Captain Matthew Fuller

Capt. Mattew Fuller was the son of Edward Fuller of the Mayflower. Some genealogist's mostly amateurs get this line all messed up. They want a fast track to connect their tree to the Mayflower.

This is my 2nd X-husband's line.
Brian Robert Rowley

 Moses Rowley married Elizabeth Fuller 2 Apr 1652 in Barnstable,MA Her father was Capt. Mattew Fuller.

Now that's settled let's move on to Mattew.

His uncle Dr. Samuel Fuller who was on the Mayflower, paid for Matthew's education in England and that's most likely why he came to the Colony at a later date.

Capt Matthew Fuller
Birth: Oct., 1605, England
Death: 1678
Barnstable, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, USA

Born, say 1605 to Edward Fuller of Redenhall, Norfolk, England. Married Frances (perhaps Iyde) about 1625 in England. 
Their child: Elizabeth (Fuller) Rowley.
His death date is not of record, but his will was written on July 25, 1678, and the inventory of his estate was made on Aug. 22, 1678.

Source: Anderson:Great Migration Study Project

He was a Militia Captain not a sea Captain. And apart of "The Pocasset Campaign" of King Philip's war.


Captain Edward Fullers first muster
"First Muster" (Massachusetts Military History)

There's a wonderfully written account of events at the following website.


The Indians and townspeople were at odds, to say the least, and War broke out.

Capt. Matthew Fuller's Family

He married Hannah Frances Iyde Aug 1678 and they had the following children.

Elizabeth b. 1627 in Plymouth, MA and died 7 Mar 1713 she was married to Moses Rowley born abt Mar 1629 in Scitaute, Plymouth, MA and died bef 15 Jun 1705 in East Hadden Middlesex, CT

His information I have found so far is as follows:

Moses Rowley was born about 1629, probably in England, to English immigrant, and early Planter, Henry Rowley. Henry and his wife Sarah, with three young children, including Moses, emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony about 1632, sailing from England on the ship, "Charles." Moses Rowley I's mother was Henry's first wife, Sarah Palmer, daughter of William Palmer of Duxbury, as Moses is mentioned in his grandfather, William Palmer's, Will, in 1637. Grandfather Palmer left Moses, by then a young man, a cow out of his estate. After working for two years as a Planter at Plymouth Colony, Henry and Sarah moved their family to Scituate in 1634, where they were neighbors to Reverend John Lothrop, and joined his Congregation there. Henry and Sarah's family moved to Barnstable with Reverend Lothrop and other Scituate neighbors in 1638. Moses Rowley I married on 22 April 1652, in Barnstable, to Elizabeth Fuller, the daughter of Captain Matthew Fuller, and granddaughter of Edward Fuller, one of the Mayflower Pilgrims. Moses I and Elizabeth Fuller Rowley had eleven children, all born in Barnstable: 1- Mary Rowley, b. 1653, m. John Weeks; 2- Moses Rowley II, b. 1654, m. (1) Mary (Fletcher); (2) Mary Crippen (daughter of Thomas Crippen and Frances Bray); 3- unnamed daughter, b. about 1656, d. 1682; 4- Shubael Rowley, b. 1660, m. Catherine Crippen (sister of Mary Crippen, above); 5- Mehetable Rowley, b. 1660 (twin to Shubael, above), m. John Fuller (son of Samuel Fuller and Jane Lathrop); 6- Sarah Rowley, b. 1662; 7- Nathan Rowley, b. about 1664, m. Mercy Hatch (b. 1667, daughter of Jonathan and Sarah Rowley Hatch); 8- Aaron Rowley, b. 1666, m. Mary Weeks; 9- Elizabeth Rowley, b. about 1667, m. William Lucas; 10- John Rowley, b. 1667; 11- Matthew Rowley, b. about 1669. In 1657, Moses Rowley I took the Freeman's Oath at Barnstable, Massachusetts. In 1670, Moses Rowley I was included on Barnstable's list of Freemen and Voters. On 3 June 1673, and again on 3 June 1679, Moses Rowley I was named as a member of "The Grand Enquest" which was a special jury of Freemen of the Colony. On 23 July 1677, Moses Rowley I was assigned a Lot by Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts, when lands in the vicinity of Woods Holl were divided into sixty acres upland to a share, with meadows. Two years later, in 1679, Moses Rowley I obtained land in Falmouth, "between Hog Island Harbor on the bay, and Five-mile river on the east." In 1685, Moses Rowley I bought land in East Falmouth. On 2 March 1685, while acting in his duties as an assistant to the Town Constable, Moses Rowley I received a wound to the head, by Christopher Gifford, who was later fined by the General Court. On 24 June 1690, Moses Rowley I decided to move to Barnstable, and took the Oath of a Freeman at the General Court held at Barnstable. A year later, Moses Rowley I moved to an area originally known as "Quamquisset" Harbor, and "took lands and settled here" "one mile north of Woods Holl on Buzzards Bay." From 1692-1735, Moses Rowley I served in the General Court as "third deputy from Falmouth to the colonial legislature." On 3 May 1692, Moses Rowley I bought 60 acres of land from Jonathan Gilbert. At the age of about 75, Moses Rowley I wrote a Will, filed on 16 August 1704, in Hartford, Connecticut. Moses Rowley I died on 8 March 1705, in East Haddam Connecticut. In the Will of Moses Rowley I, he states [original spelling included]: “The Last will and Testament of Moses Rowley Sen’r of east Haddam in the county of Hartford in Colleny of Connecticut in new Ingland Wittneseth.” “In the name of god. Amen. Whereas I Moses Rowlee being weak of body but through gods good hand upon me at this present writing in perfect memory and understanding doe make and ordain this as my last will and testament.” “Imprimus: I doe give and bequeath my soul unto god in the name, meritts and mediation of the lord Jesus Christ in whose Righteousness I hope to be accepted with the father.” “And my body to Christian burial as my executors shall see meet hoping for a glorious Resurrection at the last and great day.” “As for the portion of this worlds goods that god [hath] given and continued to me my will is that my Just Depts being paid the Remainder to be disposed of as followeth: as for the Rest of my children I have done what hath been with me and now I have not expectation of being any more capable to help myself wherefore I doe give and bequeath my land unto my sonn Moses Rowlee [II] that is to say my half of the lott I now live upon (the other half I have given all Ready to my son Matthew [Rowley]) to be equally devided between my sons Moses and Matthew. I also give unto my son Moses that twenty five pound right that I formerly gave to Matthew, which my son Matthew hath lovingly Relinquished again to me.” “I give and bequeath to my daughter Mehitabell [Rowley] fuller all my moveables both flock and household stuff whether without door or within.” “I give and bequeath half my young mare unto my son Matthew. My will further is and it is upon the account of not only what my sons Moses Rowlee and John Fuller hath done for me and been kind to me but especially their willingness to take the care of me and my wife during our natural lives and I doe expect that care and kindness of them that is meet and needfull both to myself and my wife and I therefore have done what I have done to oblidge them what I cane and doe Repose my trust next under god upon these my two sons Moses Rowlee and John Fuller for what I shall and for what my wife shall stand in need of between this and the grave.” “and I doe further give to my son Moses Rowlee my meadow lot and further be it known that my son Moses is to pay my just debts and moreover my will is that all the above legacies given to my children is to them and their heirs, executors, administrators and assigns forever, furthermore I doe nominate, appoint and ordain my loving sons Moses Rowlee and John Fuller executors of this my last will & testament as witness my hand & seale, Hadam 16 of August, 1704 Moses Rowlee Sen'r [Rowley] signed sealled his X mark {Seal.} in the presence John Chapman Mathew Rowlee [Rowley] his M mark. Mary Creepen. [Crippen] her M mark At a court at Hartford, held March 8, 1705-6, this will [of Moses2 Rowley] was proved by the oaths of John Chapman and Thomas Fuller of Haddam that they saw said Moses Rowley the testator sign & seal & Mathew Rowley John Chapman & Mary Crippen, witnesses, set their hands, etc.”



Capt Matthew Fuller's other children:
Anna b. 1637 in Barnstable, MA d. 30 Dec 1691 Barnstable, MA
Samuel  b. 1637 Barnstable, MA d. 25 Mar 1676 Rehoboth, MA
Mary b. in England d. Barnstable


This is just the tip of the ice berg and I will do several blogs on this family.




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