Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Matthews, Henry
MATTHEWS, HENRY (1789–1828), judge and traveller, fifth son of John Matthews [q. v.], of Belmont, Herefordshire, born in 1789, received his education at Eton, and afterwards became a fellow of King's College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1812, and M.A. in 1815. In 1817 he left England for the continent on account of ill-health, and on his return he published his well-known ‘Diary of an Invalid, being the Journal of a Tour in pursuit of health; in Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, and France, in the years 1817, 1818, and 1819,’ London (two editions), 1820, 8vo. This work attracted much popular favour; it was reprinted, 2 vols. 1822, 8vo, and reached a fifth edit. London, 1835, 8vo.
In 1821, having been previously called to the bar, he was appointed advocate-fiscal of Ceylon, and fulfilled the duties of that office till October 1827, when he was promoted to the judicial bench on the vacancy occasioned by the death of Sir Hardinge Giffard [q. v.] He died in Ceylon on 20 May 1828, and was interred in St. Peter's Church, in the Fort of Colombo.
By his marriage with Emma, daughter of William Blount, esq., of Orleton Manor, Herefordshire, he had an only son, Henry Matthews, Q.C., M.P. for East Birmingham, and home secretary in Lord Salisbury's administration, 1886–92, who was created Viscount Llandaff in 1895.
[Gent. Mag. 1828, ii. 647; Graduati Cantabr.; Lowndes's Bibl. Man. (Bohn), p. 1518; Walford's County Families, 1892, p. 705.]