Laurence Mathewson (1832–1917) was born in Shetland, the second son of Andrew Dishington Mathewson, parochial schoolmaster for East Yell. He left home in the early 1850s, and stayed in Liverpool looking for land-based work but, unsuccessful, joined the crew of a ship in mid-1853. The following year, he jumped ship in Victoria, Australia, working there on coastal vessels before trying his luck at the gold diggings. Seven years later, in November–December 1861, he moved to Gabriel’s Gully, New Zea­land, spending some years as an itinerant gold miner, before forming a gold-mining company with his mates. He married a Shetland woman, settled in Central Otago, and in time acquired his own land. The following account of his life was assembled from the 167 extant letters which Laurence wrote after leaving home, together with a few letters written to him by members of his family back home and some by his daughters to Shetland relatives, all now held in the Shetland Archives.