Mathias HOUSHILL

His Place in this Family

We believe that Mathias HOUSHILL is the youngest brother of three Houshell brothers in the early Province of New Jersey. As elaborated in the write-up for Kasper HAUSCHILDT, PROOF of this relationship is offered by the Will of Johannes Houshell, where Johannes uses the term "my Brothers Jacob and Mathias HOUSHAL". It should further be noted that the Will of Jacob Houshal ALSO calls out his "Brother Mathias HOUSHALL" as a trustee^[7]. Finally, by the debt warrant of Jacob Race^[6] which mentions Mathias's brother Jacob as trustee for a Kasper Houshell, we believe that Kasper is the father of these three brothers.

Timeline Data

We believe that Matthias was born perhaps as late as about 1715 judging by the probable birth years of his children. Since this is quite long after the birth of his brothers, we prefer to think of Mathias as born within a range from about 1705 to about 1715. We are uncertain of when or where his marriage to Matalina took place. Of some interest is that the first mention of a Matthias HOUSHELL is as Matthys HOUSELT with unknown wife, at the baptism of his child Christientije September 24, 1738 at the Readington Church, Readington, Hunterdon, NJ^[4]. It is this lack of a mention of a this baptism, along with the gaps in births between his sons (as one group) and his daughters (as the others), that leads us to believe that there may have been a wife prior to Matalina (she is mentioned in his WILL^[1]). However all references known to this writer point to Matalina as being the mother of both sons, and therefore all of the known children.

Mathias is on a list of freeholders in Amwell in 1741^[5]. In the work of Henry Z. Jones, Mathias is said to be both a 'weaver' and an elder in the Amwell Calvinist Church (no date given)^[2]. Mathias HOUSHELL was naturalized in New Jersey in 1744 ^[3].

The WILL of Matthias was written on October 31, 1778. The WILL was proved Probate on December 21, 1778. The inventory approved and account settled on April 5, 1783^[1].

Children

Named in the WILL are: - Wife Matalana - Son Cobus (Noted elsewhere as Jacob or Jacobus) - Eldest Daughter Mary Bellies (later research shows Mary to be the wife of Johann William Bellis) - Daughter Francis Williamson (later research shows Francis to be the wife of Abraham Williamson) - Son John HOUSHILL - Grandson Mathias HOUSHILL living in 1778 who has sister Rebecca and brothers John and Jasper.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Mathias Houshill. The WILL of Mathias Houshill (son of Kasper) 1778. (State of New Jersey).

   CLICK THE LINK ABOVE TO SEE A TEXT TRANSLATION.
   
   - Mathias executed his will on 31 Oct 1778 and it was proved by the Hunterdon County, NJ courts on 21 Dec 1778.
   ---------

   NOTES FROM the Hebert G. Gearhart Collection of the
   Genealogical Society of PA that cites the Will of Mathias HOUSHILL of Amwell Township, Hunterdon Co., NJ Wills, IV, 257 which in synopsis lists the wife and children of Mathias who died in 1778 as:
   wife - Matalaina
   John, eldest child,
   Cobus (aka Jacob),
   Mary - eldest daughter who married William BELLIES (aka BELLES)
   and Frances, wife of Abraham WILLIAMSON.
   
   THIS CITATION IS BASED ON A FOUND NOTE IN THIS COLLECTION, NOT ON THE ACTUAL WILL.
   -------------------

   Appoints Mathias HOUSHILL (apparently not the Grandson mentioned, so perhaps Mathias, son of Jacob?) and his own son Cobus HOUSHILL as executors. (Mathias HOUSHILL and Jacobus HOUSHELL testators signed 1783).

   WILL of Mathias Houshill
2. ↑ Jones, Henry Z. More Palatine families: some immigrants to the Middle Colonies, 1717-1776, and their European origins, plus new discoveries on German families who arrived in colonial New York in 1710. (Universal City, California: H.Z. Jones, c1991)
   pa. 123-124 , 1999.

   Mathias Houshell naturalized in New Jersey in 1744. Occupation: Weaver.
   He was listed as a Freeholder in Amwell in 1741. An Elder at the Amwell Calvinist Church. Lists the WILL as dated 31 Oct 1778 and proved 21 Dec 1778 citing Hunterdon County WILL #1061J

3. ↑ Provincce of New Jersey; Sedgwick, Theodore, 1780-1839; Allinson, Samuel, 1739-1791. Acts of the General Assembly of the Province of New-Jersey & etc. (from 17 April 1702, to 14 January 1776): from the surrender of the government to Queen Anne, on the 17th day of April, in the year of our Lord 1702, to the 14th day of January 1776. To which is annexed, the ordinance for regulating and establishing the fees of the Court of Chancery of the said province : with three alphabetical tables, and an index / compiled and published under the appointment of the General assembly, and compared with the original acts. (New Jersey: Burlington [N.J.] : Printed by Isaac Collins, Printer to the King, for the Province of New-Jersey, , 1776)
   p. 138 Chapter CXCVIII, 8 December 1744.

   Click link to read full text.

4. ↑ Somerset County Historical Quarterly. (Somerville, New Jersey: Somerset County Historical Society)
   Vol IV, 1915.

   Readington Church Baptisms since 1720
   
   - p215; 1734 Aug 4;
   Hansel, Johannis and Neeltje -- Johannis
   
   - p216; 1736 Nov 28:
   Housel, Johannis and Neeltje -- Pieter
   
   - p218; 1738 Dec 24;
   Hanselt, Matthys and ----, --- Christienje
   witness: Judick Engel
   
   - p218; 1739 Sep 9;
   Hanselt, Jacob and Catherina -- Pieter.
   Witnesses: Pieter Liffelaer and Antje Hanselt.
   
   - p302; 1744 Nov 25;
   V: der Zaal, Hendrick and Maria -- Maria.
   Bullisvelt, Willem and Catherina -- Johannis
   Houselt, Jacob and Catherina -- Martein.
   V:Sickelen, Andries and Lea Krom -- Jan.
   

5. ↑ Wittwer, Norman C. Hunterdon County Freeholders, 1741. The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey. (The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, May 1962).

   CLICK for link

6. ↑ Debt Record of Jacob Race of Amwell, Hunterdon, NJ, in Jacob Race. Debt Record of Jacob Race of Amwell, Hunterdon, NJ
   26 November 1739.

   “Phillip RINGO and Christopher SEARCH sign as wittnesses a note under date 26, November 1739, which reads in part, '...I Jacob RACE of Amwell County of Hunterdon and Western Division of the Province of New Jersey, labourour, do acknowledge myself to stand indebted unto Court CULE and Jacob HOUSHALL, both of the township and county afforesaid, Trustees to the estate of Kasper HOUSHELL, deceased, the sum of one pound eight shillings...' "

7. ↑ Timing of the WILLS of Johannes and Jacob.

   NOTES:

   Jacob wrote his WILL on March 5, 1761. At that time, his brother Johannes was either dead, or only days away from death.