HomeMy WebLinkAbout560"Newspaper article from the Bay News,May 27,1992.
Pickering Twp.'s hero freedom fighter.
Pickering-Ajax freedom hero's 100-year-old secrets bared by family
By Harold Blaine, editor
New hitherto secret and unknown information has arrived at this newspaper's offices about
the man many would undoubtedly consider the most famous son of the Pickering-Ajax area —
the martyred freedom fighter Peter Matthews, one of the great heroes of Canadian
democracy.
Richard Matthews Jr., UE, is the eldest great, great grandson of the patriot hero hanged for
leading the freedom-fighter contingent from the now Pickering-Ajax area against the
notorious Family Compact government in Toronto. Richard says it now can be revealed
Queen Victoria (in a secret arrangement with the family) posthumously pardoned Captain
Matthews. Descendant Matthews has provided The Bay News with a copy of the actual
pardon document.
It's also been newly established that Captain Matthews was Canadian born. His birthplace
was the Moira River area of Ontario (now Belleville City).
It was previously believed Captain Matthews was an adopted son of this country.
His monument in the Necropolis Cemetery, resting place of the Toronto area famous,
so states.
Further, it's been recently established and certified by the United Empire Loyalists'
Association of Canada that both Captain Matthews' parents were Loyalists.
He doubly qualifies, as do his descendants, for United Empire Loyalist status and the
Crown-granted signature right of using the letters UE after his name.
The UEL Association has issued to descendant Richard Matthews Jr. a certificate of
UE status. The Bay News also has a copy of this UEL certificate, as well as a new account
of those, and subsequent, historic Canadian events written by Richard.
Richard Matthews Jr. says the Pardon issued by Queen Victoria was accepted secretly by
the family in order to clear the title of the Matthews property at Brougham.
At the time of the hanging, Family Compact officials issued an attainder against the
Matthews blood depriving all his descendants and his widow of all property and rights
in the British Empire. His mother, widow and children weren't ever deprived of occupancy
of the property for which the martyred father and husband fought, however.
The family was subsequently ostracized here. The property was sold and almost all the
family left to re-establish their fortunes with other freedom-fighter families in Michigan.
There one of the
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"Freedom hero
• From Page 1
Matthews family homes was restored last year as a significant historical site.
The eldest living Matthews descendant is an aged great grandson, resident in Tennessee,
the last of his generation.
June 28 at 2 pm is the 99th anniversary of the Toronto Necropolis monument which stands
over the final resting place of Matthews. It's a common grave with Sharon-Newmarket area
freedom-fighter commander Samuel Lount, a Sharon Temple Quaker.
Loyal friends eventually moved the bodies of Matthews and Lount to the Necropolis,
moving them from the common Potters (unmarked) Field paupers grave into which they
were thrown after the hanging.
Descendant Richard Matthews says the family wants to correct the record and the
Necropolis Monument inscription in the light of the new information.
An arrangement has been made for the Necropolis to donate a granite boulder and
mount a new plaque if one is provided.
A plaque is proposed which would be attributed to Family and Friends in 1993.
This plaque would be unveiled the 100th anniversary day, hour and minute of the original
monument.
The ""Friends"" attribution would allow contributions from the Pickering-Ajax and Toronto area,
as well as elsewhere — whether they be from communities, groups, organizations,
municipalities or individuals — in honor and commemoration of the memory of Captain Peter
Matthews.
The plaque will cost only a small and really token amount, about $2,000 in Canadian funds.
Pickering and Ajax Towns now occupy the former Pickering Township land area whose
freedom fighter contingent Matthews commanded. His sacrifice and the [rebellion],
historians will remember, led to the Durham Report Crown Inquiry and the writing of the
original Constitution for Canadian democracy.
Mayor Jim Witty of Ajax says he's certainly interested in these events and the plaque
proposal. What Ajax Town does will depend on the town council and the townspeople,
and probably most particularly on what Pickering Town does, for the Matthews home was
in the Brougham district now a neighborhood area in Pickering.
The plaque would be bronze. To fit the proposed text it would be 18 inches by 24 inches,
according to information from Necropolis officials.
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