William was born in Castleton, Monmouthshire, Wales in February of 1819, this year is recorded on his gravestone. There is some question about this date as the 1851 Welsh census and the "Queen of the West" passenger list also of 1851, list William as aged 32. However, his marriage record for June 30, 1838 shows him "of full age" giving a birth year of 1817. The 1900 census, enumerated by his son Thomas J., gives a month of February and the year 1817. Other census enumerations do not indicate a constent birth year. Is it more likely that the earliest document which indicates 1817 is more accurate than later records? There are also transcriptions of baptismal records from Marshfield Parish, Monmouthshire, 1813-1837, that list four sons of Richard and Mary Matthews:

Richard bap. 1 May 1814
William bap. 23 Mar 1817
Edward bap. 25 Dec 1819
Thomas bap. 23 Dec 1821

"Topographical Dictionary of England", published in 1842, Samuel Lewis: Castleton - A hamlet, in the parish of Marshfield, union of Newport, upper division of the hundred of Wentlloog, county of Monmouth, 4 1/2 miles (s. w.) from Newport. Here anciently stood a castle, occupied, if not built, by the Normans, to protect their conquest of Wentlloog, the only remains of which are some small ruins of the citadel, and the chapel, converted into a barn; near the site is a barrow. On the level summit of an adjoining hill is a circular encampment, called Pen-y-Park-Newydd.

William was married on Jun 30, 1838 to Catharine Evans at St Peter's Church, Blaina, Aberystruth, Monmouthshire, and their marriage is recorded in the June quarter of 1838 in the Abergavenny register.

He and Catharine moved around during the next decade with five children born in Brecon, Monmouth and Glamorgan.

The 1851 census for Glamorgan county in Wales indicates William was born in Monmouth and shows his occupation as "collier" or coal miner, as does the "Queen of the West" passenger list.

Sometime in 1851 the family decided to immigrate to America. They most likely traveled by train to Liverpool, where in September they boarded the sailing ship "Queen of the West" for the six-week voyage. Near the end of the voyage, their young daughter Catharine died.

In the United States, the family moved to Northeastern Pennsylvania where six more children were born. Many other Welsh people also settled in the Scranton area because of the coal mining industry, but William must have grown tired of that occupation and became a farmer.

He declared his intent on 1 January 1855 and was granted citizenship on 6 September 1864, in Honesdale, Wayne County, Pennsylvania. His naturalization papers say he was a native of Castleton, Monmouthshire County, Wales.

In 1860 William was a farmer in Wayne County. The family must have been very poor because the census shows no children living at home, but instead with several other families in the township.

By 1870 they had moved to Spring Brook Township, then in Luzerne County, and William was still farming. Now however, the younger children were living at home.

William and Catharine were in Olyphant in 1880, living next door to their son John and his family. William was listed as a Methodist priest.

He served the churches in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties as a circuit rider and was greatly loved and admired by the Welsh people of the "Valley". He was a Calvinistic Methodist or Welsh Presbyterian minister and would deliver his sermons in the Welsh and English languages.

William lived with his son Thomas and family in Spring Brook in 1900, having retired from the ministry.

He died on 11 February 1901 in Spring Brook Township, and is buried in Springbrook Cemetery, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.