"Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes."

The procession of the fine lady of the rings and bells takes place each year in Banbury with considerable ceremony. Banbury Cross stands at the top of High Street in a wide, open space at the junction of four cross-roads. The present cross was erected in 1859 and is near the site of the old cross.
One more thing makes Banbury famous, and that is its cakes, which are known throughout the kindom. Visitors to the town are assailed with the cry of the vendor: "Hot cross buns...one a penny, two a penny, Hot cross buns."

The Chronicles of Banbury note, under the year 1608, that the Charter of King James to Banbury, given 28 June 1608, show a John Winge being appointed as a burgess for life. The first known mention we have of Matthew Wing is contained in the records of St. Mary's Church at Banbury, under the date of 21 April, 1576, when his second son, Thomas was "christened." There is no record of his marriage or of the birth of his oldest son. From this we infer that Matthew was born in the days of the boy king, Edward VI, about the year 1548. The records go back to 1558, the year of Quenn Elizabeth's accession to the throne. Prior to that, during the days of Queen Mary, 1553-1558, St. Mary's was a Roman Catholic holding.

The days of Matthew Wing's boyhood were days of gloom, terror and depression in all of England. Oxford County was the scene of most exciting times. If Matthew lived with his parents in or near Banbury, the Princess Elizabeth was a prisoner at Woodstock, a few miles from his home. The father of Matthew was undoubtedly required to acknowledge the "real presence" in the holy communion, as were all Englishmen of his day, and because they would not, 5 bishops, 21 clergymen, 34 tradsmen, 3 lay gentlemen, 100 hubandmen and laborers, 55 women and 4 children were publicly burned at the stake. Bonner, Bishop of London, whipped persons with his own hands, and tore out the beard of a weaver who refused to relinquish his religion. With bated breath and in guarded tones these horrid events must have been told of around the fireside of Matthew's home, and his life sobered and made serious with their recital.

Tradition most alway has some foundation...and curiously illustrative of this was a memorandum coming to our attention at the first reunion held by the Wing Family of America at Sandwich in 1902. Mrs. Deborah Wing Crosman of Swampscott, Mass., brought to the reunion hall for inspection, a yellowed, time-stained paper, thought by her to have been written by her mother or grandmother more than a hundred years before. It contained some family records and at the foot of the sheet was this note:
"Four brothers came from some part of England somewhere between the year 1620 and 30. One settled at Pocasset, one on the Cape, and one got homesick and returned back to take care of some property they left behind, and the other whose name was Daniel Wing, settled in this place. I cannot find whether he was married when he came here or not. The other two brothers names that settled here from England with Daniel were John and Stephen. Their father was an old priest who fled at the time of the great persecution to some part of Germany, and after returned and was put to death, says a great-uncle Eben."

Through this tradition runs the warp and woff of truth, inacurate though it may be as to some of the details. Four brothers did come here in 1632. One settled on the Cape, two at Sandwich, and one returned to England. Nathaniel, a son of one of them, resided at Pocasset. Their father was a minister, and he lived in Germany ( at Hamburg) for a time; but no intimation has ever reached us that he died other than a natural death in London in 1630. Possibly some of his ancestors may have been put to death during the great persecution. More probably, however, that the story of deaths by persecution, came down by tradition from the tales of Matthew to his children.

Hollingshed, who lived in Queen Elizabeth's reign, gave a very curious account of the plain, or rather crude way of living in the preceding generation, which would be the generation of Matthew's parents. There scarely was a chimney to the houses, even in considerable towns; the fire was kindled by the wall, and the smoke sought its way out by the roof, or door, or windows; the houses were nothing but watling, plastered over with clay; the people slept on straw pallets, and had a good round log under their head for a pillow, and almost all the furniture and utensils were of wood.

The value of money must be understood to appreciate the magnitude of Matthew's legacies in his will to his children. He gave forty shillings to his son John. The comptroller of King Edward VI paid only thirty shillings a year rental for his house in Channel Row. The best pig could be purchased for four pence, a chicken for a penny, a hen for two pence, and the wages of a working man were eight pence a day. Only four men in all London were rated with an income of more than 400 pounds a year in 1586.

Coaches were not intoduced into England until after 1580 and, if perchance Matthew and his good wife Mary journeyed abroad, they rode upon a palfrey, Mary behind, as did Queen Elizabeth behind her chamberlain.

The vital rcords of St. Mary's church at Banbury had been kept for eighteen years before the name of Wing appeared upon the church books, in April 1576, when the baptism of Matthew's second son, Thomas was recorded. The fact that from this time on for a period of more than one hundred years the name of the family appears with regularity and frequency, it may be surmised that Matthew and his wife Mary married elsewhere, and that their first son, Fulk, was not a native of Banbury.

During all the religious excitemnts of the day, including the rapid rise of Puritansim, Matthew from the first seems to have been a regular communicant at St. Mary's churchyard. Perforse, he was a regular attendant, for had not good "Queen Bess" provided a fine of 20 pounds upon the miscreant who absented himself from meetings for the period of a month!

Shakespeare was born at Stratford-on-Avon in 1562, just eighteen miles distant from Banbury, and the days of his youth were spent in raoming about the country. He must have frequently been on the streets of Banbury, for he made Banbury "Cheeses" immortal. The entire population of all England at this period was less than two million souls, and the country was not so densely settled that some knowledge of the Shakespeare family must have been possessed by the family of Matthew, living in neighboring villages at a contemporary period.

In a "Descriptive Acoount of the Parish Church, St. Mary's Banbury," prepared by Elanor Draper and published in 1907, we learn that;
"In the days gone by the town of Banbury was famed for its noble church, cathedral-like in its grandeur and beauty. It dated from the 12th century when its earliest portions were built by alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, and dedicated to St. Mary. The first Vicar of whom we have any record was Roger, in the year 1278. About 500 years later, some parts of the building being declared unsafe, the inhabitants decided to pull down this fine structure, which barbarous act was accomplished in 1790. The present church, also St. Mary's, designed by Mr. Robert Cockerell, was erected on the site of the former old church."

The old St. Mary's in which Matthew Wing and his children worshipped is therefore no more; but a few of the building is preserved in Beeseley's "History of Banbury."
The Parish Registers date from 1558. The book which gives the earliest entries, including the records of Matthew Wing and his children, is bound in stamped leather, and has had clasps. The first pages are of thin parchment. On the seventh page is the following entry in a beautiful clear hand, with upright letters, and in regular lines, the capital letters A and D being illuminated: "ANNO DNI. 1558. THIS BOOKE ENTRETH THE FIRST DAY OF JANUARY IN THE FIRST YEERE OF THE RAIGNE OF OUR SOVERAIGNE LADIE QUEENE ELIZABETH, WHICH REPRESENTETH ALL THE CHILDREN'S NAMES BAPTIZED, AND THE NAMES OF SUCH AS HAVE BEEN MARRIED, AND SUCH AS HAVE BEEN BURIED WITHIN THE PRESENDARIE OF BANBURY." The Wing Family of America have a complete copy of the records as they pertain to Wings, having secured them in 1913, and including all entries of the Wings at Banbury from 1558 down to 1700. These lists were published by the society in its magazine "The Owl" in the issue of March 1914. Mr. G. T. Hodgkin, then the Verger of St. Mary's Church, Banbury, who was employed to search the Parish Register from beginning down to 1700 reported: " I have very carefully gone through the Parish Registers from 1558 to 1700, Marriages, Births and Burials, with the results enclosed, which are correct extracts. The first mention of the Wings is in 1576 and the last in 1695.

Since Matthew Wing made the request in his will that his body should be buried in St. Mary's churchyard, it is presumed that somewhere in this ancient burial grounds lie the bodies of Matthew and Mary. There are no memorial stones in the burial ground. In his history "Former Parish Church of Banbury" Mr. William Potts thus refers to the absence of ancient gravestones in the burial grounds:
"The former Church contained the monuments of preceding generations, none of which, it is to be regretted, were preserved and replaced in the new Church. The Church Building Act of 1790, under which the destruction of the old Church was allowed, enacted "That in taking down the said old Church, Chancel and Tower, as little Damage shall be done to the Graves, Grave Stones, Monuments, and Monumental Inscriptions as shall be necessarily removed Monuments, and Monumental Inscriptions in and about the same as reasonably may be, and that such Grave Stones, on account thereof, shall be at the Charge and Expense of the Person or Persons interested therein, and requesting the same be fixed on such part or parts of the Scite of the said old Church or Chancel, for answering as far as may be the Purposes for which they were originally laid or put up, as the Trustees shall think fit."

In spite of this, the monuments seem to have been totally destroyed. Apparently no persons were sufficiently interested in the memorials of old families to come forward and take advantage of the clause in the act which enabled them to be preserved. It seems strange that those of such families as the Copes of Harwell, the Chamberlains of Wykham, The Danvers of Culworth and Calthrop, who certainly had representatives, if not lineal descendants living at the time, should have been allowed to perish.

Oxford, twenty-three miles distant, was the seat of the government of Charles I during his war with Parliment, and Banbury was the scene of many stiffing conflicts. The great battle of Edge Hill was fought seven miles northwest of the town. And thirty years after the burial of Matthew Wing, the bullets of roundheads and Cavaliers were literally hutling over his very grave and the ground covering him trampled upon by contending armies locked in the arms of a deadly Civil War.

A list of the Vicars of Banbury since the year 1278 is preserved in the Parish Church. The Vicars of the Parish during the years of the membership of Matthew Wing and his children were: Thomas Moore, 1571-1580; Thomas Brasbrifge, 1581-1590; Ralph Houghton, 1590-1609; Thomas Bradbury, 1609-1611; William Whateley, 1611-1639.

No descriptive account of Matthew Wing is extant. In the North Chapel of the Church at Banbury were the tombs of some of the members of the Knight family of Banbury and upon one of these was carved an effigy in alabaster, curiously cut, of William Knight, under this epitaph:
"To ye pious membory of William Knight, gent, sometimes Justice of the peace and quorum in this borough (who having had his education both in the University and Inns of Cort) continued on the love and practice of good studies, gave good example of Morality and piety, finished his course in the true faith and was here layed up in ye hope of a glorious resurrecon 20 Sept. 1631."

William Knight was a contemporary citizen in the small town of Banbury and a fellow worshipper at St. Mary's with Matthew Wing. It is likely that they had a personal, if not an intimate acquaintance. The dress and manner of wearing the hair and beard, shown in the photoengravure of his effigy, may bring to us some faint likeness of Matthew and his times. (A reprint of that photoengravure is in the possession of the Wing Family of America.)

Mary, wife of Matthew and our first known maternal ancestor, was buried in St. Mary's churchyard, 24th July, 1613, and the first book of the church record recites:

"Matthew Wing, Taylor, was buried 19 October 1614."


[Wing Graham Notes] B MATHEW WING (1) Born sometime between 1548 and 1550, died Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, buried 19 Oct 1614, St. Marys Church, Banbury. Married MARY _____, died Banbury, buried 24 July 1613, St Marys Church, Banbury. Mathew was a tailor and lived not far from the Reindeer Inn which was still in business in 1980. [Lawe 111]. (ref: Banbury Bapt. and Burials, 1558-1653, pg 198, 199; records of St. Marys Church, Banbury, England; Visits to Banbury Library and St. Marys church; Allied Families, pg 271-272, 274; Waters, pg 519; Ray Olson, pg 242, 245; NEHGR, Vol 45, July 1891, pg 236). 1548/1614

Note: Marriage year is estimated based on the birth of the first child with Mary ( ) (#16577), 1573?

Married to Mary ( ) (#16577), ca. 1573?

Fulke Wing (1574) born 1574

Thomas Wing (1576) born bef. 21 Apr 1576 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Sibill Wing (1578) born bef. 26 Jan 1578 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Elizabeth Wing (1579) born bef. 20 Mar 1579 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Elizabeth Wing (1581) born bef. 8 Oct 1581 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Rev. John Wing (#8288) born bef. 12 Jan 1584 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Matthew Wing (1586) born bef. 27 Feb 1586 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

James Wing (1587) born bef. 1 Feb 1587 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Sarah Wing (1589) born bef. 19 Jan 1589 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Joane Wing (1592) born 25 Dec 1592 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Mary ( ) (#16577) died bef. 24 Jul 1613 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Died bef. 19 Oct 1614 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Buried 19 Oct 1614 at St. Mary's Church, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Cited in [NEHGR] New England Historic Genealogical Register Vol 45, July 1891, pg 236

Cited in [Austin - Allied Fam] One Hundred and Sixty Allied Families pg 271-272, 274

Cited in [Wing Graham Notes] Files, notes and monographs of the Wing family #B

Cited in [Waters] Genealogical Gleanings in England Pg. 519

Cited in [Gifford/Barrows] Ancestry of Elihu B. Gifford and Catherine Sandow Barrows Pg 242, 245

---

Matthew Wing (#16576), b. 1548/1550, m. Mary ( ) (#16577), ca. 1573?, d. bef. 19 Oct 1614 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Fulke Wing (1574), b. 1574, m. Anne Howler, 1 Nov 1592 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, d. bef. 22 Oct 1631 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Anne Wing (1600) ...

Dorcas Wing (1600) ...

Mary Wing (1600) ...

Matthew Wing (1600) ...

Thomas Wing (1576), b. bef. 21 Apr 1576 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, m. Elizabeth Patten, 28 Jun 1600 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, d. bef. 2 Nov 1624 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

John Wing (1605) ...

Sibill Wing (1578), b. bef. 26 Jan 1578 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, d. bef. 22 Feb 1578 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Elizabeth Wing (1579), b. bef. 20 Mar 1579 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, d. bef. 31 Mar 1579 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Elizabeth Wing (1581), b. bef. 8 Oct 1581 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, m. John Nychols (1580), 23 Jan 1610 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, d. bef. 30 Jan 1665 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

John Nychols (1615) ...

Rev. John Wing (#8288), b. bef. 12 Jan 1584 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, m. Deborah Bachiler (#8289), 1609/1610, d. bef. 4 Aug 1630 at London, Greater London, England

Deborah Wing (1611), b. ca. 1611 at England, m. Edward Ford, bef. 1629, d. bef. 1680 at England

John Wing (1613), b. ca. 1613 at Yarmouth, England, m. Elizabeth ( ) (1627), 1645?, m. Miriam Deane (1632), aft. 1669, d. bef. 10 Aug 1699 ...

Daniel Wing (#4144), b. ca. 1617 at England, m. Hannah Swift (#4145), 5 Dec 1641 at Sandwich, Plymouth Colony, m. Anna Ewer (1640), 2 Jun 1666 at Sandwich, Plymouth Colony, d. aft. 10 Mar 1697/1698 at Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts ...

Stephen Wing (1621), b. ca. 1621 at The Netherlands, m. Oseah Dillingham (1622), 1646 at Sandwich, Plymouth Colony, m. Sarah Briggs (1641), 7 Nov 1654 at Sandwich, Plymouth Colony, d. 24 Apr 1710 at Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts ...

Matthew Wing (1627), b. ca. 1627 at The Hague, Belgium, d. at England, m. Joane Newman (1630) at Stroud, Kent County, England ...

Matthew Wing (1586), b. bef. 27 Feb 1586 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, m. Ann Ashwood, 25 Oct 1613 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

James Wing (1587), b. bef. 1 Feb 1587 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, m. Ann Gregory, 11 Mar 1611 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

William Wing (1615) ...

Sarah Wing (1589), b. bef. 19 Jan 1589 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, d. bef. 8 Sep 1604 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Joane Wing (1592), b. 25 Dec 1592 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, m. Robert Chamberlayne, 13 Jan 1612 at Banbury, Oxfordshire, England

Thomas Chamberlayne (1613), b. 1613? ...