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My name is Val Matthews. I have researched my husband's family(Frederick Charles Matthews) back to abt 1670, in Northamptonshire. Most of my research has been done at the Northampton Record Office.
Henry and Jane Mat(t)hew(s), my husband's 6x great grand parents)were in Helmdon NTH in the mid 1600, a poor family initially, but during two generations, their fortunes improved. Most of the family eventually moved from Helmdon and some begin to appear in the Weedon Lois NTH Parish registers, when a William Matthews was signing the Bishop's Transcripts on various occasions, between 1744 and 1774. The first Matthews baptism found in Weedon Lois PRs is that of Mary, daughter of William and Mary (1760). Mary's father, William, was the son of William Matthews the Elder and the great grandson of Henry and Jane Matthews of Helmdon
William Matthews the Elder, Yeoman, died in Steeple Claydon (Bucks). He was buried in Weedon Lois. He left a comprehensive Will, (an estate of Abt. £1000. )His Will speaks of messuages and tenements and land in Weedon Pinkney (an old name for Weedon Lois). (This Will and a marriage in St. Giles Church Northampton lead me to William's parents and grandparents in Helmdon -- two great finds!)
Our next direct ancestor, William, was a yeoman farmer, He left an estate of £800 and had "closes lands and real estate" in both in Wappenham NTH and Silverstone NTH. His children were baptized in Weedon Lois parish church. His son Henry Whitton Matthews was also a farmer His middle name reflects the Matthews' involvement with the Whitton family, both in Helmdon and in Weedon. Henry's children and those of his brother,(another William)were baptised and often married in Wappenham NTH parish church.
Henry Whitton Matthews' son, David Matthews was my husband's great grandfather. He kept the Red Lion public house at Greens Norton. (David's brother Charles kept the New Inn at Abthorpe NTH). My husband's grandfather, John Edmund Matthews, married Elizabeth Barrett from Abthorpe. John Edmund Matthews founded a Blacksmiths shop in Northampton which is still worked and owned by a Matthews. Both my husband and his father were master blacksmiths
Descendants of HW Matthews children are in California and possibly New Zealand. One of JE Matthews sons, Charles emigrated to Canada. Elizabeth Matthews' (Barrett) nephew, Joseph Henry, also went to Canada. I am in touch with and have passed on reasearch to some of the decendants of all these Matthews and Barretts and welcome news of and correspondence with others.
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