Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

Hi,

I am searching for any marriage /death record for a great uncle, Robert Heaps, who was born in Liverpool in 1881, the son of Thomas Heaps and Susanna Travis.

Any help would be appreciated.

Regards
Frank

Hi Frank

Who's Robert Jackson then? are we looking for Heaps or Jackson

Do you have any other info/ census etc

Hello Frank,
How far along the 'line' have you tracked Robert, ie up to what census before you lose him?

There are 2 Roberts born in Liverpool in 1881. Which one is yours?
HEAPS, Robert - Liverpool - 1881 - Apr-May-Jun; and...
HEAPS, Robert John M - Toxteth Park - 1881 - Oct-Nov-Dec.

DS

Baptism at St Peter


Robert Heaps
Birth Date: 24 Mar abt 1881
Baptism Date: 4 Apr 1881
Parish: Liverpool St Peter
Father's Name: Thomas Heaps
Mother's Name: Susanna Heaps

census 1891
1 in 5 Court, Hilbre Street
RG12; Piece: 2919; Folio 12; Page 17
Thomas Heaps 43 Flatman, barge, b Leigh & Bedford
Susanna Heaps 37 b Liverpool
George Heaps 16
John Heaps 14
Robert Heaps 10
Susanna Heaps 3
Alfred Heaps 6 Weeks

all children b Liverpool

1901 census
96 Bamber Street
RG13; Piece: 3496; Folio: 39; Page: 26
Susanna Heaps 47
John Heaps 24
Robert Heaps 20 confectioner, sweets
Susanna Heaps 13
Alfred Heaps 10
Margaret Heaps 7
Elizabeth A Heaps 2

Is this the family in 1891?

HEAPS, Thomas - Head - Married - 43 - 1848 - Flatman - Leigh Beaford.
HEAPS, Susanna - Wife - 37 - 1854 - Liverpool.
HEAPS, George - Son - 16 - 1875 - Errand Boy - Liverpool.
HEAPS, John - Son - 14 - 1877 - Errand Boy - Liverpool.
HEAPS, Robert - Son - 10 - 1881 - Scholar - Liverpool.
HEAPS, Susanna - Dtr - 3 - 1888 - Scholar - Liverpool.
HEAPS, Alfred - Son - (6Wk) - 1891 - Liverpool.
Address: 1 House, 5 Court, Hilbre Street, Liverpool.
RG12 - Piece:2919 - Folio:12 - Page:17

Methinks we have been this route before? Susanna is a widow in 1901; sons John and Robert are confectioners... and a decade later John has headed off to Yorkshire and a cake shop... Robert is a 'traveller' at home with his mother and siblings Alfred [1891], Margaret [1894] and Elizabeth [1899].

DS

Thanks to Simone's find of a DoB I checked for deaths, all sources, from 1911 to 1981 with a YoB of 1881 +/- 1 year....

Just 4, all WW1:
HEAPS, Robert - Corps: East Lancashire Regiment - 1915.
HEAPS, Robert - Corps: East Lancashire Regiment - 1916.
HEAPS, Robert - Corps: Loyal North Lancashire Regiment - 1917.
HEAPS, Robert - Corps: Royal Field Artillery - 1917. He can be ruled out because the CWGC site says he is the son of Robert and Christina Heaps.

GRO War Death Army Other Ranks (1914 to1921)
Name: HEAPS, Robert
Unit: East Lancashire Regiment
Rank: Private
Number: 2987
Date of Death: 09/10/1915
Volume: S.1; Page: 309

Name: HEAPS, Robert
Unit: East Lancashire Regiment
Rank: Private
Number: 19873
Date of death: 09/04/1916
Volume: I.15; Page: 145

Name: HEAPS, Robert
Unit: Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
Rank: Corporal
Number: 200567
Date of death: 21/11/1917
Volume: I.22; Page: 143

DS

EDITED to add 3rd Robert Heaps death info and dates of death.

There are no Liverpool area marriages from 1911 to 1917 for Robert Heaps and with the absence of any deaths anywhere after 1917 it appears very likely he is one of the 3 WW1 deaths.

Looks like 'lucky dip' time for picking one of them for a cert but would the cert say any more than we have already. Perhaps his exact DoB?

DS

From more research on the 3 RH WW1 deaths I had found it is possible I have located the man we are seeking. I have added notes regarding enlistment and place of birth/residence from their record.

1) Name: HEAPS, Robert
Unit: East Lancashire Regiment
Rank: Private
Number: 2987
Date of Death: 09/10/1915
Volume: S.1; Page: 309
Born in Blackburn, Lancs and enlisted in Blackburn.

2) Name: HEAPS, Robert
Unit: East Lancashire Regiment
Rank: Private
Number: 19873
Date of death: 09/04/1916
Volume: I.15; Page: 145
No information.

3) Name: HEAPS, Robert
Unit: Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
Rank: Corporal
Number: 200567
Date of death: 21/11/1917
Volume: I.22; Page: 143
Born Fulwood, Lancs and enlisted in Preston.

Apart from the place of birth, it seems very unlikely 'our' Robert would enlist outside Liverpool so I am thinking RH #2, Army number 19873, is the man.

DS

Looks good Brian

Hi Simone and Brian,

Many thanks for your efforts. They are much appreciated. All I need now is to
find which R Heaps is mine!

Cheers
Frank

Hi (again)

I should have read Brian's final post more carefully before replying!

Cheers
Frank

Hi Brian,

Unfortunately, RH #2 is the wrong one. I copied and pasted his name and service number into the browser and came up with the fact that this RH was born in Barnoldswick

Cheers
Frank
CPGW Record

Surname: HEAPS
Forename(s): Robert
Place of Birth: Barnoldswick, Yorkshire
Residence: -----
Service No: 19873
Rank: Private
Regiment/Corps/Service: East Lancashire Regiment
Battalion/Unit: 6th (Service) Battalion
Division: 13th (Western) Division
Age: 28
Date of Death: 1916-04-09
Awards: -----
CWGC Grave/Mem Ref: Addenda Panel
CWGC Cemetery: -----
CWGC Memorial: BASRA MEMORIAL
Non-CWGC Burial: -----
Comments:
Not identified in SD.
1901 Barnoldswick Census: Robert Heap, aged 13 years, born Barnoldswick, grandson of Martha Heap. [Robert was probably the son of J. W. and Maggie Heaps, who were living in East Hill Street, Barnoldswick at the time of the 1901 Census. Martha had a son named John W. Heaps.]
The Craven Herald and the West Yorkshire Pioneer articles of the 5th May, 1916, state that he was killed in Mesopotamia with the 6th Battalion East Lancashire Regiment on the 9th April, 1916.


Craven's Part in the Great War Entry:
PRIVATE ROBERT HEAPS, East Lancs. Regt., of 86, Rainhall Road, Barnoldswick, killed in action with Indian Exp. Force 19th April, 1916. Aged 28 years.

West Yorkshire Pioneer Illustrated War Record Entry:
HEAPS, Robert, aged 28 years, E.L. Regt., killed in action in Mesopotamia, April 9, 1916

Alfred married in 1914. Was hoping Robert would be witness but no

George married in 1897
John married in 1904
Susanna in 1909


if you need these let me know... no sign of Robert on them

Oh well....
Back to the drawing board?
All RH deaths from 1911 to 1981, YoB 1881 +/- 2 years:

HEAPS, Robert - East Lancashire Regiment - 1915
HEAPS, Robert - Yorkshire, Leeds - 1915.
HEAPS, Robert - East Lancashire Regiment - 1916.
HEAPS, Robert - Loyal North Lancashire Regiment - 1917.
HEAPS, Robert - Royal Field Artillery - 1917.
HEAPS, Robert - Lancashire, Preston - 1937.
HEAPS, Robert S - At sea - Ship: DAEDALUS - 1946. [GRO War Death Naval Ratings Indices (1939 to 1948)].
HEAPS, Robert - Cambridgeshire, March - 1956.

Note re Daedalus: HMS Daedalus was a land-station for the Fleet Air Arm at Lee on Solent, with its airfield, bordering the Solent opposite the Isle of Wight and a slipway into the sea. She was first established in the First World War in 1917 by the Admiralty, and was subsequently transferred to the RAF in 1918. http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/daedalus/History.html

We seem to have eliminated the Army deaths so looked for emigration...
There are 6 Robert Heaps leaving for Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa between 1911 and 1930 with a YoB of 1881 +/- 2. His actual trips are between 1911 and 1921 and it appears to be the same man every time, a Telegraph Inspector [on Government service]. The first sailing was on 27 September 1911, so could Robert have stopped being a 'traveller' as entered in 19** and retrained in new technology in 3 months?

Looked up to 1960 and found a Heaps family heading for Canada in 1958.
Ship: R.M.S Sylvania
Name: Mr R HEAPS
Date of departure: 22 May 1958
Port of departure: Greenock
Passenger destination port: Montreal, Canada
Passenger destination: Montreal, Canada
Date of Birth: [Searched on 1881 +/- 2]

The following people with the same last name travelled on this voyage:
Mrs R HEAPS, Master D HEAPS; Master M HEAPS, Master R HEAPS,
Master R HEAPS, Master S HEAPS.

Regrettably I don't think this is our Robert since the children are referred to as 'Master' they appear to be juveniles or teenagers. If the search used the YoB correctly, Robert would have been about 59 when he fathered the eldest son.

DS

Not in this thread but from a previous search we know that Robert Heap's brother John had, by 1910, married and moved up to Harrogate in Yorkshire and was a pastry cook.

Did Robert also head off Yorks direction and then died in Leeds? His occupation in 19** was 'traveller'.
Deaths Jun 1915: Heaps, Robert - 32 - Leeds - 9b - 612

There's only him and the one in March in Cambridgeshire in 1956.
Name: HEAPS, Robert
Registration District: March, Cambridgeshire.
Year/qtr of registration: 1956 / Jul-Aug-Sep
Age at death: 77
Volume No: 4A; Page No: 250

There are no RH births in Cambridgeshire between 1880 and 1882, and no marriages up to 1945. So this one might have been a 'blow-in'?

DS

Hi Everyone,

Just catching up on 'old' posts. I can now confirm that Robert Heaps was alive and kicking in October1942 as he is listed as one of two beneficiaries' executors along with brother, Thomas, in their late father's will. George Heaps died on the 28th of May 1942 at 49 Salford Road Ainsdale with probate being granted on 21st of October. Incidentally, a friend of mine now lives in no 48. Talk about a small world.

Cheers ,Frank.

Hi Everyone (again)

Ignore the last post. It has just dawned on me that the Robert Heaps named is probably George's son, rather than his brother.

Cheers
Frank