Captain Gilbert Howe Moorhead

 

 

Gilbert Howe Moorhead was born on 11 September 1876 at Abbey Yard, Newry, County Down, the second of three children of merchant Hercules Bradshaw Moorhead and Mary Heron Bradshaw (née Howe). He was educated at Bedford Grammar School and at Bailliol College, Oxford (1895-99). At the time of the 1901 Census he was living at Greenore Village, Carlingford, County Louth, with his recently widowed mother, and his surviving brother Wickham and his (Wickham's) wife, the brothers running the family whiskey merchant business.

On 20 June 1910 Gilbert married Eileen Alice Mary O'Connell in Chelsea, London. At the time of the 1911 Census they were living at 18 Downshire Road, Newry, with Gilbert's mother and a cousin.

On 27 October 1914, following the outbreak of war, Moorhead applied for a commission in the newly-formed 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron. He stated in his application that he had commanded and drilled a company of the Ulster Volunteer Force since April that year. On 6 November he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the squadron. He was subsequently promoted to the rank of captain on 3 May 1915.

The Inniskilling Service Squadron embarked for France on 3 October 1915, serving as divisional cavalry to the 36th (Ulster) Division. Moorhead, however, remained in Ireland, where he commanded the reserve squadron at Enniskillen throughout the war.

He relinquished his commission on completion of his service on 20 September 1919.

At some point after the war Moorhead and his family moved to England, living at Durrant House, Northam, Devon. He died there on 27 January 1961.

 

Below is part of an article published in the Frontier Sentinel, 4 October 1941, following the death of Moorhead's brother, which gives further background about his family.

 

 

The image of Moorhead above, part of a group photo of officers and NCOs of the squadron, appeared in the Belfast Evening Telegraph of 28 January 1915. The full image can be seen here. Another image can be found here.

 

This page last updated 4 October 2023.