Father Mathew

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Rev. Theobold Mathew, or Father Mathew, was a reformer from Cork, Ireland, known for his temperance society, founded in 1875. The Father Mathew Total Abstinence Society, almost exclusively made up of Irish, was to encourage males to abjure alcohol. He encouraged wholesome social activities, including picnics, dances and sporting events. He made a visit to Salem in Sept. of . A statue was erected in 1875 in his honor. In 1916, the statue was moved from Central and Charter Street to its present location, the corner of Derby and Hawthorne Boulevard (also named Bertram Park)