James Mathews (June 4, 1805 – March 30, 1887) was an American lawyer and politician who was a two-term member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio from 1841 to 1845.
Matthews was born at Liberty, Trumbull County, Ohio.
After studying law he was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1830.
In 1842 Mathews was re-elected from Ohio's 16th congressional district which only differed from the old 13th in that it did not include Knox County.
In 1855 Mathews moved to Knoxville, Marion County, Iowa.