MATTHEWS ANCESTRY
This page is to document the family of James Matthews of Ruabon.JAMES MATTHEWS
James Matthews was born around 1827 in Wrexham, Denbighshire. He married Mary Davies at St Giles Church, Wrexham in 1850. Mary was born in Ruabon Parish around 1831; she was the daughter of a shoemaker William Davies and his wife Elizabeth who were both born at St Martins around 1803. In 1851 James was a Dock Labourer living at Birkenhead and Mary was with her parents in Ruabon, alongwith her brothers George and John and sister Elizabeth.
Mary and James had a son George who was born in 1856 in Birkenhead, Wirral, Cheshire and their eldest daughter Mary Elizabeth was born in 1860 in Ruabon.
In 1861 the family were living at Chapel Street, Rhyddallt, in Ruabon Parish. James was a 33 year old Labourer, Mary was 31, George was 5, and Mary Elizabeth was 1. Anne and Patrick Turner were lodging with the family. Patrick was a 23 year old Brick Maker. There were also 3 visitors in the household: John Jones a Bricklayer age 18 born Llanarmon, Richard Owen a Brick Maker age 20 born Shrewsbury, and Maria Turner a dressmaker age 18 born Wrexham.
Rhyddallt or Rhuddallt was a hamlet of Ruabon, located between Offa�s Dyke and Watt�s Dyke.
In the 1850s George Borrow toured Wales and in the book �Wild Wales� wrote about the village and surrounding area. Here are 2 extracts from the book:
�Rhiwabon � a large village about half way between Wrexham and Llangollen. I observed in this place nothing remarkable, but an ancient church.
My way from hence lay nearly west. I ascended a hill, from the top of which I looked down into a smoky valley.
I descended, passing by a great many collieries, in which I observed grimy men working amidst smoke and flame. At the bottom of the hill near a bridge I turned round.
A ridge to the east particularly struck my attention; it was covered with dusky edifices, from which proceeded thundering sounds, and puffs of smoke.
A woman passed me going towards Rhiwabon; I pointed to the ridge and asked its name; I spoke English.
The woman shook her head and replied "Dim Saesneg" (English: "No English"). "This is as it should be", said I to myself; "I now feel I am in Wales."
I soon reached Rhiwabon There was a prodigious noise in the public-houses as I passed through it. "Colliers carousing," said I.
"Well, I shall not go amongst them to preach temperance, though perhaps in strict duty I ought."
At the end of the town, instead of taking the road on the left side of the church, I took that on the right.
It was not till I had proceeded nearly a mile that I began to be apprehensive that I had mistaken the way.
Hearing some people coming towards me on the road I waited till they came up; they proved to be a man and a woman.
On my inquiring whether I was right for Llangollen, the former told me that I was not, and in order to get there it was necessary that I should return to Rhiwabon.
I instantly turned round. About half-way back I met a man who asked me in English where I was hurrying to. I said to Rhiwabon, in order to get to Llangollen.
"Well, then," said he, "you need not return to Rhiwabon - yonder is a short cut across the fields," and he pointed to a gate.
I thanked him, and said I would go by it; before leaving him I asked to what place the road led which I had been following.
"To Pentre Castren," he replied. I struck across the fields and should probably have tumbled half-a-dozen times over pales and the like,
but for the light of the Cefn furnaces before me which cast their red glow upon my path.
I debauched upon the Llangollen road near to the tramway leading to the collieries.
Two enormous sheets of flame shot up high into the air from ovens, illumining two spectral chimneys as high as steeples, also smoky buildings,
and grimy figures moving about. There was a clanging of engines, a noise of shovels and a falling of coals truly horrible.
The glare was so great that I could distinctly see the minutest lines upon my hand.
Advancing along the tramway I obtained a nearer view of the hellish buildings, the chimneys, and the demoniac figures.
It was just such a scene as one of those described by Ellis Wynn in his Vision of Hell.
Feeling my eyes scorching I turned away, and proceeded towards Llangollen sometimes on the muddy road, sometimes on the dangerous causeway.
There were collieries, ironworks and brickworks in the area. The Wynnstay Brickworks was located near Cinders Farm on the road to Overton . It produced bricks, tiles and drainage pipes for the Wynnstay estate. There were also clay companies in the Afongoch area. These were the Monk & Newell, the Ruabon Brick & Terra Cotta Ltd which was also known as Jinks and taken over by the Dennis company in 1960s, and Tatham Brick & Tile Works. The Cornish Engineer Henry Dennis founded a clay works next to the Hafod Colliery. The Dennis company became world famous for its tiles, and Ruabon became known as Terracottapolis. James and Mary�s Grandson Frank went to work in a local brickworks.
Another daughter, Fanny Janet was born to James and Mary in 1868 in Ruabon, and by 1871 James age 45 and Mary age 40 had moved to Paddock Row, Ruabon.
They were living with their children: 15-year old son George, and daughters Mary Elizabeth age 11, and Fanny Janet age 3.
Paddock Row still exists; it is situated behind the Duke of Wellington Public House (see picture Left). The houses from the outside look very much the same as they would have in the 1880's. Apparently there is a preservation order on the street. Tanyllan - or Tanylan, the road leading down from St. Mary's Church to the River Eitha at Paddock Row is in the old part of Ruabon village.
In 1881 James Matthews and his wife Mary were still living at 9 Paddock Row, Ruabon. James was a 54 year old General Labourer and his birthplace was given as Wrexham, while the rest of the family were born in Ruabon. Their 21-year old daughter Mary Elizabeth was a General Domestic Servant, and 13-year old daughter Fanny Janet was a scholar. Grandson Frank was 10 months old. The family also had a lodger William Hatten, a 58-year old widower who was born in Chester. William was a Railway Pointsman, presumably at the nearby Ruabon Station.
James and Mary's Grandson, Frank Matthews, was born in Ruabon in 1879. I�m not sure who Frank�s parents were and to find out would need to purchase his birth certificate or find his Christening record. James and Mary�s unmarried daughter Mary may have been Frank�s mother, as their son George was living with his wife and baby son when Frank was a young baby living at Ruabon.
In 1891 James Matthews was a 64 year old Roadman, and his wife Mary was 60. Their Grandson Frank was still living with them at Paddock Row, Ruabon.
There were also three boarders: William Griffiths, a 45 year old Gardener born in Meifod, C Pickin a 20 year old basket maker, and James Wilson, a 42 year old Coachman born in Overton.
The occupation of Roadman meant that James worked on building and or maintaining roads They often had a stretch of road for which the man was responsible for filling in potholes etc. - usually around a mile in length.
It could also mean a tramp or vagrant, but is unlikely in this case.
In 1861, 1881, and 1891 James and Mary had boarders living with the family.
This would have helped increase family income but probably resulted in crowded conditions in the home.
James died in early 1903 at the age of 78, Ruabon district. There is also a death record for Mary Matthews a few months earlier, at the end of 1902, at the age of 72, again in Ruabon district, but it is unclear whether this is the same family. Would need to obtain death certificates or find their burial place to confirm the records. If it is the same family, which is likely, then there may have been a link between their deaths. This time coincided with an outbreak of smallpox in Ruabon, but there were many other causes of illness and death at this time.
George and Emma Matthews
At the same time as his parents were at Paddock Row in 1881, George Matthews was living in 26 Peel St, Tranmere, Lancashire. He had been born in Birkenhead around 1856. His wife Emma was age 26 and born in Dudleston, Shropshire around 1855. George was a Railway Fireman. Their baby son James was 1 year old and born Birkenhead.They had 2 boarders: William Gerrard age 20 and William Cunningham age 19, both Railway Stokers and born Ruabon. George married Emma Morris at St Pauls, Tranmere, Birkenhead in 1878.
On steam railways firemen were also usually responsible for cleaning the ash and dust from the boiler prior to lighting the fire, adding water to the engine's boiler, making sure there is a proper supply of fuel for the engine aboard before starting journeys, starting the fire, raising or banking the fire as appropriate for the amount of power needed along particular parts of the route, and performing other tasks for maintaining the locomotive according to the orders of the driver. Some firemen served these duties as a form of apprenticeship, aspiring to be train drivers themselves. Much of the stoker job is hard physical labor, such as shoveling coal into the engine's boiler. A 'boy' would start out as a locomotive cleaner and would then become a fireman, working up from local trains and freights, and then onto the long distance express "top link" trains. Most would then progress to become drivers and the best would drive the "top link" expresses.
By 1891 George was a 35 year old Cart Owner living with his family at 16 Acton Road, St.Peters, Bebington, Cheshire. Wife Emma was 36 born Dudleston, and the children were all born Birkenhead:
- James age 11
- Mary.E. age 7
- Sarah age 4
- William age 2
- Georgina age 1 month
I found a death record for Fanny Paddock in Bebbington, Wirral in 1897 age 84. This is likely to be her but she aged 14 years in 6 years!
Kelly's Directory of Liverpool & Birkenhead, 1894 has this entry for George:
Matthews George East Side 16 Acton Rd. Rockferry. Carter
He also appeared in Gore's Directory of Liverpool & Birkenhead, 1900:
Matthews George 16 Acton Road Rockferry Team owner
* Team owner means that he had a team of horses that would be used for hauling other peoples carts and wagons on a contract basis, such as for breweries.
Rock Ferry as a Civil Parish only existed from 1894 to 1898. Before 1894, Rock Ferry was in Bebington, and after 1898 it was in Birkenhead. But the place name of course appeared long before. The church of St.Peter, Rock Ferry was established in 1844, as the parish Church for the Rock Ferry district of Higher Bebington.
By 1901 George's business had developed from Carter/Haulier to Coal Dealer. They were still at 16 Acton Road, Birkenhead. George was 45. Emma was 46 and this time she gave her birthplace as Hinstock, Shropshire. Living with them were:
- James age 21 Teamster on farm
- Mary age 18
- sarah age 14 Dressmaker apprentice
- William age 12
- Frances age 7
- George age 3
Mary Elizabeth (Matthews) and Henry Foster
At the start of 2011 I was contacted by another descendant of Mary Elizabeth Matthews. This lady told me that her family had always known that Mary Elizabeth was Frank's Mother. I was thrilled to learn that Mary Elizabeth married Henry Foster and had another 3 children. My family information was that Frank had half-siblings but we didn't know the details.Mary Elizabeth and Henry married in a Civil Ceremony in Birkenhead district in 1884. In 1891 they were living in Trinity Street, Oswestry with their children William Ormond and Georgina Fanny (who was known as Fanny). Henry was a Steam Engine Maker. By 1899 the family had moved to 3 Seabank Cottages, Tranmere, Birkenhead, where another daughter, Margaret was born. Margaret was known as Peg or Peggy within the family. In 1901 the family of 5 were at Seabank Cottages and Henry was an Engineer's Fitter.
Fanny Janet (Matthews) and James Leonard
In 1893 Fanny Janet married James Henry Leonard, who was born in 1871. Their son James Henry Leonard was born the following year, but sadly died at the age of 4 in 1898. Fanny Janet had previously died in 1895 at the young age of 27.Frank and Mary Matthews
Frank Matthews married Mary Evans in a civil ceremony in Wrexham in 1908.
The picture above shows Mary Matthews with her daughter Lily, Granddaughter and GreatGrandchild.
Frank and Mary Matthews had 5 children:
- Pearl born 1909 and died 7th October 1919 age 10
- Ethel born 1911 Cefn Mawr
- Doris born 1913 Cefn Mawr
- Lily born 1915 Birkenhead
- Frank born 1920 cefn Mawr
In 1911 Frank and Mary were living at 26 Hill Street, Cefn Mawr with their daughter Pearly age 2. Frank was a 28 year old Colliery Surface Labourer, as was their boarder Robert Jones, who was born in Llangollen. There were also 3 visitors staying with the family: Emma Roberts age 25 and her daughter Annie age 4 and son Joseph age 1, all born Cefn Mawr.
Sadly their eldest daughter Pearly died of an infectious illness at the age of ten towards the end of 1919.
The picture on the left shows the Matthews children in the front row.
Ethel married Bert Sanderson and they moved to live in the Manchester area. Doris and Lily married 2 brothers, Bert and Albert Bithell.
The youngest child, Frank married Freda Phillips, a widow whose husband had been killed during WW2. Freda Jones and George Edwin Phillips were married in the Registry Office towards the end of 1942. George was a Sergeant in 44 Squadron, Air Force Volunteer Reserve, and was killed on Christmas Eve 1943 at the age of 22. He was the son of Harry and Isabella Oughton Phillips, of Pentre, near Chirk Denbighshire. George is buried at Hanover War Cemetery.
Frank Matthews Senior died on 23rd July 1948 age 69 and his wife Mary Ann died on 22nd June 1967 age 78. They are buried with their daughter Pearly in Rhosymedre Chuchyard.
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