Private Charles Robertshaw, 2nd Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment, Service no. 28872.
Private Charles Robertshaw.
Charles was born on July 25 in 1879. Parents John and Mary Ann Robertshaw.
Baptised on August 31 at St Michael and All Angels Parish Church. Living at Lees. John was an engine tenter.
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 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 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 Maud Andrews:was twenty-nine and a spinster living at 4, Ivy Street South. By the 1911 census he was thirty-one and living at 27, Bradley Road, Nelson, Lancashire with wife Elizabeth Maud, Daughter Hilda and son Thomas and working as a cotton weaver.
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 April 21, 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.
Charles was posthumously awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal for his war service.
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.
Source information:
Birth, marriage and death records.
1881, 1891, 1901 and 1911 census.
WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
Keighley News archives, Keighley Library.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
