Thomas Mathews

  General Notes:

This family according to Benjamin Perkins’ patriarchal blessing is of the lineage of Ephraim. This certainly would bear out in the way they accepted the restored gospel of Jesus Christ when it was preached to them.
Thomas was born in 1792 according to the 1841 census in Llangyfelach. He was the son of Joseph Mathews and Jane Morgan or Jane Williams. According to family records, his christening date is given as 2 Nov 1791 but this entry in the Llangyfelach Parish Registers gives “Thos s. of Thos Mathew.”[1] This does not fit our ancestor. It is the author’s opinion that Thomas was born in 1792 as stated above, probably at Treboeth, the family seat.
Thomas married on 30 Jan 1814 at Llangyfelach, Mary Davis[2] daughter of William Davis and Elizabeth Bowen. Mary was born 14 Mar 1793 at Llansamlet, Glamorganshire, Wales.[3]
Their first child was born 28 May 1814 at Llangyfelach.[4] Her name was Jane. She is our ancestor. (She married William Perkins) Once again as with her father and as with all of his children, it appears she was actually born at Treboeth, a small village in Llangyfelach parish.
The other children born to this couple were:
William[5] chr. 10 Mar 1816
Llyshon[6] b. 1817
Joseph Davis[7] b. 20 Sep 1819
David b. 1821
Ann b. 1823
Thomas b. 1826
Mary[8] b. 1 Feb 1828
John[9] b. 14 Apr 1830
Elizabeth[10] b. 16 Aug 1833
Daniel[11] b. 1 Mar 1836
Thomas was a coal miner, a collier, and spent his years working in the colliery of Treboeth. He received a very limited education but was an upright, god-fearing man, a good husband, a loving father, one of the noblemen of the earth. His boys began at an early age to work with him.
The 1841 census shows the family in Treboeth as follows:[12]
Thomas Mathew Age 49 collier born Glamorgan
Mary “ 48 “
Llyshon “ 20 collier “
Thomas “ 16 collier “
Mary “ 14 “
John “ 10 “
Eliz. “ 8 “
Daniel “ 4 “
The family, although believers in Christ and the teachings of the Bible, did not belong actively to any church. They cared little for any kind of organized worship. In 1844 however Joseph Davis heard the gospel preached by his cousins Hopkin and David Mathews. His skepticism turned to belief then to faith and he accepted baptism by immersion on 22 Sep 1844, being then 25 years of age. He was the first of the family, but was followed the next month by our ancestor, the oldest of Thomas and Mary’s children, Jane. She was baptized 23 Oct. The following spring Mother Mary and their youngest daughter Elizabeth were baptized, Mary on 16 April, Elizabeth on 29 April. Dan was baptized several years later, 22 Feb 1848. Father Thomas never did join the church nor did the majority of his children.[13]
The family members who joined the church became very active. Joseph was ordained an Elder in the priesthood in Dec of 1844 by Elder Abel Evans and sent out into the ministry where he labored diligently and faithfully in disseminating the truth. He possessed a fine spiritual nature and great faith and was often called upon to minister to the sick who received blessings under his administration. He became the president of a large and flourishing branch of the Church in Swansea.
The Mathews’ remained in Treboeth although some of the children immigrated to Utah. In Feb 1852 Joseph Davis and his wife Ann Roberts and their son Thomas left Liverpool on the sailing vessel Ellen Maria in the first company sent forward by the Permanent Emigration Fund Company via New Orleans to Council Bluffs and from thence overland in ox train under command of Captain Abraham O. Smoot, arriving in Salt Lake City on 3 Sep 1852, being 8 months making the entire journey.[14]
Meanwhile back at Treboeth, the family continued to leave home and start homes of their own. The 1851 census shows a very reduced family as follows:[15]
Thomas Mathews head md 64 collier Llangyfelach
Mary “ wife md 58 Llangyfelach
Thomas “ son unmd 24 collier Llangyfelach
Elizabeth “ dau unmd 18 Llangyfelach
After the children were all gone, the old couple continued to live in their home at Treboeth. Very little is known of them during this time period. It can be assumed that they received frequent visits from their children who stayed in the area. Mary probably remained faithful to her new religion and attended the branch meetings there at Treboeth. Our family records show that she died at Treboeth Landore on 29 Feb 1876. This apprently is the area bordering the river Tawe between Treboeth and Landore.[16] Thomas lived almost three years longer. He died at Treboeth on 7 Nov 1878.[17]

[1] Llangyfelach parish Registers GS#105,091 p.151.
[2] Ibid. p.
[3] Treboeth, Wales LDS Branch Records GS#104,172 Record of Members 1844-1880 p.1 No. 9.
[4] Ibid. p. 1 No. 4.
[5] TIB Card of William Mathews Book 6Z No. 7271 p. 347.
[6] Calculation of Lyman D. Platt based on the 1841 census. It must be remembered that 20 is not the exact age but the last 5-year period completed which would make him about 24 at the time of the census.
[7] Treboeth, ibid p. 1 No. 14 TIB Card of David Mathews (St. George 9859, Bk D p. 43C)
TIB Card of Ann Mathews (Salt Lake 10634, Bk E p. 288) TIB Card of Thomas Mathews (Salt Lake 23810 Bk 7B p. 1134)
[8] TIB Card of Mary Mathews (Salt Lake 5231 Bk A lvg p. 146).
[9] Family records.
[10] Treboeth, ibid p. 5 No. 61.
[11] Ibid. p. 3.
[12] 1841 National Census of Great Britain (GS #464,328) pp. 14-15.
[13] Personal notes of Joseph D. Mathews. Family records.
[14] Ibid.
[15] 1851 National Census of Great Britain GS #104,214) p. 11 No. 13 Treboeth.
[16] Family records
[17] ibid.

COMMENTS Source: De Platt, Lyman. The Ancestral Heritage of Benjamin Perkins and his two wives Mary Ann Williams & Sarah Williams. Part One. (n.p., n.d.) 9-12.

Thomas married Mary Davies\David, daughter of William Davis and Elizabeth Bowen, about 1813 in Treboeth, Llangyfelach, Glamorgan, Wales. (Mary Davies\David was born about 1792 in Treboeth, Llangyfelach, Glamorgan, Wales, christened on 27 Jan 1794, died in Treboth, Glamorganshire, Wales and was buried in Treboeth, Glmrgn., Wales.)

Thomas next married on 30 Jan 1814 in Treboeth, Llangyfelach, Glamorgan, Wales.

Thomas next married Abigail Leavitt Baker on 17 Jun 1865 in Salt Lake City.