| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Robert Botham was born in Woodmansey in June 1883 and he worked as a farm labourer, recorded in the 1901 census as a teamster. His father, George Botham, born 1846, married Agnes Annie Biglin, born 1861 near Withernsea, at Beverley Minster in 1880. They had six children, but both girls died in infancy. Agnes went on to have two more sons after George’s death. She remarried Harry Clark in 1906 and died later that year. All six sons were brought up by Harry, a fishmonger from Beverley, who lived in School Lane.
Robert married Rebecca Jackson, daughter of a shipyard labourer from Weel, born in 1884, at Beverley Minster on the 7 Sep 1905 Robert became a labourer at Springhead Corporation Waterworks, they moved to the Anlaby area and at the end of the war were living at 11 Wolfreton Villas, Springhead. The couple had two children: Fred born 1906 in Beverley, became a carpenter/joiner and Florence born 1911 in Beverley.
Robert became a sapper in the Royal Engineers. His service number (WR 264618) indicates that he had joined the Waterways and Railways section of the RE; his medal roll confirms he was involved in railway construction in France. Robert was awarded the War and Victory Medals.
Roberts wife, Rebecca and daughter, Florence, both died in 1920. Robert himself died 2 Nov1923, aged 40.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |