Lewis Matthews

Lewis (otherwise Louis) Matthews was born Luigi Mattiucci (otherewise Mattucci), the son of Raphael and Annunciata Muttucci (née Corrior). Lewis's parents were Italian immigrants who probably arrived in England between 1874 and 1880. Both parents were born in Bisenti in the Teramo province of Abruzzo, southern Italy; his father Raphael Mattiucci in 1846 and his mother Annunciata Cerrior in 1851. They were married c.1870 at Bisenti and two of their children were born there: Giovanni b1872 and Cristina b1876. According to information provided on the 1911 Census, Raphael and Annunciata had been married for 40 years and had had nine children of whom only six survived. Apart from the two children known to have been born in Italy there is evidence for five children who were born in England: Luigi b. Bath 1879 (J/A/S Bath Somerset), Angelina b. Plymouth 1882 (A/M/J Plymouth, Angela Mattiucci), Antonio b. Plymouth abt. 1885, Elizabeth b. Nottingham 1891 (J/F/M Nottingham, Elizabeth Matthews) and Alphonso b. Nottingham 1896 (O/N/D Nottingham, Alphonso Mattiucci). It is likely that Antonio died young as he is not recorded living with family on the 1891-1911 Census. The family is first traced living in Bath, Somerset, where Raphael and Annunciata had their son Luigi They later moved to Plymouth where they had two children, Angelina and Antonio. They moved to Nottingham where we find the family on the 1891 census living at 1a Pennyfoot Street, Nottingham. The family was using the surname Matthews and the children's first names had also been Anglicised. Raphael Matthews, 44 yrs, was a street musician, living with his wife Nancy (Annunciata) and four of their children: John (Giovanni) 18 yrs and Christy (Cristina) 15 yrs, both of whom were street musicians, Louis (Luigi) 11 yrs a scholar and Angelina 8 yrs a scholar; the two youngest children were born in Nottingham. Alphonso (Alfred) was born in Nottingham five years later in 1896. The family was still living at 1 Pennyfoot Lane in 1901. Raphael was an ice cream manufacturer and vendor. Five of their six surviving children were still living at home; John and 'Tom' (Louis) who were labourers, Angelina a machinist, Elizabeth (9) and Alfred (Alphonso) (4). The family was still using the surname Matthews and the children the Anglicised forms of their first names. Their daughter Cristina (Christy) had married Vicenzo Bartiolomucci in 1892 (J/F/M Nottingham) and in 1901 they were living in Sneinton with their three children. Her husband Vicenzo had been born in Italy. They were still living in Sneinton in 1911 by which time they had had ten children of whom only six survived. Christina died in 1919 At the time of the 1911 census Rapahel and Nancy (Annunciata) were living at 18 Water Street, Nottingham, and had reverted to the surname Mattucci (sic). They were shown as Raphael 64 yrs an ice cream manufacturer, his wife Nancy 60 yrs and Alphonso 14 yrs, the only one of their children still living at home, who was a labourer for a sign and letter writer. The later CWGC record gives Lewis''s parents' address as 78 Flewitt Street, Nottingham. Nancy (Annunciata) probably died in 1940 (J/F/M Nottingham, Nancy Matthews). Lewis Matthews married Helen Day (b. 19 September 1882) in 1905 (O/N/D Nottingham, Louis Matthews) and they had three children: Nellie b. 1906 (A/M/J Nottingham) d. 1906 (J/A/S), Lewis b. 1910 (A/M/J Nottingham) d. 1915 (J/A/S) and Ida b. 26 March 1916. In 1911 the family was living at 18 Machine Street, Nottingham, and shown as Lewis 31 yrs a railway platelayer, his wife Helen 38 yrs and their son Lewis 11 months. Their son Lewis died in 1915; their daughter Ida was born the following year. When Lewis enlisted in the army in 1915 the family was living at 8 Butcher Street, Nottingham. His widow Helen was living at 198 Sneinton Boulevard, Sneinton, in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled. Also in the household was her unmarried daughter Ida, a surgical hosiery finisher. Helen died in 1968 (O/N/D Nottingham).

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