Simon Mayhew

  General Notes:

For the sake of uniformity, the spelling of Mayhew is kept consistent in this file, but the original spelling varied immensly. For the origins of the name it would be best to quote Banks' History of Martha's Vineyard, Chapter VII, 'The English Family Name of Mayhew':

"The name of Mayhew and the Vineyard are almost synonymous, and it will be interesting as well as instructive to learn something of the family which exercised such a sway over the early destinies of our island. The origin of the name is explained satisfactorily by a learned historical scholar of England, himself a descendant, and the following extracts are made from his account: -

' As an English family name it is most frequently met with in the South and West of this island, and few parish registers in the Counties of Hereford, Glouchester, Wilts, and Dorset can be opened without presenting us with examples. It is spelt in many ways, varying from the extended form of Mayhowe to that of Mao, and often, as it will frequently appear, clipped down and reduced to May to the loss of its concluding syllable...'

The family has its principal habitats in Cornwall, at Lostwithiel, Looe, Bray and Morval, to which belonged John Mayow, Fellow of All Souls, Oxford, and that Mayow of Clebyan, in St. Columb Major, who was hanged on a tavern sign post as a rebel against the injunctions of Edward VI, concerning religion. Dorsetshire has one family in the Visitation; Gloucester, at Kempley, Tetbury, Charfield; Herefordshire, at Tottenham; Northamptonshire, at Holmden, in the Visistation of 1619; Norfolk, at Billockby and Clippesby; Suffold at Clopton, Helminton and Bedingfield, and in Whiltshire more than one family of the name are found including Mayhew of Dinton in the Visistations of 1565 and 1623, whose pedigree is here..."

Simon married [-?-]. ([-?-] was born in 1456 in Tisbury, Wiltshire, England.)