Matthew Abdy, Jr.

Matthew first married Deborah Stimson, second Ruth.

Matthew was “sweeper and bedmaker” at Harvard College assigned to Stoughton House.

After Matthew Abdy died, John Secombe, or more likely, Rev. Joseph Seccomb, wrote a humorous poem entitled “Father Abdy’s Will”. The following version of it is taken from Father Abbey’s Will, Cambridge, 1854 http://archive.org/details/fatherabbeyswil00hubbgoog

Father Abbey’s Will Cambridge, December, 1730.

From “The History and Some of the Descendants of Robert and Mary ..., Volume 1.” Page 41. GoogleBooks

Abdey Children:

18. MATTHEW, JR., b. between 1654-58; d. Cambridge, Mass., 1730. hese three children were mentioned in Robert Reynold's will 1658. Though Matthew Jr. m. thrice, no children survived him. In Cambridge, heg m. April 10, 1688, Mrs. Deborah Wilson. He was known as a witty, and odd but goodnatured character about Harvard Square. A considerable account of him is given in Bits of Harvard History by Samuel F. Batchelder, 1924, pp. 273-76. Deborah Stimson, daughter of Andrew & Jane, was b. England, Aug. 1637; m. (1) Robert Wilson, who d. about 1685; (2), Matthew Abdy, previous to 1695, who was b. about 1654, d. Cambridge, about 1730. Matthew had a second wife, named Ruth, who d. Cambridge, Dec. 10, 1762, aged 93. They probably lived on the southwest corner of Mt. Auburn and Holyoke Streets in Cambridge. His wife had three children by a previous marriage, all of whom lived to marry.

References

• http://trees.wmgs.org/getperson.php?personID=I27558&tree=Schirado
• [S352] S. F. Tillman, (Chevy Chase, Md., 1959).