Robert Seddon

Robert Seddon was born in 1895 at Westhoughton, Lancashire and was the son of the late Emmanuel and Mary Jane Seddon née Hill of 73 Portland Road, Shirebrook His father Emmanuel was born in 1875 at Westhoughton, Lancashire he died on 16th April 1912 in a mining accident and his mother Mary Jane Hill was born in 1876 at Aspull Moor, Lacashire, they were married on 13th October 1894 at St Elizabeth's Church at Aspull, Lancashire and went on to have the following children, Robert b1895 Westhoughton, Elizabeth b1899 Aspull moor, Emmanuel b1901 Shirebrook, Hannah 1901 Shirebrook, John 1905 Shirebrook William b1907 Shirebrook and Thomas b1910 Shirebrook. In the 1911 census the family are living at 73 Portland Road, Shirebrook and were shown as Emmanuel 36 yrs a coal miner stallman, he is living with his wife Mary Jane 35 yrs and their children, Robert 16 yrs a pony driver below ground, Elizabeth 12 yrs a scholar, Emmanuel 10 yrs a scholar, Hannah 8 yrs a scholar, John 6 yrs, William 4 yrs and Thomas 1 year of age.

In the 1911 census he was a coal miner pony driver underground.

Shirebrook Nottinghamshire

Pte. Robert Seddon, from Mansfield Woodhouse, enlisted at Mansfield he originally served with the Leicestershire Regiment,(service number 13806) Landing in France on 23rd February 1915, he was killed in action serving with 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment on 10th March 1915. He has no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial.

His father Emmanuel was killed on 16th April 1912 aged 37 yrs while at work at Warsop Main Colliery. By the in attention of the rope attendant nine tubs of coal were drawn out of the stall instead of the regulation six. This caused the rope to break, and the tubs, over-riding the drag, ran back 50 yards and killed deceased in the passbye.