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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Auckland Provincial District]

Matthews, Seering Hall

Matthews, Seering Hall, Legal Manager, Hobson's Buildings, Shortland Street, Auckland. Mr. Matthews was born at Dover, England, in 1840, and left for Hong Kong with his parents when he was a child. His father, the late Mr. E. I. Matthews, was in the Royal Engineers' Department, and came to Auckland to supervise the erection of the barracks and other Imperial Government works. Mr. S. H. Matthews was educated at Westley College, Auckland. After serving in the Colonial Secretary's Department for some time, he left and joined his father to learn the trade of a builder, and succeeded to the business on his father's retirement. When the wave of commercial depression swept over Auckland, Mr. Matthews retired from business and accepted an appointment in the Militia and Volunteer Department under the late major Gordon, and became at the same time superintendent of the Fire Brigade; both of these appointments he held for a number of years. Subsequently he was accountant to Messrs Thornton. Smith and Firth, millers, with whom he remained eighteen years. When a company took over the buisness, he continued in his old position for seven years longer, but several his connection with the firm in 1895, when he became the legal manager for over twenty mining companies and syndicates, carrying on as well the business of an accountant and auditor. Mr. Matthews has filled the positions of deacon and secretary in the Baptist Church for over twenty years, and was one of the founders of the Auckland Sunday School Union. He was elected president of the Union for 1900, and was re-elected to the office for 1901. Mr. Matthews is a member of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity, and has held all the offices of the Lodge and District, and has been one of the trustees for twenty-one years. He is also a member of the American Order of Oddfellows, of which he has been auditor for twenty years, and lately received a substantial recognition of his services; he has been for many years special auditor of the books of all the lodges in the district. Mr. Matthews has been a member of the Young Men's Christian Association from its inauguration, and is a member of the Auckland Bible Society Committee. He is married to a daughter of the late Mr. Edward Wall, who settled at the Bay of Islands in 1842, and has four sons and five daughters.