Robert Horne
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Robert was the son of Henry James and Mary Elizabeth Horne (née Toft). His father Henry James was born in Radford in 1861, the son of Matthew Horne and his wife Lucy (née Leake) whom he had married at Nottingham St Mary in November 1860. Lucy was a widow, her husband Joseph Woolley, whom she had married at St Mary's in June 1857, had died in either 1857 or 1858. Matthew and Lucy had a second son, Thomas Charles, in 1863. Lucy may have died in 1865 and in 1871 the widowed Matthew and his two sons were living with Matthew's widowed father, Charles Horne, at Bond Street, Sneinton. By 1881 Henry, a threader (lace machine), and Thomas, a mechanic's labourer, were lodgers at Rogers Yard, Hounds Gate, Nottingham, in the household of William and Annie Towels. Thomas married Alexandra AG Castles in 1886 and died in 1912. Robert's mother Mary Elizabeth Toft was born in Bulwell, Nottingham, in 1862. In 1881, Mary, a hose maker, was living with her maternal grandfather, William Brocklehurst, on Main Street, Bulwell. Also in the household were William's two grandsons, Fred Brocklehurst (14) and Henry Brocklehurst (10), a general servant and a boarder. Henry James and Mary Elizabeth were married at Nottingham St Nicholas in July 1882 and had eight children, one of whom, George, died in childhood: Annie b. 1882, George Henry b. 1884 bap. Radford Christ Church 1886 d. 1886, Harry William b. 1886, Eliza b. 1887, Lucy b. 1889, Robert b. 17 January 1893, Priscilla b. January 1895 and Ethel b. January 1898. Harry, Eliza, Lucy and Robert were baptised at Nottingham All Saints on 31 May 1893. The family was living on Bloomsgrove Street in 1886 when George was baptised but at Sunburn Terrace when the four children were baptised in 1893. By 1901 Henry, a lace maker, and Mary were living at 1 Lawrence Street, Nottingham, with their seven surviving children: Annie and Eliza who were paper bag makers, Harry a brass bobbin driller, Lucy, Robert and Priscilla who were school age, and Ethel. Also in the household was a female boarder who was also a paper bag maker. Henry and Mary had moved to 2a Norton Street, Radford, by the time of the 1911 Census. Only five of their children were still living at home: Annie a lace curtain mender, Lucy a machinist (pinafore making), Robert a furniture upholsterer, Priscilla a lace pattern girl and Ethel who was school age. Both Harry and Eliza had married the previous year, Harry to Caroline Milward and Eliza to Thomas Needham. Harry and his wife have not yet been traced on the 1911 Census, but Eliza, a blouse cutter out, and Thomas, a coal miner hewer, were living on Target Street, Radford; they had had a son, Thomas W. (birth reg. 1911 J/F/M), who died before the date of the census. Henry and Mary were living at 26 Deligne Street when Robert was killed in 1918. Ethel married William Leo Clarke in 1921 and they had five children. Priscilla was still living with her parents at Deligne Street when she married John Thomas Hinchley at New Radford parish church in 1923. Annie and Lucy never married. Henry and Mary continued to live at 26 De Ligne Street until their deaths, Mary in 1932 and Henry in 1933. Eliza has not yet been traced after 1921, but her four sisters, Annie, Lucy, Priscilla and Ethel, and her brother Harry survived their parents. Annie and Lucy were living at 110 Ilkeston Road, Nottingham, when the 1939 England & Wales Register was compiled. Also in the household was Herbert Horne (b. 1920), a butcher's assistant. Herbert attested in the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 1940, 1700225 Gunner 144/35 LAA Royal Artillery, and served with the Expeditionary Force (Malaya). He was posted missing on 15 February 1942 with others in his unit, and it was not until 1943 that he was reported to be a prisoner of war. A casualty report for the period 1945/46 recorded that 1700225 Gunner H Horne, 'previously reported prisoner of war now not prisoner of war.' A report in the Nottingham Evening Post on 24 September 1945 confirmed this: ‘Local Ex-POW ... Gnr. Herbert Horne, LAA RA, of 110, Ilkeston-road, Radford, has reached Singapore.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk). Herbert married in 1946 and died in 2011.
He served formerly with the Sherwood Foresters (34830). Robert enlisted in February 1916 in the 2/7th (Robin Hood) Bn. Sherwood Foresters and went from Ireland after the Easter Rising to France on 21 October 1916 and joined 10th Warwickshires. He spent periods in hospital in Hereford in 1917 and 1918 and then joined 16th Warwickshires. He was killed in action at Gommercourt on 2 September 1918 and is buried in Bailleul Road East Cemetery, St Laurent-Blangy (grave ref III.H.13). The history of the cemetery, and a letter from the Imperial War Graves Commission to Robert's parents in 1926, indicates that Robert's grave was brought into the cemetery after the Armistice from isolated graves across the battlefields around Arras. (See below and 'Extra information') He qualified for the British War Medal and Victory Medal. CWGC - History of Bailleul Road East Cemetery (extract): The village of St. Laurent-Blangy is close to the town of Arras. 'A greater part of the village was included in the front taken over by British troops in March 1916, and the remainder fell into British hands on the first day of the Battles of Arras, the 9th April 1917. Bailleul Road East Cemetery was begun by the 34th Division in April 1917, and carried on by fighting units until the following November; and Plot I, Row R, was added in August 1918. Plots II, III, IV and V were made after the Armistice by the concentration of isolated graves from a very wide area north, east and south of Arras and two burial grounds: Northumberland Cemetery, Fampoux ... It contained the graves of 69 soldiers from the United Kingdom, and these (except seven, which were not found) were concentrated into Plot V of Bailleul Road East Cemetery, and Lagincourt 'Soldiers' Cemetery' (the German name) which was near the south-east side of the village of Lagnicourt. It contained the grave of one R.F.C. Officer who fell in October 1916.' (www.cwgc.org)
Photograph of letter from Infantry Record Office Warwick, 19.9.1918. 'Sir, it is my painful duty to inform you that has been received from the War office, notifying the death of (No) 27361 (Rank) Private, (Name) Robert Horne (Regiment) 16th … which occurred with British Expdy. Force on the 2nd September 19. The report is to the effect that he was killed in action. By his Majesty’s command I am to forward the enclosed message of sympathy from Their Gracious Majesties the King and Queen. I am at the same time to express the regret of the Army Council at the soldier’s death in his Country’s service. I am to add that any information that may be received as to the soldier’s burial will be communicated to you in due course. A separate leaflet dealing more fully with this subject is enclosed. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant Signature Office in charge of Records.’ Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Roll of Honour,’ 23 September 1918: ‘Horne. Killed in action, September 2nd, Robert (Bob), Royal Warwicks, dearly loved youngest son of Mr and Mrs Horne, 26 Deligne-street. If we could have raised his dying head, and heard his last farewell, the parting would not have been half so hard for those who loved him well. Mother, father, brother, sisters, sister-in-law [probably Caroline, Harry's wife] and Tom (in France) [probably Thomas Needham, Eliza's husband].’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his father Henry James was his legatee. WW1 Pension Ledgers index card: named both parents, Henry James and Mary Elizabeth. Information from letters and other documents in Nottinghamshire Archives (DD 2325/1-17): Letter 25 August (possibly 1917), from Lucy [sister], 26 De Ligne Street, Radford, to ‘Bob’: relating death of Horace? Frank? Foster, killed 11 August. February 1916: Hereford hospital. January 1917: out of hospital. 17 September 1917: letter from RH that he is a Lewis Gunner. January 1918: Hereford hospital to April 1918 Letter dated 21 March 1917 from Pte 2830 L Baines 2/7th Sherwood Foresters A Coy, France. (? transferred to MGC). France 2 September 1917: “They think a little bit of us at Colwick Street and write pretty frequently, so what I miss from Bloomsgrove [Castle Gate Congregational Church, Bloomsgrove Mission] I find from Colwick Street, for there are certainly some ?friends there. (also letter dated 17 September 1917 mentioning a Mr Emerton? and Brown from Colwick Street Pte 5618 Robert Horne 2/7th Sherwood Foresters B Coy, 1916 Dublin, Ireland, 21 October 1916: BEF, Birth certificate: 17 January 1893, No 254 Nottingham North West sub district DD2325/2/9. Record Office Warwick. Awarded BWM, VM DD2325/12. Left school age 14, 5 year apprenticeship with Berreys & Co, Forest Road West, upholsterer mattress and bedding manufacturer. Indentiture dated 28 August 1907. DD2325/2/11. Imperial War Graves Commission form dated 1927. Erection of headstone. Confirmed age 26. No personal inscription or text [family had to pay for this]. DD2325/2/16. To: Henry James Horne [father], 26 De Ligne Street, Radford. From: Imperial War Graves Commission, 10 June 1926. Confirmation R Horne buried Bailliuer Road East Cemetery, St Laurent. Bodies of Robert Horne and comrades killed in action 2 September 1918 found [recovering bodies in scattered and isolated graves] “I very much regret that when this was accomplished it proved to be impossible to identify the bodies individually … new graves … will be therefore marked with special crosses each bearing the name, regimental number, particulars and date of death of one of these soldiers and an inscription reading ‘buried near this spot’. Plot 3 Row H Grave 6. I am to assure you that the reburials were conducted with due care and reverence."
