Private James (Jim) Wilson Roberts

205422 - East Yorkshire Regiment, 425386 - Durham Light Infantry, 51052 Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

Born 16th October 1895, 3 Low Rake Glenridding.

Died Sept 1980 Northumberland Aged 84

Son of Isaac and Mary Eleanor (nee Pattinson) Roberts of Pendragon Castle & 3 Low Rake Glenridding

Husband of Florrie Willis

James (Jim) Wilson Roberts was born in Glenridding on the 16th October 1895. He was the second son of Isaac and Mary Eleanor Roberts, who lived at Pendragon Castle in Glenridding. His father Isaac was born in Holywell in Wales but had moved to Glenridding to work at Greenside Mine. He had married Mary Eleanor Pattinson, the daughter of Matthew Pattinson, in May 1894 at Patterdale Church.

Their first son, John Henry Roberts was born in October 1894 and after the birth of James they had two more children, Rose Anna, born on Christmas Day 1897 and Isaac Ellis, born in 1902. By then the family had moved closer to Greenside and were living at 3 Low Rake. The children all would have attended Patterdale School alongside the children of other miners such as John Slee and John Lancaster.

By 1911 both James and his elder brother John were working as Lead Ore Washers at Greenside. At some point in the next few years the family moved to the North East - like the Slee and Readshaw family, switching from the lead mines of Cumbria to the Coal Mines of County Durham. The Roberts family settled in Crawcrook, Ryton-on-Tyne Co Durham. They worked for the Stella Coal Company, which operated three mines in the Ryton area, including one called coincidently “Greenside”.

We’re not sure exactly when John joined up as we have found no detailed service records for him. It was certainly after his elder brother John Henry Roberts (see below), who had enlisted with the territorials before the outbreak of war. It is possible that he was not mobilised until 1916. We know from his medal card that he served in various regiments, starting with the East Yorkshire Regiment, then moving to the Durham Light Infantry (like his brother) and finally ending his military service with the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.

After the war we know that James married Florence (Florrie) Willis, who had grown up in Crawbrook, where the Roberts family had moved to, and whose father was also a colliery worker. Currently we have no further information on their lives other than the fact that Florrie died at the relatively young age of 39 in 1939. James himself died in September 1980 in Northumberland at the age of 84. We are grateful to Hunter Family  for their pictures of Jim and Florrie. James is remembered on the Glenridding Village hall Roll of Honour alongside his brother and his school friends.

In terms of the rest of the family, James’ father Isaac did in September 1918 aged 50, and his wife Mary Eleanor died less than a year later in March 1919 at the age of 49. What we know of his elder brother John Henry Roberts is shown below. Unfortunately we have no further information at present on their younger siblings Rose Anna and Isaac Ellis Roberts.

If you can add anything to the story of James or his family please contact us.

Private John Henry Roberts

1941 & 325150 - 9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry

Born 19th Oct 1894, 3 Low Rake Glenridding.

Died Dec 1981 in Northumberland Aged 87

Son of Isaac and Mary Eleanor (nee Pattinson) Roberts of Pendragon Castle & 3 Low Rake Glenridding

Husband of Sarah Dobinson

John Henry Roberts was born in Glenridding on the 19th October 1894. He was the eldest son of Isaac and Mary Eleanor Roberts, who lived at Pendragon Castle in Glenridding. His early life and that of his family is outlined in more detail above in the story of his younger brother James Wilson Roberts.

John was working alongside his father and brother for the Stella Coal Company in County Durham when he enlisted with the 9th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry on the 8th of April 1914. This was a territorial force but as soon as war broke out on the 5th August 1914 he was “embodied” into the regular army. He would have done his initial training in Gateshead embarked for France in April 1915, remaining there for the duration of the War other than one brief leave to the UK in September 1918.

John’s battalion landed at Boloungne and joined the 151st Brigade of the Army, part of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division. The list of battles in which his battalion fought reads like some ghastly who’s who of some of the worst battles of the war. The Third Battle of Ypres (April/May 1915 - in which John was poisoned by Gas), the Battle of the Somme in 1916, and the Battles of Arras and Paschendaele in 1917. John managed to survive these actions and at some point in the war was taken on a a batman at the Battalion’s HQ.

He was finally “disembodied” (the term for territorial soldiers who were demobbed) on the 3rd February 1919. After the war he returned home, to the family home of 5 Chamberlain Street, Crawcrook, Ryton-on-Tyne, Co Durham, where by now his next of kin was given as his younger brother Isaac, his parents both having died (see above).

We have so far not uncovered any further information on John’s life until his death in Northumberland at the age of 87 in December 1981. He is remembered alongside his brother John on the Glenridding Village Hall Roll of Honour. If you can add anything to the story of John or his family please contact us.