RICHARD DODGSON CLAYTON
4 October 1900 - 30 July 1919
At School 1912 - 1915
Sjt 84282 9th Cheshire Regt
Richard was born in Accrington, Lancashire, and in 1901, aged 5 months, was living at 62 Garbett Street with father Thomas, a labourer in an Ironworks, mother Martha and elder sister Doris. It appears that, sadly, Martha died in 1903 and in 1911 Richard is living with his Uncle, Richard Dodgson, Aunt Mary and Doris at 27 Barton Street, Moss Side. Thomas was in lodgings still in Accrington. Uncle Richard was a Ladies Mantles and Costume Dealer and doing well enough to employ a domestic servant.
Richard attended the Princess Road Municipal School, Moss Side and in 1912 entered School with a Foundation Scholarship. Apart from this the only other mention of him in the School magazine is in the April 1915 edition, whereby a report is made of a Sing Song held in the Assembly Hall on the evening before breaking up for the Christmas holidays. "Songs were given by Mr. Adams, W H Sower, R Clayton ("Tipperary")...."

The Bury Free Press – 16 August 1919 FATAL COLLISION NEAR MILDENHALL --------------- YOUNG SOLDIER'S TRAGIC DEATH --------------- |
A SCHOOL TEACHER’S STORY
---------------
An inquest into a tragic occurrence near Mildenhall was held at Cambridge by Mr G.A. Wootton, the deceased being Richard Hodgson Clayton, of Moss-side, Manchester, a young sergeant (18) of the 9th Cheshires, who, said his sister, had been undergoing training to proceed to Germany to join the Army of Occupation.
THE FATAL RIDE.
Miss Dorothy Grindley, Croft Villa, Mildenhall, school teacher, said Sergt. Clayton had stayed with her family as a friend, and the other evening she and her sister and a neighbour went out with Sergt. Clayton for a walk. Sergt. Clayton took with him witness’s bicycle, which he had learnt to ride three days before. The brakes were in good repair, and witness explained how to use them. They walked towards Thetford, Sergt. Clayton riding backwards and forward on the cycle. When they reached the bottom of a hill on the Thetford Road Sergt. Clayton was going to ride up. Witness and her friends begged him, if he did, not to turn and ride down the hill again, because the cycle might get out of control, and he said he would not. Witness then saw him ride up the hill, get off, and turn the cycle round and get on to come down again. He was going quite slowly. They saw a motor car coming along, and called to him to dismount. Next thing witness heard a crash and saw Sergt. Clayton on the road.
Mr Arthur Ernest Gray, of Cambridge, employed with the postal telegraph department, and working at Mildenhall at the time, said that while cycling along the Thetford Road he overtook Sergt. Clayton riding a lady’s bicycle. Clayton passed the time of day to witness, and said he had learnt to ride that week, and was going fine. Witness replied that he was getting on well, but he should take care. Clayton then said he was going to turn back, and witness turned with him, following him down the hill at a distance of about 100 yards. Witness saw a car at the bottom of the hill, coming towards him, and saw Clayton thrown from his machine on to the road when he met the car. The driver applied his brakes with such force that the car was swung right round. Witness attended to Clayton, who was unconscious, and felt his heart, which was still beating, then went for a doctor. Blood was coming from his right ear.
THE MOTOR DRIVER EXONERATED.
Major Arthur John Gale, A.S.C., London, the driver of the car in question, said he was motoring from Barton Mills in the direction of Thetford in a 1913 15-h.p. Sunbeam, which took the hill without any trouble. No acceleration of speed was therefore necessary. He was driving very steadily, as there was more traffic on the road as usual. He saw three cyclists coming down the hill, and was within two feet of his proper side. The third cyclist was a soldier, the front wheel of whose cycle appeared to wobble. Witness’s first impression was that the cyclist was fooling, but as a precaution witness pulled the car to within six inches of the path. As the cyclist got very close to the car he seemed to throw his feet off the pedals, and witness realised he had no control of the machine. He thought he had actually passed the man when he heard a heavy thud on the off-side of the car at the rear. He immediately threw his clutch out and applied the foot brake, with the result that the car turned completely round after only travelling its own length. They did everything possible for the man, and witness sent for the police, and pointed out his wheel tracks to them.
Lieut. Stanley Francis Ward, in private life a merchant, who was in the car with the previous witness, said they were going at about 16 or 17 miles an hour. The soldier on the cycle seemed to go faster and faster as he approached the car, and when he got near he took his feet completely off the pedals and went straight for the car. Major Gale was driving on the extreme left of the road. As far as the witness could see there was absolutely nothing that could be done to avoid a collision.
Dr H.B. Roderick spoke to Sergt. Clayton being admitted to the 1st Eastern General Hospital at Cambridge on the evening of the accident in a comatose condition, with blood coming from the right ear. He never regained consciousness, and an operation would have been of no avail. Death was due to fracture of the base of the skull, produced by a severe fall on the head.
The Coroner said there was no doubt the cause of death was accidental, and there was no blame whatever attached to any of the occupants of the car.
The Hulmeian – December 1919
Deaths
CLAYTON – July 30th, as a result of an accident, Richard Dodgson Clayton, Sergeant, 9th Batt. Cheshire Regiment, nephew of Mr and Mrs R C Dodgson, Hulton Street, Moss Side, aged 18 years (at the School 1912-1915).