Born in Ireland in 1739 he came to America during the French and Indian war in 1761. After the war he settled in western Pennsylvania and started a life as a trader there. Before long, the Americans began a revolution against the British Crown.

He fought beside Indian forces in the war as a Captain in the British Indian Department and married a Shawnee woman as a result of his close association. In 1778 Elliott, along with Alexander McKee and Simon Girty fled to Detroit and continued the fight from there.

After Detroit was ceded to the new United States in 1789 in the terms of the Treaty of Paris, Matthew moved his family to Amherstburg, Upper Canada. From Amherstburg, he maintained his association with the Shawnee and met with Tecumseh on the eve of the War of 1812.

UPDATE: I have found the location of his former farm and took a photo of the historical plaque on the site