1784 Mathew Mason was baptised 10/7/1894 to James Mason & Mary Crawford- these parents given on his 1855 dc - in Glasgow.Baptism on SP, along with 2 siblings
He joined the 93 Highland Regiment of Infantry in Suffolk on 24/4/1805, aged 20 , for unlimited service. Likely not married at this time
1805. A Mathew Mason married Rachel Grieg, father James Grieg, on 20/6/1805 in Canongate Edinburgh. FS, also on SP, not purchased as doubt it would tell me anything
From his discharge papers in 1826, he had served 21 years , 184 days before being signed off for discharge due to Chronic Rheumatism in Antigua in July 1826, his actual discharge being signed 24/10/1826 Horseguards. His signature appears on these papers, he was a weaver, he had remained a Private throughout his time in the army, was 5' 6", fair hair, grey eyes and fair complexion. Behaviour good. There is no record of next of kin, and no details of his time in Ireland, this being part of the UK at this time and thus not a foreign posting. .
1805-1814. Mathew Mason and Rachel had 5 children with her, all of whom seem to be dead by 1855. Rachel must also have died before 1819, but no burial on the irishgenealogy site
1819. Remarried Elenor Mitchell, on 7/2/1819 in St.Paul's COI in Dublin
http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/
Had at least 3 children in Ireland, not yet found any baptisms, then James ~1831 once back in Glasgow
1841C Mathew Mason, 50, army pensioner & cotton HLW, b. Lanarkshire is living Thomson Lane, Barony with his Irish wife and 3 children
| Mathew Mason | 50 | Army P. . . Cotton HLW | b. Lanarkshire |
| Helen Mason | 50 | b. Ireland | |
| Ann Mason | 20 | Cotton PLW | b. Ireland |
| Helen Mason | 15 | Cotton PLW | b. Ireland |
| James Mason | 10 | b. Lanarkshire |
1851C. Matthew Mason, 66, Hand loom weaver, is living 249 Duke Street, Barony, with his wife and 2 children
| Matthew Mason | 66 | HLW | b. Glasgow |
| Helen Mason | 60 | b. Ireland | |
| Helen Mason | 30 | PLW | b. Ireland . . thus b.~1821 |
| James Mason | 20 | Gilder | b. Glasgow . .thus b.~1831 |
So, Matthew Mason was in the Army 1805-1826.
He dies 1851-1861 as Helen Mason is widow in 1871C.
1855. Matthew Mason dies, 71, cotton weaver/ pensioner, at 114 Westmuir, Parkend, High Church Glasgow on 12/9/1855.. He died of Paralysis 4 days and is buried in the Eastern Necropolis Glasgow. Informant was Helen Mason, daughter . He was born Hockwell/Stockwell Street, Glasgow to parents James Mason, wright, and Mary Crawford. His 1st wife was Rachel -- with whom he had 5 children. His 2nd wife was Helen Mitchell, with whom he had 4 ??children, Ann 37, Helen 35, Neil died & James 24, Frances 31- all this writing unclear & no mention beforehand of a Frances!!. He lived 29 years in Glasgow- this presumably continuous up to his death, so would have returned from Ireland in~ 1826,, now proved!, at the age of 41.
I looked up Military records on Ancestry for him - but found nothing.