Lucas, Matthias Prime
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(born 1761 - died 1848)

Local connection
Lived at Dacre House, Lee and was one of the people who signed the Lee Petition in 1814.

Biography
Matthias was born 1 November 1761 to Josiah and Mary Lucas. Josiah was master of the Vintner Company in 1791 and Matthias was admitted into the Company in 1784, becoming Master in 1817 and 1838. His portrait by Simpson still hangs in the Court Room of this Company.

He married his wife, believed to be called Polly (? – 1847) between 1790 and 1791.

He was a member of the Common Council for the Tower Ward of the City of London (1799 - 1821), being elected Alderman 20 July 1820, Sheriff 1822 and Lord Mayor 1827.

His mayoral pageant was said to have been the 'most glorious for many years', although at the banquet a lamp that was hanging over his head fell and he was cut on the head by broken glass while others, including the Duke of Clarence (later William IV), were injured.

He was on the Court of the Company of Lightermen and Watermen from 1808, and elected president of their almshouses in 1839.

He helped arrange Nelson's funeral and as Commodore of the Sea Fencibles was in the Lord Mayor's Barge for the procession.

He was not very politically active, but was a member of Thompson's Committee in 1828. After the Reform Bill of 1831 he became a member of the Conservative party and stood as a Conservative candidate for Maidstone 1835 - 1837, but was not a serious candidate.

He moved to Wateringbury, Kent where on 2 Jan 1848 he died of influenza and was buried there.

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