John Matthews (physician) facts for kids
John Matthews (1755–1826) was an English doctor and poet who lived a long time ago. He was also very active in his local area, Herefordshire, especially in politics and community leadership.
His Life Story
John Matthews was born in 1755 in Linton, Herefordshire. He was the only child of William Matthews and Jane Hoskyns.
He went to Merton College, Oxford, a famous university. He studied hard and earned several degrees: a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in 1778, a Master of Arts (M.A.) in 1779, and then medical degrees, a Bachelor of Medicine (M.B.) in 1781 and a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) in 1782. After finishing his studies, he became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, which is a very respected group for doctors.
From 1781 to 1783, he worked as a doctor at St. George's Hospital in London. In 1784, he gave special lectures there called the Gulstonian lectures.
Later, John Matthews moved back to Herefordshire. He bought a large piece of land called Clehonger near Hereford. Between 1788 and 1790, he built a grand house there called Belmont. It was located right by the River Wye and had beautiful lawns and gardens.
For the rest of his life, he played a very important role in Herefordshire. He was the mayor of Hereford in 1793. For twenty years, he was a senior alderman and a magistrate, which meant he was an important local leader and a judge. He was also the colonel of the first Hereford militia, a local defense group. From 1803 to 1806, he served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the county, representing his area in the national government.
John Matthews passed away at his home, Belmont, on January 15, 1826, after being ill for some time. A monument was placed in Clehonger Church to remember him.
His Writings
John Matthews wrote many short pieces, including poems and stories. He usually published his works without putting his name on them.
One of his most well-known works was Eloisa en Dishabille. This was a funny imitation, or parody, of a famous poem by Alexander Pope called Eloisa to Abelard. Matthews's version was published in 1780 and was quite popular, being reprinted several times.
He also wrote A Sketch from the Landscape, a poem published in 1794. Another work was Fables from La Fontaine, in English Verse (1820), which contained some hidden messages about the politics of his time.
His Family
John Matthews married Elizabeth Ellis in 1778 in Much Marcle, Herefordshire. Elizabeth passed away in 1823.
They had a large family with eight sons and six daughters. One of their sons was Charles Skinner Matthews, who was a good friend of the famous poet Lord Byron. John Matthews's grandson was Henry Matthews, who also became a notable person.
