Robinson on right
Castleside St. John's churchyard
In Castleside St. John's Churchyard is a family headstone which reads:-
In
Loving memory of
Thomas Milner
Of Muggleswick
Died Feb. 1st 1927 aged 75 years
Mary Ellen his wife
Died Dec. 30th 1924 aged 72 years
Mary Florence, daughter
Died Dec. 30th 1898 aged 18 years
Robinson R. son
Died of wounds in France
Aug.17th 1918 aged 24 years
Lizzie Jane, daughter
Died Dec. 27th 1923 aged 51 years
Sarah Ellen, daughter
Died May 30th 1947 aged 73 years
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Robinson Ridley Milner born at Castleside, County Durham, in 1893, was the illegitimate son of Louisa Annie Milner born 1877 of Castleside, the daughter of Thomas and Mary Ellen (nee Brown) Milner. When Louisa married in 1897 to Thomas Walton Lee with whom she had a further 6 children, Florence May 1898, Joanna Lilian 1900, Louisa Annie 1902, Lawrence Gleason 1904, Ernest Milner 1907 and Mary Ellen 1910, Robinson Ridley did not live with his mother and step-father but remained at his grandparents’ home at The Shield Farm, Muggleswick, County Durham. They also took into their home over the years his half-sister Florence May Lee when she was 3 years old. In 1911 Robinson (17) was employed as a gardener whilst his unmarried uncles and aunts and cousin Mansell Herbert assisted his grandparents in running their small holding.
Upon the declaration of war Robinson Ridley Milner enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and was assigned to the Territorial Force as Trooper 270460 2nd/1st Northumberland Hussars Yeomanry stationed at Scarborough as of May 1915 and later posted to the 9th (Service) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers as Private 235836. He departed to France as of 1916 joining his regiment on the Ypres salient in Belgium. During spring 1916 they fought at The Bluff and by summer saw action at the Battle of Albert and Delville Wood on the Somme before moving to the Arras sector participating during the Battle of Arras, April 9th-May 16th 1917 remaining in the sector until they transferred in late August 1917 to the 103rd Brigade, 34th Division and returned to Belgium. They saw action at Broenbeek during the Third Battle of Ypres, July 31st-November 10th 1917 before returning to the Somme when the Germans attacked again on that front in March 1918 where they suffered heavy losses during the Battle of the Lys, April 7th-29th 1918. The division was reorganised May 26th 1918 and transferred to the 183rd Brigade, 61st Division for the Final Advance to Picardy.
Private 235836 Robinson Ridley Milner succumbed to wounds sustained on active service, August 17th 1918 and was interred at Aire Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, grave IV. B. 9, he was 24 years of age and single. His cousin Mansell Herbert Milner also served during WW1 and survived the conflict.
His grandmother Mary Ellen, listed in the Register of Soldiers Effects as his mother, received all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at The Shield, Muggleswick, Consett. It was she who commissioned and paid for an additional inscription to be added to his headstone, it reads, “Dearer To Memory Than Words Can Tell Remembered By All At Home.” Private Milner is also remembered as their son on a family headstone which lies within St. John’s churchyard, Castleside.
The death of Robinson’s step-father Thomas Walton Lee preceded that of his own, he had been admitted to the lunatic asylum in Durham, December 27th 1911 where he died October 28th 1913, aged only 40 years. Louisa Annie remarried for a second time in the district of Easington, County Durham in 1919 to Thomas Smith. Further details unknown.
It should be noted that the entry of the CWGC stating that Thomas and Mary Ellen Milner were Robinson’s parents is inaccurate. This is confirmed by their declaration made in the 1901 and 1911 census stating Robinson was their grandson. In particular, in the 1911 census they declare to have had 7 children of whom one had died. Their children were Lizzie Jane 1873, Sarah Ellen 1874, John Thomas 1876, Louisa Ann 1877, Mary Frances 1880-1898, Joanna Lilian 1884 and Richard Ernest 1891. Naming themselves as his parents they were protecting the fact he was illegitimate and did the same for their grandson Mansell Hebert Milner, the illegitimate child of their daughter Sarah Milner, when he too enlisted in 1915.
Mary Ellen Milner nee Brown died December 30th 1924 aged 72 years, her husband Thomas aged 75 years, February 1st 1927. They are at rest within St. John’s churchyard, Castleside.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Robinson Ridley Milner is remembered at Muggleswick on M48.02 and M48.03
