Matthew Beckwith was a man of limited education, as he signed with his mark. The only basis for estimating his age is in the account of his accidental death given in Mr. Simon Bradstreet's Journal, printed in the New England Hist. and Ge. Register [9:50]:
1680. Octob. 21 Matthew Becket Senr. aged about 70, missing his way in a very dark night, fell from a Ledge of rocks about 20 or 30 foot high, and beat out his braines against a stone he fell vpon. Another man yet was wth him and was within a yard of ye place, but by gods Provide came not to such an end.
Miss Caulkins gives the date as on "Dec. 13, 1681," but Savage quotes the above date to confound her error. However, Miss Caulkins seem nearly correct, although her exaxt date has not been found on record. There is certain an error in the date as it appears in the printed copy of Bradstreet. The land records show that Matthew Beckwith, Sr., deeded land to his son Matthew on 8 Jan 1680/1, and acknowledged this deed on 6 June 1681. Also, the New London County Court records show that a suit was brought by Matthew Beckwith against John Robbins on 20 Sept. 1681. [The entry is clearly misdated in Bradstreet, and 1681 may be correct, though from the following records the spring of 1682 would seem more likely.]
His inventory was filed with the County Court on 6 June 1682, and the report of the Jury of Inquest appears as a matter of record on 8 June 1682. .. As he was "about 70" his date of birth can be set "about" 1612. At the session of the County Court on 3 June 1673, "Matthew Beckwith was freed from training." The term of military service was from eighteen to sixty, so if born in 1610, he would have eligible for his freedom by 1670, three years earlier.
