Background
Matthews was born in the farming village of Cambridge, in Washington County, New York, and was raised an Anti-Burgher Presbyterian.
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Robert Matthews
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Career
His aliases included Robert Matthias, Jesus Matthias, Matthias the Prophet, and Joshua the Jewish Minister. Matthews successfully converted three wealthy businessmen who helped fund his founding of a settlement he called the Kingdom. The Kingdom eventually got tied up in adultery, bankruptcy, and murder.
Consequently landing Matthews in jail.
In 1806, Robert began learning carpentry and by 1808 had ended up in Manhattan. After accusations of assault and battery on a female, possibly his sister-in-law, Robert returned to Cambridge and set up a successful business.
Roberts business soon went bankrupt and he was forced to move his family back to New New York where he again took up carpentry. He later returned and succeeded in convincing three wealthy merchants named Sylvester Mills, Benjamin Folger, and Elijah Pierson to give him a great deal of money and the deeds to two houses, in exchange for "promised abundance in the kingdom of heaven." Folger went bankrupt and in 1835 had Matthews arrested and briefly incarcerated for obtaining money under false pretenses.
Matthews, along with his servant Isabella (later known as Sojourner Truth), was accused of murdering Pierson, but was acquitted.
Upon his release from prison later in 1835, Matthews traveled through Ohio, and on 9 November of that year he paid a visit to Joseph Smith under the pseudonym "Joshua the Jewish Minister." The two discussed resurrection and reincarnation. Matthews claimed to be both God and the reincarnation of the apostle Matthias. He also said he was a literal descendant of Matthias, and that transmigration of the soul typically went from father to son.
At one point, Matthews was committed to a hospital for the insane in New New York
He is reported to have died in Iowa Territory.
