Mathews, John, 1744-1802

John Mathews (1744 – November 17, 1802) was a Founding Father of the United States and lawyer from Charleston, South Carolina. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1778 to 1781 where he endorsed the Articles of Confederation on behalf of South Carolina. On his return, he was elected the 33rd governor of South Carolina, serving a single term in 1782 and 1783.

Mathews was born in Charleston in the Province of South Carolina. He was commissioned an ensign and lieutenant in the South Carolina Provincial Regiment which took part in an expedition against the Cherokee in 1760. Mathews thereafter studied law at the Middle Temple in London, England. He was a law clerk for Colonel Charles Pinckney after returning to South Carolina, was admitted to the bar, and thereafter practiced in Charleston. In 1772, he was elected to the colonial Assembly; in 1775 and 1776, Mathews was a member of the First and Second South Carolina Provincial Congresses. In 1776, he was appointed an associate judge of the state circuit court. From 1776 to 1780, Mathews served in the South Carolina House of Representatives, and he was speaker in 1777 and 1778. During the American Revolutionary War, he served as a captain in the Colleton County regiment. Mathews was a founding trustee of the College of Charleston.

Mathews was a member of the Continental Congress from 1778 to 1781 and was a supporter of the Articles of Confederation. He was then elected governor by the state legislature and served from 1782 to 1783. After leaving the governorship, Mathews won election as a judge of the state Court of Chancery in 1784. He was again elected to the South Carolina House in 1784. Mathews was a judge of the state Court of Equity from 1791 until his resignation in 1797. He died in Charleston on November 17, 1802 and was buried at Circular Congregational Church Burying Ground there.