Introduction

Biography

John was the son of John Al­ex­an­der Mat­thews and Cla­ra Woods, and hus­band of Ed­ith Beard.

He at­tend­ed Tri­ni­ty Col­lege, Lon­don, and stu­died or­gan under his father, and G. B. Arnold at Win­ches­ter Ca­thed­ral.

He emi­grat­ed to Am­e­ri­ca in 1891, and served as or­gan­ist at St. Mar­tin’s in the Fields, Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia; St. Ma­ry’s, Bur­ling­ton, New Jer­sey; St. Ste­phen’s, Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts; St. Pe­ter’s, Mor­ris­town, New Jer­sey (1901); and Grace Epis­co­pal Church, Pro­vi­dence, Rhode Isl­and (1916), where he was al­so choir di­rec­tor for 16 years.

He was hon­or­ary Dean of the Am­er­ican Guild of Or­gan­ists, and com­posed ov­er 100 pub­lished works.