Robert Page

LIFE GOES ON: AN INTRODUCTION

MY GRANDPARENTS - I - MY GREAT-GRANDPARENTS - I - MY GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS - I - MY GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS

THE SIXTEEN FAMILIES

KNOTT - I - BOWLES - I - WATERS - I - HARRALL - I - PAGE - I - WISEMAN - I - CROSS - I - CARTER

CORNWELL - I - HUCKLE - I - MORTLOCK - I - MANSFIELD - I - REYNOLDS - I - CARTER - I - ANABLE - I - STEARN

CHRONOLOGY - I - DRAMATIS PERSONAE - I - WHERE PEOPLE CAME FROM - I - CALENDAR

MAP OF ELY - I - MAP OF MEDWAY
MAP OF CAMBRIDGE AND DISTRICT

THE WORKHOUSE

WORLD WAR I - I - WORLD WAR II

simonknott.co.uk I home I e-mail

LIFE GOES ON

Robert Page
born Ely, Cambridgeshire 19th June 1884
died Sudbury, Suffolk 1935

on the Page family tree
part of the Page and Wiseman family stories

married to Frances Baker

brother of Arthur Page, Henry Page, Herbert Page and Thomas Page

son of
Henry Page
and Alice Wiseman

Robert Page (1884-1935). My Father's Mother's Father's Brother. My Great-Great-Uncle.

Robert Page was the younger brother of my great-grandfather Arthur Page. The Pages were a large family, and lived in the Back Hill area of Ely. Robert was a professional soldier, becoming a shepherd in Suffolk for a while before joining up again for the Great War, which he survived.

1884: Robert was born on the 19th June at Annesdale, Ely, Cambridgeshire and baptised in Holy Trinity parish, Ely Cathedral on 30th July.

1891 census:

Robert was five years old at the time of the 1891 census. The Page family were living in Broad Street, Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Robert's father Henry is shown as a labourer. He was 38 years old. His mother Alice was 36 years old.

Herbert was the fourth of seven children at the time of the 1891 census. Henry was 16, Arthur was 12, John was 9, Herbert was 7, Susan was 3 and Thomas was 10 months.

Robert was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire, as were his siblings and his mother. His father Henry's place of birth is given as Shelford, Cambridgeshire. The transcript for their entry is here.

1901 Census: Robert was sixteen years old at the time of the 1901 census. He was a servant living in the household of Charles Bent, a shoemaker of Manea, Cambridgeshire. Robert's sister Emma and her husband Arthur Moate were nearby.

1902: On April 8th, Robert signed up to the 4th Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment. He was 18 years old. His attestation papers record that he was five feet four inches tall, his eyes were blue and his hair was brown. He claimed to be a member of the Church of England, although on 6th September 1906 his record was amended because he had become a Wesleyan Methodist.

1905: Robert extended his service, joining the 2nd Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment, and becoming a Corporal.

1908: On July 22nd, Robert married Frances Louisa Baker at Norton, Suffolk. However, a few weeks before this he had been accused of fathering the child of Harriet Rose, probably the girl shown at the age of 17 at Lawshall on the 1901 census. When interviewed, Robert denied making any agreements, and also denied being the father of the child.

1909: By February, Robert had relented, and agreed to start paying from next pay day, at the rate of seven shillings a week. However, in July the Relieving Officer of the Sudbury Union workhouse wrote to Robert's superior officers demanding that Robert make maintenance payments for the child, including any arrears, reminding them that Robert had admitted paternity and even signed an agreement to pay.

1910: Robert was discharged from the army in 1910 after eight years service. He was living with his wife Frances in Annesdale, Ely, for the birth of their son Edwin Robert on 27th August. Edwin was baptised in Holy Trinity parish at St Peter's church on 21st September.

1911 Census:

Robert was twenty-six at the time of the 1911 census. The Page family were living at The Street, Norton, Suffolk, where they had been married two years previously.

Robert was employed as a swine herdsman. His wife Frances was 23, their son Edwin 7 months old. Robert and Edwin had been born in Ely, Frances in Fornham All Saints, Suffolk. Edwin is too young to be Robert's child with Harriet Rose, but intriguingly Robert and Frances declared on the census form that they'd had another child who died. Meanwhile, at the same census, Harriet Rose was working as a cook on a farm at Rougham, near Bury St Edmunds. There was no child with her.

1914: On the outbreak of war, Robert re-enlisted with the Suffolk Reserve, and was shortly after transferred to the Northamptonshire Regiment.

1916: Robert was lightly wounded.

1917: Robert was invalided out, his discharge papers noting that he was fit to work.

1919: After the War ended, Robert joined the Labour Corps.

1920: In March, Robert was finally discharged as surplus to military requirements. He returned to Long Melford in Suffolk to live with his wife and children Edwin, Arthur, Herbert and Frank. In about 1920, a photograph was taken outside of Melford Hall of all the local men who had fought in the War and survived it, and it is likely that Robert is in this photograph.

1935: Robert died in Sudbury, Suffolk. he was 51 years old.