Biography of Robert Walter Spurgeon
Born 10 March 1856 at Little Ellingham, Norfolk, Robert lived at Anchor Corner, Little Ellingham during his childhood (census 1861, 1871).
Robert was living at St Peters, Per Montergate, Norwich, working as a railway porter when he married Sarah Ann Maria High on 17 February 1878. In the 1881 census Robert (24) & his wife Sarah (22) are living with Cecil (2), Ethel (4 months) & a servant (Emma Rhodes, 13) at 6 Goldworths Buildings, Bishopgate Street, in the parish of St Peters, Norwich. When Sidney was born on 26 July 1882 the family were living at Quebec Road, Thorpe Hamlet, Norwich; Robert was a 'railway servant'.
Before 1884 Robert moved to Besthorpe, near Attleborough, Norfolk, and became a shopkeeper/grocer (as recorded on Catherine's baptism & death certificates), selling 'dry goods' (clothing, dried foods, etc). Unfortunately it seems he gave too much credit to his customers, became bankrupt and fell on hard times (see/hear Charles Spurgeon's account). The family were helped recover by Charlotte, Sarah's sister, who found Robert work in London, initially with Thomas Pattersons (not found).
The family (Robert, Sarah & Sidney) moved in 1885 from Norfolk to 29 Culvert Road, Battersea, London, where George was born & baptised at St Saviours. Between 1886 & 1889 the family moved to 13 Doddington Grove, Battersea, where Albert was born, & died a week after his baptism, also at St Saviours. By the 1891 census they had moved to 34 Millgrove Street, Battersea, where Robert (now 35 & working as an iron foundry fireman) & Sarah (33) lived with Sidney (8), George (5) & Walter (3 months); at that time Ethel (10) was with Charlotte in Marylebone, and Cecil (12) was a scholar at St Mary's Convalescent Home, Broadstairs, Kent.
In May 1895 the family (including new-born sons Charles & Arthur) were living at 2A Block, Old Street, Shoreditch, London, Robert was working as a time-keeper. Before April 1899 (see Hilda's baptism 9/4/1899) the family moved to a newly built house (less than 5 years old) at 3 York Road, Brentford. Robert & two of his sons are all working at the Beldam Foundry in Windmill Road, Brentford: Robert as a foundry fireman, Cecil & Sidney as iron moulders. The family of 9 also have a servant (Mary Ann Neighbour, later to become Cecil's wife). The 1901 census (part 1,part 2) has Robert living at 3 York Road, Old Brentford with his wife, 6 sons (Cecil, Sidney, Walter, Charles, Arthur & Harold), daughter (Hilda) and their servant Ellen (Helen) Neighbour, one of Mary Ann Neighbour's sister.
Before the end of 1905 (when Cecil married) the family and their servant Ellen moved a short distance to another newly built house at 63 Whitestile Road, Brentford. The 1911 census records the family at 63 Whitestile Road, Brentford with 5 sons (George, Walter, Charles, Arthur, & Harold) & two daughters (Hilda & Winnie). Robert's still working at Beldams, as is his son George. Another son (Walter) is a pattern maker for Beldams.
Sidney was the first of his children to emigrate to the USA in 1905, and like his father worked as a moulder in a Californian iron foundry. Sidney was followed by Ethel & Cecil in 1907. Cecil eventually also found work as a moulder in a Californian steel plant.
On 8 December 1915 Robert sailed (in ill-health) from Liverpool to the USA on the SS Philedelphia with wife Sarah (54), daughters Hilda (16) & Winifred (13), arriving at New York on 16 December 1915 and settling in California at 1273 Alcatraz Avenue, Berkeley.
His sons Harold & Arthur were in France during the first World War fighting with the Allies. When the war was over Harold emigrated to the USA; Arthur, Walter & George remained in the UK.
In 1920, just before his death age 64 on 22 August 1921, he was living at 3841 Grove Street, Oakland, Alameda, California with his wife and daughters Hilda & Winnie; see his orbituary.
See also Robert's map timeline.