John Mathewson

John Mathewson was born in 1668. He came to Scituate from Massachusetts in 1694 as a 26-year-old man. He settled in the area near Moswansicut Pond where Winsor Road is today.

John Mathewson had 40 acres of land from his father who had property rights in the “Outlands”. He built a hut that was made of logs, twigs and mud. He cut a hole in the top so he could shoot his musket out and it would scare off the bears and wolves. He trapped beaver and sold the skins in Boston to get his supplies.

John Mathewson got married to Deliverance Malavery in 1698. He and his wife had seven children. Later in life he owned 1,000 acres in the Scituate area.

It is important to remember John Mathewson because he was the first white settler that came to Scituate. He was the first person to build a home here. He was the person who started the town that was later named Scituate.

An artist’s idea of what John Mathewson’s hut may have looked like from A History of Scituate, R.I. Being an account of its Early Settlement & Events to the present Compiled by the American Studies Class, Scituate Jr./Sr. High School, N. Scituate, Rhode Island for Project Heritage in 1977

This land overlooking Moswansicut Pond was once John Mathewson’s homeland.

Beautiful Moswansicut Pond was once part of John Mathewson’s homestead

and is now part of The Scituate Reservoir.

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© 2017 Paula DiLuglio