Henry Morton Weyman

Henry was born on 30th April 1880 to A.W and S. Weyman of Blackley. He joined Manchester University from the local Municipal Secondary School in 1896 to study mechanical engineering. He was captain of Blackley Rugby Club.

Henry served with the University Officer Training Corps from 1908 to 1914 rising to the rank of Serjeant and obtaining his first-class marksman certificate. He joined the army on 3rd October 1914 and was promoted to Captain in November 1915.

On Thursday 24th August 1916 Henry and another officer, 2nd Lieutenant Harris, were making their way back from a rifle range to their camp. Henry was on his bicycle and the other officer was riding alongside on horseback. They were accompanied by Harris’ orderly, Driver William Woods, also on horseback. At the camp gate Henry rode around a patch of mud and the orderly took the other side to avoid him, but his horse, one he had not ridden before, became restive and began to prance. The horse struck Henry in the head knocking him from his bicycle. The orderly was thrown from the horse and dragged a short distance with his foot caught in the stirrup, before he too was struck by a hind hoof. Quickly attended to by a doctor Henry was found to have suffered a skull fracture and bruising to his right shoulder. He was admitted to a military hospital for surgery and regained consciousness the next day. However, on the Saturday his condition deteriorated and he died of a cerebral haemorrhage. The coroner at an inquest into the death said it was a very sad accident for which no one could be blamed and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death and passed a vote of sympathy with Henry’s family.

Henry’s brother, Percy, served with the Lancashire Fusiliers and died in October 1917.