The Churchyard and its Monuments.
The ground around the church was never consecrated, but it was used for burials from 1654 to 1855. The East India Company gave half an acre for the chapel in 1642, and when it accepted responsibility for the chaplain in 1657, it defined the burial ground as an area c200ft square. The ground may have been fenced at that time, though a fence was made 'about the Chappell' in 1676.
This was the only burial ground in Poplar throughout the eighteenth century. The East India Company permitted its enlargement in 1777. The extension was presumably northwards and westwards to the approximate dimensions of the churchyard today. The wooden fence enclosing the burial ground was replaced with cast-iron bollards and chains in 1822. A brick wall was erected along the east side of the ground c1854, when Woodstock Terrace was laid out. This was rebuilt with wrought-iron railings in 1969. The burial ground and paths from the High Street were transferred to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, with the chapel, in 1867.
There are several large monuments and a number of headstones in the churchyard. Many are damaged or badly weathered, and others have been cleared away. Strype recorded 'several fair tombs' now destroyed or unidentifiable, including memorials to shipwrights and East India Company and Royal Navy captains. Many other tombs are mentioned by Rawlinson, Lysons and Bradford. The most prominent remaining monument is that to Captain Samuel Jones (1668–1734) and his family, north-west of the church. Jones 'engaged a superior force of the French off Cape Rwella in 1706 and off Beachy Head in 1707, and with signal bravery and conduct put them to flight'. The monument has bas-relief panels on its plinth, a cartouche of Arms enriched by military trappings with globes on one side and a ship on the other. Console brackets above supported a funerary urn, recently destroyed. The pedestal of the monument was remade c1900 by William and Arthur Ellingford of Stainsby Road, Poplar. Its semi-cylindrical projections formerly supported freestanding putti.
There are several early monuments along the east side of the churchyard. An obelisk on ball feet over a plinth with a cartouche of Arms commemorates Daniel Coppendale (c1669–1722), a distiller, and his brother Samuel (c1675–1725). South of this is a chest tomb with bellied angle pilasters, to Solomon Baker (c1693– 1756), a distiller of Stratford. To the north are a damaged and unidentifiable early eighteenth-century chest tomb with cherubs' heads at its angles, and a panelled and pilastered chest tomb to John Oyles (c1653–1731), Benjamin Hager (d.1773) and Rebecca Hooker (d.1781). Further west stands a neo-Classical chest tomb to the family of John Smart (c1702–77) which has elegantly carved amphorae at the ends of its long sides. South of the church there is a group of three chest tombs to members of the Perry family, from Philip Perry (c1678–1742) to Philip Perry (c1770– 1830). These badly damaged nineteenth-century tombs incorporate some eighteenth-century panels and an inscribed cap. A simple chest tomb near the southwest corner of the church is dedicated to Captain John Rendell (c1692–1755) and his family.
The churchyard has some imposing early nineteenth century monuments, demonstrating that St Matthias's remained a prestigious place for burial after the opening of All Saints' church. To the south-west there is a large chest tomb with battered sides to a coved cap. This commemorates Hugh McIntosh (c1768–1840), dock contractor. To its north is a large three-stage memorial of 1840 to the Flowers family. Other early nineteenth century chest tombs include those to Daniel Maxwell (c1757–1810), surgeon, William Grundy (c1759–1823), Benjamin Granger (d.1819), and Thomas Lambert (c1768–1844), builder and coach operator.