Ann Matson Baptism

[VicInIbstock]

Not sure if this should be in the Lookup requests but I'm trying to find a baptism record an Ann Matson.

I've already located her marriage to Thomas Keen in Bicester on 30th October 1788 through the IGI and thanks to the OFHS CD's of parish records know her burial was on 5th November 1817 in Stoke Lyne north of Bicester.

Unfortunately the OFHS CD's for Bicester or Stoke Lyne have no baptism and the IGI has it vaguely around 1767 in Bicester but no date or parents. 

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

[Pennie]

Hi Vic ...

Well, MAT(T)SON, definitely doesn't seem to be an Oxfordshire surname!

Ann's marriage to Thomas in 1788 is the only female MAT(T)SON recorded on the OFHS's Oxfordshire Marriage Index (1538-1837).  The entry gives one small piece of further information - that Thomas gave his residence at Stoke Lyne at the time of his marriage (none given for Ann).  It may be worth checking the actual entry in the Bicester parish records to see if the witnesses' names give any clue (or if there is any further information relating to Ann).

Checking the male side of the index, again there's only one MAT(T)SON entry - a Thomas MATSON (widower of Aldgate, London) who marries a widow in Bix in 1778.  Although this is a reasonable distance from Bicester, I wonder if this could be Ann's father?  In which case, Ann may well have been born in London.

The entry for Ann's baptism that you found on the IGI is submitted, and could well be an assumption made by the poster that Ann was baptised in the parish of her marriage, and she married at the "standard" age of 21.  This can be seen time and time again with submitted entries!

With such an unusual surname in the county, it may be worth you contacting the OFHS (www.ofhs.org.uk) who - for a small fee - will do a search of their Baptism Index.  It now covers approx. 90% of the county and you can check which parishes are excluded on their website.

Hope this is of some use!

Pennie

[supermoussi]

Looking a bit further back there are not many possibilities for Matson origins but these include:-

1) A family owned the manor of Matson in Gloucestershire and took its name. They seem to have died out pretty quickly so are not likely candidates

2) A Kent family started in Sandwich which spread to the rest of the county and London. They were originally mariners of the cinque ports/salters/merchants. They are by far the most likely origin of your Matson.

3) A london family headed by a merchant from Brabant (mattys son of mattyson or something like that) who could be connected to the Kent family.

4) A few random immigrants who popped up on the east coast from time to time.

[VicInIbstock]

Many thanks for the replies.  Certainly gives me some clues to investigate.

Cheers

[gajjer]

Hi there. I've just started looking on this site. My mother was a Keen and I would be very interested to share information with you. Ann Matson was my 3rd Great Grandmother. There were then a load of Thomas' until you get to my grandfather Arthur Thomas.
I have a tree on Ancestry and I have had a DNA test. It would be great to hear from you.