| Disgrifiad | pp. 1-133.
Very informative and important. The early entries are eloquent of the problems left unsolved at the death of his father - payments for surveys unpaid (Llanidloes, Llanddulas, Abergele and Denbigh districts, pp. 3,5,7,10,12); commitments regarding mines and quarries entered to (pp. 1-2, 6).
Considerable trouble found in getting payment of his own debts - from a Llanarmon tenant, from a Taliesin mine - captain, from a Dylife adventurer, from a captain who had vanished to Cornwall (pp. 23,25-36). Then come his own activities as surveyor in North Cardiganshire and South Merioneth - of Aberystwyth Castle in 1857 (44-47); of Gogerddan and Gwynfryn lands sold to build the new Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway in 1864 (pp. 83-87); of commons on the Towyn and Aberdovey foreshores (64,87-88,89, &c.); of encroachments at Borth - a very thorny problem which entailed almost endless correspondence. Many letters and reports on the Aberystwyth water supply (67,68) and of negotiations between the Corporation and the Pryses of Gogerddan and Peithyll.
In his last years he took immense pains over a survey of the Manor of Genau'r Glyn - in October, 1870, a few months after his death, his son delivered to Col. E.L. Pryse of Peithyll as many as 130 of these maps (AM/82, p. 150).
The religious interest is also prominent - arranging cyhoeddiadau for prominent ministers who visited North Cardiganshire, such as Thomas John of Cilgevin in 1850 (6-7), Owen Jones of Manchester and John Jones of Wrexham (25) and especially the Revs. Edward Matthews, David Saunders and Henry Rees in 1860 (74). As interesting as any is the report to Col. Pryse on the best plan to build a new Methodist Chapel at Eglwysbach (Capel y Graig) in 1866, with its very exhaustive analysis of the habitat of the families who lived in Sgubor-y-coed parish (117-118).
This book shows John Matthews to be not only a land surveyor in great demand, but also emigration agent who had his hands full during the years of the Australian gold-rush (33-34,36,38-39,40,63,65) and registrar of marriages; called in to arbitrate between private individuals and between lead miners and their employers, (e.g. at Tyllwyd, 75). For all that he was willing to migrate from North Cardigan to become land agent to Lord Llanover (113-119).
He was a strong Liberal and anti-Churchman, as witness his letter to Henry Richard in March, 1857 (pp. 40-41), with its emphasis on the proper registration of Liberal voters (on p. 57 will be found some interesting references to transactions between the elder Matthews and Ebenezer Richard, Henry's father). He furthered local petitions to support Cobden's motion in favour of the abolition of Church rates both in 1855 and 1860 (31-32,70). (See also inset, p. 133).
There are a few domestic touches - the long sad letter sent (23 November, 1852) after the death of his (J.M.'s) youngest daughter to the Rev. Griffith Hughes of Edern (18-20); references to the death of another daughter in 1865 (p. 95); the very sad communication sent to the Methodist missioner in Brittany about the death of an Aberystwyth boy in a Breton port (46-47). There are several letters to an Amlwch chemist named W.H. Hughes (8,11,28,29,46, &c.) as figures in the Ashby Mss (ASH/2 & ASH/16.) |