will be Dude Briones, Lorenzo Ovalle Jr., Jessie Dues Briones, Ruben Fonseca, Efrain Perez, Ezequiel Perez; honorary pallbearers will be Beau Briones, Ruben Rios, Emiliano Cantu, Joe Handy, Juan Handy, Joshua Handy, Cindy Briones Lopez and Delia Briones.

Funeral services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home of San Juan.

Note: LOCATION: East of Mercedes Main Canal Headgates on north side of Military Highway (US 281) near the Rio Grande.

Rudyville Cemetery

Hidalgo Co. Cemeteries of Tx

Submitted by Frances Isbell

With Permission of Hidalgo Co. Historical Commission (2005)

SURVEYED: Community and cemetery abandoned. Some graves transferred to Zacatal 1909.

HISTORY: Rudyville Ranch was founded by Edward P. Dougherty (1819-1877). He came from Ireland to serve as a dragoon with Gen. Zachary Taylor’s army in the Mexican War, and fought at the Battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. In 1847 he married Marcela Garcia Anciso of Monterrey, many of whose family members accompanied her to Texas.

The couple lived in Brownsville, where lawyer Dougherty became Judge of the 21stJudicial District, and an active politician in the affairs of Hidalgo County. In 1858, they moved five miles southwest of his home base at his El Zacatal Ranch to Rudyville Ranch on the banks of the Rio Grande, where he built his family home. His two sons, William and James, became active in county politics, and his daughter Mary Concepcion married Alexander Leo, the county sheriff.



The 1880 census reported thirteen heads of families at Rudyville. After the 1909 flood, some graves, including those of Edward and Marcela Dougherty, were transferred to the Anciso family cemetery at Zacatal. The community was abandoned because of repeated flooding. Origin of the name Rudyville is not known.

Note: Buried in Rocky Creek cemetery, Brown Co., TX

Note: Born in Weslaco, Texas, to Rogelio “Roy” Handy and the late Agustina “Tina” Martinez-Handy, both pioneers and life-long citizens of Donna, Texas, Sylvia S. Handy was raised with strong family and community values. Ms. Handy attended public schools in Donna, Texas, and graduated from Donna High School in 1975. She then attended Pan American University in Edinburg, Texas, and later received certification by the Texas Judicial College in Austin, Texas, in court management. Her education continued at the University of Houston where she studied to become a Mediator. Striving to enhance her career, Ms. Handy became certified by the Supreme Court of the State of Texas as a Court Reporter.

In 1992, after the birth of her daughter, Ms. Handy took much interest in the educational system and ran for public office on the Donna School Board. After a successful campaign, Ms. Handy faithfully served her school community as the only female trustee and held offices as Board Secretary, Vice President, and President. It was during her term on the Donna School Board that she became aware of the debilitating road conditions in her Precinct, which contributed to school tardiness, absenteeism, and embarrassment for children who could not safely pass or travel through colonia roads.

The possibility of making a difference in her school community inspired her to run for County Commissioner in 1996. She made history when elected to become the first female County Commissioner in Hidalgo County and all of lower South Texas. She is completing her third four-year term in office and is the senior member of the Hidalgo County Commissioners’ Court. Throughout her tenure in office, Commissioner Handy has become known for her relentless pursuit of funding to pave and construct new roads in her Precinct and to develop innovative programs for her constituents.

Commissioner Handy has paved record-breaking miles of new roads and has brought in millions of dollars in additional state and federal funding to enhance her operational budget and create new community-based programs. These programs include the Solid Waste Enforcement and Citizen Collection Station Program, the “Keep It Clean” Hidalgo County Environmental Education Program, and the Project Recover Youth Program. In June of 2002, Commissioner Handy was also successful in obtaining grant funding through partnership with Workforce Solutions to begin a GED / Job Readiness Program in Precinct 1.

Under the department’s Road and Bridge operation, she established Hidalgo County’s first Paving Crew – saving the County approximately one-half the service cost compared to contracted road work. She has also renovated and upgraded five existing County parks in Precinct One, including the very popular Delta Lake Park, which welcomes over 55,000 visitors annually. She also opened and constructed the County’s first Little League Park known as the Monte Alto Veterans Park.

She is currently the Past President of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council of Governments, President of the Hidalgo-Willacy Housing Finance Corporation, President of the Hidalgo County Finance Corporation, President Emeritus of the Delta Region Revitalization Corporation, Board Member of the Texas Association of Regional Councils, Board Member of the Texas Conference of Urban Counties Policy Committee, Board Member of the Hidalgo County Drainage District, Board Member of the Tip of Texas Girl Scouts Council, and represents Commissioners’ Court on the Hidalgo County Community Service Agency Board of Directors, the Hidalgo County Urban County Program and the Hidalgo County Buildings and Grounds Department. She is also a member of the National Rotary Club Association and has been recognized by the National Executive Women Who’s Who Association.

In 2003, Commissioner Handy initiated the Solid Waste Management Program, under the auspices of the Hidalgo County Precinct 1 Sanitation Department, which was honored as one of the top five environmental programs in the State of Texas through the prestigious TCEQ Texas Environmental Excellence Award, and has continued to receive this honor annually.

In addition to these civic duties, she is also credited for establishing the first Mid-Valley Women’s Political Caucus – founded to encourage women to participate in the political process. She is also an annual sponsor of local chapters of the Boys and Girls Club and the South Texas Little League Association, has delivered motivational speeches at Drug Awareness and Student Empowerment Rallies, including guest speaking at the annual Red Ribbon Kick-Off Parade in Donna and at the Soy Unica Soy Latina Girl Power Conference. Ms. Handy has also been an active participant and volunteer of local community fundraising drives for Cheerleader groups, Band Booster Organizations, and local Church programs.

She has also been recognized by the Hidalgo County Veteran’s Association for her continued support of Valley Veterans at the Veteran’s Day Ceremony held annually at Delta Lake Park since 1997. The City of Donna recognized her commitment to public service by declaring November 20, 2001, Sylvia Handy Day. She was also selected as the HBCi Mother of the Year in May of 2002, representing the entire Rio Grande Valley as a role model for young women and the Valley by virtue of her career and profession. She was also chosen as 2006 Extraordinary Woman by Women Together / Mujeres Unidas.

Ms. Handy is married to Gabriel Espronceda and has two children, Arielle Tina and Gabriel Roy. Together with her family, she is a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Elsa, Texas.