Gordon Richards Matthews, CBE, FCA, FRSA (16 December 1908 – 4 February 2000) was a British chartered accountant, Director of a department store, and politician. Despite a near half-century involvement in the Conservative Party in the West Midlands, he served only a single term in Parliament.
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Accountancy
Matthews attended Repton School but did not go to university. Instead he trained as a chartered accountant, qualifying in 1932. His grandfather, William Matthews, had joined with John Rackham to set up Rackhams and Matthews department store in Bull Street, Birmingham, and this business had also employed his father Frank. Matthews himself joined the company in 1933 as a secretary, using his knowledge of accountancy.
Conservative links
In 1934 Matthews married Ruth Brooks, the daughter of the former Lord Mayor of Birmingham Sir David Brooks. He also became involved in the Conservative Party, and in 1937 was appointed as Hon. Treasurer of Deritend Unionist Association. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Matthews enlisted in the Royal Navy; he was all set to join when he was switched to work as an accountant at the Admiralty.