Mathewes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Wales
Ireland

The surname Mathewes is a patronymic name derived from the well known first name Matthew. This name is ultimately derived from the Hebrew personal name "Mattathaigh," meaning "gift of Jehovah;" it was Latinized as Matthaeus and Mathaeus. It was introduced to England by the Normans, and quickly became quite a popular name.

Early Origins of the Mathewes family

The surname Mathewes was first found in the Domesday Book in 1086, listed as Mathiu and Matheus. They family came to England following the invasion of William the Conquerer in 1066.

Early History of the Mathewes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mathewes research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1260, 1273, 1395, 1546, 1577, 1628, 1655, 1790, 1797, 1824, 1856, 1863, 1889, 1890 and 1941 are included under the topic Early Mathewes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mathewes Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Mathewes were recorded, including Matthew, Matthews, Matthewson, Matheson, Mathew, Mathews and many more.

Early Notables of the Mathewes family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Tobias Matthew (1546-1628), Archbishop of York, statesman and writer; Sir Tobie Matthew (1577-1655), English MP, courtier, diplomat and writer; Father Theobald Mathew (1790-1856), who campaigned in Ireland...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mathewes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mathewes family to Ireland

Some of the Mathewes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 108 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mathewes migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Mathewes arrived in North America very early:

Mathewes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Mathewes, who landed in Maryland in 1637 1
Richard Mathewes, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 1
Barbara Mathewes, who landed in Virginia in 1656 1
James Mathewes, who landed in Virginia in 1664 1
William Mathewes, who arrived in Maryland in 1674 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mathewes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Mathewes, who landed in Virginia in 1714 1
Daniel Mathewes, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 1

Mathewes migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 2

Mathewes Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Anne, David, Henry, Robert and Thomas Mathewes, who all, who settled in Barbados in 1654

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies