Matthew MEAD

                   THERE ARE MANY AGE APPROPRIATE WILLIAM MEADS IN THE DESIGNATED AREA THAT
MAY BE THE IDENTIFIED FOREFATHER:THE WILLIAM MEAD OF CECIL COUNTY, MARYLAND, WHO SIGNED MANY MARYLAND GOVERNMENT MEMORANDUM OR THE WILLIAM MEAD OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA; WILLIAM,WHO IN 1693 WAS NOTED IN THE LIST OF PERSONAL TAX RATEABLES AND FOR WHOM JOHN CHILDE PAID 6 SHILLINGS; OR MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE WILLIAM MEAD WHO APPEARS IN BUCKS COUNTY SIGNING DEEDS WITH HIS MARK.
THE MEAD FAMILY HISTORY REPORTS A STRONG LINK EXISTS BETWEEN WILLIAM MEAD (1628-1713) AND WILLIAM PENN WHO WERE TWO DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS IN ENGLAND WHO WERE INSULTED BY THE COURT AND ARRESTED FOR THE CRIME OF BEING NONCONFORMISTS IN 1670. THE FOREFATHERS OF THE SOULBURY, BUCKS, ENGLAND, WILLIAM MEAD, WHOSE FOREFATHERS SETTLED IN ESSEX IN THE REIGN OF WILLIAM VI, MARRIED SARAH FELL, STEPDAUGHTER OF GEORGE FOX, THE
FOUNDERS OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. SINCE WILLIAM AND SARAH HAD ONLY ONE SURVIVING SON OF THE CORRECT AGE, NATHANIEL, IT DOES NOT APPEAR THERE IS A DIRECT CONNECTION WITH OUR FAMILY.
IN THE LATE 1800'S IS WAS REPORTED THAT OUR WILLIAM WAS RELATED TO MATTHEW MEAD, A PROMINENT NONCONFORMIST MINISTER. MATTHEW MEAD WAS EJECTED FROM THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND FOR LIBERAL IDEAS. IN 1663, HE WAS APPREHENDED ON SUSPICIAN OF COMPLICITY IN THE RYE HOUSE REBELLION. HE WAS CHARGED BUT WAS ABLE TO DEFEND HIMSELF SO THE CHARGES WERE DROPPED. EITHER THE CONVENTICLE ACT OR THE FIVE MILES ACT WHICH CAME INTO OPERATION IN 1666, DROVE HIM TO HOLLAND. IN 1669, HE RETURNED AND WAS ASKED TO USE HIS GIFTS AS ASSISTANT TO GREENHILL AT THE STEPNEY CHURCH IN LONDON. MATTHEW MARRIED ELIZABETH WALTON IN ST. MARY WOOLNOTH CHURCH IN LONDON ON JANUARY 3, 1654. HE WAS LISTED FROM SOLBER, BUCKS AND ELIZABETH FROM ALLHALLOWS, LOMBARD STREET. THEY BECAME THE PARENTS OF FIFTEEN CHILDREN; WILLIAM BORN 18 DAY OF FIRST MONTH 1658; REBECCA CHRISTENED 1 OCT 1660; RICHARD, CHRS. 22 AUG. 1673; JAMES BORN 23 APR. 1675 AND ELIZABETH, BORN 5 JAN. 1679. ALL RECORDED IN BULL LANE INDEPENDENT CHURCH, STEPNEY, LONDON, ENGLAND.
OTHER POSSIBLE LINKS OF HERITAGE ARE:WILLIAM MEADE OF MIDDLESEX CO., AGE 27, WHO WAS ASSIGNED TO JOHN SMITH OF LONDON, MERCHANT, GOING TO VIRGINIA FOR 4 YEARS "BOUND". HE LEFT ON THE "MARY" UNDER CAPT. TIPPETT. THE INDENTURE WAS SIGNED 12 NOV 1683. JOHN INGRAM, WITNESS.
INDENTURE: ACCORDING TO THE METHOD, AND BY THE ORDER AND DIRECTION OF HIS MAJESTIC AND MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCEL, PRINTED AND PUBLISHED IN THE THIRTY FOURTH YEAR OF HIS MAJESTRIES REIGHN OF ENGLAND AND THAT NOW IS (1682)
THAT ALL SERVANTS AT ANY TIME AS ARE FREE AND WILLING TO BE RETAINED TO SERVE IN HIS MAJESTIES PLANTATIONS IN AMERICA, ARE TO BE DUELY EXAMINED BY ANY OF HIS MAJESTIES JUSTICES OF THE PEACE, AND BOUND ACCORDINGLY, AND RECORDED IN THE COURT OF SESSIONS: NOW WITNESSETH, THAT WILLIAM MEADE FROM COUNTY MIDDLESEX AGED TWENTY AND SEVEN YEARS, VOLUNTARILY COVENANTETH, PROMISETH AND GRANTETH TO AND WITH JOHN SMITH OF LONDON MERCHANT FROM THE DAY OF DATE HEREOF UNTIL HIS FIRST AND NEXT ARRIVAL IN VIRGINIA AND AFTER, FOR AND DURING THE TERM OF FOUR YEARS THEREIN, SHALL AND WILL AS A FAITHFUL COVENANT SERVANT, SERVE IN SUCH EMPLOYMENT AS HE SAID JOHN SMITH HIS EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS OR ASSIGNES SHALL IMPLOY HIM TO THE CUSTOM THEREOF; IN CONSIDERATION WHEREOF THE SAID JOHN SMITH FOR HIMSELF, IS EXECUTORS AND ASSIGNES DOTH COVENANT, PROMISE, GRANT AND AGREE TO AND WITH THE SAID WILLIAM MEADE TO PAY FOR HIS PASSAGE IN THE GOOD SHIP THE MARY CAPTAIN TIPPITT AFORESAID COMMANDER, OR IN ANY OTHER SHIP THITHER BOUND, BY THE ORDER AND DIRECTIONS OF THE SAID JOHN SMITH AND TO FIND AND ALLOW HIM, MEAT, DRINK, APPAREL, LODGING AND WASHING NECESSARY DURING THE SAID TERM. AND IN THE END THEREOF, SUCH OTHER ALLOWANCES AS TO OTHERS ARE GIVEN AND GRANTED IN LIKE KIND. IN WITNESS AND C, THE SAID PTIES TO THESE PRESENT INDENTURES HAVE INTERCHANGEABLY PUT THEIR HANDS AND SEALS THE TWELTH DAY OF NOVEMBER ANNO QUE REGNI CAROLI SECUNDI REGIT ANGLIAE TRICESSIMO QUNITO ANNO DOMINI 1683.
SIGNED AND DELIVERED IN THE PRESENCE OF JON. INGHAM. WILLIAM MEADE SIGNED HIS INDENTURE.
EXAMINED AND BOUND BEFORE ME, ONE OF HIS MATS JUSTICES OF THE PEACE FOR THE COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, THE DAY AND YEARE AFORESAID. ABRA. BAYLY. 10 POUNDS WITH HIM (ENGLISH MONEY)
THE WILL OF MARY MARSHALL OF LONDON WIDOW, 16 JAN 1715 AND PROVED 15 JUN 1716
CITE THESE FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS...TO MY COUSINS, MATHHEW, SAMUEL, ROBERT,
FRANICIS, REBECCA AND MARY MEAD, SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF MY LATE UNCLE RICHARD
MEAD...TO SIR NATHANIEL MEAD, AND TO DR. RICHARD MEAD...MY COUSIN MARY MEAD,
WIFE OF ROBERT MEADE, SON OF MY UNCLE MATTHEW MEADE, MY LOVING COUSIN, WILLIAM MEADE OF AYLISBURY BUCKS, GENTLEMAN...
THERE WAS ALSO A WILLIAM AND GABRIEL MEAD, BROTHERS, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSSETS,
WHOSE ANCESTORS HEAVILY POPULATED MASSACHUSSET, VERMONT, CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK AND OTHER STATES.
WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DETERMINE THE LINEAGE OF OUR "WILLIAM MEAD" AND HIS CROSSING TIME FROM THE OLD WORLD WITHOUT SPECIFIC EVIDENCE. OF WILLIAM MEAD IN AMERICA WE HAVE THESE RECORDS:
WILLIAM MEAD WITNESSED A DEED OF LOWRY PAXSON IN 1703 AND JAMES VERRIE DEED OF 1704. THE LOWRY PAXSON DEED OF BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA...
YEOMAN...BEGINNING AT CORNER LATE OF JOHN WHITE...BY THE LAND OF GEORGE
WHITE..., PART OF 500 ACRES THAT WAS CONVEYED TO WILLIAM CARTER OF PHILADELPHIA COUNTY UNDER THE HANDS OF JAMES CLAYPOOLE AND ROBERT... THE 9TH DAY OF 1686 AND AFTERWARDS CONVEYED UNTO ROBERT MEAD, SOMETIME OF THE AFORESAID COUNTY OF BUCKS...CONFIRMED UNTO WILLIAM BILES , ADMINISTRATOR UNTO EDWARD CARTER, SON OF ROBERT CARTER, BY ROBERT ROWLAND, JOHN CARTER, LOWRY BOWEN AND JANE, HIS WIFE...FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS CURRENT MONEY PAID BY JAMES VERIER OF BURLINGTON, IN THE PROVINCE OF NEW JERSEY...WITNESSED BY GEORGE LANGHORNE AND WILLIAM MEAD. (SIGNED WITH HIS MARK)
BUCKS CO., DEED BK. PAGE 210. DEED HENRY PAXSON, YEOMAN TO JAMES VERRIER, BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY, MASON FOR 105 POUNDS, A TRACT AT A CORNER OF THE LAND OF THE LATE JOHN WHITE;S AND ADJOINING LAND OF GEORGE WHITE 100 ACRES, PART OF 500 ACRES....WITNESS, WILLIAM MEAD AND JER. LANGHORNE. 12 MAR 1704/5.
THE NAMES LISTED IN THE DEED ARE NOTED TO PRESENT IN MANY DEEDS, MARRIAGES AND WILLS IN THE MEAD FAMILY.
BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA SOURCE RECORDS: QUARTER SESSIONS PAGE 508 IN 1712.
WILLIAM MEAD DEF VS. JOHN ROWLAND. THE CASE EVENTUALLY DISCONTINUED.
QUAKER RECORDS:BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: FALLS M.M.:WITNESSED MARRIAGE OF GEORGE HAWAORTH OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MAKEFIELD, WEAVER AND SARAH SCARBOROUGH, DAUGHTER OF JOHN OF THE TOWNSHIP OF SOLEBURY ON 28 DAY OF 9TH MONTH 1710.
FALLS M.M.: WITNESSED MARRIAGE OF DANIEL LEE AND MARY ASHTON ON 29 DAY OF
7TH MONTH 1719 WITH ANN MEAD, AND JAMES DOWNEY, JOHN NEELD, AND OTHERS.
AT THE TIME THE MARRIAGE OF HIS SON, JOHN MEAD, TO MARY ABRELL, WILLIAM
THE FATHER, WAS FROM "CECIL COUNTY, MARYLAND".