Lees, Cross Roads and Bocking war memorial
Private. 2nd Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment, Service no. 28872.
Early life:
Charles was born on July 25 in 1879. His parents were John and Mary Ann Robertshaw.
He was baptised on August 31 in the same year at St Michael and All Angels Parish Church. They were living at Lees. His father John was employed as an engine tenter (meaning he tended a mill engine.)
In 1881 Charles was one and living at New Cliffe, Lees Hill, Cross Roads, with parents, one brother, one sister, one step-brother (Harry Crabtree). His father John’s occupation was as an engine tenter in a factory.
By 1891 he was eleven and living at 74, Cross Roads, with his parents, one brother and one sister, one step-brother. His father John’s occupation was now as a driver of a stationary engine. Charles’ was working as a worsted spinner and this would have been with half of his time spent at school.
In the 1901 census he was twenty-one years of age and living at 4, Cecil Street, Cross Roads, with his parents, one brother, one sister and one step-brother. His father was still a stationary engine driver and Charles was now employed as a roller coverer at a worsted mill.
On October 20, 1906 at the age of twenty-seven, he married Elizabeth Maud Andrews at St John’s Church,
Ingrow in Keighley. Charles was a weaver living at 11, Century Street and Elizabeth was twenty-nine and a spinster living at 4, Ivy Street South.
Their daughter Hilda was born on 15th April 1907 and their son Thomas was born on 18th December 1909.
By the 1911 census Charles was aged thirty-one and living at 27, Bradley Road of Nelson in Lancashire with his wife Elizabeth, their daughter Hilda and son Thomas. He was working as a cotton weaver.
Their second daughter Florence May was born on 1st March 1912 and their second son John was born on 6th February 1914.
War service:
Charles enlisted at Preston in Lancashire in August of 1916. He died at the age of thirty-seven on March 27, 1917 of pneumonia, in the 48th Casualty Clearing Station at Bray sur Somme. He was buried in grave 5, row D, plot II of Bray Military Cemetery in the Somme region, France. The family inscription reads: “HIS NAME LIVETH FOR EVER”
Keighley News, 21st April 1917, page 3:
THE LATE PRIVATE CHARLES ROBERTSHAW.
The late Private Charles Robertshaw, who was born in Cross Roads and lived their until manhood, and who
enlisted in the East Lancashire Regiment last August, left for France in December. He spent a portion of his last leave in the village, and in his conversations with friends exhibited uncommon unselfishness and fine patriotic spirit. After a period of active service in France he was transferred to a casualty clearing station where he died on pneumonia on March 27. He was buried in Bray Military Cemetery on the 29th. Private Robertshaw was the son of Mr John Robertshaw, of Cecil Street, Lees, and during his residence there had identified himself actively with the Wesleyan Sunday School, from which a message of condolence has been sent to Mrs Robertshaw, his widow, and her four children, now living at Nelson. Private Robertshaw was 38 years of age, and is remembered as a conscientious, intelligent, and well-read young man who had interested himself in all matters dealing with social betterment.
Post war:
Charles was posthumously awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal for his war service. His widow Elizabeth was his next of kin and the sole legatee in his will. She received his remaining Army pay of £4 9s 4d on 1st of June 1917 and a further payment of 10s 9d on 20th June 1917. She later received a war gratuity payment of £3 on 26th October 1919.
Elizabeth was living with the children at 9, Eagle Street Hebden Road, when she applied for a Dependant’s pension and received a grant payment of £3 on 16th April 1917. The weekly pension payments of 28 shillings and 9 pence per week began on 15th October 1917. The children each received an amount of this until their respective 16th birthdays.
on the 15th of June 1920, the pension amount was raised to £1 6s 8d for Elizabeth and £1 9s 6d for the four children, bringing it to a total weekly amount of £2 16s 2d.
In the 1921 census Elizabeth was aged 44 and on home duties. She was still living at 9, Eagle Street with the four children. Hilda was aged fourteen, Thomas was eleven, Florence was nine and John was seven. They were all attending school whole time. There seems to be no other income for the household so Elizabeth must have been managing on the dependant’s pension.
Hilda died on the 27th of March 1931 aged just 24.
By the 1939 register Elizabeth was aged about 63 and living at 15, River Street with Florence aged 27 who was an assistant in a confectionery shop; also living here was John aged 25 was a house painter and decorator.
Elizabeth died on 25th of December 1949 (Christmas Day) at the age of 73, with her death registered in the Worth Valley in the first quarter of 1950.
She left an amount of £1167 14s 1d to Florence and Kenneth Sugden, their solicitor.
Florence Mary died aged 61 on the 21st of March 1973.
Remembrance:
He is named on the Cross Roads War Memorial in Cross Roads Park Bowling Club building, and on the Haworth Oddfellows roll of honour, in the care of Wyedean Weaving in Haworth.
He is also named on the Robertshaw family grave in Haworth Cemetery on Penistone Hill near Haworth.
The inscription reads: In Loving Memory of Charles Robertshaw. Died In France. March 27th 1917, Aged 37.
Also of Hilda, The Beloved Daughter of Charles & E.M. Robertshaw, Died June 12th 1931, Aged 24.
Also of Elizabeth Maud, The Beloved Wife And Mother of the Above Died January 4th 1950, Aged 73 Years.
Also of Florence Mary, Their Daughter Died May 21st 1973, Aged 61 Years.
Information sources:
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910.
1881 England Census.
1891 England Census.
1901 England Census.
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935.
1911 England Census.
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919.
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929.
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
1921 England Census.
1939 England and Wales Register.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007.
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995.
