Mathew Prior (abt. 1625 - 1692)

Born about 1625 in England

Descendants

Died 28 Aug 1692 at about age 67 in Matinecock, Oyster Bay, Nassau, New York

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Biography

Mathew was a Friend (Quaker)

Birth

Mathew was born in England about 1625.

Marriage

In the Quaker tradition Mary Pryer [aka Priar] married John Underhill, [Jr.] on 1st 8th mo (Oct) 1668.^[1] According to author Frost who is quoting "from an old court record" [the following paraphrased] their marriage was struck null and void and they were fined L5 for breach and contempt and additionally were to be fined L10 if proof of a marriage in the normal manner was not in evidence by the proposed date (the next court session). [Frost, p.51] ^[2] Witnesses to their marriage were "Samuel & Mary Andrews ; Jno. Feake ; Matt. Prier ; Henry Townsend." [Frost, p.51] ^[2] Apparently the couple pervailed by not breaking their Quaker vows by being married out of the faith.

Children

The couple had the following children all born at Oyster Bay (Nassau), Long Island [Frost, p.52]: ^[2]

1. John Underhill, III, b 1st 5th mo. (Jul) 1670 [Frost, p.52] ^[2] ; d. 28th fifth mo. (Jul) 1728 [Frost quoting from family Bible, p.52]
2. Daniel, b. 3rd 9th mo (Nov) 1672 ; d. unmarried 9th 12th mo 1713 [Frost, p.52] ^[2]
3. Samuel, b. 18th 12th mo. (Feb) 1674/5 [Frost, p.52] ^[2]
4. Mary, b. 26th 2nd (Apr) 1677 [Frost, p.52] ^[2]
5. Abraham, b. 28th 6th mo. (Aug) 1679 [Frost, p.52] ^[2]
6. Deborah, b. 11th 2nd mo. (Apr) 1682 [Frost, p.52] ^[2]
7. Sarah, b. 17th 6th mo. (Aug) 1687 [Frost, p.52] ^[2]
8. Jacob, b. 16th 10th mo. 1689 [Frost, p.52] ^[2] ; d. 4th 10th mo. (Dec) 1708 [Frost quoting from family Bible, p.52]
9. Hannah, b. 23rd 1st mo. (Mar) 1690 [Frost, p.52] ^[2]

Property

In her "Underhill Genealogy: Descendants of Capt. John Underhill" Frost states that "Matthew Priar, an English Quaker, came from Setauket..." [Frost, p.36] ^[2] which is situated in the town of Brookhaven, Long Island. In another of her works author Frost says that Mathew Priar "... had an allotment east of and parallel with that of [Christopher] Hawxhurst." ^[3]

Mathew also owned another lot adjacent to the seventh lot owned by Nathan Birdsall but Mathew sold this lot in 1678 to his son-in-law John Underhill, son of the "great Indian fighter Capt. John Underhill ..." ^[3]

Death

He passed away in 1692.

Matinecock, New York

Matinecock (the hill country), New York is a village in the town of Oyster Bay, (Northern Shore) Nassau county, Long Island, New York. The area was settled about 1667 but the town was not incorporated until 1928. The name comes from the Native American tribe, a division of the Algonquin Nation, who used to occupy the area. The first land purchase from that tribe was in 1653 which established the town of Huntington. British control of Manhattan and Long Island from the Dutch wasn't until 1669.

The Matinecock (Quaker) Meeting House wasn't built until 1725 with the burying grounds established the same year. "Previously the Friends' meetings had been held at the houses of Mathew Priar, James Cock and John Feke. [Frost, p.39] ^[2]

Research Notes

The following record may or may not be relevant to this profile: Matthew Prior in record for Daughter Mary Prior from England Births and Christenings: Mary Prior, Christening Date 01 Apr 1651, BARTON IN THE CLAY, BEDFORD, ENGLAND;

Sources

1. ↑ James E. Hazard Index, The Records of New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends at Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College.; Call Number N 452; Volume 3.1; Page 3; ID 71888
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13} Frost, Josephine C., ed. "Underhill Genealogy: Descendants of Capt. John Underhill" Vol. II. Brooklyn, N.Y., USA: private printing by Myron C. Taylor for the Underhill Society of America, 1932. Accessed 1 Oct 2022. https://archive.org/details/underhillgenealo02fros/page/41/mode/1up?view=theater&q=Priar
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Frost, Josephine C. "The Frost Genealogy; descendants of William Frost of Oyster Bay, New York showing connections never before published with the Winthrop, Underhill, Feke, Bowne and Wickes families" p.7. (Old Matinecock) N.Y.: F.H. Hitchock, 1912. Accessed 1 Oct 2022. https://archive.org/details/frostgenealogyde00infros/page/7/mode/1up?q=Quaker

• "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V5L8-QY6 : 6 December 2014, Matthew Prior in entry for Mary Prior, 01 Apr 1651); citing BARTON IN THE CLAY,BEDFORD,ENGLAND, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 88,006.

Acknowledgements

• William Ramage Mar 10, 2012
• Contributions by Leigh Anne (Johnson) Dear