Hi Jeannie, I doubt you'll ever find proof in the legal sense, but you can come about as close as possible to proving that your Matthew is the Matthew Sherwood who was intimately involved in the Fairfield militia during the 1670s. The most compelling evidence is negative evidence - there simply were no other contemporaneous Matthew Sherwoods documented in Fairfield - or all of Connecticut for that matter - at that time. That alone pretty much cinches it. Some of the secondary sources that hopefully can lead you to primary sources regarding Matthew are: 1. "Colonial Records of Connecticut, 1636-65" Vol. 1, by Trumbull 2. "The History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield", pp. 548-557 (don't know if this is Vol. I or II) 3. "The History of Stratford", by Orcutt, p. 577 The call for "500 dragoons" in 1673 was probably a response by the Colonial government to the latest war between England and The Netherlands, which began that year. A fleet of Dutch ships forced the English commander of New York to surrender, and New York, formerly "New Amsterdam", now became "Nieuw Oranje", named for the Prince of Orange. Fairfield County, CT, is obviously in close proximity to New York, so it would have been understandable and prudent for the Connecticut militias to go on a heightened state of alert. The war ended a year later with the signing of the Treaty of Westminster. Nieuw Oranje reverted back to "New York," and British control would not be relinquished until George Washington's military occupation more than 100 years later. 1673 was also a time of rising tensions between the colonists and the Wampanoag Indians, that would culminate in the New World's first full-scale war between the Colonists and Indians - "King Philip's War" of 1675-6 ("Philip" was the colonists' name for the Wampanoag sachem). It was a particularly brutal, bloody war, that ultimately resulted in the near-total annihilation of the New England Indian population, and the displacement of most of the few who managed to survive (by fleeing to Canada, I believe). Prior to the war, it was the ever-present potential for, and occasional fact of, conflict with the Indians that probably was the rationale for the long-term existence of militias (I'm no historian, by a long shot, so please jump in and correct me if I am wrong). But in all likelihood, it was the onset of the latest Anglo-Dutch War that precipitated the sudden call for battle-ready dragoons. Kind Regards, Geoff Geoffrey Sherwood Towaco, NJ, USA demidave@juno.com On Sat, 17 Nov 2001 22:52:48 EST JWinter588@aol.com writes: > Dear Sherwood researchers, > > Can anyone confirm that the Matthew Sherwood found in A Catalogue > of the > Names of the First Puritan Settlers of the Colony of Connecticut. > Hartford, > CT: - , 1846, and quoted below is my 7th Great Grandfather Matthew > Sherwood > who married Mary Fitch and was the son of immigrant Thomas Sherwood, > who came > over on the ship "Francis". And, I'd like to ask if anyone has > further > documentation that I have the correct Matthew Sherwood. I'm told > that my > Matthew Sherwood was a Captain in the Fairfield militia, but I don't > have any > specific records of proof for it. I'm curious as to just what > events were > taking place right at this time that 500 "dragoons" would need to be > "ready > to march at an hour's notice" or was that standard for most militia > at the > time? > > "Matthew Sherwood, of Fairfield, in 1673, a descendant of Thomas, > (in No. 2.) > In 1673, the grand committee appointed for ordering the militia of > Connecticut, after the Legislature had ordered to be raised 500 > dragoons to > be ready to march at an hour's warning--appointed Matthew Sherwood > ensign, > Thomas Fitch, captain, and Jehu Burr, lieutenant for Fairfield > troops." > > Thank you, > Jeannie Winter > JWinter588@AOL.com ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.