| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Robert was born in Beverley the 6 Oct 1879, the son of Robert Blakeston and Sarah Ann (nee Williamson). Robert was a farm and later general labourer born in Bishop Burton whilst Sarah Ann came from Manchester. The family lived in Walkergate in Duncum’s Yard and Morley’s Yard and later in Ladygate and Well Lane. Robert worked as a labourer when not on military service and in 1901 was working at a market garden in Bridlington. In Apr 1906 he was one of 50 men who were assisted by the Beverley and East Riding Emigration Committee and the Church Army in migrating to Canada. Robert arrived in St Johns, Newfoundland, on 21 Apr 1906 and then headed for Toronto. He spent a relatively short time there before returning to Beverley where he was recorded lodging with his parents in 1911 at 33 Eastgate.
Robert enlisted in the Army on 10 Aug 1914 as a cook, he joined the RAMC, Royal Army Medical Corps but was discharged a short time later on 21 Sep 1914 as being medically unfit due to varicose veins. He was considered to be of “good character”. Robert had served briefly before, at the age of 14 and 8 months he joined the militia in 1894 as a private in the 3rd Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment and had attended their annual training camps; on 6 Mar 1899 he joined the Royal Artillery at Scarborough but was discharged on 9 May 1899 as being “medically unfit”. As he did not serve abroad in WW1 he was not awarded the customary War and Victory Medals.
Robert married Bertha Agnes Bell in 1917 at Sculcoates Register Office, Hull. They had five children. By 1918 Robert had a fruit business at 26 Butcher Row, Beverley he later moved to Hull. In 1939 he was noted as being “incapacitated”. He died in Hull in 1958 aged 78; Bertha died in 1965.
Includes information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |