| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information
Robert was born in 1882 and baptized in Beverley but sadly his labourer father, George, died at the age of 46 and is buried in St Mary’s. Robert’s mother, Helen was left to bring up seven children from age 16, Robert being 10 and the youngest less than one. The family lived in Grayburn Lane.
Robert married Rose Louisa Holmes in 1908 when he was 25. By the time he enlisted with 5th Yorkshire Regiment in November 1915, he and Rose had sons Kenneth and Albert and daughter Marjorie and he was working as a tannery labourer.
Robert’s brother, John William, was already in France with the 5th Battalion and Robert would have joined him in early 1916. The 5th Yorkshire Regiment spent most of their war service around the Somme and saw hard and prolonged fighting.
Robert appears to have avoided serious casualty but was sent on the hospital train from Bray to hospital in Rouen in March 1917 suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. His photograph appeared in the Beverley Guardian in April 1917 with the caption ”suffering from gas poisoning and trench foot”.
After the war Richard returned to 19 Pasture Terrace, Beverley and resumed his work as a tanner, giving his occupation on the 1939 Register as a hide scudder. Sons Kenneth, Albert and George were also working in the tannery.
At the time of Rose’s death in 1951 she, Richard and widowed daughter Marjorie were living at 87 Walkergate, Beverley.
Richard died in 1959 aged 77. A small piece appeared in the Beverley Guardian on 12 December 1959 thanking friends and neighbours for their sympathy.
Includes information taken from census, military records, newspapers |