Matthew was born and raised in Leicestershire and has never moved far away. The first part of his working life was spent in the East Midlands when he joined the family sewing thread manufacturing company, Donisthorpes, where he studied all aspects of the industry. However after 15 years the sale of the business led to a new career path and for the last 25 years he has earnt a living as an Independent Financial Adviser with Fairstone Financial Management.

Born in 1963, Matthew was educated locally at Stoneygate School and then at Charterhouse School in Surrey before studying sewing thread technology at Bolton Polytechnic.

Matthew joined the Framework Knitters in 1985, the year that his father was Master, and was admitted to the Court in 2010. Matthew’s grandfather, great grandfather as well as great uncles and cousins have also been Masters of the company, so it’s definitely in the blood!

Matthew became Master in April 2024 and recently stood down as Honorary Treasurer for the company, a position which he held since 2011 and chair of the company’s management committee for their 26 Almshouses for retired textile workers in Oadby

Matthew is chair of a family trust – The George Ernest Ellis Foundation, which makes grants to local charities operating within Leicestershire and Rutland.

Matthew has been married to Nettie for 25 years and they have two children, Max, 23, an Ecologist working in London and Sophie, 22, a recent graduate from Nottingham Trent University, currently on a gap year in Kenya.

Matthew sings with the local village choir and is a member of the village petanque team, he relaxes by way of cooking, reading and walking the family Jack Russell and he keeps the stress levels up by following both Leicester City and Leicester Tigers. After a very successful recent wrist operation he has managed to get back on the golf course and his bicycle after an enforced 6 year layoff due to arthritis.