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There are several links on the net to the Mathew family and the Welsh side of this family still survives today. The Irish branches died out a long time ago and the lands to my knowledge went to the Wade family and some of it was sold to Tommy Stack (showjumping). The family was Roman Catholic and descended from Elisabeth Poyntz of Iron Acton (England), who was also Roman Catholic. This family produced a nun (Nano Nagle) and a priest (Theobald Mathew, who created the Presentation Sisters and the Temperance Movement; the family was well and truly Catholic. Nano was the daughter of Ann Mathew, great granddaughter of Elisabeth Poyntz.  Also, the surname was Mathew not Mathews and always has been way back hundreds of years to David Mathew of Llandaff, Glamorgan. I am not sure how Wades inherited the Mathew lands but I saw somewhere on the net it was through marriage, which would cause the Irish Mathew branch to become extinct. I am not connected to this family at all but love researching old Welsh families and hope this info might be of some help.

Dafydd ap Mathew (David Mathew) son of Mathew ab Leaun of LLandaff Court, Glamorgan. His descendant (George Mathew) married Elisabeth Poyntz, from an old Gloucestershire family.

Elisabeth Poyntz was originally married to the Duke of Ormond (Viscount of Thurles, Tipperary). When the Duke died, Elisabeth married George Mathew of Llandaff and he moved to her estates in Tipperary.

Back then lands were not bought but given by the Crown, and George Mathew was given Thomastown, Tipperary, upon which he built Thomastown Castle.

George and Elisabeth moved into Thomastown Castle where they raised a family.

Their descendant, Francis Mathew (1st earl of Llandaff) married Ellisha Smyth of Tinney Park, Wicklow and they had five children,  Francis (2nd Earl of Llandaff) George, Montaqu and Ellisha 2.

Ellisha 1 (Lady Ellisha) died giving birth to Ellisha 2, leaving Francis (1st Earl) widowed with five children.

Francis then married Catherine Skiffington, daughter of the Earl of Massereen but she died without issue in (children) 1796. His third wife (name unknown) was a sister to the Countess of Barrymore.

His son Francis (2nd Earl of Llandaff) married Gertrude Cecilia, daughter of John la Touch of Kildare and they had no children. His brothers, George and Montaqu, never married. The three brothers, Francis, George and Montaqu were known about London as the three Mr Wiggins after a farce of that name then playing at the Haymarket. The three brothers also invented the beaver hat. All three died without issue leaving the Thomastown estate to their sister Ellisha, and the Mathew line and title became extinct.

Ellisha Mathew married James Wade from an equestrian family and they set up a stud farm at Thomastown which still exists today. Their descendants include Tommy Wade, international showjumper in the 1960s winning several cups including the 1963 King George Cup. Another descendant is Ellisha Spencer (mentioned by Rymer) from the Wade family but married into the Spencer family.

The first Spencers (brothers, John and Geoffrey) arrived in Ireland as soldiers in the Cromwellian army. Oliver Cromwell divided the Barony of Killure between John and Geoffrey and their descendants still own the lands today.

Further info on Mathew of Thomastown. Ellisha mentioned by rymer is Ellisha Spencer, possible named for Ellisha Mathew who married into the Wade family now owners of Thomastown castle stud. Elisabeth and Ellisha were cousins.