John Matthews

John Matthews ( 1763 – 20 August 1832) was a Canadian military officer and politician who served as captain in the Royal Artillery and represented Middlesex County in the Parliament of Upper Canada from 1824 to 1830.

Early life

John Matthews was probably born in England circa 1763. He claimed to have studied in Paris at an English college. At some point after 1779 he attended Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He served with the Royal Artillery, achieving the rank of captain. He quit the artillery during the Napoleonic Wars to become a farmer, but returned after the post-Napoleonic depression caused an agricultural crisis. He retired when the Royal Artillery was disbanded.

Arrival in Canada

Matthews immigrated to Canada in 1819. The audience at the event called for performances of pro-American songs such as "Yankee Doodle" and "Hail, Columbia". Three months after the event Matthews was accused of leading the calls for the pro-American songs. He was outspoken in his belief, and his colleagues in the Upper Canadian parliament referred to him as "the Reverend John Matthews" because of his constant preaching. He was adversarial towards the Anglican faith that was practiced by the ruling elite of Upper Canada.