BACKGROUND

Members in the United States and Canada can trace their ancestry to Matthew Wing of Banbury, England. One of his sons, the Reverend John Wing, a graduate of Queen’s College, Oxford, was a prominent clergyman in London in the years just after the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He became a dissenter from the teachings of the established church, crossed the English Channel and preached to the English Churches in Germany and Holland. After his death, his widow Deborah came with her four sons and her father, the Reverend Stephen Bachiler, to Boston in 1632 and settled in Saugus, now Lynn.

When the "ten men of Saugus" received a grant from the crown in 1637 to that part of Cape Cod which lies south of Plymouth Colony, Mother Deborah and three of her sons, John, Daniel, and Stephen, joined this group and were among the original settlers of Sandwich. There is evidence that the fourth son, Matthew, returned to England.

Descendants of John, Daniel and Stephen, in successive generations, followed the tides of migration into many parts of the United States from Maine to California, into the Southern states and north to Ontario and Western Canada. They have made substantial contributions to the American way of life. Wing descendants have taken part in all the great events of this country from its founding to the settling of its frontiers in its ever westward developments as well as spreading into Canada. During the almost four centuries on this continent they have built a family record of which we may be justly proud.

IF YOUR NAME IS WING
Or if your mother or her mother had the name of WING, there is a strong probability that you are eligible for membership in this national family organization.

THE ORGANIZATION WING FAMILY OF AMERICA
Was incorporated as a non-profit association in 1902 having as its purpose: - the collection and publication of family history - cementing of family ties and cultivation of fraternal relations among members - holding family reunions and gatherings - and creation of a Family Memorial Hall for historic and literary archives.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Almost without exception since 1902, the Association has published a genealogical magazine containing historical and biographical information about people of Wing descent. For over thirty years, as a quarterly under the title of THE OWL, and since 1936, annually as ANNALS, this magazine has published the lineage of Wings through eight generations, and now under the resumed name THE OWL is recording subsequent generations.

The Association in 1942 purchased the OLD FORT HOUSE, in Sandwich, Massachusetts, the ancestral home of Stephen Wing. This home is one of the oldest houses in New England and the oldest which continuously has remained in the possession of members of the same family through successive generations. The house has been restored and is currently used as a historical Memorial Museum. The Fort House was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1976 and is open from Mid-June to mid-September for visitors.

The Association has held National reunions annually since 1962. They are held in Sandwich Massachusetts every other year and in one of the Districts during the alternate years. Local gatherings are also held in the thirteen districts through the United States whenever Wings have the initiative to get together.

Through the Genealogical Committee the Association continues to offer assistance in tracing lines of descent to persons of Wing ancestry. The Wing Genealogy, Volume I, "The Reverend John Wing of Banbury, England and his Wife Deborah Bachiler and the First Five Generations" has recently been updated and published. Work continues on researching the family genealogy and history for future publications.

More information and membership applications can be found on the Internet at www.wingfamily.org

Wing Family of America, Inc.
69 Springhill Road
East Sandwich, MA 02537

The Wing Fort House is located at 69 Spring Hill Road, East Sandwich, Massachusetts.
Open Tuesday through Saturday from June 15 to September 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is a small admission fee. For off-season visits please call the Caretakers at (508) 833-1540.

Cousins, if you ever have the opportunity, this is a "must do" visit. It is something you will never forget and something you will never tire of talking about.