Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Leonard Robinson was born at Nottingham, Nottinghamshire in 1883, one of 4 known children, 3 sons and a daughter born to British Subject Thomas Robinson born at Lille, France in 1833 and his wife Sarah Ann Barsby born 1840 at Calais, France, also a British Subject, both children of ex-pats. They were married in France and their eldest son Edwin was born at Calais in 1873. Leonard’s father was a lace maker and when they decided to return to England in about 1870 they settled at Lenton, an area of the city of Nottingham, equally famous for lace making, setting up home at 2, Britannia Square where all their neighbours were lace makers too.
Tragedy struck the family in 1890, Thomas Robinson took his own life, having been in low spirits due to being out of work for a week. Thomas some eight years prior had threatened to blow his brains out although he had never attempted to carry out his threat. His widow declared that on the morning in question she had risen at 6 o”clock leaving her husband in bed and that about two hours later she heard the sound of a revolver and rushed out to her neighbours. Returning with them to the house and entering the bedroom she found her husband was dead. The Deputy Borough Coroner held an inquest concluding that Thomas Robinson had taken his own life, July 27th 1890, “whilst in a state of temporary insanity”. Thomas, who could write better in French than in English, left a will written in French addressed to his son Edwin making him trustee of his affairs, leaving him the keys to his box and drawers, urging him to go to the French Consul at Lenton to have the document translated.
Leonard’s widowed mother took in a young mother and her child as boarders to increment the stipend of her eldest sons, Edwin as a collier and Thomas as a blacksmiths labourer, Leonard and Lily were scholars. In 1901 still in Nottinghamshire Sarah Ann and her family, with the exception of Thomas had moved to Colwick, Leonard was now 18 years old and working as a cabinet maker. He married Gertrude Davies born 1882, a local girl, in the district of Nottingham in 1905 setting up home by 1911 at 105 Denison Street, Radford and was now the father of three children Leonard Jnr born 1907, Lilian Beatrice in 1909 and Dorothy born 1910, he continued practising his trade working for a furniture maker.
At a date unknown they moved further north settling at Bill Quay, Pelaw, County Durham. On the outbreak of war Leonard enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, September 1914 as Private 5790 assigned to the 13th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, attached to the 62nd Brigade, 21 Division. The Division concentrated in the Tring area, training at Halton Park before a move into local billets in Tring for the winter, then in the spring to Aylesbury, Leighton Buzzard, High Wycombe and Maidenhead. May 1915 the infantry moved to huts at Halton Park, whilst the artillery moved to Aston Clinton with one brigade staying at Berkhamsted and the RE to Wendover. On August 9th, they moved to Witley Camp. As part of the British Expeditionary Force they departed for France during the first week of September 1915 and marched across France, their first experience of action being in the British assault at Loos on 26th September 1915, suffering heavy casualties, just a few days after arriving in France. Spring 1916 preparations were underway for the Battles of the Somme which began July 1st 1916 during which they participated at the Battle of Albert July 1st-13th.
Private 5790 Leonard Thompson Northumberland Fusiliers was killed in action July 1st 1916, his sacrifice recorded as one of the 72,246 names inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Somme, France, commemorating the servicemen from the British Empire who fell in the sector between 1915 to 1918 and have no known grave. Private Robinson was 33 years old.
His widow Gertrude received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and their children and his awards of the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to her at 4, Hall Terrace, Bill Quay, Pelaw, County Durham. She died at Nottingham, exact date unknown, their son Leonard Jnr born June 7th 1907 died aged 70 in 1977 also at Nottingham, other children’s details unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Leonard Robinson is remembered at Heworth on H92.03
