My Mathews Great-grandparents
Henry Maxwell David Mathews & Jane Dunnill
On 15 December 1865 Henry Maxwell David Mathews, the son of John Gibbons
Mathews and Mary Jane Fleming, (seeThe Shamrocks) married Jane Dunnill, the daughter of Charles
Dunnill and Catherine Paulson. The marriage took place in the Parish Church
of Sheffield (now the Sheffield Cathedral).
At the time of Henry and Jane's marriage, John Gibbons Mathews (Henry's father) is recorded
as being a Gentleman, and Charles Dunnill (Jane's father) a Proprietor, possibly coaching - and at the time of his daughter
Jane's birth was recorded as a coachman.
Henry & Jane had 11 known children. Their first born, Alice Maud Mary,
born 18 October, 1868. Then George Maxwell Mathews was born on 2 October, 1870. Sadly, George died at only about
6 months old. Next was Frederick Charles, born 25 July, 1872. These three children were all born in Kensington, London,
England. Some time after Frederick's birth, Henry, Jane, Alice and Frederick set off for the New World, heading
for Boston U.S.A.
I then pick them up in Boston USA, with birth information for another child, Harry,
born 5 August,1875. Then Anna (or Annie) born c1877. Next my own grandfather,
Robert Walter Mathews was born 23rd December, 1879.
Three more children were born in Boston - Isabel Catherine born 2 January,
1881, Bessie Jane born 22 June, 1882, & Florence Emma Grace born 29 December, 1884.
Next move for the family was to Montreal, Canada, where we find them
in the 1891 census. Florence & Annie show up in the Canada 1891 census. Sadly, Henry died in Montreal
in 1886, aged only 39, and Jane is listed as a widow.
However, as well as the other children, we do find another son in her household,
Victor Edmund, aged only 4, born Quebec. So Victor must have been born either 1886 or 1887, and either shortly
before or shortly after Henry's death. We are still unable to locate a birth certificate for Victor at this stage.
Jane had born 11 children in 3 different countries in only 18 years.
By the time of the 1901 British census she had returned
to England, settling in West Derby, Liverpool, where that census information shows her with my grandfather Robert
Walter Mathews, her daughter Florence, and youngest son Victor.
Jane (Dunnill) Mathews died 13 August 1913, (cause of
death 3 years 7 months Hemiplegia - acute brochitis 14 days) and is buried in the Anglican Section at West Derby Cemetery,
Liverpool, England.
Henry Maxwell David Mathews died at Montreal General Hospital 30
January 1886 (cause of death - Rheumatism) and is buried in Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal.
New stuff to go here for when Jane returns to England.
