Person:Robert May (24)

Robert May was baptised on 27th December 1829 at Shobrooke in Devon, son of Susannah May, formerly Greenslade, and her husband William May, a labourer. He was their eldest child; they had married less than two months earlier. After Robert's birth the family moved about ten miles east to Bradninch, where they lived at a place called Downhead Farm, where most of Robert's younger siblings were born. By the time of the 1841 census the family had moved again to Knowle in the parish of Cullompton, but Robert was not at home on census night. In the 1851 census Robert was living in Tiverton and working as a card winder.

By 1859 Robert had moved to Plymouth, where he would spend the rest of his life. He was married there on 28th August 1859 to Fanny Ann Tickel. They appear to have had six children together between 1860 and 1873. The 1861 and 1871 censuses each find the family living at 12 Victoria Street. Some time between 1871 and 1881 they moved to 1 John Street, which was the same street where Robert's brother William lived and ran a grocer's shop. Robert worked as a sawyer.

Fanny died in 1905, after which Robert went to live with his youngest daughter Sarah and her family, appearing with them in the 1911 census. Robert died in 1912, aged about 83 years old.

1. ↑ Church of England. Shobrooke Parish Registers. (Exeter: Devon Record Office).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Shobrooke in the County of Devon in the Year 1829
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   399	Dec[embe]r 27	Robert	William & Susanna	May	Shobrooke	Labourer	Silv[anus] Brown, Off[iciatin]g Min[ister]

2. ↑ 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 1889; Folio 339; Page 6, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Sayers Arms, Wellbrook, Tiverton, Devon
   William Fey, head, married, male, 59 [1791/2], Inn Keeper, b. Tiverton, Devon
   Mary Fey, wife, married, female, 58 [1792/3], b. Tiverton, Devon
   Benjamin Fey, son, unmarried, male, 15 [1835/6], Labourer, b. Tiverton, Devon
   Henry Fey, son, male, 10 [1840/1], Machine Boy, b. Tiverton, Devon
   Robert May, visitor, unmarried, male, 23 [1827/8], Card Winder, b. Tiverton, Devon

3. ↑ 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 1438; Folio 38; Page 11, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: 12 Victoria Street, Plymouth (Charles), Devon
   Robert May, head, married, male, 34 [1826/7], Sawyer, b. Brednage, Devon
   Fanny A. May, wife, married, female, 27 [1833/4], b. Lady Bridge, Devon
   William J. May, son, male, 6mo [1860], b. Plymouth, Devon

4. ↑ 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 2116; Folio 61; Page 12, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: 12 Victoria Street, Plymouth (Charles), Devon
   Robert May, head, married, male, 43 [1827/8], Sawyer, b. Bradnich, Devon
   Fanny May, wife, married, female, 37 [1833/4], b. Plymouth, Devon
   William May, son, male, 10 [1860/1], Scholar, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Emma May, daughter, female, 8 [1862/3], Scholar, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Albert May, son, male, 6 [1864/5], Scholar, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Mary J. May, daughter, female, 3 [1867/8], Scholar, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Robert May, son, male, 3mo [1870/1], b. Plymouth, Devon

5. ↑ 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 RG11; Piece 2194; Folio 5; Page 15, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 1 John Street, Plymouth (Charles), Devon
   Robert May, head, married, male, 54 [1826/7], Sawyer, b. Tiverton, Devon
   Emma May, wife, married, female, 48 [1832/3], Sawyer's Wife, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Fanny May, daughter, unmarried, female, 18 [1862/3], Genl. Serv., b. Plymouth, Devon
   Albert May, son, male, 16 [1864/5], Baker's errand boy, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Mary J. May, daughter, female, 13 [1867/8], Scholar, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Robert May, son, male, 9 [1871/2], Scholar, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Sarah May, daughter, female, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Sarah Tickett, mother-in-law, widow, female, 74 [1806/7], Annuitant, b. Okehampton, Devon

6. ↑ 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 1726; Folio 12; Page 17, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 1 John Street, Plymouth (Charles), Devon
   4 rooms occupied
   Robert May, head, married, male, 64 [1826/7], Coal Dealer, neither employer nor employed, b. Tiverton, Devon
   Fanny May, wife, married, female, 57 [1833/4], b. Plymouth, Devon
   Albert May, son, single, male, 26 [1864/5], General Laborer, employed, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Robert May, son, single, male, 20 [1870/1], General Laborer, employed, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Sarah May, daughter, single, female, 17 [1873/4], General Servant, employed, b. Plymouth, Devon

7. ↑ 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 2103; Folio 9; Page 10, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 1 John Street, Plymouth, Devon
   4 rooms occupied
   John G. May, head, married, male, 75 [1825/6], General Labourer, own account, b. Bradnick, Devon
   Fanny May, wife, married, female, 66 [1834/5], b. Plymouth, Devon
   Robert May, son, single, male, 31 [1869/70], Painter (House), worker, b. Plymouth, Devon

   Although the name here is given as "John G. May" rather than "Robert", given the address, wife and son it is considered highly likely that John G. May is actually Robert.

8. ↑ England. 1911 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.))
   RG14PN12991 RG78PN749 RD276 SD3 ED15 SN333, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 12 Corporation Dwellings, How Street, Plymouth, Devon
   3 rooms occupied
   John Diggins, head, male, 41 [1869/70], married, Sweeper - Boro Council, worker, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Sarah Diggins, wife, female, 38 [1872/3], married 19 years, 7 children born alive to this marriage, 7 children still living, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Annie Diggins, daughter, female, 18 [1892/3], single, Finisher - tailoring factory, worker, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Ethel Diggins, daughter, female, 15 [1895/6], single, Machinist - tailoring factory, worker, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Fanny Diggins, daughter, female, 13 [1897/8], single, School, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Ellen Diggins, daughter, female, 11 [1899/1900], single, School, b. Plymouth, Devon
   John Diggins, son, male, 9 [1901/2], single, School, b. Plymouth, Devon
   William Diggins, son, male, 6 [1904/5], single, School, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Emma Diggins, daughter, female, 2 [1908/9], single, b. Plymouth, Devon
   Robert May, boarder, male, 85 [1825/6], widower, Naval pensioner, b. Tiverton, Devon

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

   d. Robert MAY, December Quarter 1912, Plymouth Registration District, Vol. 5b, page 342, aged 86 [1825/6]