Mattissan History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe surname Mattissan is a patronymic name derived from the well known first name Matthew. This name is ultimately derived from the Hebrew personal name "Mattathaigh," meaning "gift of Jehovah;" it was Latinized as Matthaeus and Mathaeus. It was introduced to England by the Normans, and quickly became quite a popular name. Early Origins of the Mattissan familyThe surname Mattissan was first found in the Domesday Book in 1086, listed as Mathiu and Matheus. They family came to England following the invasion of William the Conquerer in 1066. Early History of the Mattissan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mattissan research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1260, 1273, 1395, 1546, 1577, 1628, 1655, 1790, 1797, 1824, 1856, 1863, 1889, 1890 and 1941 are included under the topic Early Mattissan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Mattissan Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Matthew, Matthews, Matthewson, Matheson, Mathew, Mathews and many more. Early Notables of the Mattissan familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Tobias Matthew (1546-1628), Archbishop of York, statesman and writer; Sir Tobie Matthew (1577-1655), English MP, courtier, diplomat and writer; Father Theobald Mathew (1790-1856), who campaigned in Ireland... Migration of the Mattissan family to IrelandSome of the Mattissan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Mattissan familyFor many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Mattissan or a variant listed above were: Francis Matthews, who settled in New Hampshire in 1639; Benjamin Mathews, who settled in Virginia in 1653; Ann Matthews, who immigrated to Barbados in 1659.
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