George William Matthews was born in 1894 in North Kensington, London, the son of George John Henry Matthews (1872-1951) and Alice Elizabeth Matthews née Gregory (1873-1928). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1894 in the Fulham Registration District. On 21 July 1894 he was baptised at St James's Church, Norlands, 56 St James's Gardens, London, W11 4RA, where in the baptismal register his family were shown to be living at 1 Norland Road North, Notting Hill, London and that his father was a dyer's assistant.
When the 1901 census was undertaken, he was shown as living in three rooms at 185 Lancaster Road, North Kensington with his parents, his brother Charles Matthews, aged 4 years and his sister Alice Matthews, aged 1 year. His father was described as a dyers cleaner.
In April 1910 he was appointed as an Assistant Postman in the London Postal Service.
When his father completed his 1911 census return form he described his eldest son as George Matthews, aged 16 years and a Post Office telegraph messenger, still living in three rooms at 185 Lancaster Road. His father showed himself as a dyer and cleaner and that his wife had given birth to four children. Also listed on the census form were: Charles Matthews, aged 14 years and a butcher's errand boy; Alice Matthews, aged 11 years and Hilda Matthews, aged 1 year.
In 1911 he enlisted as Private in the 7th Battalion, Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), a Territorial Force battalion, service number 1300 and in March 1914 he was appointed as a Postman in the London Western District Office.
Following the outbreak of World War One he volunteered for overseas service with his regiment and entered France on 12 March 1915. Having been promoted to Lance Corporal, he was serving in his regiments 1st/7th Battalion when he was killed in action on 25 August 1915, aged 21 years and his body was buried in Plot 1, Row F, Grave 7, in the Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, 1 Rue du Petillon, 62840 Fleurbaix, France.
On 2 December 1915 his army effects totalling £12-5s-1d were sent to his father and on 31 July 1919 his £3-10s-0d was gratuity was also sent to his father who was by then living at 10 Broughton Road, Acton. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'MATTHEWS, G. W.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, on the A Street Near You website, on the London WW1 Memorial website, on the Royal British Legion's Every One Remembered website and on page 252 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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