# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Matthews, Alfred

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​MATTHEWS. (Commander, 1822. f-p., 15; h-p., 29.)
Alfred Matthews, born 26 Jan. 1792, is fifth son of the late John Matthews, Esq., of Belmont, co. Hereford, Colonel of the Local Militia, and several years M.P. for that shire, by Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Arthur Ellis, of Much Marcle. He is brother of the present John Holder Matthews, a Magistrate and Deputy-Lieutenant for co. Hereford; also of the Rev. Arthur Matthews, Canon of Hereford and Vicar of Linton, who died in Sept. 1842; and of Henry Matthews, Esq., author of the well known ‘Diary of an Invalid,’ who died soon after his elevation to the Bench in the island of Ceylon.
This officer entered the Navy, 31 Jan. 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Culloden 74, Capts. Chas. Henry Lane and Bartholomew Dacres, flagship for some time, in the Channel, of Rear-Admiral Geo. Campbell; whom, in the course of the same year, he accompanied to the Mediterranean in the Canopus 80. Removing as Midshipman, in April, 1804, to the Tigre 80, Capt. Bery. Hallowell, Mr. Matthews, who continued in that ship until Feb. 1808, was for a long period employed at the blockade of Cadiz, and, besides accompanying Lord Nelson to the West Indies and back in pursuit of the combined fleets of France and Spain, served throughout the second Egyptian campaign, from the capture of Alexandria to its evacuation. In June, 1808, we find him joining the Iphigenia 36, Capt. Henry Lambert, under whom, after making a voyage to Quebec, he proceeded to the Cape of Good Hope station, where he witnessed the conquest of Ile de Bourbon in July, 1810, and, in the course of the following month, assumed a share in a series of gallant but unfortunate operations, which, by the 28th, terminated in the self-destruction of the British frigates, Sirius, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Sam. Pym, and Magicienne, the capture of the Nériéide, and the surrender to a powerful French squadron of the Iphigenia herself, after incurring an individual loss of at least 5 men killed and 13 wounded, at the entrance of Port Sud-Est, Isle of France. He remained in consequence in captivity until released at the reduction of the Mauritius, when he was again placed on board the Iphigenia, under the orders of Capt. Thos. Gordon Caulfeild. He next, between July and Oct. 1811, served in the Scipion 74, flag-ship of Hon. Robt. Stopford at the Cape; and on 11 Feb. 1812 he was there made Lieutenant into the Astrea frigate, Capt. Chas. Marsh Schomberg. He returned to England in Sept. 1813; and was subsequently appointed – 18 April, 1814, to the Hermes 20, Capt. Hon. Henry Wm. Percy, which vessel, after 25 of her men had been killed and 24 wounded, in an unsuccessful attack upon Fort Bowyer, Mobile, was set on fire and destroyed in order to prevent her falling into the hands of the Americans, 15 Sept. 1814 – 10 June, 1816, as Senior, to the Alert sloop, Capt. John Smith, stationed in the North Sea, where, in one of the vessel’s galleys, he captured a smuggling lugger – and, 24 April, 1817, to the command of the Drake revenue cruizer, in which he appears to have been for three years very actively and successfully employed off the Land’s End and Scilly. He attained the rank of Commander 19 July, 1822, and between that period and April, 1823, was employed on the Jamaica station in the Surinam and Icarus sloops. He has since been on half-pay.
He married, 26 Oct. 1833, Emily Rosetta, youngest daughter of the late Rev. Jas. Bernard, Rector of Combe Flory, co. Somerset.