Ploegsteert Memorial
Ploegsteert Memorial 2016
Weeks' Memorial at Ryton -front
Weeks' Memorial at Ryton - side
Weeks' Memorial at Ryton - rear
In Ryton Holy Cross Churchyard are a number of Weeks' family headstones which includes the following:-
In
Loving Memory of
William James Weeks
Born at Ryton 29th Oct. 1848
Died at Surbiton 16th June 1912
Also of his wife
Mary J. Weeks
Who fell asleep Easter Morning
April 16th 1922
"He shall give his angels
Charge over thee"
Side
In proud and loving
Memory of our dear son
Captain
Francis Mathwin Weeks
Northumberland Fusiliers
Attached to the 8th Durham L.I.
Born at Surbiton
27th Aug. 1887 killed in action
In France 11th April 1918
"Faithful unto death"
Back
In affectionate memory of
Their elder son
Hugh Morge Weeks
Died at Broadstairs Kent
October 12th 1933
"Father in their gracious keeping
Leave we now thy servants
Sleeping."
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Francis Mathwin Weeks was born August 27th 1887, Surbiton, Surrey, one of 4 children born to William James Weeks 1849 Ryton, County Durham and Mary Jane Mathwin 1855 of Newcastle upon Tyne. His parents were married June 1880 in Newcastle, the following year they were living at 29 Paragon Street, Surbiton, where his father was employed as a coal ship broker, he worked all his life in this capacity. In 1911, at the age of 23, Francis was working as an automobile mechanic for the family of Ernest Boner Marlands at Manor 1, St Johns Wood Park N. W., they also had a butler and a housemaid.
Francis qualified with a degree in engineering at Armstrong College Newcastle specialising as a mining engineer and taking up residence at Shafto House, Craghead.
On the outbreak of war he enlisted and departed for the Western Front April 20th 1915. Badly injured he was evacuated back through the lines and shipped to England for medical attention where he was admitted to hospital in one of the numerous military/recuperation hospitals at Harrogate, once fully recover he returned to the front.
He was commissioned in the Northumberland Fusiliers, as a 2nd Lieutenant, attached to the 8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. He was mentioned in despatches in 1916 and later was gazetted Captain. The 8th D.L.I. was attached to the 151st Brigade, 50 Northumbrian Division. They saw action on the Somme in the battles at Flers-Courcelette, Morval and Transloy, 1917 the Arras Offensive, 1918 First Battles of the Somme. March 24th 1918 most of the Division was west of the Somme around Assevillers and Estrees-Deniecourt where it remained until it was relieved April 1st. The Battle of Lys began April 9th and it was during this battle that Captain Francis Mathwin Weeks was killed in action April 11th 1918. His sacrifice is recorded on the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing which commemorate the 11,000 servicemen of the United Kingdom and South Africa who died in the sector. He was 31 years old and single.
Francis was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal. After his death an application was received, September 15th 1919 on behalf of Mrs. W. J. Weeks , his mother, in respect of the services of Captain Weeks for the 1914-15 Star. Fully investigated the application was accepted June 17th 1920 and the medal forwarded to her at Catherine Street, Surburton.
Frances had nominated Richard James Weeks, a mining engineer living in Bedlington as his executor. He left the sum of £15,876 19 shillings. His home of Shafto House was left to his mother in trust for her lifetime, as his father had died, June 16th 1912 in Surbiton, the remainder to his sisters Norah and Isabella Mary. His mother Mary Jane Weeks died April 16th 1922 in Surrey.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Richard Clark has submitted the following:
It's really nice that you are doing all this.
My grandmother was broken hearted when her brother died and his body was never recovered.
My grandfather, Capt. N. Clark, was Francis' best friend in the regiment and he married in 1924 Francis' sister, Isabella.
There is also a memorial in Nottingham, he had been at school at Uppingham and possibly worked in Nottingham.My grandmother died in Harrogate in her 90s. She went to live there in 1950s, this was the last place she saw Francis when he left the hospital for his second spell.
Francis Mathwin Weeks is remembered at Craghead on C120.01, C120.04 (where, in each case, his name is given as “F.A. Weeks”) and in Newcastle on NUT009 (where his middle name is given as “Matthew”) NUT063, NUT147 and NUT238 and in the Battalion History page 238.
He is also included on St. Mary's Church Memorial at Greasley Nottinghamshire.
