MATTHEWS, Rebecca Allen
Rebecca Allen Matthews was born at Earls Colne, Essex on 6 April 1867, daughter of William Matthews (27 November 1808-3 January 1904), farmer & local minister, and his wife Rebecca née Allen (1825-31 March 1905), daughter of John Allen of Trehawke House, Liskeard, who married at Friends' Meeting House, Liskeard, Cornwall on 11 July 1861. Young Rebecca was educated at Mount School, York and in 1891, a 23-year-old, living at 'Ashwells', Park Lane, Earls Colne with her parents, 83-year-old William and 66-year-old Rebecca and two siblings, Eliza Jane 28 and John William 27, both born at Earls Colne. In 1901, she was still at the same address, with father now retired and the farm was being run by his son John William Matthews. Rebecca was a landscape painter in oil and watercolour, a member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club 1890-1894 who exhibited twelve works from Earls Colne 1890-1893, mostly landscapes and coastal scenes in oils including in 1890 ‘Sunset Sizewell’, ‘Friday Street, Surrey’ and ‘Gendorgal Beach, Newquay’. She also exhibited one work at the Society of British Artists in 1891 ‘Autumn Spoils’. Rebecca Allen Matthews died at The Friends Retreat, York on 14 April 1926, aged 59, she was unmarried.