Mattews History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The surname Mattews is a patronymic surname created from the personal name Matthew.

Early Origins of the Mattews family

The surname Mattews was first found in Glamorganshire (Welsh: Sir Forgannwg), a region of South Wales, anciently part of the Welsh kingdom of Glywysing, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Mattews family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mattews research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1378, 1400, 1408, 1484, 1546, 1577, 1600, 1628, 1655, 1656, 1660, 1676, 1751, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Mattews History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mattews Spelling Variations

The Welsh have an extremely large amount of spelling variations of their native surnames to their credit. It was up to the priest or the scribe taking the official records to determine how the spoken name was to be made literal. As time progressed, the old Brythonic names of Wales were recorded in English, which was especially problematic since the English language had extreme difficulty recording the highly inflected sounds of Cymraeg. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Mattews have included Mathews, Mathew, Matthew, Matthews, Mathewes and others.

Early Notables of the Mattews family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Sir David Mathew (1400-1484) was a Welsh knight, Lord of Llandaff, Seneschal of Llandaff Cathedral, one of the ten Great Barons of Glamorgan, Marcher Lord and Standard Bearer of England; Pope Matthew I of Alexandria (Matheos) (1378-1408), 87th Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mattews Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mattews family to Ireland

Some of the Mattews family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 92 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mattews family

During the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Wales journeyed to North America to find a new life. They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Mattews: Samuel Matthews, who came to Virginia from London in about 1618 and established a plantation at the mouth of the Warwick River; John Mathew, who settled in Virginia in 1639.

The Mattews Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Y fyn Duw a fydd
Motto Translation: What God wills, will be.