Hello,
I am looking for information on a Robart Matte who I assume worked at Ridley Hall with the Lowe family. He is noted "Robart Matte of Ridley Hall... yeoman" in his will of 1707. Two John Lowe's signed his Will. I doubt that Robart owned Ridley Hall as it has only been noted to be in the possession of the Ridley's, then the Lowe's, but he could have been a portioner or tenant or something that helped to run the estate given he was noted a Yeoman.
In his will Robart names his "Brother George Matte's eldest son John", "nephew James Matte" & "Naterall sister Janne Smith".
I cannot see any further information on the life of Robart Matte or his family in the Haltwhistle Parish. I do suspect that his nephew James could well be James Matthewson who married Isabel Marley in 1702 at Halton and settled in Anick near St John Lee of whom descend several lines of Maddisons. The name Maddison is commonly Maddison in Durham and Matthewson (or spelling variant) in Northumberland as seen with Matthewsons who migrated to Durham from Northumberland and vice versa. It could be that this particular James Matthewson was derived from Matte. Matte could well have been short for Matteson or the father of Robart was called Matte or Matthew in a patronymic surname system hinting a more current link to mainland Europe.
I understand sources are very light around this time period (late 1600's), but would like to hear of anyone else who has come across Matte, Matteson, Maddison's who originated from Haltwhistle.
Thank you in advance,
Jared.
