Son of A. A. Sephton, of 197 (19) Farnham Terrace, Sunderland.
Linda Gowans has submitted the following:-
Robert Wilson Sephton’s father Alfred W.J. Sephton was a Brewer’s Agent from Preston Brook, Cheshire, and his mother Agnes Alexandra, née Wilson, came from Manchester. They were married in Chorlton in the December quarter of 1892, but by the 1901 censuswere at 16 Chatsworth Street with two sons born in Sunderland: Robert, 1897, and his older brother Alfred, 1895.
In 1906 Alfred senior died, aged only 38. The 1911 census shows the widowed Agnes at 19 Farnham Terrace (not 197); Robert is still at school, and there are two more children, William and Doris. Doris is probably the Miss D. Sephton, teacher, who served at St Gabriel’s at some time prior to 1938.
When Robert enlisted at Sunderland on July 2nd 1915 he was living at 19 Farnham Terrace, employed as a Clerk, and – he claimed – was aged 19 years 3 months. He was really 18, but seems to have been keen to serve overseas, as 19 was the minimum age. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on November 12th 1915, and to Corporal on October 13th, 1916.
When he went to France is not recorded. His Battalion, 15th DLI, suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Loos in 1915, spent the winter in trenches at Armentières, and was moved south to prepare for the Battle of the Somme. It was in action on the hugely costly first day, in the Battle of Albert, and in subsequent battles on the Somme during July and again in September/early October. Then, as theDurham at War website puts it, ’15 DLI returned to the dangerous routines of trench warfare.’ We do not know where Corporal Sephton was on November 17th, 1916, but the village of Cambrinwas (then and later) very close to the front line.
Robert was an Old Bedan: headmaster G. T. Ferguson paid tribute in ‘The Bedan’ for December 1917 to the 77 men already on the school’s Roll of Honour, including him.
CORPORAL ROBERT WILSON SEPHTON
19. Son of Mrs and the late Mr A.W.J. Sephton, 19 Farnham Terrace, Sunderland. At the School from 1911 to 1913. Was top boy in Forms Lower IV and Upper IV. Became a clerk at Sunderland Town Hall (Health Dept.). Joined the 18th Durham Light Infantry and served some time in Egypt. Killed in Action in France, November 17 1916.
His mother chose for his gravestone the inscription ‘Peace Perfect Peace’.
Robert Wilson Sephton is remembered at Newcastle on NUT004 and at Sunderland on S140.009, S140.010, S140.017 and S140.048 part 2
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 318
