There is some confusion over the spelling of the surname of this man. On some records it is Mathews and on other Matthews. He was born on 19 November 1884 in Chelsea, Middlesex (now Greater London), the eighth of the ten children of John Charles Mathews (b.1845) and Ellen Mathews, née Miller (b.circa 1845). His birth was registered as Frank Mathews in the 4th quarter of 1884 in the Chelsea Registration District, Middlesex. On 5 December 1889 he, together with an older brother - John William Mathews (1881-1962), was baptised at the Christ Church Mission, College Park, Kensal Green, Middlesex (now Greater London) where in the baptismal register he is shown as Frank Mathews, born on 19 November 1884, that their family were living at 6 Station Road, Willesden, Middlesex (now Greater London) and that their father was a signalman..
In the 1891 census he is shown as Frank Mathews, aged 6 years and a scholar, living at 6 Chamberlain Terrace, Station Road, Willesden, with his parents and eight siblings: Edith Mathews, aged 17 years; Frederick Mathews, aged 15 and a clerk; George Mathews, aged 14 and a grocer's assistant; Charles Mathews, aged 12 - a scholar; Louisa Mathews, aged 10 - a scholar; John William Mathews, aged 9 - a scholar; Ethel G. Mathews, aged 4 years and Richard Montague Mathews, aged 2 years. His father was described as a railway signalman.
When the 1901 census was undertaken he was listed as Frank Matthews, aged 16 years and a lamp shade maker living at 6 Chamberlayne Wood Road, Willesden, with his parents and four of his siblings: George Matthews, aged 24 years - a grocer's manager; John W. Matthews, aged 19 year - a grocer's assistant; Ethel G. Matthews, aged 14 years and Richard Montague Matthews, aged 12 years. His father continued to be shown as a railway signalman.
Using the name of Frank Matthews he was, in April 1911, appointed as a postman in Battersea and the census of that year shows him as Frank Matthews, aged 26 years and boarding with a family called Stoner in a four roomed property at 102 Russell Road, Wimbledon, Surrey (now Greater London).
In February 1912 he was appointed as a porter at the London Western District Office. At some point he joined the army, enlisting as Frank Mathews in Newbury, Berkshire
On 13 June 1917 he married Lillian Gertrude Edgell (1884-1964) at St. Matthew’s Church, Willesden where in the marriage register he is shown as Frank Mathews, aged 32 years, a bachelor and a soldier living at 26 Bellevue Road, Ealing, Middlesex (now Greater London), whilst his wife was shown as aged 33 years, a spinster residing at 7d Brownlow Road, Willesden, the daughter of Robert Edgell, a carpenter.
It was whilst he was serving in the 1st Battalion of The Princess Charlotte of Wales’s Royal Berkshire Regiment, service number 7605, that he was killed in action, aged 33 years, on 26 March 1918 and as he has no known grave he is commemorated on Bay 7 of The Arras Memorial, Boulevard du General de Gaulle, 62000 Arras, France. On 28 May 1918 the Royal Mail sent his widow an £88-1s-6d gratuity for his 6 years and 5 months service with the Post Office. On 12 June 1918 his widow, who was living at 42 Westover Road, Harlesden, was sent his army effects amounting to £29-2s-11d and on 19 July 1919 she was sent his £17-0s-0d war gratuity. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'MATHEWS, F.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Live of the First World War website, on the A Street Near You website, on the London WW1 Memorial website, on the Royal British Legion's Every One Remembered website and as 'Matthews F' on page 252 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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