Sir Matthew Aylward, Baronet, is a character in Call the Midwife. He is played by Olly Rix.
Overview[]
Matthew Aylward is introduced in S10E01 alongside and his then pregnant wife Fiona. When Fiona goes into labour, Trixie helps to deliver her and Matthew's baby, a little boy. Sadly, the Aylward's happiness proves to be short-lived when Fiona is diagnosed with Acute Leukaemia and dies soon after, leaving Matthew a widower.
Biography[]
Matthew with his late wife Fiona
In 1966, Nurse Beatrix Franklin is seconded to the Lady Emily Clinic, a private facility in the exclusive Mayfair area of London, in preparation for Nonnatus House forming a working partnership with the clinic which it is hoped will solve the convent's financial problems. She soon meets Matthew and Fiona Aylward who are expecting their first child. Fiona eventually gives birth to a son, but soon afterwards she is taken ill and is found to have leukaemia, dying from it soon afterwards. To make matters worse, Trixie discovers the clinic is also carrying out abortions, which were still illegal at the time. She relays this information to Sister Julienne, who promptly terminates their partnership.
Some time later, during the 1966 World Cup, Matthew invites Trixie to attend the christening of his and Fiona's baby son Jonathan (nicknamed Jonty). Trixie meets here the rather dominating nanny, who was the nanny of Matthew and was hired by his mother to take care of Jonathan. Matthew shares with Trixie that he isn't able to call Jonathan by a nickname, because the nanny disapproves. By S10 E05 Matthew sacks the nanny, and Trixie helps him look for a new one. She also lends him books and tells him to trust himself, and therefore be the one who always makes the decisions.
In the finale, after helping in the delivery of a baby as Lisbon Buildings or, as Sister Monica Joan put it, 'A byword for filth'. Trixie, Sister Hilda and Violet Buckle arrange to meet up with the owner who turns out to be owned by a family company but represented by Matthew Aylward. This infuriates Trixie, and not just because all her clothes were sent to the council fumigator after her being there. Matthew tries to apologise to her but she tells him it's not her he should be apologising to, it's the people who live in Lisbon Buildings. After meeting up with him, he agrees to put it right, but first Trixie agrees to read him the letter Fiona wrote before she died. After hearing it, Matthew is able to look forward. He personally pledges to pay £1000 annually to Nonnatus House in reparation which, along with the pupil midwife scheme, will secure Nonnatus House's future in Poplar.
Series 11[]
In S11E01, we learn that Matthew is still maintaining regular contact with Trixie. She is seen playing with Jonathan on the floor, while Matthew had a meeting with Sister Julienne. Before doing her rounds, she went to return the ball of Jonathan to Matthew. It seems that their relationship had progressed from professional to casual and friendly. Soon they were interrupted by one of the workers of a building, who told them that the remains of a baby was found. Matthew and Trixie had to see for themselves the skeletons of a baby. Both found it very difficult to cope with. Matthew gave the order that the police had to be called to start an investigation. Matthew and Trixie meet up in a diner place, and both talk about the discovery of the baby’s remains. It’s also shown that Matthew called Trixie about a second baby skeleton found. At the end of the episode, both were seen leaving flowers on the grave of the baby. Matthew asked Trixie when she thought the baby’s grave would be buried. She estimated that it would be before nightfall. Matthew made a comment about the fact that they were buried for too long. Soon, rain started pouring, and both shielded themselves under Matthew’s umbrella, before hurrying away.
In S11E02, Trixie is giving out flyers in relation to the scabies outbreak. She coincidentally goes into the café, where Matthew was sitting. He seems to be wanting to avoid her, but greets her anyways when she sees him. She asks if he wants a flyer, and he embarrassingly admits that he is already infected. At the end of the episode, Trixie calls Matthew to check on him. He seems to be doing a lot better as does Jonathan. He tells her that Jonathan has already started walking, and that she should come visit him soon. He admits that he, himself, would like it very much for her to visit them. Trixie seems happy with the invitation.
In S11E03, Matthew attended the surgery of Violet Buckle, and actively attends. He asks what plans the council has to ensure that the order of St. Raymond Nonnatus remains at the heart of midwifery and nursing in the area. Violet Buckle ensures that the council's monetary contribution would not change. At the end of the episode, Matthew carefully asks Trixie if she would allow him to send her flowers. This was a referral to a moment in season 10, where Matthew sent her a plant, and called her to ask if it did not contain any flowers (because that would be unprofessional). Trixie seemed flushed after this question, and only smiled. They shared a kiss. He was there to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Nonnatus House.
In S11E04, Matthew receives advice about dating Trixie from nurse Nancy. After Trixie's dress got ruined during a picnic, she confided in Nancy. When Nancy stumbled upon him, she advised him to treat her as if she is the only girl in the world. This inspired him to leave Jonathan with a sitter and take Trixie out to dinner. At the end of the episode, the couple are spending time with Jonathan during a picnic. However in S11E05, Trixie gets a letter from her godmother in Portofino revealing she is seriously ill, and Trixie decides she must leave Poplar and go to her, promising she will return, she just can't be sure when.
Matthew with his girlfriend Trixie Franklin
In S11 E06 on one occasion when checking on some of his property in the area he finds some squatters using his building for their own purposes, he tries to be civil and offers them a chance to leave without police intervention but they don’t take him up on the offer. He would have acted had one of the squatters who was pregnant asked him not to, he agrees to let them stay until the baby was born. Despite her requests to the contrary he goes to Nonnatus House and informs Sister Julienne about the woman named Clover. When Clover goes into labour he is there and calls on the aid of Shelagh Turner. The baby is born but with a condition that means the intestines are born outside the body but the ever capable midwife in this case was Shelagh Turner who keeps her cool and mother and baby are given a chance because of her and him.
In S11 E07 the Buckle family bump into him by chance and he says that Trixie has been writing to him from Portofino. The happy moment is cut short however when a train crash causes an explosion damaging the street Nonnatus House is located on. Matthew is uninjured but many people are and the whole team must band together to save as many lives as possible. A First Aid station is set up inside Nonnatus House, and Matthew reveals he has some medical experience from his National Service days and helps out as best as he can. He is put up in Nonnatus House for the night due to the chaotic circumstances. Miraculously everything goes well and Sister Julienne and Dr Turner who had been on the train when it crashed both survive with no permanent injuries. When Sister Julienne returns to Nonnatus House they all take a picture together. Matthew is included in the picture showing he really is a member of the Nonnatus family.
Series 12[]
In the 2022 Christmas Special Trixie returns to Poplar. Matthew continually tries to propose to her, but the moment is always ruined. Fred organizes a talent show, Poplartunity Knocks, and Matthew performs a duet, Something Stupid with Trixie's colleague Nancy Corrigan while Trixie watches from the wings. At the end of the episode, Matthew finally proposes and Trixie accepts.
In S12 E01 Trixie begins planning their wedding, both Matthew and Trixie make plans about meeting each other’s relatives. Those relatives include Fiona’s parents who Trixie feels awkward about and wishes that she wasn’t there at Fiona’s deathbed with them, however Matthew assures her that Fiona's parents think him finding love again is wonderful but Trixie still wishes for a cleaner slate with them. However at the end of the episode Trixie and Matthew go and the five are shown taking photographs together the meeting seemingly going well. In S12 E03 Trixie begins learning to cook and decides to host a dinner party with some people from Nonnatus House as the guests, unfortunately Trixie doesn’t do very well and everyone ends up in hysterics over the meal, however at the end Trixie is shown sitting down to dinner with Matthew with a meal made by Cyril which was looking very good.
In S12 E04 the maternity home needs to go into quarantine because of an outbreak of gastroenteritis and Trixie stays for the duration caring for the new-borns, when on the phone Matthew keeps and exhausted Trixie’s spirits up by talking about their honeymoon, after the quarantine was passed Matthew and Jonty are the first to meet Trixie when she leaves. In S12 E05 Matthew’s father Sir Brigham pays a visit to Poplar having been in hospital recently, Matthew’s father views Poplar as business while Matthew has come to value the friendship of the people there. Sir Brigham accuses Matthew of never having worked, never having to graft to Matthew decides to join with Timothy Turner for ten days in a council assistant for a bathing service for the elderly. His father wants to sell all the buildings they own in Poplar to make more money, but Matthew is against the idea saying that his work has made him learn what it is like to be dependant on the kindness of others. Unfortunately Trixie was seeing to Sir Brigham who went to the bathroom and died of what Trixie believes to be a pulmonary embolism and Trixie is forced to deliver the news to Matthew. Matthew and Trixie are last seen in mourning black clothes entering Nonnatus House presumably returning from the funeral.
Matthew with his new wife Trixie Aylward
In the opening of S12E07, Trixie's wedding invitation shows Matthew's style (after his father's death) as "Sir Matthew Aylward, Bt." - i.e. Matthew inherited his Baronetcy upon his father's death. Trixie and Matthew plan to be wed in November, Trixie was meant to wear the Aylward family tiara for the wedding but Matthew finds his mother had sold it so she and his father could go on a cruise to help him regain some health. Trixie is angry as the tiara was going to be her something old, something borrowed and something blue and Matthew is angry that Trixie is looking at it in such a self centred light. The two apologise over the phone for their outbursts at each other and go ahead with the wedding plans, and what could be the decades they spend together as husband and wife. Before the wedding Matthew tells little Jonathan a story about the two of them, about how they were alone in the world and not anymore and would live happily ever after. Matthew and Trixie arrive at the church in Chelsea and they are married. Unfortunately the hotel they were supposed to have the reception in burned down so they have the reception in Poplar.
Series 13[]
To be added...
Trivia[]
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Quotes[]
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Gallery[]
