Person:Robert Singleton (4)

Robert Singleton was baptised on 29th April 1818 at Foston in Lincolnshire, son of Elizabeth Singleton, formerly Ingram, and her husband, William Singleton, a huckster (a pedlar or hawker). Robert was one of five children that his parents had together, but also had half siblings from his father's first marriage and a half brother on his mother's side from before her marriage to William Singleton. Robert's father died in 1828, when Robert was about ten years old.

The 1841 census finds Robert working as an agricultural labourer at Marston, the neighbouring parish to Foston.

On 12th January 1846, aged 27, Robert married 19 year old Eliza Worth Bonser at her native parish of East Stoke in Nottinghamshire, nine miles west of Foston. At the time of Robert and Eliza's marriage, both were working as domestic servants. After their marriage they returned to Foston initially, where their first two children was born, the second of whom died young, before moving to nearby Allington where they had another nine children, one of whom also died young. There was nearly 25 years between the births Robert and Eliza's eldest and youngest children.

Back in Foston, Robert's mother died in 1859.

Robert worked as a coachman and groom, looking after the horses and transporting people for the owners of big houses. He stayed at Allington for over 20 years, but some time between August 1871 and November 1872 he and Eliza moved away to Aston on Trent in Derbyshire. Eliza died there on 1st November 1872, aged 46. At the time of her death her youngest child, Ada, was just fourteen months old.

Robert's eldest two surviving children both married in 1873, and Robert's first grandchildren were born that same year.

By 1881, Robert had moved away from Aston on Trent and was living at Bainton in Northamptonshire, where he was to stay the rest of his life. His daughters Annie and Ada were living with him, with Annie working as his housekeeper. When Annie left home, Ada became his housekeeper.

Robert died at Bainton on 16th December 1901, aged 83. He had been a widower for 29 years. He had lived to see at least thirty grandchildren born in his lifetime, although some had died young.

1. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Parish Church of Foston (Lincolnshire). Parish registers, 1776-1940. (Lincoln, England: Lincolnshire Archives Office, 1993).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Foston in the County of Lincoln in the Year 1818
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   74	April 29th	Robert Son of	William and Elizabeth	Singleton	Foston	Huxter	D. Nihill, Curate

   This baptism has been linked to the Robert Singleton who married Eliza Bonser on the basis that it is the only Robert Singleton in Foston around 1818, which is when and where Robert claimed to have been born in the censuses, and no evidence has been found suggesting that the Robert baptised in 1818 died young or married anyone else.

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 620; Book 20; Folio 6; Page 20, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Marston, Lincolnshire
   William Hardy, male, 45 [1791-6], Farmer, born in county
   Sarah Smith, female, 25 [1811-6], F[emale] S[ervant], born in county
   Ann McLaughlin, female, 20 [1816-21], F[emale] S[ervant], not born in county
   Mary Mussion, female, 20 [1816-21], F[emale] S[ervant], born in county
   John Green, male, 20 [1816-21], Ag[ricultural] lab[ourer], born in county
   Rob[er]t Singleton, male, 20 [1816-21], Ag[ricultural] lab[ourer], born in county
   William Bell, male, 15 [1821-6], Ag[ricultural] lab[ourer], born in county
   John Gamble, male, 15 [1821-6], Ag[ricultural] lab[ourer], born in county

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 2138; Folio 146; Page 23, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: West Allington, Lincolnshire
   Robert Singleton, head, married, male, 32 [1818/9], Servant Groom, b. Foston, Lincolnshire
   Eliza Singleton, wife, married, female, 25 [1825/6], b. Stoke, Nottinghamshire
   Samuel Singleton, son, male, 4 [1846/7], b. Foston, Lincolnshire
   Mary Eliz[abe]th Singleton, daughter, 11 mos [1850], b. West Allington, Lincolnshire

4. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 2481; Folio 12; Page 18, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: West Allington, Lincolnshire
   Robert Singleton, head, married, male, 42 [1818/9], Groom, b. Foston, Lincolnshire
   Eliza Singleton, wife, married, female, 35 [1825/6], b. East Stoke, Nottinghamshire
   Samuel Singleton, son, male, 14 [1846/7], Ag[ricultural] Boy, b. Foston, Lincolnshire
   Mary Eliz[abe]th Singleton, daughter, female, 10 [1850/1], Scholar, b. West Allington, Lincolnshire
   William Singleton, son, male, 8 [1852/3], Scholar, b. West Allington, Lincolnshire
   Bonser Singleton, son, male, 5 [1855/6], Scholar, b. West Allington, Lincolnshire
   James Singleton, son, male, 3 [1857/8], Scholar, b. West Allington, Lincolnshire
   Richard Singleton, son, male, 2 [1858/9], b. West Allington, Lincolnshire

5. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 3544; Folio 13; Page 17, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: West Allington, Lincolnshire
   Robert Singleton, head, married, male, 51 [1819/20], Coachman (Domestic), b. Foston, Lincolnshire
   Eliza Singleton, wife, married, female, 43 [1827/8], Coachmans wife, b. East Stoke, Nottinghamshire
   William Singleton, son, unmarried, male, 17 [1853/4], Farm Servant, b. Allington, Lincolnshire
   Richard Singleton, son, male, 12 [1858/9], Scholar, b. Allington, Lincolnshire
   Ann Singleton, daughter, female, 8 [1862/3], Scholar, b. Allington, Lincolnshire
   Frederick Singleton, son, male, 6 [1864/5], Scholar, b. Allington, Lincolnshire

6. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 3194; Folio 67; Page 16, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Bainton, Northamptonshire
   Robert Singleton, head, widower, male, 61 [1819/20], Coachman Dom[estic] Serv[ant], b. Foston, Lincolnshire
   Annie Singleton, daughter, unmarried, female, 18 [1862/3], Housekeeper, b. Allington, Lincolnshire
   Ada Singleton, daughter, female, 9 [1871/2], Scholar, b. Allington, Lincolnshire

7. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 2554; Folio 58; Page 12, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Bainton, Northamptonshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Robert Singleton, head, widower, male, 71 [1819/20], Assisting Gardener, employed, b. Foston, Lincolnshire
   Ada J. Singleton, daughter, single, female, 19 [1871/2], Housekeeper, employed, b. Allington, Lincolnshire

8. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 3022; Folio 56; Page 5, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Bainton, Northamptonshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Robert Singleton, head, widower, male, 81 [1819/20], Retired Coachman, b. Foston, Lincolnshire
   Ada Singleton, daughter, single, female, 29 [1871/2], House Keeper (Domestic), Working at Home, b. Allington, Lincolnshire

9. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   Registration District Stamford
   1901 DEATH in the Sub-District of Barnack in the Counties of Northampton Rutland Lincoln and Huntingdon
   No.	When and where died	Name and surname	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   476	Sixteenth December 1901 Bainton Norths. R.D.	Robert Singleton	Male	82 years	Formerly a Coachman (Domestic)	Senile decay Heart failure Certified by J.P. Greenwood M.R.C.S.	A. Singleton Daughter Present at the death Bainton	Seventeenth December 1901	A. Andrews, Registrar