John Roberts

Ypres (Menin gate) Memorial, Belgium

John Roberts

Driver No. 5968 

Cheshire Regiment.

Killed in Action at Ypres in Belgium 14 November 1914. Age 32.

Commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Panel 22.

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Born in Tushingham, Malpas in 1882.

Second son of William and (Agnes) Hester Roberts of Malpas. (Note* that the 1891 census shows his mother’s name as Hester and the 1911 census as Esther)

1891 census records that the family were living in Tushingham, the birthplace of all the Roberts' children.

John grew up in Tushingham; all his siblings are shown in the census records as having been born in Malpas.

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The 1901 census shows the Roberts family living in Wirswall and in 1911 in Chowley.

.Husband of Harriet Donaldson (previously Roberts, nee Beesley) of 7 Derby Road, Withington, Manchester.

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John left home and joined the police force in Manchester in February 1908, when he married Harriett Beesley.

The 1911 census shows John as a police constable and living with Harriet in Rusholme, Manchester with a 2 year old and a 1 year old.

(John Joseph and Richard Raymond.)

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Tushingham-born John Roberts was a Manchester policeman when he enlisted.