His father was from Dunedin and worked for the Otago Daily Times before he became a contractor during the gold boom in Paeroa and Waihi.

[4] Spiro Zavos describes Presley [sic] Matthews as an obscure (even to Social Crediters) leader.

[5] Matthews married Euphemia "Phemie" Suckling at St Andrew's Church in Christchurch on 21 August 1929.

[7] About 1951 he moved to Tākaka to farm, and formed a branch of Social Credit.

His 1960 manifesto proposed policies such as introducing a Bill of Rights to limit the powers of Government, free travel to pensioners on Government-owned services outside of holiday periods, rationalising trading hours and holding a referendum on the liquor licensing debate.