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Welcome to the MATHERS family tree. Though this site revolves around the MATHERS family in South Africa, the family tree goes back as far as Scotland in the 1700's, as well as the French Huguenots who settled on the southern tip of Africa, also in the early 1700's.
This site has been compiled by Anthony Michael Mathers (b.1965). Anthony's parents are Jeremy Robert Mathers and Helen Joy McCreadie. Hence you will find that this site also covers the McCreadie name and family.
Search through the Index of Individuals, found further down this page to find whom you are looking for. Attached to individuals you will find dates, stories and occasional photographs. Remember, you need only click on any name that is in blue and underlined. This will take you further into the web site.
Details about living individuals will be marked 'private'; should you have any enquiries about these people, please feel free to e-mail me and I will gladly assist you.

A few more notes on working with this web site:

1. The genealogy reports can be lengthy, once opened, use NEXT PAGE to view each generation.
2. The links are web sites that refer to the name MATHERS, or include individuals of the family, that I have come across in my travels through the web.
3. You will also find various information and connections to the 'Barclay Clan'. This is the Clan from whence the MATHERS' originate. There is much of the BARCLAY geneology within this site, especially over the period that the clan owned the estate of MATHERS>
4. Genealogy reports will often use the 'Ahnentafel' numbering system. This means that a person's parent's number will be twice as large as that person's number.
In other words, if someone's number is 15, her father will be number 30 and her mother will be 31. Her child will therefore be number 7.
5. The soundex for the name MATHERS is M362. Soundex is the phonetic code used by geneologists when researching names that sound the same, but the spelling may have altered over the years.

The name MATHERS originates from within that of Clan Barclay.

The Barclay's of MATHERS can be traced to an immigrant Englishman, a Theobald de Berkeley. He also settled in Scotland in the 12th century and his descendant, Alexander de Berkeley, Gartly IX, who acquired the estate of MATHERS, in St. Cyrus, Kincadin, when he married Katherine Keith, sister of the Earl Marischal and became MATHERS I in 1351. Their son Alexander was the first to adopt this Barclay form of the surname.
For this reason you will also find the geneological history of the Barclay clan over the period of their residence on the estate of MATHERS on this site.
The origin of the Mathers' from the North-East of Scotland (Kincardine and Angus) must not be confused by the English or Irish Mathers' or Mather's, originating as an occupational surname, meaning 'mower' or 'reaper' in olde English.
For a more comprehensive history, please refer to the related file below.

There is always much debate about the pronounciation of the surname. It is accepted that MATHERS is pronounced as if there was a Y in it.
i.e. MA(Y)THERS

Please feel free to e-mail me should you have any other enquiries, or you may have some information that might assist my family research. It will be much appreciated, thank you.


The MATHERS' and their Scottish ancestors - The Barclay Clan
Updated January 26, 2002

Anthony Michael MATHERS
Suite #11
PostNet X033
Rivonia, Gauteng 2128
South Africa
anthonym@iafrica.com

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My Family History

 

Family Photos

  • Sergeant -Major James Mathers, ca. 1887 (53 KB)
    Painting of James Mathers, a Sergeant-Major of the Gordon Highlanders. Born 1837, died December 13, 1907.
  • Barclay Dress Tartan (30 KB)
    Yellow and black, with white overcheck.
  • Ancient Barclay Hunting Tartan (16 KB)
    Blue and green, with red overcheck.
  • Patrick Douglas Mathers and his descendants (48 KB)
    Patrick and his descendants, circa. 1978. Standing; Patrick. Seated (L-R); Jeremy, Sheila, Alison and Janet. On ground (L-R); Anthony, Catherine, Barbara, Roger, Belinda and Maria.
  • The Kairn of MATHERS (40 KB)
    Up the coast from Saint Cyrus, on the east coast of Scotland, lies the ruins of the MATHERS Castle. Built by David Barclay of MATHERS to defend himself against the wrath of King James.
  • 1947 Springbok Soccer Team (67 KB)
    Photograph of the 1947 South African National Soccer team during their tour of Australia and New Zealand. Herbert Douglas McCreadie is third from the left.
  • Wings parade; December 5, 1985 (34 KB)
    Lieutenant Anthony Michael Mathers (SAAF) and his father Jeremy Robert Mathers (SAN) on the occasion of Anthony's wings parade when he qualified as a pilot in the South African Air Force.
  • Herbert Douglas McCreadie (1918 - 1998) (51 KB)
    'Dougie' photographed during the Springbok soccer tour to Australia and New Zealand in 1947.
  • Captain David Mathers 1915 (51 KB)
    Painting of Captain Mathers, done in 1915. Seen here in the uniform of the Scottish Horse, a regiment raised by the Duke of Atholl to fight the Kaiser with his son and heir, the Marquis of Tullibardine in command and Captain Mathers as Adjutant. After training in Northumberland the regiment went to Egypt, whence Captain Mathers, on promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel, took command of the Border Regiment in Gallipoli.
  • The McCreadie girls, May 2000 (57 KB)
    The McCreadie daughters and their respective daughters; starting bottom left and going clockwise; Barbara Mathers, Laureen Hochfelden, Catherine Mathers, Lynsey Hochfelden, Shelley Hochfelden, Dierdre Hewett, Meryl Hewett and Helen Mathers.
 

Related Files

  • The misty origins of the MATHERS name (7 KB)
    A brief overview of the name MATHERS and it's origins within the Barclay Clan.
  • The tombstone of James MATHERS (1 KB)
    This is the inscription on the family tombstone of James MATHERS, who died December 13, 1907. Found in the cemetry of Kirriemuir, a small village in the County of Forfar, in Scotland.
 

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