Robert Henry Lister was the sixth child of John Lister & Elizabeth christened January 4th, 1859 at Eston, Yorks.
In 1861 Robert was living at home at Ormesby with his parents.
In 1871 Robert was still living at home with his father & step mother Mary at Claylane Cottages, Eston. He was a labourer at the ironworks.
In 1881 Robert (22) was working as a stone mason & living with his brother Benjamin & his wife, Ellen (Helen in census) & their 2 children at 112 Portrack Lane, Stockton. Benjamin was a licensed victualler, & also living with them was Robert’s sister Mary (14), a domestic servant.
Robert of Ormesby Rd married Jane Ann Cradle on March 18th, 1883 at St John’s, Middlesborough. Witnesses at the wedding were John Robinson & Elizabeth Ann Jack?. Jane was born in Middlesborough c1864, the daughter of Margaret Cradyell/Cradgell/Craghill & Robert Cradle, an iron dresser at the iron works.
By 1891 Robert & Jane were living at 10 Adolphus St, Dawdon, Co Durham where Robert was a stone mason. They had 4 children by this time – Lilian (7), Ethel (5), Ada (3) & Florence M (1). It appears that Robert’s occupation was possibly an itinerant stone mason as it can be seen that the birth places of his children are all different.
In 1901 they were living at 20 Harrison St, West Hartlepool & Robert continued to be a stone mason. Daughter Lilian had left home but was still in West Hartlepool, working as a general servant for the Atkinson family. Daughters Ethel & Florence were not found in the 1901 census. At home were Ada, & new additions to the family – John T (8), Robert W (6), Harry (2) & Frederick (1).
In December 1903 sons John Thomas & Robert William were admitted to Christchurch Boys School, Shieldfield, Newcastle. However they were both removed in April 1904. Their address at that time was Yorkshire St.
There is a death for Robert Lister aged 47 in Jan-March 1905 recorded at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. In October 1905 sons Frederick & Henry were admitted to the Clergy Jubilee School & their address at that time was 218 Pilgrim St. However in November they left school, the reason given was that they were leaving the city.
Jane remarried in Jan-March 1907 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Her second husband was James O'Hara who was born c1867 in Leeds, Yorks, the son of Bridget & James O’Hara, a labourer at the shipyard.
In 1911 Jane & husband James, a boiler riveter at the shipyard were living at 47 Fell St, Byker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne & with them were Jane’s children Robert Lister, an express delivery porter, Ada Lister & Mary Lister (8).
At the time of the 1911 census Jane’s sons Henry & Fred were both boarding at an Industrial School at Jubilee Rd, All Saints, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Industrial schools were intended to help children by removing them from an environment that could be a bad influence & give them an education & a trade. The regime was very strict & the boys would be taught a trade such as gardening, tailoring & shoemaking. Son John Thomas was working as a putter in the coal mine at Ashington, Northumberland in 1911. At the time of the census John was boarding with the McClarence family at 9 Hexham Terrace, Ashington.
It appears that son Robert had been in trouble with the law on a number of occasions and had also been sent to the Industrial School in 1904 & subsequently spent time in a borstal institution for committing a number of thefts. The Shields Daily News of March 29th, 1912 reported that whilst on bail for charges of theft Robert had stolen 2 bicycles in Newcastle, one of which belonged to a Wesleyan Minister. His mother Jane O’Hara was charged with receiving the minister’s bicycle knowing it to be stolen & sold it to a secondhand dealer for 15s. Robert pleaded guilty & was sentenced to 1 day in prison & Jane was released on bail.
Things deteriorated further for Jane when husband James died after a fall the following year. He died in June 1913 at 937 Walker Rd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne & was buried at All Saints Cemetery. An inquest revealed that James who was employed as a caulker at the shipyard of the Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Company, Willington Quay was working on a vessel when he overbalanced & fell 41 feet down a hatchway. (Newcastle Daily Chronicle, June 20th 1913)
The 1939 register shows son John Thomas & his wife Lilian Maud (nee Witham) living in Watford, Herts where he was working as a painter. Brother Robert William & his wife Ellen Kate (nee Parker 1892-1969) & family were living at Granville Rd, Cowes, Isle of Wight in 1939 & Robert was described as a machine driller, aircraft. In 1939 son Frederick was living in Brighton, Sussex where he was a postman. He had married Ivy Victoria Clifton in 1926 in Tonbridge, Kent. A notice in the Crawley & District Observer of April 6th, 1951 stated that Frederick of The Flat, Coronation House, East Grinstead would not be responsible for any debts incurred by his wife Ivy Victoria Lister.
The children of Robert Henry Lister & Jane Ann Cradle were:
li.5.6.1 Lilian Lister christened March 12th, 1884 at Middleton St George, Co Durham
li.5.6.2 Ethel Lister born April-June 1886 at Middlesborough; died April-June 1891 at Dawdon
li.5.6.3 Ada Lister born April-June 1888 at Grangetown
li.5.6.4 Florence M Lister born April-June 1890 at Seaham Harbour; died Oct-December 1897 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne
li.5.6.5 John Thomas Lister born April 26th, 1892 at Consett; died 1966 in Hemel Hempstead, Herts
li.5.6.6 Robert William Lister born November 28th, 1894 at Rochester, Nothumberland; died February 16th, 1961 at Cowes, Isle of Wight
li.5.6.7 Henry Lister born January 2nd, 1899 at Gateshead, Co. Durham
li.5.6.8 Frederick Lister born March 2nd, 1900 at Gateshead
li.5.6.9 Mary Lister christened July 21st, 1902 at Gateshead.