Born at Swansea, 1606, the son of Matthew Johnes of Nydfywch, Llangyfelach, and Mary his wife. He matriculated from All Souls College, Oxford, 20 February 1623/4 and graduated BA 25 February 1624/5 and MA 5 July 1627. (Foster, Alumni Oxon.). In 1636 he was vicar of Penmain, Gower, and showed Puritan tendencies displeasing to the bishop of St Davids. Proceedings were begun against him in the Court of High Commission, but he emigrated to America [in 1638; he was pastor at Yarmouth, 1640, and at various other places in New England.]
In [1654] he returned at the request of colonel Philip Jones, and became minister of St John's, Swansea. He was ejected from the living in 1662. He took out a licence to preach under the Act of Indulgence, describing himself as an Independent. He died about 1683.
He was the author of The Messiah Magnified (London, 1659), The Reconciling Remonstrance (London, c. 1670), and other works.
His son, Lemuel Matthews (1644-1705), archdeacon of Down, matriculated from Lincoln College, Oxford, 25 May 1661, and became chaplain to Jeremy Taylor, bishop of Down. He obtained the archdeaconry of Down on 2 November 1674, and was appointed chancellor of Down and Connor in 1690. He was suspected of ecclesiastical misdemeanours and suspended from his offices by a royal commission. He died before his protracted appeals for redress brought any result.
Two other sons of his are known. Manasseh, born at Yarmouth, New England, left America with or soon after his father, and entered Jesus College, Oxford, in 1658, but did not graduate. He conformed, and became rector of Porteynon and afterwards (1670) vicar of Swansea. Mordecai, also born (c. 1640) at Yarmouth, went in 1655 to Harvard, and graduated there. He, too, left America, and was placed by the ‘Triers’ in the vicarage of Llancarfan. Ejected in 1660, he afterwards conformed, and in 1661 was given the living of Renaldston.
