David Mathew, knight

Alabaster effigy of Sir David Mathew, north aisle, Llandaff Cathedral. He wears the Lancastrian livery collar of SS

Effigy of Sir David Mathew, side-view from north, north aisle, Llandaff Cathedral

Sir David Mathew (1400–1484) (or Welsh: Daffyd) was a Welsh knight, the son of Mathew ap Evan. After David Mathew saved the life of King Edward IV at the Battle of Towton, on Palm Sunday, March 14, 1461, he was appointed Grand Standard Bearer of England. Sir David married Gwenllian, daughter of Sir George Herbert. He was killed by the Turbervilles of Coity Castle, Glamorgan, in a riot at Neath, West Glamorgan. Sir David is the first of the family to have used the modern style of Welsh surname, "Mathew", having discontinued use of the traditional Welsh patronymic "ap Mathew", meaning "son of Mathew". This conformed with contemporary English usage. The surname was spelled consistently with only one "t" on the early 16th.c. tombs of his two grandsons in Llandaff Cathedral. Certain of his direct descendants centuries later adopted the spelling "Mathews", and "Matthews", whilst others, most notably the family of the Earls Landaff retained the old spelling into the 19th.c. His residence was at Llandaff Castle, held in fee farm from the Bishops of Llandaff,^[1] the ruined strongly-fortified gatehouse of which survives at the southern end of the Cathedral Close. His tomb with effigy is in Saint Mary's Chapel in Llandaff Cathedral, Llandaff, Glamorgan, Wales.

A History of Sir David Mathew

Sir David Mathew "was one of the most distinguished men of his age, and was made Grand Standard-Bearer of England by King Edward IV, whose life he is said to have saved (though he was far advanced in years) at the battle of Towton, on Palm Sunday, 1461. His tomb, ornamented with his full-length figure in alabaster, in St. Mary's Chapel, of the venerable Cathedral of Llandaff, (which has ever since been the property and burial-place of the family of (Mathew) is one of the most interesting extant monuments of that time. An accurate description of the various monuments of the family in this Chapel may be found in Browne-Willis's "A Survey of the Cathedral Church of Llandaff”, 1718. Sir David "was slain by the Turbervilles in a riot at Neath. He had a grant of 2,232 acres of land from Henry VI., the reversion of Caneton, and from William Earl of Pembroke lands at St. Fagan's and in Pentyrch. Buried and has a fine altar tomb at Llandaff. He m. Wenllian, d. of Sir Geo. Herbert of Chapel, sister of Gwilim Llwyd, who m. Wenllian David of Rhiwperra."

Biography in "Genealogy of the Earls of Landaff"

Full-length view of effigy of Sir David Mathew, Llandaff Cathedral

The "Genealogy of the Earls of Landaff" which has a picture of the tomb of Sir David, has the following to say about him: "Sir David-ab-Mathew, Lord of Llandaff, Seneschal of the Cathedral, saved the life of Edward IV, at the Battle of Towton, Palm Sunday, 14 Mar., 1461, and by his Majesty was created Grand Standard-Bearer of all England. He was a great and zealous Yorkist chieftain, whose extraordinary prowess and daring in the field, even at a very advanced age, were, contrarily to the majority of his countrymen, who favoured the Red Rose of Lancaster, used on behalf of the White Rose of York. He was murdered by one of the Turbervilles in a riot at Neath, 1484, and buried in Llandaff Cathedral, where his altar tomb may still be seen, the effigy of him thereon measuring 6 ft. 7 in., said to have been his height. Sr. David was one of the Ten Great Barons of Glamorgan, and a Marcher Lord. He received from Edward IV, the grant of the use of the word "Towton" as an augmentation over his crest. In 1480 he restored the shrine of Saint Teilo which had been pillaged and desecrated by a gang of pirates from Biston, and was presented by Bishop Marshall with St. Teilo's skull, set in a costly reliquary, to be an heirloom in his family, who carefully preserved it for about 200 years, until the death of William Mathew in 1658 at Llandeilo. Sir David was the first to adopt the surname of Mathew. The name, properly "Mathew," was spelt by Sir David's descendants variously, e.g., in the Funeral Entries, preserved in the Record Tower at Dublin, vol. vii., p. 18, the name of the founder of the Irish branch of the Family is entered as "George Matthewes, Oct. 1670." Admiral Mathew of Llandaff Court, and all his descendants, spelt their name invariably "Mathews." He m. Gwendoline, d. of Sir David Herbert of Chapel, Monmouth, 2nd s. of William-ab-Jenkyn, ancestor of the Earls of Pembroke.

Armorials

Arms of Mathew, left: Mathew of Llandaff: Or, a lion rampant sable.[2]; right: Mathew of Radyr: Sable, a lion rampant argent.

Heraldic achievement at top of mural memorial tablet erected 1987 in Llandaff Cathedral, Mathew Chapel:^[3] "In memory of Thomas James Mathew son and heir of Francis James Mathew second Earl of Landaff born in London 1798 died in Cape Town 1862". The arms are blasoned: Or, a lion rampant sable. Crest: A heathcock proper. Supporters: Two unicorns rampant silver maned tufted hooved collared and chained or. Motto: A Fynno Duw a Fydd ("What God wills will be")

Two different arms are recorded as having been used by the Mathew family, both consisting of a lion rampant, but with differing tinctures. The branch seated at Llandaff, thus the senior line, is generally ascribed Or, a lion rampant sable (i.e. Burke's Armorials), whilst the branch seated at Radyr, descended from Sir David Mathew's younger son, is generally ascribed Sable, a lion rampant argent (Burke's Armorials). Yet confusingly the 1980 heraldic restoration of the Mathew tombs at Llandaff carried out by Hugh P. Mathew, who was recognised by the College of Arms as having proved his direct descent from Sir David Mathew,^[4] has resulted in the Radyr coat being painted on the tomb of Sir Christopher, who was head of the Llandaff branch. Rev. Murray Mathew (1895) assigns to Sir David the Radyr coat. Moreover the Earls Landaff used the coat of the Llandaff branch even though they were descended from the Radyr branch. Unfortunately the tomb of Sir David bears no heraldry by which the confusion might be resolved. The arms of Radyr Sable, a lion rampant argent were supposedly adopted in honour of the White Rose, according to Rev Murray Mathew.

Crest

Crest on helm of effigy of Sir David Mathew, Llandaff Cathedral: a heathcock, of which the head is missing

The crest is also not without confusion, being given variously as a "heathcock" (another name for partridge, of the pheasant family), a "moorcock", ^[5] a "fieldcock", (a vague term possibly denoting grouse), a blackcock, (of the grouse family) and is shown on the Earl Landaff memorial in a form akin to a farmyard cock or rooster. The effigy of Sir David does however show most of the bird forming the crest of his helm upon which he rests his head, but it is missing the head. The feet are short and sturdy, suggesting a grouse-type bird and are not the long legs of a rooster^[6] A gilded bird, probably a dove, is used as a foot-rest in the effigy of St Teilo in Llandaff Cathedral.

Motto

The motto of Mathew is in Welsh: Y Fyn Duw A Fydd, meaning: "What God willeth will be".

Progeny

Effigies of Sir William Mathew(d.1528) and his wife. The latest of three surviving Mathew family effigies at Llandaf Cathedral^[7]

He married Wenllian, da. of Sir George Herbert of Chapel, sister of Gwilim Llwyd, who m. Wenllian David of Rhiwperra. He had the following 2 sons:^[8]

• Reyborn (or "Reinborn, Rimbron," etc.)(d.1470), 2nd. son. He was the founder of the Llandaf line of Mathew, having married Isabella (or Elizabeth) Denys, daughter of Maurice Denys(d.1466), esquire, of Alveston, Glos., Sheriff of Gloucestershire, by his 2nd wife Alice Poyntz, da. of Sir Nicholas Poyntz of Iron Acton, Gloucestershire. Reyborn's will (dated 20th October 1470, proved 15th March 1471)^[9] directed that he should be buried in the Chapel of the Virgin Mary within The Gaunt's Chapel, Bristol, where the Poyntz family later in about 1520 built a family chapel. His will directed that gold & silver items be placed upon the shrine of "his kinsmen" Saint Teilo, Saint Oudoceus and Saint Dubricius at Llandaff Cathedral. Reyborn's eldest son and heir was Sir Christopher Mathew(d.1528), whose effigy is one of three surviving Mathew effigies in Llandaf Cathedral. Sir Christopher's son was Miles Mathew, Sheriff of Glamorgan in 1547. A later descendant was Admiral Thomas Mathews(d.1751) who built Llandaff Court and was court-martialled in mysterious circumstances.
• Thomas(d.pre. 1470), 3rd (poss.4th) son. He is mentioned in Reyborn's will, and had been the custodian of the relics of St Teilo. He married Catherine, daughter of a Welsh nobleman, and founded the Radyr line of Mathew. He was also buried at The Gaunt's Chapel, Bristol. On Thomas' death shortly before 1470, his lands passed to his eldest son David and then to his younger son William Mathew(d.1528), who was knighted by King Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.^[10] Sir William accompanied King Henry VIII to the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520. His successor was his eldest son Sir George Mathew who became the MP for Glamorgan constituency and in 1545 Sheriff of Glamorgan.^[10][11] From the Radyr line was founded the family of the Earls Landaff in the peerage of Ireland.

Landholdings

The following record is contained within John Matthew's "Cardiff Records" (1903): (Cardiff Library, Phillips MS, "A breviat with notes Conteyninge all the Lord-shippes and Manners within the Countie of Glamorgan,"&c., "collectid & gatherid for the private vse of the gent" now atendinge vpon the Right Honf'able Henry Earle of Penbroke my good Lo: and Master. Anno Dni: 1596." Dedicated "To the worshipfulle Thomas Morgan' Esquire Stewarde in house to the Right Hon'"able Henry Earle of Penbroke health and happines," by Rice Lewis):^[12]

"Thomas Mathew esquire maried Catherin doughter and sole heire of Morgan ll'n of the Radir esquire. 4th in descent from him is Edmunde Mathew Esquire that hath Radyr wherein standeth theire cheefe Dwellinge house, that hath a lardge parke of fallowe deere, belonginge to yt hard by the house, with demeasnes and coppiehould landes for iij lives. The Lord is Patron and the valuac'on is [blank.]

Landaphe and the castle of the same which they held in fee farme of the Buishop of Landaphe, and therein is the cathedrall church of Landaphe, standinge upon the River of Taffe. William Mathew esquire hath Landaphe wherein standeth his cheefe dwellinge house but as I take it yt is holden in soccage of the Buishoppe of Landaphe for the tyme beinge. Yt hath lardge demeasne which butteth to the River of Taffe, from the house alongest the said River allmost Cardif bridge. Placesturton Joyneth to his demeasne of Landaphe, and butteth to the west p'te of Cardif bridge, and hath demeasne free tenaunts and coppy hould for iij lives but hath no church for it standeth in the parishe of Landaphe as the house doeth".

Sources

• Welsh Biography Online, National Library of Wales, Mathew Family
• Jones, Anthony L., Heraldry in Glamorgan, South Glamorgan No.3, Llandaff Cathedral, 1987 (Cathedral booklet)

Bibliography

• Mathew, Rev. Murray Alexander, "The Genealogy of the Earls of Landaff of Thomastown, County Tipperary, Ireland", published by Simpkin, London, 1895. (A rare book)
• Odell, Dr. Garner Scott. Sir David: The Life and Loves of a Welsh Knight, 2003. (Historical romance of life of Sir David Mathew)
• Browne Willis, A Survey of the Cathedral Church of Llandaff, 1718.
• Liber Landavensis
• Mathews, David. Mathew of Llandaf, 1997. (A history of the family)

References

1. ^ Matthews, John, Cardiff Records, Vol. 4, 1903, p.136
2. ^ Burke's Armorials 1884, p.669
3. ^ Jones, Anthony (1987), p.9
4. ^ Jones, Anthony (1987), p.21
5. ^ Burke's armorials, 1884, p.669
6. ^ The heathcock crest may be observed on the helm of the effigy of Sir David Mathew in Llandaff Cathedral. The "Genealogy of the Earls of Landaff" gives the crest for Sir David as a blackcock proper, although the Earls of Landaff bore as crest a "heathcock proper", which is however depicted akin to a rooster on the mural monument erected in 1987 in memory of Thomas James Mathew(d.1862), son and heir of Francis Mathew, 2nd Earl Landaff in the Mathew Chapel, Llandaff
7. ^ Earliest effigy is of David Mathew, knight(d.1484), 2nd of Sir Christopher Mathew(d.1527), eldest son of Reyborne Mathew, 2nd son of Sir David
8. ^ Lecture given by Mr J. Barry Davies at the Friends of Llandaff Cathedral 2003 annual lecture, published in "Friends of Llandaff Cathedral 71st annual report 2003/4"; Notes from site of Barry L. Matthews, www.users.qwest.net
9. ^ National Archives Prob/11/6, image ref 7
10. ^ ^{a b} New Horizons History Group (1991) (PDF). Twixt Chain and Gorge. Shadowfax Publishing, Radyr, Cardiff. ISBN 0 9514887 4 0. http://www.radyr.org.uk/pdf_files/twixt.pdf. 
11. ^ Patricia Moore, ed (January 1995). Glamorgan Sheriffs. Cardiff: Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru / University of Wales Press. ISBN 9780708312643. 
12. ^ http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924091779227/cu31924091779227_djvu.txt Matthews, John Hobson (Ed.), (Archivist to the Corporation of Cardiff), Cardiff Records: Being Materials for a History of the County Borough From Earliest Times, Vol.4, Cardiff, 1903, p.136

External links

• http://books.google.com/books?id=WmpmAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA669&lpg=PA669&dq=Sir+David+mathew+knighted&source=bl&ots=LrjZgdTSCC&sig=xCO7mx59-3egbJDThdZ5H9WRR1
• http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/14917889/person/187979646/media/1