Simon Mathews was a Welsh immigrant who came to Pennsylvania with his cousin Simon Butler

Simon Butler

Simon Butler was a very important historical figure in the history of Chalfont, Pennsylvania.-Life:In 1712, Simon Butler, with his good friend Simon Mathews, immigrated from Wales to Pennsylvania. They landed in Philadelphia and lived for a time in New Castle County...

 in 1712. Along with Butler, he is considered one of the founding fathers of Chalfont, Pennsylvania

Chalfont, Pennsylvania

Chalfont is a home rule municipality located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,009 at the 2010 census.Chalfont is named after Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire, England...

.

Life

Mathews was born in Wales, the son of Thomas Mathew, a devout Baptist. In 1712, with his cousin, Simon Butler, he came to the new Pennsylvania Colony. He was a millwright, by trade, and a devout Baptist like his father before him .He moved to and raised a family in New Castle County in Delaware. In 1720, he moved to the New Britain

New Britain

New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...

 area of Bucks County with Butler, who had already established himself in the area. In 1731, he bought 147 acres of land and built a home. His farmhouse still stands today and is the home of Nostalgia Weddings. He died in 1755 and his estate was bequethed to his son Thomas. He fathered many children and his descendants are still in the area.

Legacy

Mathews is much lesser known than Simon Butler, who acted as both a legal power and large landowner in the area. Besides his descendants, his greatest legacy is his beautiful farmhouse which still stands today as the home of a local business. His contributions to the area ought not to be forgotten by the citizens of Chalfont.