Family and Estate Papers of the Mathew Family of St. Kew, Cornwall and of the Caribbean Islands

IDENTITY STATEMENT AREA

Reference code(s): D/D Mw/

Title: Family and Estate Papers of the Mathew Family of St. Kew, Cornwall and of the Caribbean Islands

Date(s): 1628 - 1973

Level of description: Fonds

Extent and medium of the unit of description: 342 files of papers

CONTEXT AREA

Name of creator(s):

Administrative/Biographical history: This collection contains documents pertaining to the Mathew family, descended from John Mathew of St. Kew Cornwall (c. 1540) and the Mathew family of Llandaff, Glamorgan. Since the late 17th century the family had connections with the Caribbean region when Abednego Mathew (b.1633-d.1681), younger son of William Mathew of Tregildren, St. Kew, had attained the rank of colonel in the army and was appointed governor of St. Christopher, Leeward Islands. Successive generations of the Mathew family purchased estates in Antigua, St Christopher and St Martin and became involved in the sugar trade.

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CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

Scope and content: The papers of the Mathew family are divided into 5 main sections: (1) `Family and Estate Papers', arranged chronologically under the names of successive inheritors of land and property owned by the Mathew family (Reference D/D Mw 1-299); (2) `Estate Plans,' documenting the layout and extent of 6 sugar plantations owned by the Mathew family on the islands of St. Christopher, Antigua and St. Martin in the early-mid 18th century (Reference D/D Mw 300-395); (3) `Genealogy' containing family tree documents and genealogical notes on the Mathew family (Reference D/D Mw 306-312); (4) `Pictorial' containing 2 photographs of army officers, dated 1913 and 1931, respectively (Reference D/D Mw 313-314); (5) `Miscellaneous' records comprising 27 files of papers -- not directly related to the Mathew family -- featuring documents on the history of the following Caribbean islands: Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, St. Christopher, Jamaica, Nevis and Tobago.

Early files in the collection (Reference D/D Mw 1-15) relate to the life of William Mathew, the grandson of Abednego Mathew, who also held office in the Caribbean as lieutenant-governor of St Christopher (1715-1727) and lieutenant-general of the Leeward Islands. 3 sets of papers in this section of the collection also relate to land owned by the Mathew family in St Martin, Antigua and St Christopher and include a detailed inventory of the property owned by William Mathew in 1752 (Reference D/D Mw 14). Other files relate to property inherited by the Mathew family on the island of Nevis, again containing documents which list the numbers of slaves owned as part of the property inventory for each plantation (Reference D/D Mw 6-23). Throughout the series of family and estate papers there are letters documenting the sale of Mathew family estates in the Caribbean, specifically on Antigua and St. Christopher in the early 19th century (Reference D/D Mw 110-132). By the mid 19th century most of the family papers relate to the life of Sir George Benvenuto Mathew, (from 1865 Sir George Buckley Mathew) d. 1879, who was appointed as governor and commander-in-chief of the `Bahama Islands' (Bahamas) from 1844-1849.

Items of note within this collection are the 6 estate plans of plantations on the islands of St Christopher, Antigua and St Martin in the early 18th century (Reference D/D Mw 300-305). The most detailed is the plan entitled Plan of a Plantation, the Property of Abednego Mathew Esq. In the Parish of St George, Basseterre in the island of St. Christopher, dated 1757 (Reference D/D Mw 305).

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

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CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE AREA

Conditions governing access: Members of the public can consult this collection in the Document Searchroom of the Glamorgan Record Office, on completion of a requisition form. Visitors are advised to contact the Office in advance to reserve a place in the searchroom. Opening hours are as follows: Tuesday-Friday: 9.30am-5.00pm (4.30pm on Friday); Late opening, by appointment, Wednesday 5.00pm - 7.00pm; Closed Mondays and Bank Holidays.

Conditions governing reproduction: © Glamorgan Record Office

Language/scripts of material: English

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids: Printed list

ALLIED MATERIALS AREA

Existence and location of originals: Glamorgan Record Office, The Glamorgan Building, King Edward Vll Avenue, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NE.

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DESCRIPTION CONTROL AREA

Recorder's note:

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:

Interest: Caribbean

Specific group:

Subjects

Slavery

Sugar plantations

Plantation economy

Personal/Corporate names

Mathew, Abednego, 1633-1681

Places

Leeward Islands

Saint Martin

Saint Christopher and Nevis

Bahamas

Antigua and Barbuda