Mr Montague Vincent Mathias was born at High Street in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales in 1883 ¹ and he was baptised on 21 June that year. 
 
Born to English parents, he was the only son of Montague Bransby Mathias (b. 1849), a post office clerk and former Royal Marine, and Frances Rosina Hunter (b. 1858), natives of Plymouth and London respectively who were married in London on 27 November 1875. His parents had resided in London until quite recently before his birth.

One of five children, his four sisters were: Frances Louisa (1877-1882), Florence Eleanor Jane (1878-1882), Lillian Emily (1881-1882) and Frances Catherine (b. 1884). His three elder sisters all died within weeks of each other, in circumstances that are unknown.

It appears that the family's stay in Chepstow was brief and they relocated to London sometime before 1885, eventually settling in Essex and appearing on the 1891 census living at 18 Kent Avenue Road, Walthamstow. His mother died in 1894 aged 36 and his father was remarried in 1896 to Emily Kate Corless Elger (b. 1875 in Islington, London) and from that union Montague garnered four half-siblings: Gerald Bransby (1897-1969), Dorothy Kate (b. 1900), Bernard James (1903-1950) and Madeline Irene (1906-1981, later Mrs Sidney Watling). The family were shown on the 1901 census living at 18 West Avenue Road, Walthamstow but Montague was listed elsewhere, listed aboard an unidentified ship－as 3rd steward－docked at Valentia Harbour in Co Kerry, Ireland.

Montague was married in Windsor, Berkshire in 1907 to Gertrude Anne Lucas (b. 11 August 1883), a native of Winchester, Hampshire. The couple settled in Southampton and had one child, a son named Montague who was born on 11 April 1908. The family were shown on the 1911 census living at 40 Osborne Road, St Denys, Southampton and Mathias was described as a ship's steward.

When he signed on to the Titanic on 6 April 1912, Mathias gave his address as 2 Western Esplanade, Southampton. His previous ship had been the Olympic and as a mess steward his monthly wages were £4. Also serving aboard was the younger brother of his wife, William Arthur Lucas, an able seaman.

Mathias died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified. His brother-in-law William Lucas was among the saved.

Mathias’ father later died on 4 January 1915 and his stepmother in 1933. His widow Gertrude was never remarried and she relocated to her native Winchester where she died in 1972 aged 89. Her son Montague, later a sales manager, was married in 1934 to Lilian Beatrice Hill (1909-1971) and the childless couple resided in Winchester where Montague died in 1989 aged 81.