Born at Preston, Lancashire, c.1835.
Enlisted at Dublin on the 8th of November 1853.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Carpenter.
Sick at Scutari, 1st of April — 25th of May 1855, and is again shown on a nominal roll made out at the Cavalry Depot, Scutari on the 9th of November 1855 as having been On Duty there from the 31st of August.
Transferred to the 8th Hussars at Hounslow on the 13th of September 1857. Regimental No. 100.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.
Died at Nusserabad, India, on the 13th of August 1858.
Lummis and Wynn state. "He is believed to have been valet to Lord Cardigan and to have attended his funeral." Doubts arise however, as the "Matthews" who carried Lord Cardigan's coronet at his funeral had previously been in the employ of the father of the lady who later became the former's second wife and had accompanied her when she left the parental home. He later became valet to Lord Cardigan.
The India Office records show him as dying from "Dysenteria Acuta" at Nusserabad on the 13th of August 1858, aged 22 years 9 months. He was buried on the same day by the "Officers Attending." This would confirm that he was not the "Matthews" at Lord Cardigan's funeral in 1868.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
The Balaclava clasp was sent on "O.C's certificate, dated the 17th of September 1857".
Mutiny medal with clasp for Central India.
Served at Kotah.