A document of great interest, affording numerous sidelights to the deepest interest in the life of the countryside. The early letters supply important family information (3,4) - references to the Griffiths of Llangefni; his close relationship to the Prices of Cafnan and Mr Hughes the chemist of Amlwch; allusions to his father's two years' mayoralty of Aberystwyth; his own marriage with Miss Sarah M. Gee on 8 April, 1869 (79). It took him three years to secure the payment of debts due to his father from clients in Aberystwyth and North Cardiganshire, some of them being hopelessly indifferent, others definitely refractory.
He was very much interested in politics, but his profession naturally prevented him taking a prominent public part, as he had to tell Mr Morgan Lloyd, Q.C. in 1868, who was then contesting Beaumaris and the Anglesey Boroughs against the Hon. W.G. Stanley (pp. 70-74). Quite the most piquant of all the entries was his effort to secure the late Sir Marchant Williams to write for Baner ac Amserau Cymru (this by letter of 22 May, 1869, p. 83).
John Matthews was a thorough teetotaller (23,47) and a prominent Methodist layman. He was the organising mind behind the new Bethesda Chapel at Amlwch; he was also a keen musician, as proved by his long interest in Undeb Canu Dosbeirth Gogledd Mon (see 403, and letters from Professor David Jenkins, 496, 497). Undeb yr Ysgolion Sabathol, with their attendant examinations, was zealously supported by him (489, 490 etc.) He was a great friend of the British School (84) and of the University College at Aberystwyth (see Sir Hugh Owen's letter, inset, p. 355). Upon him devolved the duty of forwarding to Mr Morgan Lloyd a petition praying for the removal of the electoral disabilities of women, by letter dated 25 March 1874 (423) and of transferring (on behalf of the Anglesey Monthly Meeting), the sum of 20 guineas for the relief of suffering Bulgarians (23 November, 1876, p. 456).