Talk by Noelene Matthews PPPG member No. 1563 on the occasion of her joining the PPPG
Hello everyone, on behalf of Richard Matthews and me, it’s with pride that we thank you for our admission to the Port Phillip Pioneers Group, recognising our respective ancestors. Hugh and Andrew Matthews.
A little of our history:
Chosen as suitable immigrants to NSW, the first of the family, my Great Grandfather, Hugh MATTHEWS and new wife Elizabeth, sailed to Australia aboard The Mandarin in June 1838 from County Down, Ireland, arriving in Sydney in the October. Some five months later in November 1838 my 2nd Great Grandparents, William & Margaret Matthews (1796-1839) and their 6 remaining children also travelled to Sydney from Belfast aboard the Garrow.
On their arrival, James Matthews, the eldest son, successfully found work with a Mr. McFarlane. Hugh and his wife Elizabeth had been in NSW for some 5 months by then working and we believe another son, William Jnr, may have joined one of his brothers in work. However, as there had been numerous emigrant ships into Sydney before the Garrow arrived in the March of 1839, families with many mouths to feed were not much in demand.
Their father, William Matthews, perhaps holding out for a better outcome, given slim pickings, chose to board the John Barry, which was the second free settler vessel into Melbourne, where workers were needed. William was accompanied by his wife Margaret and remaining children, Jane, Sarah-Ann and Andrew.
Subsequently, no family historian, or Victorian State Librarian is yet to uncover any trace of either William or Margaret, apart from a citation in the ship’s surgeon’s journal on arrival here on April 28, wherein Dr Patterson stated William Matthews was in “sick quarters Melbourne”.
Both Richard and I believed that William and Margaret may have been in the stated ‘temporary hospital got up for the purpose’ where Dr Patterson cared for 22 immigrants for some two months after the ship’s arrival. There is a temporary hospital* shown on a map dated 1839 hanging in St James Cathedral in King Street, which shows that it was situated around Batman Park on the Yarra River.
Only 7 weeks after the John Barry arrived here, the 17yo daughter, Jane Matthews, married at the original, timber St James church, but neither William, nor Margaret witnessed the marriage. Later school records show Jane’s husband John Budd listed as Guardian to Margaret, Jane’s youngest sister. So, it appears that William & Margaret were either still convalescing or had most likely passed.
Two weeks ago, on April 28th this year, cousin descendants of each of William & Margaret’s sons held a special commemorative service for them at the Old Melbourne Cemetery, possibly their one and only funeral service. Unfortunately, to date there has been no luck in contacting descendants of their daughters Jane Budd/Searle or Margaret Fisher/Hammond (both nee Matthews).
It is only conjecture that our ancestors rest amongst the remains of the 9000 souls still there,
but a fact that two of the group actually felt goosebumps and hairs on their arms stand on end at a particular spot on the day is interesting.
We have scant history about each of the other family members after their arrival in Victoria, or indeed what happened to the two youngest children before their older brothers arrived.
By 1844 and 1845 the three eldest boys had left Sydney and settled around the Modewarre area, all purchasing land to farm.
We do know that the eldest son, James Matthews, built a nine-room hotel on the Point Henry Road and was able to capitalise on those travelling to and from the Gold Fields during the rush.
Religion appears to have played a major part in our family’s contribution to their new communities. My Great Grandfather Hugh was one of the founding guardians of Holy Trinity at Barrabool, and his brother James also donated land for another of the area’s churches, and was an original Trustee of St James, Leopold.
Richard’s 2nd Great Grandfather, Andrew after establishing farms in both Modewarre and Morwell, by 1879 went on to become a successful pioneer of the Lockhart District of NSW. Andrew held the first church service of the area in his living room in Lockhart and contributed to building the first Church of England there. When the 100-year-old time capsule from the Lockhart Catholic Church was opened it also revealed that Andrew had generously contributed 50 pounds/guineas for the building of that church too.
After taking an Ancestry DNA test, not having known that I had any living ancestors prior to 3 years ago when Richard first contacted me, I now know of many cousins, have unlocked family history and look forward to learning more, hopefully through this Pioneers Group. We especially look forward to the family coming together for the 185th Matthews Family Anniversary reunion to be held in Modewarre on 1st October this year, when many will meet for the first time.
Thank You for your Interest!
*Apparently this was a military hospital so more research required.